| If you want to live one unforgettable experience, | | | | expect to be treated like one. Of course, if you |
| you can't miss visiting Costa Rica. Nature, Water | | | | are a foreigner, technically, you are using tourist's |
| sports, Golf, (If you love Golf, you have to | | | | clothes no matter what they are, but, the point is |
| schedule a visit to Costa Rica's courses. The | | | | to avoid the "Hawaiian shirts," "khaki shorts," |
| weather is just perfect for Golf) | | | | fisher hats, and things like that. Instead, try using |
| Every country has it's own attractions. Central | | | | simply jeans and a T-shirt. And try not to take |
| American countries offer a large menu ranging | | | | photos every five seconds. That would ruin your |
| from unique architecture still in use by its | | | | "incognito disguise" |
| inhabitants as well as antique structures which are | | | | 2- Try to travel with a local you can trust. This is |
| carefully restored for the sake of future | | | | important not only because you will learn more |
| generations, to a great variety of activities and | | | | about the culture and get oriented but it might |
| products. Costa Rica has many small towns | | | | help your wallet too. Some cab drivers for |
| spread all over showing the heritage of the | | | | instance, are prompted to alter the fee depending |
| colonial time. That flavor normally represented by | | | | on wether the customer is familiarized with the |
| walls made of "Bareque" (A mixture of hay | | | | updated rates. I have witnessed that kind of |
| straws, mud and bamboo among other materials), | | | | special treatment. Always look what the mark is |
| Terra cotta roofs and white colored stucco. | | | | and pay accordingly, unless you have arranged |
| Its not rare to find somebody using a horse for | | | | something else with the customer. |
| transportation or work. Horses, however, are | | | | 3- Try to know pricing beforehand. (for instance, |
| nowadays more, a luxury than a necessity. | | | | when ordering your meal) Some restaurants are |
| Oxcarts, which is very symbolic for costarrican | | | | not sure about you knowing how their tip system |
| culture, are seen on special occasions, and very | | | | "works." (Usually ten percent is already charged in |
| few people use oxen for agriculture. With | | | | your bill. |
| tractors, its almost nonsense to use them for | | | | 4- Ask how much is going to cost you to travel |
| working the soil. It is, probably more, a pretext to | | | | to a specific place before getting aboard a cab. |
| continue tradition. Artists colored the carts and | | | | And, try to use only regular cabs. There are |
| each cart it's a master piece. | | | | other services called "Pirate" cabs (Taxi Pirata). |
| You could expect to find anything you look for in | | | | Although these people are not wearing an eye |
| Costa Rica. For more than fifty years of having | | | | patch and a parrot over their shoulders, some of |
| abolished its army, Costa Rica bets on education | | | | them are dangerous. |
| and work rather than death and violence. Of | | | | 5- Above all use common sense, and don't be |
| course, that doesn't mean you can put down | | | | afraid but be cautious. Costarrincans are friendly |
| your guard. There is no place on earth where | | | | people and some unscrupulous criminals use this to |
| crime doesn't show up. Violence in Costa Rica its | | | | fool foreigners. I am not saying that you should |
| not as common as with other, more aggressive | | | | turn into a paranoid person who trust none, just |
| countries that are used to war and death (There | | | | that it doesn't hurt to take extra care while |
| are no gangs or organized crime in CR the way it | | | | visiting a place for the first time. Watch your |
| is known in other countries). You can follow some | | | | back. Try to use your money in a secure place. |
| tips to travel more secure and with more control | | | | Pickpockets are very skillful. |
| over the situations you would probably find: | | | | There are no news in these paragraphs, just a |
| 1- Don't use tourists clothes. If you wear the | | | | reminder of how our societies have "evolved" and |
| clothes of a "cliché" tourist, you can | | | | how we could react to those situations. |