2013 Costa Rica Adventure

[familygoboston]

humid humid humid - perfect. I mean ... eww That's what we're suffering through right now. I'll just pretend this July heat is practice for the adventure. So I guess we can leave the rain coats at home and just bring a poncho? Knowing that it's mostly casual should help pare down the packing. I can do casual easily! It's the packing light that I usually have a problem with.
I know this is gonna sound ridiculous, but in June we used both our raincoats and ponchos! most days were misty enough for a raincoat, and if it really poured ( and in Torteguero, it really poured!) just for a short time, we would wear the ABD ponchos. But we don't find the ponchos very comfortable to wear ( breathability and length ) most of the time. Again, it might be drier when you go, but the " wet" spots, if you check the guidebooks, are always pretty wet!

Chica wants to know if there was any foods/drinks you think we should avoid either because they didn't agree with you or just didn't taste good. I've heard the local sodas are very sweet? What was your favorite food/meal of the trip? Was it hard to find a decent place to eat on those days when you're on your own?
With ABD, there will always be familiar food offered for the non adventurous eater ( pizza, white pasta etc) Costa Ricans have pretty simple fare as their traditional cuisine. Rice and beans were served at every meal, including breakfast. Lots of fresh pineapple and mango, fish, beef, and chicken. My girls loved ceviche, which is raw fish marinated in lime all chopped up...youd htink that would be very chancy, but - no problems at all! We had ZERO tummy troubles, and I have a DD who we tease for getting sick in all the best places; she had no trouble.We don't drink soda, but I'm told coca cola is made with real sugar rather than corn syrup in this part of the world, which might make it taste different. My girls loved getting something called a " fresca" which is just some soda and juices- very refreshing! Also tres leeches cake, which is a dessert made of 3 milks, ( cream, milk and condensed milk- now that is sweet...yum!) My girls are pretty adventurous eaters, it's my DH who is more traditional, and he had no trouble finding something yummy!

We generally ate at the Marriott because we were only there for a day longer in San Jose- and it's a bit of a cab ride to the area where more restaurants would be and the kids were young, so we wanted to eat and get them to bed without a late cab adventure

We stayed in Torteguero with Costa Rica Expeditions and meals were included. Their food was excellent and again no trouble. We didn't drink tap water anywhere, though in the highlands you could. We did bottled or filtered, most the better hotels offered filtered, we had no problems with it.

We made our first payment. I love watching the balance go down

It will be here before you know it!

 

[emesmom]

Myself and my DD 11yo, will be on the 3/30/2013 CR trip. I have a question about cellphones and Internet access. I have Verizon service and no 3G/ smartphone etc, just your basic text and call set up. I read on line something about getting a temporary phone for international usage. Does anyone know anything about that for CR?
Is there WiFi available at all the hotels, because if so My DD could Skype with her father from her iPod? I know he is going to want to make sure we are safe and sound on a regular basis..as I would be if the situation was reversed. I want to make sure I can give him accurate info about how we can keep in touch. Thanks for any guidance.

 

[sayhello]

Myself and my DD 11yo, will be on the 3/30/2013 CR trip. I have a question about cellphones and Internet access. I have Verizon service and no 3G/ smartphone etc, just your basic text and call set up. I read on line something about getting a temporary phone for international usage. Does anyone know anything about that for CR?

I don't know about for CR, but when I went to the Med, and to London/Paris, I was able to borrow a Global phone from Verizon. All you do is pay like $10 for the postage for them to send it to you. As long as you return it within 30 days, there's no other charge for getting the phone. You can also sign up for an international plan (for just a month) that will greatly reduce the cost of calling & texting. I don't know if this holds true for CR, it depends on the type of network they have there. Call Verizon's Global group, they can look it up & tell you all about your options.

Sayhello

 

[emesmom]

Thanks sayhello, for the great info. Does anyone know @ the WiFi access in CR?

 

[sayhello]

Thanks sayhello, for the great info. Does anyone know @ the WiFi access in CR?

One thing to note is that some places will restrict Skype from being used on their WiFi networks, because it is such a bandwidth hog. (I know DCL does that). Be sure & check with the actual hotels before counting on using Skype.

Sayhello

 

[Gonecruisin]

phew It's been a while. We get super busy and so much gets pushed aside which is why we need a fabulous vacation!

2nd installmt pyt on our trip to Costa Rica has been made. Only one more pyt to go The closer it gets, the more excited we get.

I've been reading up on some of the local culture and learned a few tidbits that seem noteworthy:
Pura Vida - a local Costa Rican phrase that means "pure life" and it is used in a great variety of ways - all positive - when you want to respond to such things as "How was the zip line?", "Did you enjoy the pinapples?" etc. It's sort of a ~good vibrations~ type of thing. Costa Rica's equivelant to island time.

Tico (a) - is the local term for a native of Costa Rica.

Since Chica and myself are arriving a day early in San Jose, we've been told to check out a place called Spoons for a nice local meal. Rice and beans ... yum

 

[Gonecruisin]

Heard from Delta that they cancelled my flight home. Goodbye reasonable arrival time in Boston.

Instead of coming home via this: leave Liberia in the morning, change planes in Atlanta (about 2 hour layover) and then arrive in Boson at 7 pm.

Now we leave Liberia at noon, change planes in Atlanta (about 2 hour layover) and then arrive in Boson at midnight.

Lesson Learned #1 = A year in advance in NOT too far out to book your ABD.
Lesson Learned #2 = Be flexible. Things can and will change.

 

[sayhello]

Heard from Delta that they cancelled my flight home. Goodbye reasonable arrival time in Boston.

Instead of coming home via this: leave Liberia in the morning, change planes in Atlanta (about 2 hour layover) and then arrive in Boson at 7 pm.

Now we leave Liberia at noon, change planes in Atlanta (about 2 hour layover) and then arrive in Boson at midnight.

Lesson Learned #1 = A year in advance in NOT too far out to book your ABD.
Lesson Learned #2 = Be flexible. Things can and will change.

Sometimes I really, really hate Delta. At least they didn't add 2 or three legs to your flight! Coming back from Hawaii this year, I had a flight from Maui to Los Angeles, then a non-stop from Los Angeles to Columbus. They changed that to a flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Columbus. Added over 5 hours to my flight time, including the layover in Atlanta. I have learned that the flights you buy on Delta are rarely the flights you actually fly. It really should be illegal. How many other businesses can sell you one thing, and then deliver something completely different?

Sorry they messed up your plans!

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

This is my worst Delta experience, although it turned out okay in the end, mostly due to the warnings I've seen on this board and my own resulting vigilance. I booked a flight many months in advance to Budapest with layovers at JFK and Amsterdam. I carefully picked the flight that had layovers that weren't terribly long, but long enough so we wouldn't feel rushed and would still stand a chance of making our connection if there were a minor delay. I signed up for Delta's email alerts, but still checked regularly to make sure our flight or seat assignments didn't change. So one day I check my booking online and my flight has been changed. Instead of originating in Nashville, my flight was changed to a single leg from Paris to Budapest. No way at all for me to get from home to Paris. I called Delta and they changed it, but then I had a layover of a mere 30 minutes at Charles DeGaulle. So I called again and found a flight through Atlanta that worked and it turned out to be a more expensive flight on a nicer plane than I had originally booked, but if I hadn't been checking regularly, it could have been a disaster. For the most part, I've had good experiences with Delta (virtual knock on wood), but I keep an eye on them.

Sorry they messed up your plans, Gonecruisin. We're flying on Delta to Lima on March 22 with a layover in Atlanta. We may cross paths.

 

[tufbuf]

We just booked our CR ABD this August (using DVC points ! Looking forward to trip reports!!!

 

[dizneekrazee]

Heard from Delta that they cancelled my flight home. Goodbye reasonable arrival time in Boston.

Instead of coming home via this: leave Liberia in the morning, change planes in Atlanta (about 2 hour layover) and then arrive in Boson at 7 pm.

Now we leave Liberia at noon, change planes in Atlanta (about 2 hour layover) and then arrive in Boson at midnight.

Lesson Learned #1 = A year in advance in NOT too far out to book your ABD.
Lesson Learned #2 = Be flexible. Things can and will change.

We had a flight change as well on our return flight from Costa Rica. We were flying with Frontier, who a few months after booking, decided they did not fly from SJ, CR on Sundays. We were able to change it, free of charge, to a flight with *I THINK* US Airways. Layover was then in Phoenix, which IMO, was better than Denver in mid-January. I was so worked of snow making us miss our connecting flights!!!

Anyhow, you will LOVE Costa Rica. My favorite international trip so far. (But I haven't been to many lol)

 

[Gonecruisin]

Bobo: I'll have to keep an eye on Delta now too. Fingers crossed for an event free day of travel on March 22nd!

tufbuf: your signature has me in a state of wonderous envy. Stay tuned for the trip report!!

dizneekrazy: I'm sort of obsessed about snow ruining my trip too so I completely understand. That's why we are leaving a day early which turns out to be the Ides of March! I sure can pick em.

Update time!

Chica and I are very excited. The trip is getting closer and we really need a vacation. Final payment was made last month. Remaining balance is ~*~zero~*~ my favorite balance.

Bought some new bathing suits, a water sport type of shirt for the rafting trip, and ... loads of pocket packs of tissues. Why, you ask? Because .... we were told that toilet tissue isn't available with the same ... errr.. frequency (?) ... in CR as it is in the US? Not sure if this is true but since we are arriving a day early and staying a day late and partaking in some non-Disney sponsored activities, we'd be better off prepared then left wanting.

We were also told to load up on the bug spray. Need to do that next.

I reviewed the itinerary and came up with some ideas on how to spend our extra time in CR. Our Day 1 in CR is really Day 0 for everyone else. We arrive in CR at noon and will most likely spend the day resting and relaxing at the hotel after a weary day of travel. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 2 (or DDay 1 - Disney Day 1 lol) is when everyone else arrives but we can go explore San Jose. We settled on 3 choices and will let the ABD staff point us in the right direction but I am leaning towards the coffee tour.

1. Tour the Cafe Britt Coffee Plantation - pricey but impressive looking tours

2. Sarchi Village - seems like a village full of tourist trinkets for sale?

3. Pueblo Antiguo - billed as the Colonial Williamsburg of CR

Dinner will be at a local place the ABD guides recommend because our Welcome dinner isn't until Day 3 (DDay 2). We won't actually meet our fellow tour groupers until Morning of Day 3 (DDay 2).


Then for our last day in CR - Day 8 (DDay 7) - Playa Hermosa, Guancaste - we are thinking of booking an ATV tour with Tico Tours in the morning and then their snorkel/sunset sail in the evening. Of course, again, we'll let the ABD staff steer us in the right direction but that's what appeals to us the most after some quick research.

This is going to be an amazing adventure. Unlike anything we've ever done before. And I can't wait!

 

[tracyz]

I'll be anxiously awaiting your report. We're booked on the 3/15/14 trip, so exactly a year after you! Playing around with how much time to spend on our own before and/or after, so I'll be interested to hear what you find.

 

[Gonecruisin]

Another intrepid Ides of March traveller. lol What's vacation without the risk of a few superstitious jinxes, right? Which segues nicely to out next topic - Well sort of...

Here in Boston, the talk of the town is the recent flu outbreak which is rampant I guess? I don't know anyone who has it. But it got me thinking about flu shots which got me thinking about other shots. So I called Dr and told her about upcoming trip to Costa Rica. She looked at my previous vaccinations (warning: I am old) and I now have an appointment to get Hep A (for food and water illnesses), Hep B (for blood stuff like if I get a cut), typhoid (for typhoid) and a flue shot! La Chica too but she doesnt need the Hep B because she had it in high school. Dr doesn't think we need any malaria prevention

So much depended on my history and which parts of Costa Rica we were visiting so I guess this could be different for each individual. And my Dr is known for being overly cautious so I wouldn't at all be surprised if someone else's Dr has a completely different take on this subject. I'm not promoting anything. I'm simply reporting my pre-trip events.
phew... get that out of the way so we get back to the fun stuff.

 

[sayhello]

Another intrepid Ides of March traveller. lol What's vacation without the risk of a few superstitious jinxes, right? Which segues nicely to out next topic - Well sort of...

Here in Boston, the talk of the town is the recent flu outbreak which is rampant I guess? I don't know anyone who has it. But it got me thinking about flu shots which got me thinking about other shots. So I called Dr and told her about upcoming trip to Costa Rica. She looked at my previous vaccinations (warning: I am old) and I now have an appointment to get Hep A (for food and water illnesses), Hep B (for blood stuff like if I get a cut), typhoid (for typhoid) and a flue shot! La Chica too but she doesnt need the Hep B because she had it in high school. Dr doesn't think we need any malaria prevention

So much depended on my history and which parts of Costa Rica we were visiting so I guess this could be different for each individual. And my Dr is known for being overly cautious so I wouldn't at all be surprised if someone else's Dr has a completely different take on this subject. I'm not promoting anything. I'm simply reporting my pre-trip events.
phew... get that out of the way so we get back to the fun stuff.

Now, see! I never think of stuff like that when I travel! Good catch!

Sayhello

 

[dizneekrazee]

Another intrepid Ides of March traveller. lol What's vacation without the risk of a few superstitious jinxes, right? Which segues nicely to out next topic - Well sort of...

Here in Boston, the talk of the town is the recent flu outbreak which is rampant I guess? I don't know anyone who has it. But it got me thinking about flu shots which got me thinking about other shots. So I called Dr and told her about upcoming trip to Costa Rica. She looked at my previous vaccinations (warning: I am old) and I now have an appointment to get Hep A (for food and water illnesses), Hep B (for blood stuff like if I get a cut), typhoid (for typhoid) and a flue shot! La Chica too but she doesnt need the Hep B because she had it in high school. Dr doesn't think we need any malaria prevention

So much depended on my history and which parts of Costa Rica we were visiting so I guess this could be different for each individual. And my Dr is known for being overly cautious so I wouldn't at all be surprised if someone else's Dr has a completely different take on this subject. I'm not promoting anything. I'm simply reporting my pre-trip events.
phew... get that out of the way so we get back to the fun stuff.

It most certainly depends on where in CR you are going. When we went last Jan., we didn't require any. If I remember right, only a very small area of CR recommends malaria prevention.

For those asking what to see/do in San Jose, IMO, San Jose is a dump, and isn't worth it extra time. Especially after you had just been through the rest of the beautiful country.

 

[Gonecruisin]

@ sayhello: I thought of it but assumed it was unnecessary because other people either didn't get the shots or were told they didn't need them. Like I said, my Dr can be overly cautious at times but I guess having the shots can't hurt?

@dizneekrazee: Can you expand on what you said about San Jose? I want all info - good and bad so I can make informed choices. thx

 

[dizneekrazee]

@dizneekrazee: Can you expand on what you said about San Jose? I want all info - good and bad so I can make informed choices. thx

Driving through SJ, you can tell it isn't near as safe as the rest of CR. ALL residences had gates around them, which all had some sort of barb wire or spikes on top to prevent people from climbing over. Graffiti everywhere.
A friend of mine went a year before me, and hated her extra time in SJ, so we only went they day before our flight home.
Where will you be staying in SJ? We were at Adventure Inn, which we loved. The rooms were HUGE!! Free phone calls, even to the U.S. Free breakfast, and if you are leaving before breakfast time, they will pack you something. It isn't much, but better than nothing. Free airport transfers as well. The restaurant wasn't bad, but I did not care for their burgers.

 

[familygoboston]

I'm going to weigh in on a few things-
Health: we have a regular travel doc who is great, he told us that there is very little malaria in CR, really you'd need to be a researcher camping out to be in the malaria zone on the Caribbean coast. ABD avoid malaria zones generally which is why their Africa trip is in SA. You would be unlikely to be exposed to Typhus or Hep A on an ABD, however it's good protection for any traveller to developing regions, and will protect you if you are doing she portions of the trip " on your own" and the food may not have been vetted by Disney. Hep B is blood born (like HIV) so most ABD'ers are unlikely to be exposed ( guess it depends on what you do in your "free time") with one big BUT...if you needed emergency health care, it would be comforting to know you are protected from that virus! That said CR's health care system is excellent (our cardiologist lives there now and is very impressed!) and there is likely almost no risk to the blood supply there! In conclusion, you could travel to CR with no injections, and be perfectly fine, but if you travel a lot , these are good protections to have anyway! The biggest risk is probably flu- many people from many places, if you were going to get just one jab- get that!

San Jose- while I will agree it is not as nice from a scenic point of view as other Central and South American cities, there are some worthwhile things to see. We enjoyed touring the National Theater, the Gold Museum and (like every CA, SA city has) the Simone Bolivar Square. There is crime and poverty, it's a city, and it's a CA city, but touring in the daytime with a good guide is safe if you take normal city precautions. A half day is plenty! I will tell you what our guide Fico told us about the bars. Bars in homes are there for security, yes, but also for prestige. He told us families put bars on even meager homes to show there is something worthwhile in side. It's a sign of prosperity. Interesting prospective from our local guide ( which is why it's so great to have them on ABDS!) Shortly after my trip I was on a bike ride through one of the most prosperous and safe towns in the US, and a successful local immigrant family was building a large home in the Latin style -bars on every window!

Things I learned along the way...hope it helps!

 

[sayhello]

I will tell you what our guide Fico told us about the bars. Bars in homes are there for security, yes, but also for prestige. He told us families put bars on even meager homes to show there is something worthwhile in side. It's a sign of prosperity. Interesting prospective from our local guide ( which is why it's so great to have them on ABDS!) Shortly after my trip I was on a bike ride through one of the most prosperous and safe towns in the US, and a successful local immigrant family was building a large home in the Latin style -bars on every window!

Things I learned along the way...hope it helps!

That's really interesting, and makes a ton of sense! Thanks for sharing that.

The local guides are yet another reason why I *LOVE* ABD!

Sayhello