Travel is Great, but so is Your Own Bed

Going to new and interesting destinations is undeniably exciting. Getting there...well, it's not like the old days. Air travel is way less enjoyable than it used to be...I know, first world problems. Case in point, a travel container that I've used for well over 10 years has happily passed through security on every trip we've ever taken. Then comes Bogota. On the way up to Vancouver...no problem, but coming back, they confiscated it, as it was clear (no labels) and didn't have the size printed on it. It was the exact same size as another container that passed muster, but no matter, rules must be followed.  Why? I'll never know, but I'm out just under 100mL of really good quality conditioner. So be it. (I have many other security stories that both infuriate and amuse.

But enough of the kvetching. We're home and there's something so satisfying about that. The one thing we've found about Air B&B's is that most are geared to make money, they aren't usually real homes, so there are a lot of things lacking in the kitchen and throughout the spaces. Except for the fact that we travel mostly with just carry on, I'd bring a chef's knife with me wherever I go.  One space only had one beer glass and one wine glass on our arrival. Whatcha' gonna do?

That's the beauty of home. It has all the things you need (and other things that you might possibly need sometime in the unforeseen future.) It has a comfy bed and things that suit us. I guess it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

So, we're home for now and looking forward to our next adventure. We're also promising ourselves to be good next year and stay closer to home. It's the financially responsible thing to do. Let's hope my appreciation for things near and dear doesn't leave me!

Costa Rica - The Final Assessment

Our six weeks in Costa Rica were many things; unexpected, surprising, adventurous, confusing and, more often than not, hot. This is the beautiful thing about travel. You never know what's going to happen. Sometimes, the unexpected isn't pleasant, but more often than not, everything works out the way it should, or, more importantly, in a way that wasn't anticipated but way better than the traveler could imagine. That's my general philosophy.

So how does Costa Rica figure into this? Excellent question. The tiny country has a lot to offer, especially to those of us that have adventure tourism in mind. You can zip line your way across most of the country, surf, paddle board, skim board, kayak. There's also hiking, caving and (I suspect) rock climbing. If you like seeing under the water, both snorkeling and SCUBA are excellent options. Sounds great, right?

To do all these things, you need money, and lots of it. This isn't a big deal if you're only staying a week or two. It gets more financially painful the longer you stay. Case in point, gas is almost as expensive as in Vancouver ($1.50 a litre...that's almost 6 dollars a gallon, for you imperial people.) Price comparison in U.S dollars by Numbeo for San Jose, Costa Rica and Cuenca, Ecuador: We believe these numbers are pretty well dead on and current.

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in San Jose are 61.58% higher than in Cuenca
Consumer Prices Including Rent in San Jose are 63.41% higher than in Cuenca
Rent Prices in San Jose are 70.32% higher than in Cuenca
Restaurant Prices in San Jose are 100.29% higher than in Cuenca
Groceries Prices in San Jose are 73.42% higher than in Cuenca
Local Purchasing Power in San Jose is 15.21% higher than in Cuenca

There's a bit of police corruption amongst the Transito (transit police), but we only got shaken down once in a month of driving around.

San Jose is not a pretty city (like Vancouver or Cuenca), but has lovely neighbourhoods that we would recommend staying in. Las Escalantes was our favourite, followed by Amon (closer to downtown) and our little neighbourhood of el Zapote seemed decent, not quite as pretty, but nicer homes and friendly neighbours. Rohrmoser and Escazu are well known gringo barrios that are nicely maintained, but too North Americanized for our taste.

Okay, so the final call? Costa Rica (for us), is a great place to visit for a week, maybe two, but not a potential home. If you're a beach body, then you might love it, if you're used to suburbia and always needing a car, maybe it would work for you. For us, there just isn't enough to fill our time on a regular basis. We enjoyed the country and the people, but are glad to be heading back home.