Costa Rica is one of the most developed countries of Middle America. Unfortunately that makes prices quite developed as well, but it’s still worth a visit, for the country boasts with beautiful nature, high mountains and long beaches. And, travelling around this country is still much cheaper that in Europe. The cheapest board you can find would be in cheap hotels usually for locals. Similar prices are in Youth Hostels, of which only three are a part of the HI network.
I found one of the above mentioned (HI Youth Hostels) near La Fortuna. At Jardines Arenal Hostel there are ten different sized rooms. The most attractive are the ones with the view of the pointy top of the Arenal volcano, from which lava flows quite frequently. I had no such luck, for the volcano was inactive for a few weeks, at the time of my stay... or maybe I still was lucky, because years ago an eruption resulted in loss of human lives.
Although the hostel is a few kilometers from the rainforest, you still get to see many interesting animals here. There were always tropical birds, flying over the well kept garden. If lucky you can even see the strong beaked toucan. And you are definitely likely to see a sloth, for it eats only some tree leaves, of which there are some in the garden. They are active during the night, for during the day they sleep, hanging on the high branches. The one that regularly visits Hernan’s garden also crosses the road, to get to the leaves on the other side. So far nothing ran him over, probably because he crosses the road at night.
For lunch or dinner you should go to the nearby La Fortuna, with many restaurants fitting every taste and valet. Daily offers are usually around 3€ and consist of a typical local food casado, made up from rice, beans, lettuce, bananas and meat. The meat can be pork, beef, chicken or fish. Beans and rice are usually side dishes to most things on the menu – a very popular dish (gallo pinto) is a mixture of both. Naturally you can not only eat, you need to drink as well. A very popular is the Imperial beer, but I suggest you try the freshly squeezed tropical fruit juices. Depending on the season, you can get mango, pineapple, papaya, guayaba and many more.
La Fortuna is less than 100 miles from the capital San Jose, with the international airport. Bus fare is cheap, but slow, for it takes the bus three hours to get there. That’s due to numerous bends and stops. Many tourists decide on private transport instead, but it’s several times more expensive. You can also rent a car, but that only makes sense if there are several people sharing the costs. You can pay in $US, but for smaller purchases you should have some of the local currency (cologne) with you. You can communicate in English, but outside of larger tourist areas I’d suggest you know at least the basics of Spanish.
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