Costa Rica

I got back from  my tour of Costa Rica a few days ago and am slowly getting back into the swing of things here.  At least I am no longer sick like I was before I left.  As for the trip?  Well, there were parts I enjoyed and parts that weren't so enjoyable.  Don't get me wrong, the country is beautiful...at least most of what we saw was.  The problem was all that time spent riding on the bus.  I still have ankle and feet slightly swollen from it.  Much better than they were.  That and, perhaps, the sunburn they got after sitting in the shade for an hour.  The sun is VERY powerful down there.  The original itinerary I signed up for last year is not the one we had due to criminal problems in one of the original areas.  I don't know that I would do the same tour again. As for the food....it was good enough.  I really enjoyed the fresh fruit.  For the most part I skipped the rice and beans....which are served at every meal.  There were a few things that were never explained such as when we arrived we weren't informed we were in the central time zone.  Also, in most public places, including some hotels, people are requested to put the toilet paper in the waste container instead of the toilet.  I know why, but first time travelers wouldn't.  Then there's the hot is cold and cold is hot. Took us a while to figure that one out.  But only in the showers.  We did have a very nice young, enthusiastic tour guide who tried her best to make the disappointments palatable.  I think if I ever go back I'll go to the Pacific coast.  It was warmer, sunnier, and less windy than the Caribbean coast.  All in all though, I'm glad I made the trip.