Getting here - arriving in Costa Rica

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Why I'm here

Having quite a lot of outstanding leave to take, I've come to Costa Rica for a mixed holiday, with the first week spent at a sea turtle conservation project and the second travelling around the country with a program of different activities. The trip is with G Adventures, booked through STA Travel. While I have come to the country on my own, I am joining a group and will spend the whole two weeks with them, and we have a G Adventures guide with us throughout. Not exactly a shoestring budget backpackers trip, but an opportunity to get involved in some voluntary work and see a country I might not have otherwise visited. This is my first attempt to write a blog, so any constructive feedback is appreciated.

Arrival

Getting here from the UK was fairly easy, but it was about 24 hours travelling door-to-door. London to Newark New York, around a 5-hour wait and then on to San Jose. Landing at 11:30pm, there were plenty of taxi drivers waiting outside for fares. It has been a while since I spoke any Spanish, but the taxi drivers' level of English was enough for me to explain where I needed to be and confirm a price. I paid $25 to get to a hotel in the centre of town.

San Jose

With our group meeting at 6pm, I had a full day to explore San Jose on my own. Most of the guide books seem to agree that while most people visiting Costa Rica will spend some time in San Jose, there isn't a lot there to hold you for long. From what I saw, I would probably agree. I visited the National Museum and the Museum of pre-Colombian Gold, continuing a long-standing tradition of visiting museums in foreign cities while rarely setting foot in one at home. There was enough in San Jose to keep me occupied for a day, but I wasn't too disappointed that I was leaving the next morning.

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