My Rush Hour Companion

Who the Heck Needs Paved Roads?

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August 30th 2007
In typical pura vida sentimentality, the rental clerk politely listened to me butcher his native Spanish with a smile and nary a raised eyebrow as he deciphered my attempts enough to ask, "Would you like a manual or automatic transmission?". My mind raced over (bypassed actually) my short experience with this sort of thing as I heard myself blurt out. "MANUAL!!!" Heck I'd driven a stick A ... read more

Central America Caribbean » Costa Rica

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Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong techn... ... read more