It’s been a while since anyone called to learn more about the “the island of Costa Rica”, or booked flights in and out of the capital, “San Juan.” It used to happen quite frequently. I will admit before October of 2001, I had not the foggiest idea of where or what Costa Rica was. I had never even heard of the place. Oh, perhaps I had, but it just never really registered that it was actually a place one could…go to.
Boy have times changed. Here are ten major changes I have witnessed about “the island” over the last 10+ years of living here…
1. The Roads – boy have they improved. I remember the dreaded route over the Monte del Aquacate one had to take to hook up with the Costanera. Now we have the normally pain-free Carretera Caldera complete with its half a dozen toll booths. I also remember when getting from Quepos to Dominical meant a grueling 1.5 to 2 hour adventure…now it it 20 minutes of serene (quite surreal in its serenity, actually) travel that I like to refer to as the “Costa Rican Audubon.”
2. The City – in many ways San Jose has reversed the decline that had set in early in the decade. The area around Sabana Park has especially become a vibrant close to downtown scene complete with a spanking new Chinese built national stadium that at first blush could be mistaken for something from which an alien invasion might ensue.
3. The Weather – the wet season seems to get drier and the dry season longer. Might be good for tourism, at least for a while until the full effects in the forest are felt.
4. The Tourism Competitive Landscape – I recently wrote complaining of this one. Now it seems everyone is in the game…even Walmart.
5. Walmart – they finally found us. So I moved…where they will not likely ever show up…I pray!
6. General Knowledge – now Costa Rica is on the radar screen of, well, everyone. I predicted that a long time ago, but now dread seeing that it has actually come to past. Thanks to Trip Advisor, everyone has suddenly become a wannabe Costa Rica vacations expert.
7. Plasticization – seems to have a positive relationship with the increase in number 6 above.
8. Laws – Costa Rica legislators continue to pass an increasing amount of intolerably stupid ones…like $600 speeding tickets. I actually received a $400 parking ticket right here in PZ (they even took my license tags to add insult to economic injury). The rhyme or reason behind it escapes me…except that it did somewhat curb my propensity to be a parking outlaw.
9. The Arenal Volcano – finally decided to take its own vacation with the lesser known Turrialba filling in.
10. My Situation – well after 10 years I finally got the hell out of Dodge City (or, Chepe…which is officially known as San Jose). Doing so has drastically improved the level of stress I had subjected myself to for the better part of a decade. Perez Zeledon is a place where breathing deeply does not put one’s life in peril.
This post may sound a bit cynical, but doesn’t that happen to everyone once you’ve been “on the island” long enough. You get to see its warts, along with all the beauty marks.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the place deeply.
And I ain’t going nowhere any time soon.
Pura Vida!
Post by CRG
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