Costa+Rica

Costa Rica

Important things know about Costa Rica:
 * 1) The sun here is NASTY. We are only ten degrees North of the Equator, so bring sunscreen and use it. You can burn to a crisp in 30 minutes if you run around unprotected. The UV factor here is at least double that of Florida or Arizona. A wonderful vacation can be made not so wonderful if you are inpain.The sun here is NASTY. The UV factor here is at least double that of Florida or Arizona. A wonderful vacation can be made not so wonderful if you are in pain.
 * 2) The language is Spanish, though some Ticos speak English fairly well, especially if they work in tourism. If you are just visiting, you won't have to know how to speak Spanish. But if you plan to live here, you simply have to learn Spanish in order to truly adjust and feel like you're fitting in.
 * 3) If there is a national symbol of Costa Rica, other then the flag, it is the oxcart. Oxcarts were used to haul coffee and other items to market in the early days of Costa Rica. Even today, on rural back roads, you will see an occasional country dweller (campasino) driving an oxcart (with oxen!). They also appear in many parades, horse shows (topes), and many festivals.

**Landmarks** Here is a video of an eruption of Arenal volcano media type="youtube" key="osdxNyFI7ds" height="244" width="296" align="center"

Take a virtual travel tour of Costa Rica: media type="custom" key="9648402" align="left" width="80" height="80"

More reading on Costa Rica: Costa Rica Wikipedia Costa Rica Country Profile [|Costa Rican Rainforest]