Getting Ready for Costa Rica
So I booked my Costa Rica trip last month. Started digging around asking other travelers about safety stuff. Man, everyone kept telling me “it’s super safe!” but then I thought – hold up, nowhere’s perfect right?
Phone Call Mishap
First thing I did? Called my carrier about international plans. Dude said “don’t worry” but guess what happened? Landed in San José and BAM – no service at all! Had to beg borrow coffee shop wifi to call them. They forgot to activate my SIM. Total facepalm moment.
Bus Stop Lessons
Took local buses to save cash. Saw this American guy flashing brand new iPhone at bus stop in Liberia. Five minutes later – POOF – phone gone. Thieves on bikes snatched it mid-air. My tip? Keep that phone glued to your hand or deep in zipped pockets.
ATM Horror Story
At Jacó beach I needed cash. Found this sketchy ATM near some back alley – machine ate my card! Local shop owner saw me panicking. Told me never use standalone ATMs. Only inside banks with guards. Got my card back next morning but lost half a day.
Jungle Rules
Did the Corcovado trek. Guide gave safety talk: “Don’t touch the pretty frogs.” Saw tourist try to pet this tiny red frog – guide practically tackled him. Turns out poison dart frogs kill you in 15 minutes. Nature don’t play.
Hotel Safe Surprise
My fancy resort had in-room safe. Put passport and cash inside. Came back – safe wouldn’t open! Maintenance guy came with master code. Showed me how to test safe BEFORE locking stuff. Always do test runs folks.
Rental Car Shock
Rented SUV in Tamarindo. Drove off thinking “easy peasy”. Next day saw dent near gas cap. Rental company charged $300 damage fee I couldn’t dispute. Pro move? Video the entire car before driving off.
Final Reality Check
Don’t get me wrong – Costa Rica’s awesome. But pretending it’s Disneyland is dumb. Stuff I’ll always do now:
- Carry decoy wallet with expired cards
- Never walk alone at night beaches
- Ziplock my phone in rain season
- Photocopy passport on cloud
Most important lesson? Common sense beats all “safety tips”. If something feels off, bail immediately.