This is a story-style travel blog featuring my adventure through Central America in the fall of 2023. I did a 17-day tour called Central American Journey, from the company Intrepid. We visited Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. You can read the blog in order, or about whichever destination intrigues you! Within my stories, I’ll offer some recommendations and some tips and tricks for a smooth journey. When I travel, I mostly do group tours and the reasons are:
* As a solo woman traveler, it is much safer especially if traveling long distances or to countries that can be dangerous in some parts
*The itineraries are amazing and usually include all of the things you’d want to see and do…and if not, there is free time to do as you wish;
*You don’t have to worry about booking transport, finding hotels, etc. Sometimes that can contribute to the adventure, but it’s also nice to sit back and relax and let your tour leader be in charge
* And finally…the new people you meet on your tour become your family, and I’ve made lifelong friends in these journeys. For myself, this has equal importance with exploring new countries.
Costa Rica is the most popular and touristy countries in all of Central America, and is a democratic and peaceful country. They are one of the 5 countries in the world without an army! There is so much biodiversity here; a good chunk of the country is conservation and natural protected territory. There are over 34,000 species of insects in Costa Rica…yikes! But also, a ton of species of butterflies. Their culture is multiethnic, living together peacefully with laid back and friendly people. Their motto is PURA VIDA, and you hear it everywhere you go – as hello, goodbye, thank you…you name it. It translates to “pure life”.
Today is our final day in Costa Rica, and the end of Central American Journey. The 11 of us have become great friends and we are sad that it’s coming to an end, but also grateful for all the fun experiences we’ve shared!
The morning begins in La Fortuna, for one last breakfast at the hotel. We are supposed to be taking the public bus back to San Jose, but we also have the option to pay a little bit extra to hire a private van instead. So, 7 of us decide to take that option; after 16 days of travel, I’m done with roughing it. Haha. Poline, Paige and Adam take the bus with Marvin, who assists them to the station and then drives his own car to San Jose so it’s easier for him to get back home after the tour. Our van has air con, we get to take an easier route, and the ride is completed in less time. Win! Turns out the other 3 end up missing their second bus connection so luckily Marvin is able to take them in his car. Otherwise, they would have arrived much later. This gives us all more time to explore the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose.
San Jose is also the largest city, and the political and economic hub. It is rich with museums, parks, theaters, street art and history. It’s a relatively safe city, but I don’t know, this is the second time I’ve been here and I’ve seen/walked through some pretty sketch areas. Apparently, they’ve reduced a lot of crime and increased safety since I last visited in 2005. This time around, I have a better experience with San Jose, but I wouldn’t want to spend more than a day or two here.
We check into the hotel, and drop off our bags since the rooms are not ready. I am solo tonight, as Ivonne is staying at a different hotel so it’s easier for her to catch her next short tour that starts tomorrow. The hotel is called Casa Orquideas.
The room is ok, but the walls are thin so it’s not the quietest option.
https://hotel-casa-las-orquideas.san-jose-hotels-cr.net/en/
It’s located on a busy highway, and it’s only a 20-minute walk in the heat into the central area. We are hungry for lunch, so we find this place along the way called Nuestra Tierra, and it turns out it is on my list of potential places to eat…so that’s a cool surprise.
It’s nice, but a little pricey. I opt for one of the more frugal dishes, the chicken and rice.
After lunch, we check out the wall murals. There are a few spots where they are prevalent – here are a few shots.
We end up at the National Theatre, and it’s really beautiful.
We can’t tour the inside today (I think we’re too late?), but we are let into the lobby area to take some pics.
It was built in the late 1800’s, and is considered to be the finest historic building in the city. It was financed from taxing coffee, the most important export at the time.
We walk over to the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Jose; this is the rebuilt version because the original was destroyed by an earthquake.
I want to check out the market, but it is a bit too far and it is closing early.
So instead, the final stop of the day is the National Museum of Costa Rica.
It’s on the way back to the hotel so this works out perfectly. Its current location is in the Bellavista Fortress, which was built in 1917 and was originally a military barracks – you can see bullet holes in the walls.
The museum was moved here after the fortress was used during the civil war in 1948. It’s just me, Eilidh and James so we spend the next hour looking around before it closes for the day.
We start with some ancient carvings from the pre-Columbian eras.
Here is a famous oxcart, that was used to transport coffee beans.
The rest of the museum is filled with a chronological journey of how Costa Rica became what it is today. I don’t have time to read everything but I get a good feel for what is being represented.
Tonight, we are having one last dinner as a group and Marvin has chosen a place called Casa Aguizotes; it’s full of really cool décor and a great menu. I order this giant plate of nachos.
We say goodbye to Ivonne, and I really hope I will see her again one day in the future! We walk back to the hotel in the rain, and gather in the hotel common room for a few last drinks. I say my goodbyes since I am leaving for the airport super early in the morning. I wish I would have planned to stay a couple more days and head over to Tortuga Island…but I’ll have to save that for next time! And so, my Central American Journey comes to a close. It was a combination of history, culture, nature, adventure, and new friendships. Thanks to all my fellow travelers, and our amazing tour leader Marvin. Until we meet again……..
Everywhere On Earth With Erin 