Costa Rica trip

I just got back yesterday from a work trip to Costa Rica. I'd forgotten exactly where it was, thinking at one point it was an island... but fortunately i remembered (mainly after talking to Si, who did conservation work there a few years ago) that it's in Central America, just a bit further down from Honduras and Guatemala, which I visited a few years ago myself.

The work trip was a get-together for our international ecommerce people, who are spread across the globe in regional offices, and a chance for everyone to meet face-to-face and catch up on what we're up to. That mostly meant holing up in a snazzy Marriott for long presentations but fortunately there was still time to sample the local food and get out into the wild a couple of times. The hotel itself is a wonder of modern tourism - it's beautifully architected in the style of a traditional hacienda (and feels quite genuine), with a couple of restaurants and bars built around a courtyard and pool. There's a cafe, gift shop and travel agent, so you have everything on your doorstep if you don't want to emerge from the haven of the hotel. It seems that Costa Rica is very prepared for tourists and although dollars aren't the local currency it's hard to find a place where they're not accepted. Everyone will entertain a little amateur Spanish conversation but it's mostly unnecessary as their English is very good. I personally found the all-encompassing hotel a little stifling, but for the majority of people coming to Costa Rica I think it's a great option.

Costa Rica doesn't have really famous sights that you'd recognise, but the appeal is more in the flora and fauna, plus I think the beaches. There are a couple of volcanoes - I managed a visit to one and you can see my pics of the crater in my photo feed, and the country has a history of coffee growing that they're very proud of. We went on a tour of the Cafe Britt coffee plantation which was informative and enjoyable, and we heard about how Costa Rican coffee is the best because they don't cut corners or compromise the quality the way other countries do. I did bring some coffee home because it tasted great when we were there... let's see if it tastes as good out of my coffee machine!

Costa Rica is apparently very eco-friendly, with something like 90% of it's electricity generated from hydro and wind. It seems that the country has a general principal of living healthy and looking after nature, which they call Pura Vida, and you can probably figure out the translation. I didn't get to go on a cloud forest trip (maybe next time - I'm pretty sure Diana and I will be back for a proper vacation now that I've had a taster), but it seems that a major appeal is the options for exploring the tree tops and the interesting plants and creatures you find there. They have a great deal of colourful butterflies, birds and flowers. I saw quite a few just in the environs of the hotel, which makes me think what you'll see in the cloud forests must be pretty special.

I should mention the food was generally of a high standard too. Even the time I only had Burger King to choose from at the airport, they had rice and beans with sour cream and tortillas - yum! We also went out to a peruvian restaurant one evening, which had very tasty food. On the menu was a section called 'Chifa' which turned out to be Chinese food - even in Central America they like chow fun! Our people from Hong Kong were very tickled by it. I really enjoyed the local food though. I never got tired of plantains either.

Overall it's two thumbs up for Costa Rica. I hope I'll be back for more of a look around.