Introduction

The vacation was supposed to end Sunday. Today is Tuesday.


I’m sitting on my back porch in an A-frame cabin in Montezuma, Costa Rica. It’s sweltering and overcast right now, which has been close to the norm. The low season has afforded me a great rate on this cabin, and I decided to stick around for a few more weeks. There will be plenty of time to tell all about what is happening here and why I chose this particular place, but first I’d like to talk about why I came to Costa Rica.

As most of you know, I have been in Seoul teaching the last couple of years and my last contract ended in March. Seoul, South Korea is very fast paced, crowded, noisy, and metropolitan. It is a great place to live, but after a while the grind takes its toll on me and I need to step away to someplace quiet. Most expats take a long trip through southeast Asia after their contracts end. My initial plan was to go to Bali for a month, but it fell through and I went straight back to St. Louis.

Costa Rica has been on my radar for years as a place I wanted to visit. An obvious draw is the beaches and exotic wildlife, as well as the eco and adventure tours. As an ESL teacher, the country was enticing to me to see what the market is like and if it is a reasonable place to make a living. As a traveler, the idea of a government without an army and a stable oasis in a relatively unstable region is another appeal. Not having forgotten about Bali, and still needing to slow down and take a break from Korea, I had the idea to come here instead.

When I mentioned the idea to friends and family, I was surprised by the instant reaction and how many people had either been to Costa Rica and absolutely loved it or had wanted to go for a long time. For the latter, I had promised to scout it out and give a full report. For the former, I’m sure you will see many familiar things throughout this series that will likely make you want to come back soon.

With all this in mind, I pulled the trigger and booked a flight arriving in San Jose on Tuesday, May 15th and returning Monday morning, June 4th. The original plan was to hang out in Columbia, Missouri and work on a Costa Rica blog after returning. After arriving in Montezuma and taking a look at the cabin, I decided this would be the better spot.

For the next few weeks, I will be posting pictures and talking about tours, food, people, different areas, pros and cons, as well as the usual musings and observations. Please feel free to make comments, ask questions, and enjoy as I (flailingly) attempt to entertain and inform. If you are reading this with a desire or intent to visit this beautiful country someday, I hope I can give you some useful information or inspiration to go.
Note: This was originally written in June, 2012, as was most of the forthcoming material. Apologies for taking so long to post.