Aero: Mary Erb – Costa Rica 2015 – City Life

Aero: Mary Erb – Costa Rica 2015 – City Life
Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project

Aero: Mary Erb – Costa Rica 2015 – City Life

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Mary Erb

When I was thinking about how my stay in Costa Rica would be before we departed, I was almost positive that in terms of the cities and towns we would be frequenting, there would be much more to offer there than the places around where I’m from. One of the first things we did in Costa Rica was explore the city of Alajuela and some of the local landmarks. Undoubtedly, some of my favorite times spent in Costa Rica were spent exploring Alajuela and exploring the Town of La Fortuna when we stayed there at a hostel. It was apparent that many of the people we came across in these places were well equipped to interact with foreigners. There was also a large number of souvenir shops which definitely catered to Americans. We did a very wide range of activities while we were there, from hiking and zip lining, to going to a hot springs resort and the National museum. A common factor to all of the places we went was the earthy feeling that they exuded. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly, but all of the restaurants, Indoor activities, and the like still maintained a natural and outdoorsy aesthetic, which isn’t surprising due to the natural beauty of Costa Rica. I really can’t recall being in a place that could be described as cold or clinical like some might be described in America.

The feeling sometimes of exploring Costa Rica is like walking in on one big tranquil party (if that makes sense). There always seems to be some sort of celebration or gathering going on that involves dancing and mingling. The second afternoon we were there, there was live music in the Central Park and a lot of people dancing. After filming a few of my classmates dancing, I was asked to dance twice, and was very thankful I was given lessons the night before with everyone. What struck me about it was how nice it was that they had those sort of things happening, and how many people it served.

ML@FLCC Costa Rica
2015 Flickr Gallery

Another distinct difference between America and Costa Rica is the traffic. Although many Americans might decry the state of traffic here sometimes, the image of Costa Rican travel is quite a spectacle to behold. The term, “free for all” was used multiple times to describe it. Whereas we have pretty well defined rules and lane management, most of the places where it seemed like cars would merge into a lane from every which way. It would also be a very good tip for people planning on going to Costa Rica to mind that they are careful when crossing streets because cars are generally much more assertive about not stopping. This of course is just a small price to pay for navigating around a place that has a plethora of things to offer for both visitors and residents alike.

Mary Erb
LEAF Contributor