March 12, 2017
It is 8pm, we are half way home and sitting in the Houston, Texas airport. Next leg, direct Sacramento.
Costa Rica is a wonderful country. With no military to consume great sums of money, the government is able to provide nearly universal education and health care. Tourism is increasing as are quality medical services, especially dental and elective surgeries. Money flowing into the country from these sources exceeds income from agriculture. We saw many middle class homes, some high end neighborhoods and some shanty towns too. It looked like the sort of place we would wish for most countries. If there was no purpose in having a military, more countries, especially small ones, could take care of their people and build a healthy infrastructure. Sounds like utopia, but it is happening in Costa Rica, so why not other places?
Unlike most of our travels, this was more vacation than usual, with emphasis on fun activities rather than history, people and culture. As we met mostly staff, who are always friendly and helpful, and other tourists, who are foreigners like us, it is hard to give an opinion about Costa Ricans, or Ticos, as they call themselves. However, we recommend visiting the country. It is beautiful in all its varying landscapes from high mountains and volcanos to rain forests and rivers to tropical plantations and ocean beaches. Activities abound to keep everyone engaged from the highly active to the most sedentary. There is much more to see and experience than we had time to absorb and we would happily return, if there were not so many other places to see.
Next stop for us is Iceland and Greenland in July. We will not need sunscreen.
Sunset from our room at Playa Cativa
Adventures with Julia 
Comments
I love your blogs and can visualize as you write! Thank you so much! i especially found this one interesting as you saw a different perspective than friends i know who have visited. They talk about the high crime rate and that one needs to be careful of getting robbed. Ted Hellwig, John O’Dell and his now wife went a few years ago and they were robbed and have had others state that one needs to be careful. Your trip was very organized, as usual, and I knew of the love for birds so was fascinated to hear how many you were able to see which would be very exciting.
Thank you so much for sharing and welcome almost home!
Love it. Thank you and do we get to schedule a lecture?? Talk soon. Peggy >
!Thank you Julia
A very nice review of your experiences….talk soon
I’ve enjoyed travelling along with you two, you had a varied experience and with differing locales, covered much of the beautiful country. Welcome home, whenever, and see what Mother Nature holds for you here, very warm today, with two light snows last week! Love, Shirley-Mae
Welcome home. Craig and I may want to try CR
Julia, I LOVE the way you both enjoy your good fortune! Looking forward to ‘our’ next Adventures!👏👍
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Don’t forget. Pura Vida!!!!
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