Jessie is a very wise woman. Listen to her.

I think as age we tend to be more tolerant of different situations and learn to accept the unexpected. I have children in their 30's and express this to them everyday.

Relax, have fun. As in an earlier post. It is a vacation after all. What better place to do it

There's another thread in this titled "Tell me about Costa Rica" in which a writer reports some scarey experiences, and she too says she got the feeling one should not post negatives here.
That said, I ALWAYS find the expression "you either get it or you don't" judgmental, and snooty, no matter what the context--CR, travel, any life experience. It reeks of condescending superiority. There are other, more generous ways to express things. See Shillmac's calm, rational explanations and acknowlegements above,and you'll see an example of what I mean by a better way to express things.
So, the people who "dared" to say they found people in CR like those anywhere else--not all laid back and wonderful--and that they didn't experience omnipresent "pura vida" -- they just are't up to the standards some of you have for being laid back and knowing how to have fun.
I fully expect to enjoy myself, am enthusiastic about going to CR, have traveled to a wide variety pf places over many years, have been fortunate to have more than my share of incredible experiences, learning, and joy, but as Faithie said, i feel this should be a forum where we can research and know what to expect, and where folks should not be afraid to post something lest they be labeled.

LOL, the poor OP got more then he/she asked for! To the OP - I can honestly, truthfully triple-swear I had no run-ins with toad poop! Safety is a personal issue, you can focus on the isolated things that that do happen or the many things that don't happen; personally I acknowledge the former & enjoy the latter. Hope you decide to go & enjoy all the wonderful people & sights in CR. Pura Vida ;)

Faithie, you hit the nail on the head for me, too! You remember when Poss remarked a couple of times that she felt many people on this board didn't give both sides of the story regarding Costa Rica? It's because, as you said, so many things others would see as negatives, aren't negatives to some of us at all! There is a huge difference (for me, anyway) between an "inconvenience" and a "problem". And, as Tully expressed, in Costa Rica, "inconveniences" are part of the experience!

And I am SO happy to know about the toad poo! In many travels to Costa Rica, I'd never seen such a thing. UNTIL we stayed at Bosque del Cabo last July. Found a small bit of "something" on the floor one morning. We knew it came from the rafters and was some kind of "waste"--smart ones we are!--but thought perhaps a bat? I'll bet it was a TOAD! Well, I'll be darned! :)

Pura Vida!

Hi Grammie Shillmac !!!! LOL .... Listen to this , one evening after returning from Barba Roja , we were sitting in the very beautiful living room of Villa 1 at Makanda . The ceiling is very high , all rafters and very open . We had invited someone from the hotel back for drinks , when all of a sudden this critter splatted onto the concrete table in front of us ! We jumped a mile high , after the initial shock of what the heck IS that .... we realized it was a toad with a GIANT moth twice its size still clutched in its mouth !!!! We took our flashlight and shone it up to the rafters and there were DOZENS of frogs ( or toads ?? ) everywhere !!!! REALLY , tons of them ! I have a scorpion in the shower story as well .... Perhaps I will save that if a lighthearted story is needed ! Oh ! My neices leave in 9 days ! I am booking my sisters ( and boyfriends ) first trip to C.R. today , and my bro and wife leave for their 6th trip end march ! a family affair ! Smiles , Faith .

Now I'm wondering. Did I see toad poop & just not realize it? I hate missing out on these things! ;) I have 2 new words I think I'm going to teach my little niece, ha. faithie I saw about a dozen scorpions, unfortunately they all were babies, about an inch long. Not that I really wanted to see one, unless maybe outside, 10 ft away.

The bottom line is that you have to be smart no matter where you go. Bad things, and good alike, happen everywhere. The attitude of a person and the way in which they are perceived can potentially influence how they are treated by others. Be smart, but enjoy your vacation!

Side note, I hope I have frogs in the places I am staying! As a wildlife biologist, herps are a favorite of mine, in case the screen name didn't give it away!

Frog poop, people, frog poop! I know of no toad that can climb walls, toads usually stay on the ground. If it's in your rafters, chances are it's a frog!!! As we are going to Costa Rica for the main reason of finding frogs for my four-year-old daughter to enjoy (she's frog and toad obsessed) I'm hoping we get some frog poop too.

Shall I even dare mention where we found a poor little frog-toad-pooping friend on our last day at our hotel ??!! ? In the FRIDGE , in the crisper , with our lettuce !!!! POOR thing , he was verrry sloooow !!! The door never shut well , and we were always nudging it shut , well I guess frog-toad-pooping friend thought he would check things out !!!

First off: congrats on your granddaughter, Shillmac! If you're anything like my wife, you're nearly insufferable at this point! :-)

Re: CR safety - our first evening was in SJ. The bars and concertina wire were quite disconcerting. It was a reminder that I needed to keep my guard up. The people we encountered in SJ, Arenal, and Quepos/MA were invariably friendly and helpful - I never felt threatened. Yet a man we met while in MA told how he had to run from muggers in Quepos. Seems he was in town *very* late without transportation. He started to walk back to his hotel - and he was an obvious target. After that, when we were out late my 'spider-sense' was on high alert.

Bottom line was that we never felt that we were at risk, but we took precautions to ensure that we didn't end up in vulnerable positions - just as you would do anywhere else in the world.

-Jeff

Jeff, VERY smart advice. Common sense, really. And thank you--yes, insufferable for sure (more so than usual). I am quite smitten!

about the geckos, they should be welcomed guests as they eat the mossies. Very seldom do they fall from the ceiling onto your face as you sleep. At Bosque del Cabo, a wonderful spot, it can be toad/frog central in the open cabanas at times, but wearing flip flops on the way to the bathroom can prevent that squishy feeling between your toes.

We go to these great places to experience nature, right?

Exactly ! LOVE the toads , frogs , geckos , scorpions ... you name it ! My husband is amazed with the geckos because of their ability to change the molelcular stucture in their feet , depending what they are climbing on , he would watch them with a flashlight for ages . Faith !!! Happy Travels !

I have enjoyed reading this interesting and informative conversation. Gracias!

I suppose that asking "Is it safe in costa rica" is like asking "Is it safe in California?" Well, it depends, right? Depends on what you're doing, when you're doing it, how you're doing it, etc. For instance I would NEVER suggest anyone walk alone late at night in Ocean Beach, but I have no problem walking there in the daytime with my husband.

But I think the average tourist (like me) wants to know about the RELATIVE safety of one place over another. I want to take my family on fun and safe trips. I think I've made the right decision about taking our first family trip to Costa Rica in June. But I do appreciate hearing about safety warnings, what to avoid, in Costa Rica, as well as recommendations of fun times.

The most hair-raising warning I've read so far for Costa rica is that there have been reports of muggings and robberies near the Tarcoles River area where people stop to see the crocodiles...this warning was somewhere in the Lonely Planet guidebook...EEEk! The author was recommending people walk in groups in this area and avoid carrying valuables...

shillmac, glad your grandbaby enjoys a good snooze!

Melissa-so am I! LOL

Don't worry too much about the Rio Tarcoles. I know there have been a lot of thefts from unattended vehicles, but muggings? Can't imagine that in broad daylight--there are always several groups of people stopped for viewing the crocs. Everyone is walking back and forth to and from their cars to the bridge (there is a raised walkway on each side where you can step up and be off the roadway as you walk along looking down into the river). And the cars parallel along both sides very near the bridge itself. It is difficult for me to imagine a mugging going on in that setting. In fact, it's a little hard to belief that any theft goes on here, but I know it must occasionally or we wouldn't hear so many warnings. After all, it is a popular tourist stop and the pros can work very quickly!

I'm not sure where they come from or who they are--there are a couple of vendor stands nearby, but we haven't noticed locals hanging around. The times we have stopped, there have been probably 10-20 tourists at a time, so it's not like it is a crowded place.

Shillmac, thanks for the details about what the Tarcoles river stop is like. Mainly we'll be driving there (leaving luggage at hotel) as a day-trip from manuel Antonio, so we can try to see the scarlet macaws at the Carara reserve nearby, and a stop to see the crocs at the Tarcoles river. Then I'll be trying to talk hubby into taking us back to the hotel in Manuel Antonio!

Theft from vehicles is certainly a concern at the Tarcoles. Also some isolated incidents of people having purses etc snatched - but I personally know of no muggings.
We've been there several times and I've near felt unsafe.
If you want to see Macaws getting there early in the day is good. They fly upriver from their roosting areas near the mouth of the Tarcoles and forage in and near Carara N.P.
The River Trail at Carara can be good for Macaws and the trail upstream on the Villa Lapas hotel property can be very good.

Jerry

We stopped at the river different times , we took our cameras with us , and were actually never far from the car , the driver actually came with us to look at them . I had read of some reported troubles as well , so we had our little detectors up! Anyway , all was well , and I found the biggest danger was the bridge having no sides at a couple of points ! BOY ! Are those crocs HUGE !!! Faith

I have just returned from my third visit to San Jose, Costa Rica. I have gone for the last three years and this time was an eye opener compared to the rest. In less than a year, there are police on bikes with guns, armed guards inside businesses with guns, and at a local restaurant we frequent, a guard with a billy club to assist customers into the restaurant. This visit I was asaulted by a taxi driver, who not only stole my wallet, but tried to run me over - and another who gave me counterfit money. From this point on, I took the bus - this worked nicely. I received counterfit money on Central Avenue at the ATM and when I reported it to the police on bikes, it was discussed that I be arrested for having counterfit money on my person. Ok, I travel a LOT - I expect some crime, but this has hit the above and beyond point of out of control. Would I go back to Costa Rica? ONLY in the outside areas, NEVER would I spend any tourism dollars in San Jose again. What would I recommend to a new traveler to San Jose? Trust NO ONE! No banks, no police, no taxi drivers. Oh, one other FYI, the banks do not like to cash money orders - go figure?

Costa Rica has some awesome sites to visit, just not San Jose.

Good luck!

We just returned and i felt very comfortable all the time in Costa Rica with 3 young kids and a blond wife! I feel less comfortable in poor areas of the US than I ever did in CR. I don't recall seeing any high density poor living facilities while i was there. We did not take in SJ though so that could be different.