My boss has requested that I take my laptop with me on the trip in case anything comes up. Will it be safe?

For the most part, we are staying at pretty nice hotels. The only issues I see are:
1) We are white water rafting the Pecuare on a day trip and will be in between hotels at the time. The outfitters have said we can leave our bags on the shuttle/bus. Is this safe to leave a laptop on it? We wont be going back into San Jose so we cant leave it there at our hotel.
2) Daytrips where we will have to leave it in the hotel. Do you think it is safe from maids, etc.?
3) We are taking a horseback trip from Monteverde to La Fortuna and our bags will meet us in La Fortuna. Safe? I guess I can always leave it in my daypack and carry it with me...

THANKS in advance for the help...

Here is my recommendation...

LEAVE YOUR LAPTOP AT HOME!!!

Hello. This is your vacation!

A day or two into your trip, call during evening hours and leave this voice mail, "gee, I am having a really hard time with my laptop. I can't find any outlets that will work, and I am afraid I will damage it if I try to use one. I will call you if I can get to a telephone in a couple of days."

This is precisely why I vacation in remote areas with limited access to phone and internet.

Do you think that someone who makes $100 or $200 a month would be interested in your $3,500 laptop? Hmmm. (Scratching head.)

Even staying at <pretty nice hotels> I don't think you can guarantee or even necessarily expect a laptop to be safe. It is a very expensive item, in a poor country. I'm with Diana on this.

If it's a work laptop, back everything up on a zip drive that you leave at home & tell your boss, sure, but he'll have to replace it if it gets stolen. Er, I'd get that IN WRITING from him, actually.

If it's your OWN PERSONAL COMPUTER, no way, he can't compel you to put your own equipment at risk. Leave it at home.

(If you did bring it, where on earth does he think you'd be able to plug it in or dial up from???)

There are many places in La Fortuna you can pay a small fee and use their computer with internet access. Maybe that would be enough. Don't know about the other places you are visiting.

Good advice above.

1. Don't take it. If you do, please back-up everything on your computer.

2. You <u>can</u> plug in and dial-up from most hotels.

3. You <u>can</u> use hotel computers and computer cafes - for a cost.

4. If you must bring your laptop on the day trip rafting and leave it in the van, pack it in the center of your clothes. Verify that the same vehicle will be picking you up at the end of the rafting session. Take a picture of your driver and his vehicle. Take your camera with you in a dry-bag on the raft. Most tour operators and CR natives are trustworthy people.

Hampton Inn Suites in San Jose has free high-speed access for guests.

There's an internet cafe on a corner across from the bank and across from a volcano-shaped restaurant roof in Fortuna. Slow connections there. Colorado transplant owner.

Bueno suerte!

Given your plans, I would leave it at home (and I take mine to MX lots).
M