Jeff_Costa_Rica

I'm going to defend Dolores, although I'd like to hear details of what happened too. Something bad happens to you when you travel, and it colors your impression of a destination. Whether or not that's fair, that's the way people react, and it doesn't matter that the country is drop-dead gorgeous and that the people are, all in all, wondeful. Costa Rica will never get a return visit from Dolores, and why should she go back when there are so many other places to choose from? Why go back to a place that you have bad memories of?

Six years ago I was violently mugged in Venezuela. Whenever anyone says the word "Venezuela," that night is the only thing I think about. It doesn't matter that I had had previous trips to Venezuela and they were great. That one event has colored my impression of the entire country. Objectively, that isn't fair, but it's a natural reaction.

So, Dolores, if you're reading this, I think your reaction is natural. I am sorry to hear of your bad experience, and am sorry to hear Costa Rica lost a potential return visitor.

Cimbrone

But Jeff, would you come on a message board and warn everyone of ever going to Venezuela? That really wouldn't be fair or, in my opinion, "natural." I read between the lines in a post like Dolores's, notice the lack of details, the lack of anything positive, and get a sense of some kind of sour grapes. There's more going on here than Dolores is claiming. Just my hunch.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

No, cimbrone, and I've never trashed Venezuela here on this board. I think is the first time I've ever gone into that much detail here about what happened to me. The thing is, when I got back from that trip, I had to write a book chapter about travel in Venezuela. (I'm a travel writer.) I knew I had to keep things in perspective, and I did that, although I made the warnings about safety stronger than I'd planned. But to sit at my computer, and with every sentence I typed, to relive that horrible night, it was awful. I have not been able to bring myself to go back.

I don't agree with your statement: "Hard to believe that with all that is beautiful to see in Costa Rica, this is the one thing she has to say." It comes across a little bit like that old joke: "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" I understand how Dolores feels.

My point is that no one has to go to Costa Rica or anywhere else for that matter. When something bad happens, it colors one's impression of the destination. Costa Rica will never get them back, and it doesn't matter to them if the vast majority of people have wonderful, hassle-free trips there, me included. Tourists can afford to be fickle. That's a problem for Costa Rica.

MonInFl, go, and have a great time.

suze

I am simply curious because I feel differently about different circumstances.

If "valuables" are things like really expensive & flashy jewelry that imo should have been left home in the first place, I'm less sympathetic.

If this is taking about being robbed, especially more than one person or one incident, than I want to hear the details.

Cimbrone

My thoughts exactly, suze. They're not perfectly comparable, but Dolores makes me think of my mother who took a cruise ship excursion to Merida, Mexico and returned saying how she hated it, that it was dirty and boring. Yet it's one of the most lively, authentic, beautiful cities I have ever been to. So go figure. One needs to adjust oneself to the type of place one is traveling to. Take the necessary precautions, have the right expectations, and conduct oneself in certain ways. Otherwise, you're courting trouble and dissapointment. I admit I am making assumptions here, but would be glad for Dolores to set me straight.

cmerrell

Excellent points, Jeff! Our personal experiences, be they positive or negative, are always going to color our perceptions. I'm sorry to hear about your negative experience in Venezuela.

It's just a shame that Dolores didn't care to provide additional info that could have helped everyone here understand what happened to her. A post titled THEFTS IN COSTA RICA is going to draw a lot of attention.

tully

I agree Jeff somewhat, however I think it's an unfair slur if no info is provided. If it was bad enough to post the brief paragraph the OP did, then I feel it's only to be expected that some details would be provided, just the tiniest bit.

I had my purse gone thru while walking in Paris (wasn't in a crowd, they were just really good). I could have been relieved of all my money, passport, camera etc or I could've laughed about it, along with the young thief, when finally noticing him as I only had a water bottle and a guidebook in there. I think thefts, as opposed to a horrible mugging that you went thru, can go either way, it's a lot just based on precautions..... I'm wondering if Delores left out some pricey jewelry or a camera left alone on the beach - things that are no-no's just about anywhere.

At this point we're only left to ponder though as we have no other details and I think the OP is not helpful, though it has become helpful as others here have taken the time to post their experiences.

sylvia3

In mild support of the OP: didn't someone just mention that even flip flops are liable to be stolen from CR beaches? That's a tad extreme for most places...
I can also have lunch in a restaurant in most places (Yucatan included), and not have to worry about the car being broken into or the tires stabbed, yet these are prominent warnings about CR on many boards (relieve yourselves in shifts, never be out of sight of your car, etc.). So, though I'm still looking forward to my upcoming trip, after reading and researching, my excitement has certainly been colored with trepidation about rampant thievery and car vandalism. Can't imagine that there isn't something to it, given all the warnings in guidebooks and travel forums!

volcanogirl

I really wouldn't say there is rampant thievery; we've been several times and never had a single problem. We've even stayed at a place that didn't have locks on the doors. I think as long as you take normal precautions you'll be fine.

tully

sylvia - in CR it's the leaving luggage in your car, in Argentina it's getting squirted with a substance and being "helped", in Paris the metro is often poplutaed with pick-pockets, in Barcelona it's being a tourist in general. All of these true and yet none of these true. No place is perfect and has it's own peculiar problems. I think the frustration with the OP lies not with the possibility that issues are common in CR, I don't think anyone is debating that - it's that we are left to wonder what they are.

cmerrell

Don't be too worried, sylvia. I think you have to be prepared anywhere that you travel, and know ahead of time what precautions you should take. I was pretty paranoid about driving in CR on my first visit because of all the warnings I had read. Once we were there, we loved driving in CR and never felt threatened or unsafe. We enjoyed it enough that we rented a car again for trip #2. No issues on that visit either...

lorne5

While I sympathize with Dolores, my wife having experienced a theft while we were in Jaco Beach in March, there are so many things that Costa Rica has going for it that we have every intention of returning to the country next winter, perhaps for a month if we are able to rent a place in the Central Valley. Having made 2 visits to Costa Rica this past winter, I think we have a more realistic perspective on what to expect. If you are interested, I have written several posts on our experiences in my blog, which can be found at http://www.educationanditsdiscontents.blogspot.com/
Look under the May 2009 archive.