nina

I told my mom that we're going to Costa Rica for our family vacation and she went ballistic...how could I endanger my kids, why is my husband allowing it, we're going to get killed, it's too dangerous....I hate to say this, but either she knows something I don't know or it's time to put her in a home and consider psychotropic drugs.

Please tell me she's just confused.

suze

I'll guess she has never traveled in Latin America herself before?

You'll hear the same about visiting Mexico from certain folks.

gannetmusic

Put her in a home......you could try the drugs but only after you've enjoyed your vacation.

shillmac

She's heard too many stories and is generalizing! There have been some very significant problems (and real dangers) through the years for travel in many of the Central American countries and areas of South America. Reports of kidnapping, murder, machined gun equipped police in airports. Costa Rica hasn't had those problems (at least to that extent), but many people just write off everything south of Texas--or Mexico. Who knows?

I have friends who won't consider taking their families there for vacation. Instead they stay spend their time in the Caribbean or Hawaii where they can feel like they are in the midst of a, hmmm, how else to say it? An American presence. The same thing that I kind of like to get away from!

It's a great little country with beautiful people, caring and kind. You know, you'd need to exercise caution if you were taking your kids to Orlando and Disneyworld. I think you're going to have to consider an option that is perhaps less extreme than the two you set forth! LOL!

Ask her a few questions. What has she heard? Get your facts and set the lady straight!

volcanogirl

She's confused! The people in my office told me that I had to watch out because they like to kidnap Americans "down there" - what?! We've been twice and have had no issues whatsoever - would not hesitate to go back.

Suzie2

My own sister was terrified for my niece (in her 40's) and her daughter when they met me down there this summer. She was so worried that they would get lost in the "jungle". Mind you I have been a regular traveler to CR since the early 90's and have told them all kinds of great stories about my travels and shown them tons of pictures. Just the fact that I am still alive should have told them something but my family has always thought I live slightly on the edge at times so it is hard to convince them about some things. CR has changed a huge amount in the last 7-8 years so maybe she is still thinking about my earlier days there.

After hearing my niece's stories of her trip and seeing the pictures she took, I think my sister has finally figured out that CR is a pretty neat place. I am hoping to finally get her down next time. She always thought nothing could beat Hawaii....we shall see.

CR is a gem of a place compared to some other places down there so I can understand peoples confusion. It just takes some people longer to get it.

Tell mom that this old lady loves traveling down there with husband, family, friends, and alone. I am still wonderfully surprised at how beautiful the forests and flowers can be not to mention the beautiful birds and butterflies. I still find places that blow me away. And most of all I still love those Tico smiles.

ttraveler

Your Mom is freaking out because she loves you so much and would never want anything to happen to you.
Don't you hate when you are excited about a trip and you tell someone and they just can't understand why you would choose a place?
Why don't you have your Mom read some of these posts about how wonderful Costarica is, or have her start her own post.
When we went to Panama last year and my friend told her sister, her sister replied "nothing but bugs and drugs". Of course her sister had never gone to Panama and she was quite surprised to see her photos..
I hope she calms down so that you can enjoy yourself on your trip. Have fun.

tully

I have to bite my tongue (or not) sometimes when I talk about my travel plans with some people. I've found most people's reactions (and I don't mean this in a mean way) is just simply ignorance - they probably can't tell you a single thing about the place, only that it's "dangerous". Many people have no separation between Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Columbia et al they just lump them all into one big area to be avoided.

I can relate though, my own mother (whom I didn't grow up with) responded to a picture I had sent her of Morgan's Rock in Nicragua, where I will be next week. Her response was "it's so isolated......you're going there why? It looks very unsafe, why not go somewhere normal?" Grrr! Luckily my dad & stepmom love to travel and have always been supportive in what ever I have planned. What I would do is probably just ignore what your mom is saying and continue planning your trip. If she insists then I would just ask her for facts to back up what she's saying and that "I heard ...." isn't sufficient.

volcanogirl

Maybe you could show her some of the pics over on tripadvisor.com. I showed my mom our pictures, and she said, "Oh, and here I thought you were roughing it!" She thought it looked beautiful and amazing. I think she had visions of me in an entirely different place.

Percy

If you do show your mother some pictures of Costa Rica...make sure you do not show her any with.....

shilmac or
tully or volcanogirl in them or your mother will say..........
"See, see , what kind of girls go there.".

...oops I'm getting out of here, how do you erase this, before these ladies see it and murder me.!

Percy

shillmac

Very flattered that you lumped this old "girl" in there with Tully and VG! Not sure I could keep up with either of them, but I could give it a go!

volcanogirl

Percy - LOL! I am flattered by the company. Yay for the Costa Rica chicks!
><

Percy

Good Night Everyone !!!

Percy

hills27

Tell her that Costa Rica has the longest history of democracy in Latin America, that there are no indigenous terrorist groups, that there are no known organizations targeting or kidnapping Americans, and that while there is crime, it is no different than the crime we experience here in the US.

If that doesn't work, tell her St. Regis doesn't build $300 million resorts in dangerous places.

hills27

Of course, if you really want to freak her out, tell her you are going to Africa. One person told me I was going to get AIDS. Excuse me??? Do I look like somebody who is going to turn into a slut just because I'm on vacation?

volcanogirl

Tell her there are churches everywhere. Moms like that kind of stuff!

Also, they have a 96% literacy rate and good healthcare. And the longest standing democracy in the area. They don't even have an army.

There's a reason they say "pura vida"!

MichelleY

Nina-I think you are my sister. Is your real name Jeanie??

I have an Italian mom and get the same reaction when we travel with our daughter. When we went fishing in Alaska, she was freaked out we were going to drown or get killed. She said "go ahead and kill yourselves, but not my little granddaughter!!"

Just the nature of moms!!

MY

nina

Hey, thanks everyone, I love my mom, she's usually not hysterical and is VERY well-traveled, she's been all over Europe, Asia, US, Mexico, Caribbean,Africa just never Central America, and she heard that people were being kidnapped and walking around with machine guns, but she MUST be thinking of another country.

Anyway, I'm going to call her and tell her she's mistaken..and that my mother-in-law is considering going next year, that should set her mind at ease, my MIL is afraid to leave a 3 mile radius of her home.

JeanH

Come now Tully, Thousands of people travel safely to Nicargua and Colombia. We head to Colombia for two weeks in January and hope to get to Nicaragua in the next year or so.

atravelynn

You could show her US State Dept reports on Costa Rica. Also show her the countries with warnings.

You could have her call the US Embassy in Costa Rica with her concerns.

You can show her mainstream travel companies (perhaps some she has used to book her trips) that offer Costa Rica trips.

She could call AAA or some other travel agent and pose as the client asking whether she should go to Costa Rica or (make up some tropical but safe alternatives) like Puerto Rico or the Mayan Riveria and ask if safety differs among these alternatives.

She is confused because she is uninformed. The unknown can become scary very easily.

Enjoy the family trip. My favorite destination of the short trip I made there was Tortuguero.