Costa Rica advice ?

I'm going to be in Costa Rica next month for a week. Have traveled a lot

elsewhere in the world (including Central America), but this is my first trip to

CR. I expect to spend plenty of time looking around and taking pictures.

Any advice on -

 

1. Is it wise to carry Leica body and lenses (in a worn bag, of course), or any

other 'nice' gear, or is that too flashy/enticing ? Should I just stick with

small, unobtrusive, cheap & old looking fixed- lens Rangefinders ?

2. What are the 'not-to-be-missed' photo locations ?

3. I am traveling alone, am a medium built man in my late 50's, and speak little

Spanish (as yet). I Don't expect to do anything too outrageous or stupid. How

much do I need to worry about street crime ?

4. Any problem with getting film, or should I carry it ?

5. Any shops that will give me serious GAS ?

 

Look forward to any advice.

Subhash

It's usually fine to bring whatever equipment you'd like to bring. I often run around with

Medium format equipment and have never encountered any problems.

 

That said, keep in mind to never leave you stuff unattended. Don't leave it in the car and

don't expect your hotel room to be safe, either - once in a while there seem to be quite a

few "inside" jobs. Costa Rica can seem extremely safe since there is virtually no violent

crime (with few exceptions). However, a deserted beach can quickly turn in to a nightmare

when you come back to your car to find all you belongings gone. So, don't risk it.

 

Be especially careful in San Jose and the Limon area (if you are going there). In those

places, it's best to leave anything valuable in a hotel safe and go about with a cheap

camera that you don't mind "losing." Bring no jewelry or flashy watches, and don't be

ostentatious - it will likely get you into trouble. Don't be dumb and drunk - it will get you

into trouble, too.

 

Photo ops present themselves virtually everywhere, depending on your interest. There is

certainly quite a bit of flora and fauna to be seen and photographed and you might also

encounter interesting street life - again, depending on where you are. I find that La Paz

Waterfall Gardens is an excellent introduction to Costa Rica - don't miss it. It's also close

to San Jose and easy to get to on your first day. After that, simply hit the big sights that

you read about everywhere else - Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, etc. and you will

leave happy once your vacation time is over.

 

I would suggest that you bring your own film. Although you can expect to find some

cheap rolls of Kodak or Fuji film just about anywhere, anything else will be virtually

impossible to find (even in San Jose). It's not worth your time, money, and effort to try and

hunt down a place that potentially might sell the film you want only to find out that it

doesn't - and believe me, even if they say they do, they don't!

 

Costa Rican cuisine is mild - no gas to be expected. Eat freely and perhaps try a Caipitica

- the local version of the Brasilian Caipirinha, made with "Guaro," a Sugar Cane liquor...

Subhash - I was in Costa Rica with family several years ago. The guide book says be careful in San Jose as there is crime. We didn't stay there except to and from the airport. The rest of the country felt perfectly safe. Our arrangements gave us a broad overview of the country. We stayed in a rain forest, in the mountains, in a resort fed by volcanic hot streams, and finally on the beach. There were plenty photo ops. If you don't already have an itinerary then look into the volcanic hot springs at Arenal. The volcano, gently active, spews hot rocks and lava that glow in the night. Some folks stayed in a hotel overlooking the volcano. But, we stayed in a hotel at the bottom of the volcano that gave access to the hot springs. This was exceptionally relaxing. The mountains of Monteverde has zip line tours in the rain forest. My wife did it. I went carrying camera and video :0 That was a definite highlight. You need a good guide in the rain forests to see the wildlife. All in all it was full of photo ops and restful for the rest of the family.

I just got back from my 4th trip to Costa Rica. You didn't say what part of the country you expect to visit. Although a very small country, Costa Rica has different climates, depending on where you are. San Jose is much cooler and less humid than Jaco. The northwest area is not lush and green like the rainforest areas are. Genrally speaking, the west coast has much more to offer than the east coast.

 

Humidity is a HUGE factor with gear. Along the coast where the humidity is near 100%, one step outside your air conditioned hotel room and it will take 45 minutes for your lenses to defog. I normally sweat a lot when I'm shooting, but I have never completely sweated out a t-shirt in the first hour in the sun!

 

Take plenty of rain gear. You will be in the rain forest, after all. You will also need fast film there. It gets very dark under the umbrella of the trees. Let everything dry thoroughly each night.

 

I don't know what your budget is, but the nicer hotels all have in-room safes that you can keep your gear in over night. I have never had a problem, but I've heard a lot about the street crime. Most people speak English and are very friendly, but are also very poor and won't hesitate to help themselves to your stuff. Mostly in San Jose. Keep your wits about you and you should have no problem.

 

No worries about food, but the bathrooms are another issue. Although a great country to visit, Costa Rica is still third world-ish.

Subhash, thanks for asking this question! I'm going to CR this week and all this information is extremely helpful. Thanks everyone for contributing your thoughts!