We just got back from an 11 day Roads Scholar Tour of Costa Rica. It was a great experience. We chose a tour labeled as "spirited" so it was very active with lots of different activities. It wasn't too strenuous at all, but there were some days that we would have liked a little more down time, in fact we skipped a few activities for that very reason. But that's just us, most of the people on the tour seemed to like being busy most of the time.
1/24/26 Saturday
We are on our way to Houston where we have a long layover before we board our plane to Costa Rice. We got up at 3:30 am and were in our Uber on the way to the airport by 4:30, in bitterly cold -19F weather. We're glad to be escaping the cold, but have mixed feelings about leaving Minnesota behind with everything going on. Even though I haven’t seen anything myself we feel it everywhere, in the fear and uncertainty, knowing people that are in hiding, etc. I didn’t march yesterday, just too much to do to get ready to leave but I was definitely with them in spirit. 50k in that cold!
Our flight here was fine but it was bumpy because of the major cold front barreling through the south, and we were in a little United Express plane to boot. We get to fly first class down to Costa Rica so we can hang out in the club in Houston before our next flight.
We have a long layover too. We landed at 9:45 am and our next flight isn’t until 2:30. Just a long day.
We talked to Dan and Emi for awhile in the lounge until they told us it wasn’t allowed.
1/25/26 Sunday.
Radisson Hotel San Jose Costa Rica
Yesterday cont. Our flight from Houston to Costa Rica was also bumpy, but again first class. I read, crocheted, watched another episode of The Pitt, and an hour of the movie Sinners before we landed. That is a very creepy movie! The griots are nasty! The scene in the dive bar where they start playing delta blues and they summon people from the past and future all playing music that is somehow connected to the blues is just spectacular and worth watching the movie to just see it!
We land in Costa Rica, make our way easily through immigration and customs and then start looking for our driver. It takes us awhile to find him. Apparently because we were first class and got out ahead of everyone he just wasn’t expecting us yet! We had to wait for another couple on the same flight and then we were on our way.
It took maybe 30 minutes to get to our hotel. The reviews online were pretty bad so I was a bit apprehensive but the hotel is fine! Not perfect, kind of worn but we’ve definitely seen worse!
It didn’t take us long to get settled and go to sleep. What a long day! We were both tired.
In the morning Lee improvised with the tiny espresso machine in our room to make us each a weak cup of coffee before we headed to breakfast. The breakfast buffet was ok. But it’s just a beautiful day, sunny, 78F. We are hanging out in the shade by the pool and this may be what we do most of the day, until our tour starts this evening.
1/26/26 Monday
We had a lazy day yesterday. Then at 6 pm we gathered to meet our fellow Road Scholars and our guide Rebeca. We had an intro to the program and a buffet dinner. Now this morning we’re on our way to see the La Pas waterfalls. We were supposed to go see the Arsenal volcano but a bridge is out oh well.
At this point I started just taking brief notes during the activities. But I realized a few days in that if I don’t go over the notes and expand them pretty soon I will have no idea what they mean!
Along the drive to the waterfalls we wound our way through mountains and saw strawberries, bougainvillea, and coffee plantations.
Before we hiked to the waterfalls we walked through a wildlife rehab/ rescue sanctuary. There were cool birds (parrots, macaws, peacocks) and a sloth(!) but the best part imo was the butterfly sanctuary wow! All kinds of butterflies flying around.
Then we made our way down (and up and down) to the waterfalls, 5 in all. Beautiful ! I was struggling when we were climbing stairs but then I realized that we were over 4500 feet, almost the same altitude as Denver.
Then it was on to a tour of the Doka coffee plantation. After lunch at the plantation we had the opportunity to sample lots of different types of coffee, and fresh blackberry and pineapple juice as well.
The tour of the plantation was very good. Our guide was Francisco. We learned about all the different steps in growing coffee and then had a demonstration of how it was processed by both the old and new methods.
After a long drive back to hotel we had a little time to clean up and relax and then met for our evening lecture on the history of Costa Rica. Our lecturer, Sergio, was great! He emphasized how the connections between the different people cultures, dance, and music from the indigenous people, Spain and Africa have blended together to produce a uniquely Costa Rican culture. Everyone here says Pura Vida, which means good life. It’s kind of the country motto.
One interesting tidbit was about William Walker, a white American southerner who tried to expand the southern plantation system and slavery to Costa Rica. It worked in some of the places he visited but not in Costa Rica. Costa Rica said we are mestizo, a blend of many different cultures. We are not white and this is not for us. Good for them!
