What am I suppose to expect when traveling abroad in Costa Rica?

Question

What should I pack/ what type of clothes should i bring?

(are tank tops, t-shirts, and shorts alright?)

Will i be viewed as a spoiled american if i bring my laptop?

What is the diet like over there?

What to teenagers to in their spare time?

also if you have studied abroad there or in any other central american country, what is the best way to manage ur spending $$? (credit card, traveler's checks, etc)

srry this is a loaded question but i'm really curious ^_^

thanks

Answer 1

I just went to CR on a school trip last month!  First of all, get a wallet you can hang around your neck - a big one that will fit your passport.  Bring locks for your luggage too.  The currency of Costa Rica is the Colon, but you can bring American traveler's checks.  Costa Rica banks will have absolutely no problem cashing them in exchange for dollars or colons.  major credit cards work too.  You can bring your laptop.  Most hotels have wi-fi in their rooms (I don't know how fast it is, I didn't use it.)  I suggest you lock it in your luggage when you're not using it though.  

It's not common for people in San Jose, Costa Rica to wear shorts, but everywhere else in the country, it's fine.  Bring LOTS of clothes, and a couple raincoats/ponchos.  It will rain.  It will rain a lot.  Also bring hiking boots.

The diet is mostly rice and beans.  Expect to eat rice and beans with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I'm not even kidding.  It's not bad at all, it's just repetitive.  It's either rice WITH beans or rice 'n beans.  You will probably develop a tast for both.  another food often served is the plantain, a starchy relative of the banana which tastes somewhere between a potato, a yam and a banana, but is overall pretty tasty if prepared correctly.

Locals play lots of soccer.  Expect to get your *** handed to you by elementary school kids.

Also, bring lots of bug spray.  The mosquitoes there love tourists.

Hope that helped!