Costa Rica is a great choice for adventure! Yes, San Jose can be not so great at times, but like any big city, it depends on where you go and what you're doing there. There are plenty of cool places to visit and there are also parts of the city that you should probably avoid. Where were you staying in San Jose and where were you sightseeing while you were there?
As far as casado goes - what a treat! And the best part is, you can pretty much have it at any time of day! It has everything the body needs...starches, fried meat, vegetables, beans, and starches.
Did your backpacking journey happen to take you into the mountains of Tarrazu?
Yes it is. I absolutely loved San Jose even though i only spent 3 days there. I haven't felt totally safe while being there but perhaps it was more for the fact that it was my first solo travel rather than a city itself. I must admit that I mostly spent time in the city centre but i also visited some beautiful outskirts of the town with a friend I met there. Did you ever go to Ram Luna restaurant ? It is located outside of the city but the journey was totally worth it. The restaurant is placed on a hill which allows you to see the entire city from a nice perspective. You could easily hike up these hills, the views were spectacular. I stayed in CostaRica backpackers. It was a nice place with a great shared kitchen and a pool. I was there during the low season so the prices were cheap as well.
Cascado ! I miss it already. Although the food in Leon/Nicaragua was much better ! :D
No i never got a chance to go there. I checked it on google and i kind of regret it if im to be honest. But I guess one can't see everything.
When did you visit Costa Rica ? How was your experience ?
I know the feeling. This past spring I took my first international trip by myself - coincidentally, it was to Costa Rica as well. I think a lot of it had to do with the language factor. I'm not 100% fluent, so there was some worry about whether or not I would be able to communicate effectively enough if I had any problems. But I manged to survive, so that's good.
No, I'm not familiar with it. I did look it up though and might have to give it a try next time I'm in the country. When I travel to Costa Rica, I spend most of my time in the mountains, south of San Jose. So, Ram Luna will probably go on my list of places to eat.
I work with coffee farmers in the Tarrazu region - actually, a sub-region of Tarrazu called Llano Bonito. I've only been to a few restaurants in the city. There was a really great cafe in Heredia (northern part of San Jose) - Kawah Cafe. It's a small place, but they have excellent food and they serve some of the best coffee you'll find in Costa Rica. It's like a quaint but modern-looking gourmet shop.
My experiences in Costa Rica have been great so far. The people in the farming communities are really nice and welcoming. I mean, it helps that I want to buy their coffee, but they're just normal folks putting in some hard work and trying to make sure their children are taken care of. We're not all that different.
If you have a few minutes, this was an account from my most recent trip: How to Set Your Rental Car on Fire. It's a two-part post, so don't forget to read the dramatic conclusion!
Do you have any plans to go back? Or was it just a one-time visit?