Next Stop: Costa Rica

    I flew into Juan Santamaría International Airport and took a long bus ride to Jaco where I would be staying in a hostel for the next two weeks whilst enjoying the beach. I had been going to a lot of places and doing so much so I wanted to simply relax for a little bit. I spent most of my time in Jaco heading to the beach, enjoying the nightlife, and relaxing.

Jaco Beach

    Jaco Beach was absolutely stunning, the perfect sight for rest and relaxation. I had made some new friends with some other young travelers staying at the hostel I was at and spent a lot of time just hanging out with them. A couple of them taught me some very basic surfing, although I wasn't very good at it at all. The nightlife in Jaco was amazing, and it was even better to go bar hopping and such with my new group of friends.

A scarlet macaw found in the trees at Carara National Park

    One other nice thing I did in Jaco was visit Carara National Park to view the beautiful rain forest and wildlife inhabiting Costa Rica. Without a busy schedule, I was able to spend a few days hiking and enjoying the park. Bird watching is very popular there so I got to see such beauties as scarlet macaws, orange-chinned parakeets, black-throated trogons, and many more! I also saw crocodiles, poison arrow frogs, and some rare glimpses of monkeys.

    I got around the area mostly by bus because of how much cheaper it was compared to taxi fares, and it allowed me to visit a bunch of other beaches along the coastline such as hermosa, Esterillos, and Bejuco Beach. All the beaches were pleasant places to relax and gather myself for the rest of the trip. Overall, I had a nice time during my two weeks in Jaco, Costa Rica and I enjoyed the change in pace compared to the rest of the trip.