<p>I don’t know the difference between the cafe and forum so if this should be moved, please do :)</p>
<p>Hey everyone. </p>
<p>I leave in a week to go to Costa Rica for 8 weeks for study abroad. Super nervous because it’s my first time leaving North America since I was 4 (lived in England). I have no idea what to expect and I’m leaving my fiance and baby dog (yes, we have an unhealthily close relationship lol) for the first time. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any last minute tips? I don’t know anyone who has been to Central America so I was wondering if anyone had any advice on what it will be like. </p>
<p>FWIW-I’m living with a host family for four weeks (6 people + me under one roof, range in ages from 5 to 61), living in a rural village for three weeks (no technology), and then finally a week in a hotel-ish-type-thing on the Western coast. </p>
<p>Oh, and I want to bring my host families a small gift, but I have no idea what to bring. Any ideas? </p>
<p>We did family vacations in CR three summers in a row. The trips were easy, the people were lovely–that whole country is very welcoming to Americans (probably why we met so many ex-pats who had taken up permanent residence there).</p>
<p>I’m not sure what to suggest in terms of presents, although when DS#3 went to Italy with his soccer team they were told to bring small items with any kind of logo of our state, the local university, America in general, . . . Think pens and pencils, key chains, small flashlights, . . . And I’m thinking if you want something slightly larger maybe T-shirts or sweatshirts with something in English on them.</p>
<p>(And yes–cafe away. The forum is specifically for college issues. The cafe is where all the fun is!)</p>
<p>Make copies of your passport and charge cards. Leave one copy home and take the other with you along with numbers to call if the cards get stolen. Take an open mind. We always told our kids that different doesn’t mean bad. </p>
<p>As for gifts, when my daughter went to Argentina, she took peanut butter (which the host family found to be awful) & local fruit jams (which they loved). You might take some small toys for the children- bouncy balls are always fun and light. I wouldn’t take anything that require batteries as they might not have access to them. Some postcards from home might be good too.</p>
<p>I went to Guanacaste in February. It was very beautiful, dry, and hot. We saw lots of wild life, especially monkeys and birds. I was struck by how little the local people have. One restaurant I went to on the beach was literally a structure built of scrap wood, old signs, drift wood…whatever did the job. (fresh deep fried fish was excellent) Most homes we drove past were made on concrete blocks with windows that were simply square holes in the concrete block. I was struck by how clean and tidy everyone looked despite the open structures and primitive conditions.</p>
<p>A pretty tablecloth would be a nice gift and could be used as intended or to make cafe curtains or other useful items and it would pack easily. It would also be a nice way to show your appreciation that the family is sharing their table with you. A bird book would be a fun thing to have while you’re there for identifying the birds you see and you could leave it as a gift. Sunglasses by American designers (bought at discount stores–the $10-$20 variety) would be both practical and luxurious and they’re one size fits all.</p>
<p>OMG, I love Costa Rica. I’ve traveled quite a bit and it is the prettiest place I’ve ever been.</p>
<p>What have you been told about drinking the water? We were told it was totally safe…but then of our family of 5, 2 of us got sick and 3 didn’t. I guess you’ll have to start out drinking it since you’re staying with a family. I bet you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>When we went to the grocery store in La Fortuna, there was NO pre-prepared/processed food. No boxed mac and cheese mix, no canned soup, no frozen pizza. Just for a fun/funny gift, you might want to bring mac & cheese mix, or brownie mix or spaghetti-o’s or something.</p>
<p>When my daughter traveled to CR last summer, she was required to get a typhoid fever vaccine and was strongly encouraged to take malaria pills. Is this an issue for you?</p>
<p>She loved CR. Very humid where she was (west coast). She said her sheets never ever got completely dry. Being on the coast, they ate a lot of fresh seafood. She said the food was the best thing about the trip.</p>
<p>That’s true. It didn’t feel horribly humid, but our bathing suits never dried, even after being hung up for 2-3 days. I don’t know what your hair is like, but I advise you to surrender yourself to the humidity. There was no flatiron that could keep our friz in check.</p>
<p>As far as a gift for the host, bring something that represents Detroit. There are stores at the airport that sell all types of automotive memorabilia, but they might be kind of expensive.</p>
<p>I went to the doctor and they told me I didn’t need any vaccines. Hmm…
Oh and I’m a vegetarian so no fresh seafood for me lol.</p>
<p>missy, my hair is long and straight. STRAIGHT lol. As in, I can’t get it to curl even when I want it to :(. Humidity is no issue for me but thank you :). </p>
<p>^^^^Oops, when I say “required” I mean by Rustic Pathways, not any official agency. EDIT: I’m thinking the typhoid might also have just been strongly encouraged rather than required. A whole year ago, so the mind has pickled. Sorry.</p>
<p>You could check the CDC site for immunization info.</p>
<p>They’ll be curious about where you live too, so bring pictures of your home, your fiance, and your baby dog, friends, etc. Bring pictures of your neighborhood and your school too. Maybe pictures of the inside of your supermarket. I bet they’ll be surprised.</p>
<p>I doubt that, most countries have large box-like stores that sell a wide variety of colorful packaged goods, most of them high in sugar and/or fat.</p>
<p>When I was in Costa Rica I drank the water, but if you’re worried, get a Steripen, a pen-sized water sterilizer. You just dip it in the water and turn it on, and presto, instant sterilized water.</p>
<p>Expect hot and humid. If you have anything that is thick cotton, it will never dry.</p>
<p>The tropical fruit is fantastic, different kinds of pineapple, bananas and other tropical fruit you’ve never tasted. You’ll be eating a lot of gallo pinto, mixed rice and beans.</p>
<p>For a third-world country, Costa Rica is well run.</p>
<p>Use mosquito repellent. If mosquito nets are provided, USE THEM. Dengue fever is endemic in parts of the south. </p>
<p>Will you be in San Jose for the first part? San Jose is a busy third-world city with not a lot of charm, unfortunately. But the rest of Costa Rica is gorgeous.</p>
<p>We had Hepatitis shots before we went, but we went way off the beaten path.</p>
<p>See if you can borrow a small pair of binoculars. Trying to spot the monkeys in the trees can be challenging. Also expect to see things like toucans!</p>
<p>The howler monkeys can be very loud first thing in the morning. If you are a light sleeper, you may want earplugs.</p>
<p>There are lots of rice and beans kinds of dishes. Nice homemade corn tortillas too. Yum!</p>