I guess I am thinking about Costa Rica because my daughter Sara and her boyfriend Jerrad are there now; and maybe some of you know I have been there twice. (You can read about are adventures in In My Head, Of My Heart.) Costa Rica is a very U.S. friendly country, is inhabited by many ex-pats and currently has some great deals on vacation packages.

In 2003 just prior to our arrival, Costa Rica had just opened its second international airport in Liberia. Now I wouldn’t say the airport was complete when we got there but it was open. Our departure gate upon leaving was an area outside under a tree, dutifully watched by a guard.

Due to its recent tourist popularity as a hot spot destination, we saw many changes in the country that had occurred in the one year between our trips. New roads had been created passing through the fields to access the beach front condos more quickly; plus new hotels and car rental agencies were being built in record numbers.  And since our last visit there in 2004, friends of ours visited Costa Rica and liked it enough that they bought property there.

Costa Rica is a very diverse country, from the tropical jungles along the Caribbean, to its actively erupting Arenal Volcano and its arid land of the Pacific Northwest area of Guanacaste. The country boasts activity for all types of people…therapeutic mineral springs and spas, white water rafting, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, birding as well as ATV-ing and zip-lining.

Are you looking for a great vacation spot, look no further than Costa Rica for a “Pura Vida” (Pure Life) experience?