“You know, I’m waiting for the day when I wake up, and whether its light or dark out, I just don’t even think about what time it is,” said a groggy Adam. It was around eight at night, but Adam had the look of someone who had just rolled out of bed. He lit a cigarette and continued, “That’s when I know I’ve been here long enough, but it hasn’t quite happened yet.”

We were sitting at a table in an open-air restaurant that sat a block from the beach. Next to Adam sat a guy named Josh. The two had only met the day before, but already had plenty to reminisce about. “This town was supposed to be the capital of nightlife in Costa Rica, but last night we were so bored we started keeping a tally of how many times we were offered drugs and sex, just to pass the time,” said Adam, a native of Michigan and former U.S. soldier.

“Last night the dealers were working harder than the prostitutes,” Josh said, a 24-year-old pilot for a domestic airline out of the Midwest. He continued: “I think the final count was drugs 16 and prostitutes 7. Or maybe we just look more like the drugs type.”

(more…)

At long last we made it to the rain forest just a half hour outside of San Jose, Costa Rica. Enter the depths of the rainforest in today’s photo gallery.

We hit up Costa Rica’s Pacific surfer town, Jaco, and ply the waves on a surfboard for our very first attempt at surfing. Grab a board and ride the waves in today’s photo gallery.

Our average rose to $30 a day as we bolted through the rest of Central America during our fourth week on the road. While we were able to keep food costs down, our travel and lodging costs rose significantly with numerous coach bus rides to get through five countries, quickly and in comfort. (more…)

Our arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica was a bit rocky. The city was manageable and clean, and has quite a tourist presence. Come with us as we walk through a quiet downtown, lose some important possessions, and generally have a rough day…