Wildlife and Plants of Costa Rica: Caribbean Edition

During my time on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, I saw a wide variety of animals and plants, some of which were familiar, others which were quite different than I was used to. One of my favorite things every time I went for a walk was seeing new and exciting creatures and plant life. So here for you now is my list of the most memorable wildlife I experienced. I apologize that I don't know the names of most of them. If you know any of them, feel free to let me know in the comments. 

10 Money-Saving Travel Tips: How I Travel on a Very Small Budget

Many people believe that in order to travel, you need to spend a lot of money. Well, if your idea of traveling is staying at a fancy hotel, eating at nice restaurants everyday, and participating in costly sightseeing tours, you do need to shell out for that. However, the type of traveling I do is not like that, and I actually spend less money in a typical month of traveling than I would in a typical month if I was back in the U.S. working a normal job and paying rent and various other bills. Read on to find out how I keep my costs down, allowing me to travel for months at a time on a very small budget.

Observations of Costa Rica

I've been in Costa Rica for over three weeks now, so I figure it's time to write about some of my observations of the country thus far. Keep in mind that these cannot necessarily be taken as true for the entire country, just of the two places I've been to so far: San Jose, the capital city, and Playa Chiquita, on the south Caribbean coast. 

My Top 8 Tips for Successful Couchsurfing

One of my favorite ways to save money and meet people while I'm traveling is Couchsurfing. I've mentioned it several times in previous posts but for those of you who are not familiar with it, Couchsurfing is a website that allows travelers to find hosts in the cities they are traveling to who will provide them with a free place to stay. Not only is it budget friendly, but it's also a great way to meet locals if you are looking for a more authentic cultural experience as opposed to meeting mostly fellow travelers like you would at a hostel. If you are interested in trying Couchsurfing but need some pointers, or if you simply want to learn more about it, I have compiled a list of my best tips for navigating the site, finding a host and having a successful Couchsurfing experience.

Costa Rican Food

Eating is one of my favorite activities, so when it comes to traveling to new places, one of the things I am most curious about is the food. Sadly during my trip around Europe, in an effort to keep costs down I limited my visits to restaurants to almost zero, and since I only stayed in each country for a short period of time, this meant that I missed out on experiencing the food in many places. But not this time! When I was in San Jose, I decided to make more of an effort to try the typical foods, and my hosts helped out by suggesting things I should try. So, without further ado, here is a sampling of the Costa Rican dishes I have eaten up to this point. 

Playa Chiquita

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am now in Playa Chiquita, Costa Rica. Playa Chiquita is a little town just south of Puerto Viejo on the caribbean coast, and I am staying at Playa Chiquita Lodge as a WorkAway volunteer. I work 4-6 hours per day, depending on how many volunteers are working that day, and my duties include sweeping, mopping, serving breakfast, helping the guests, answering the phone when needed (which is nerve-wracking in Spanish), general cleaning and tidying, and sometimes doing laundry. In exchange for my work, I get a free room, breakfast and dinner (lunch I provide for myself), and then I have plentiful free time to explore the area, relax, read, or do whatever strikes my fancy. It's a great set-up because I get to enjoy this beautiful place and barely have to spend any money!