Lets Blow This Popsicle Stand

So, Ill cut right to the chase.

I decided today that its time to make an early exit from Costa Rica.

Ive been traveling solo here for just over three weeks now. The country is beautiful, the people are warm and inviting, and the other travelers Ive met along the way have been nothing less than spectacular.

The tourism, however, is out of control.

Maybe its due to the fact that I got a glimpse of real Costa Rican life while living with Kristian and his family, but it seems as though the rest of the country just does not offer what Im looking for.

I hate to use such a strong term, but there is really only one way to describe it...

Tourist trap.

There are fees waiting at every corner, and its become a bit overwhelming.

Yesterday, I switched my lodging here in Santa Elena from a private room to a shared room. One of the girls in the room just finished a two year stint in the Peace Corps in Peru, and has been traveling up through South and Central America. We talked for a long while, and when I told her my feelings on Costa Rica she agreed, saying that Panama and Colombia are much less touristy, and have much more of a local feel.

The beauty of traveling without plans, though, is that Im free to do as I please. I called up Kristian today and asked him if I could return to his house tomorrow afternoon instead of later on this weekend. Ill spend the night there on Friday, and head over towards the Panama border on Saturday.

Ive truly enjoyed my time in Costa Rica thus far, and its been as experience Ill never forget, but I just feel in my gut like its time to move on.