Just found out my trip to Costa Rica wont be happening this year, once again everyone who planned on going has bailed on me even when it was THERE IDEA! Tough living in a area where surfing isn't that popular and finding a good surf buddy is hard to find.
Go by yourself, you'll have more freedom to do what you want and won't have to wait or rely on anybody. I hate making plans with friends usually because it seems like a difficult task for anybody these days to follow through on anything. When I invite someone along I don't let their lack of follow through affect me anymore, I go regardless, and that way i'm never let down.
best trip i ever had down there was in '05 when i skipped down there solo for a month. like dawnpatrol said, it really frees you up to do as you please. you're not beholden to anyone else's ideas or plans.
yea i'm use to traveling by myself in the states but never done is outside of the U.S. A little nervous not gonna lie haha, but defiantly gonna take it in to consideration.
costa's a pretty safe place to travel solo...just use basic common sense, really. make copies of your passport, leave one at home w/ someone you trust, keep one someplace away from your actual passport (which you should lock up in a safe if possible). don't buy coke from shady, skinny dudes w/ the shakes, etc...
Ive been to Playa Hermosa before and stayed in jaco so know the area somewhat but said to say not a very sociable person so i think thats why i feel like that hahaha
part of solo travel is putting yourself out there & meeting people...& meeting people is where you make a lot of the memories.
I shouldn't even tell you any of this, 'cause Life is best when you seek your own way. Book your flight to LIR. Book your room at Gilded Iguana or Harbor Reef. Contact the hotel you book with or contact Surfing Nosara to see if you can jump in on a ride from LIR to your hotel. You will not need a vehicle in Nosara-Guiones. Board your flight. Take your flight. Arrive in Liberia. Emerge from Customs (such as it is). Find the anxious-looking Tico holding the 'OneLove87' placard. Go with this man. Sit back & let this man drive you the 2 hrs to Guiones. Enjoy the laid-back vibe that starts to seep into your stressed-out gringo bones. Tip your driver. Generously. Arrive at hotel. Get your room. Unpack. Or not. Walk 2 mins to check the waves. They will be good. This is not the east coast of America. You will smile. A lot. Return to hotel. Specifically, the bar. Introduce yourself to everyone you see. Particularly the hotel & bar staff. Smile. Lots. You are no longer on the east coast of America. Have a beer. Have several beers. Have dinner. Meet new people. Do more listening than talking. Crash. Get up around 7am. Stroll 6 mins over to Coconut Harry's board rentals at the beach. Say hello to Mark. Mark runs the surfboard rental. Mark fled VB years ago. Mark married a gorgeous Tica chica 13 yrs younger than him. Mark understands. Rent your board from Mark. $ 15/day. Good selection. Longboard, shortboard. You say potato Mark says potatoh. Much cheaper than the airline gouge of $300 RT to bring your stick which the airline will massively ding at no charge. Go surf. Surf for hours. Wave after wave after wave after wave after wave after... Eventually, drag yourself onto the beach. Stash the board with the rental place, for pickup manana, or keep it in your room. Your face will hurt. Because you can't stop smiling. This is the stoke. Oh yes. It is. You will be ravenous. Eat the good, natural food served to you. Tip your server generously. Because you are A Lucky Man. Tomorrow, you will surf again. 4 hours. Maybe 5. The next day: you will surf again. 4 hours. Maybe 5. You are no longer thinking about your friends back home. You finally return home. To the oft-repeated question shouted at loud volume from said friends, "DUDE! How was it?!" You will say: it effing sucked, bro, so don't go there. You will smile. You will turn away. As you plan your next trip.
Solo is best. except it's nice to have someone to watch your crap. I went to an Army/Navy store and bought an ammo box. Had a friend weld a lock hasp assy. took a bike chain and combo lock. secure it where one can have any swinging room.
Always tougher when you surf in a combat zone. (Ok, that was a JOKE. Just kidding.) You're gonna freak the kid out. Stay in a reputable hotel. Put your stuff in a safe. Or lock it up in your suitcase. Go surf.
As the saying goes ( at least with Chimaira ) I HATE EVERYONE !! Im sure in Costa Rica you will meet people. Im going with my girlfriend and my parents so thank your lucky stars. HAHAHAHAHAHA . PLAYA GRANDE MAY 15th See you there.
you'd be surprised how many people there are just like you on the road... split a cab, some beers, a joint, some conversation... next thing your scoring mysto break with a new friend from Brazil or Australia or Israel or an expat or even sometimes locals... pretty simple to do 1.Don't be a social retard 2.Use etiquette in the water 3.Surf good...or a least the best you can...downplay your surfing...praise others 4.Ask questions and listen...loan some wax... buy a couple beers... take ding/body repair duct tape or solarez...dispense freely 5.However, some people are just d!cks... just be prepared... 6. Standard common sense and especially because your alone don't stand out for the wrong reasons (leave the watch and new kicks at home)
What yankee said, every word is true. I've done it 3 times, with my wife, with 3 other families, and with the guys. But I'm not going back for a long time because there are too many other places to go. Do, or do not.
Went to Panama a couple of years back and I gotta say the best part of the trip was the first half of it, when I was on my own. It is enlightening what you learn about yourself at these times.
I started going down to PR every year by myself for the same reason. People get all hyped about a trip and when it comes time to really start planning, they back out 1 by one. I usually try and round up a friend or 2 but I know ultimately I will probably be down there alone. A few of the years I have had a friend shoot down for the weekend and that works too. I spent 20 days down there Jan 2010 when the earthquake hit Haiti. I really did start to get a groundhogs day feeling after 2 weeks of , wake up, eat, surf, eat, surf, eat, surf then sleep but it was still a great trip. You really mull crap over in your brain when you have nobody to talk to. That may or may not be a good thing but for me it was refreshing.
