Social media makes life look effortless — perfect beaches, outfits, smiles. But real life? It comes with surprises, mistakes, misunderstandings, and the occasional “Wait… is that man selling mango in the middle of the highway?” This series is all about moments that remind us that life is rarely picture-perfect, but it’s always interesting. For this first episode, we’re going to start in 2013, when my husband and I learned (very quickly) what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica.
Driving In Another Country
During one of our first big trips together – Costa Rica in 2013 – my husband and I flew into San Jose and rented a car to drive the 80 miles to Manuel Antonio. We thought we were prepared. We were not!
What we were prepared for:
- A drive of 2-3 hours (according to the GPS)
- Using Google Maps
- Different road types
- Varied scenery
What we weren’t prepared for:
- Car’s instruments and road signs in kilometers
- Spotty GPS
- Salted mango
- Drivers treating speed limits as rough estimates
- Different safety standards
Getting started
We hopped into the rental car and plugged our hotel address into Google Maps. Surprise #1 came fast: the car’s speedometer was in kilometers! Traffic leaving the city was slow, but we didn’t mind because we were enjoying the sights and the start of our vacation.
Once we got outside San Jose, traffic sped up. Terry held steady at 85 km/h, just shy of the 90 km/h speed limit, determined not to get a ticket in a foreign country. Then came surprise #2: men standing in between the lanes selling bags of mango. We bought some not realizing that they were sprinkled with lime juice and salt. That first bite was …memorable!
Main Roads
On the main roads the surprises kept coming. Families of four plus a dog on a single moped/motorcycle. Drivers traveled at speeds that felt right to them. In a 75 km/h speed zone we found some folks drove at 45 km/h and others drove at 110 km/h. Passing happened whenever people felt like it (whether legal or not), and motorcycles and mopeds sped right alongside our car at full speed.
Smaller Roads
As we got into smaller towns, the GPS grew spottier and the roads narrower. Much narrower than roads in the US. We were suddenly very grateful for our small rental. The biggest surprise? Deep drainage ditches running alongside the roads, making parallel parking a high-stakes activity.
Summary
In the end, Costa Rica gave us a crash course (thankfully not literally!) in flexibility, patience, and embracing the unexpected. We weren’t fully prepared, but we were definitely amused. And trust me — this was only the beginning. Stay tuned for of what life really has to offer – adventure!
View of the sunset from our room in Manual Antonio, Costa Rica