“The Kind of Stay you Remember, for All the Right Reasons”
I loved my stay at La Gioconda House. The staff there were second to none. Gaby assisted me with my arrival, as mentioned above. She happily answered all of my pesky questions, as I tend to overindulge my curiosities when visiting a new country. Not only did she embrace her de-facto "Costa Rica spokesperson" role while I was there, she even helped me collect Costa Rican currency: she dumped out her tip jar onto the pool table (yes, pool table) and tracked down any denominations I was missing. I know it doesn't sound like much, but collecting foreign coins when I visit has become a hobby I quite enjoy, and it meant a lot that she helped me without a second thought. Ariel worked the night shift from 5pm to 7am, but he had the personality to shine during the day as well. He graciously answered all of my questions, especially the ones I added when I found out he was originally from Panama. When I asked if I could print my boarding pass there, he checked with the owner and confirmed that I could. I cannot convey to you the number of people I bypassed in line at check-in, or the breadth of the smile on my face while doing so. I would also like to mention Keila, who worked the desk during the day on the weekend. She was indispensable to me while planning a day-tour. I had still more questions, and she had the answers, or opinions, or ideas, or she would call and find out. There is a big book of tour options, but it would have paralyzed me into inaction without her help and guidance.
Area recommendations
La Gioconda House was in a neighborhood that felt safe enough, but I never went out drunk at night by myself like an idiot to test what exactly the limits were. The Lady of the House recommended taking a cab from the National Theater downtown back to the B&B, which I did. It was all of $3. I told the taxi driver that it usually costs at least that much in the U.S. to simply sit down in a cab! The traffic noise during the day was not something I noticed; at night, it was. However, being on Pacific Time and more than a little amped-up about my chance to visit Costa Rica, I often went to bed between eleven and midnight, and the traffic had thoroughly subsided by that time. La Gioconda House is very smoker-friendly once you're outside on the lovely terrace, and was frankly where I stumbled upon some of my favorite conversations. They're the ones that can make your trip, and you never saw them coming. During the day, I walked several blocks into where the parks and museums and markets were, but I enjoyed this. I'm sure there are other places to stay closer to the center of town if you so desire; I simply hope that I have conveyed my opinion well, which is that La Gioconda House has the kind of people there that make it a place to be in its own right.
When to go
I traveled to Costa Rica over Columbus Day weekend, which was supposed to be the heart of their rainy season. I saw 5 days with no rain. Just food for thought.
Getting there
JetBlue from Orlando times your arrival/departure perfectly, with regards to hotel check in/out. The cab fare from the airport to downtown, at roughly $30, feels appropriate when you see how far out of town the airport is located.
Getting around
Taxis are well-marked and all over the place. I never took the bus, but I saw one nearly everywhere I went.
What to pack
I packed light, because I hate airport security. Layers are not as necessary as other places. I would recommend thinking about what you want to do for activities and plan your footwear accordingly. Sandals helped cool me down during the day, and I strolled leisurely enough to not miss my running shoes while doing so. I would also recommend considering to pack extra clothes, due to sweating from the heat. Don't get me wrong, it's not sweltering there, but if you've enjoyed a fun day walking San Jose in the sun, then come nightfall, you're going to want to freshen up before going out to dinner. And lastly: rain gear. It never rained while I was there, but I left my rain gear on my bed back home next to where my suitcase had once been, and I feared the rain my entire stay. Don't do what I did.
Must see
The National Theater would be a must-see for me, IF you like the theater. The same goes for the museums: if you have always gone to museums yet never enjoyed it, please don't go to more museums. These museums will make you just as bored, and some of the signs are only in Spanish. For those who do like that kind of interaction with history, I should set your expectations to modest. The buildings are clean and bright and air-conditioned, but they are not grand. If you visit the National Museum, the Jade Museum, and the Gold Museum, understand ahead of time that there will be some overlapping themes. That said, some of the artifacts were stunning. I was very happy that I visited the museums, and I don't want to have a reader miss that fact.
