Costa Rica was my very first country! I went here at the age of 16 armed with a disposable camera and little knowledge of the rest of the world. My old neighbors that I grew up with invited me and made sure I had an amazing time. This trip was truly a mind-blowing experience. Seeing tropical rainforests, active volcanoes, and a completely different culture was surreal. My friends in Costa Rica may not have realized it, but this trip to Central America was so amazing that it’s what planted the travel bug in me.
Hopefully you can forgive the photo quality considering this trip was in the mid-90s! These are some of the oldest photos on my site, taken long before I knew anything about photography. The images above show some of the rainforest, and on the right you can see a wild toucan. I also saw plenty of other wildlife, including several venomous snakes such as pit vipers. Costa Rica is a special place for me, so I’ll definitely return someday, and this time without a disposable camera!
In Costa Rica’s mountainous rainforests, it seemed like I came across waterfalls every hour. The waterfall on the left was one I just happened to see in the distance. The waterfall on the right is part of Los Chorros, which is reached after a short but fun hike. There were a reasonable number of people swimming here, and one guy even had a canvas set up and was painting the surrounding scenery.
One of the highlights of the trip was definitely Poas Volcano. As you can see, the crater was steaming and had a striking blue-green lake inside. I also visited Arenal, although bad weather ruined the views of the volcano. I did spend the night at a resort with natural hot springs, which certainly made up for some of it. On the right is a photo from Costa Rica’s Tortuga Island, which is reached by boat. Once there, you can enjoy activities such as snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking. I did plenty of swimming and snorkeling here, but at the time I didn’t have a scuba license. There will be plenty more for me to do when I return!
