What to Expect
Sarapiqui is located only 11 degree north of the equator, so, it is HOT. It’s tropical, which means, it is humid.
It is the rainforest; there are bugs, a lot of them. Many of all sizes, shapes and colors but 99% will not harm you at all. Mosquitos are the worst of them. Bullet Ants hurt REALLY badly when they bite but it passes and does NOT kill you. The spiders here are NOT poisonous… to humans. There are also snakes, lizards, frogs and much much more. So be prepared to embrace this diversity and not run screaming.
It is all part of the adventure.
Some other things that can be somewhat of a shock:
Sarapiqui is located only 11 degree north of the equator, so, it is HOT. It’s tropical, which means, it is humid.
It is the rainforest; there are bugs, a lot of them. Many of all sizes, shapes and colors but 99% will not harm you at all. Mosquitos are the worst of them. Bullet Ants hurt REALLY badly when they bite but it passes and does NOT kill you. The spiders here are NOT poisonous… to humans. There are also snakes, lizards, frogs and much much more. So be prepared to embrace this diversity and not run screaming.
It is all part of the adventure.
Some other things that can be somewhat of a shock:
- Hot water is rare; you may find it in a shower but never in a sink.
- Toilet paper cannot go in toilets; there is a toilet paper trash bin near every toilet for a very specific reason.
- When it rains, it really rains. And in Sarapiqui, rain means mud. Rain boots are key if you will be here for a while. Rain boots can be cheaply purchased locally. March, April and May are the driest months.
- Contrary to what most people think, the water in Costa Rica is potable and drinkable and MOST people do not get sick.
- If you do get stomach sick, don’t panic. The bacteria and other flora in our stomachs are different due to what they are normally accustomed to. They do acclimate, but depending on the person, new food and surroundings can “shock” your system at different levels of severity. In all our experiences, we have yet to encounter any instances that are more than just “uncomfortable”.
- Costa Ricans are generally a very friendly people. However, depending on the individual of course, some can be very timid especially with foreign visitors. It is amazing to see this disappear with a little time and some fun exchange.
- Sarapiqui has very little violent crimes and we would say none involving tourists. Although it is categorized as a high poverty county in Costa Rica, this can be said to translate into theft. Our advice is to never leave cell phones, wallets, laptops, etc. unattended (especially on a public bus) and do not walk alone at night with these items.
- Bring a flashlight. Due to our close proximity to the equator the sun comes up between 5 and 6 am and goes down between 5 and 6 pm. And at night it is always helpful to have a “torch”.