International tourists, retirees, and study abroad students flock to Costa Rica for many good reasons. Besides being a relatively safe country to travel around, Costa Rica invites you to explore its natural wonders, from cloud forests to dense, wet jungles to oceanic coastlines along the western and eastern sides of the country. If you want to try an international destination with plenty of natural escapes, give Costa Rica a visit! Along the way, you’ll meet lovely folks and eat plenty of hearty meals.

If you’re new to this topic, read about the 5 stages of culture shock and 17 common stories of culture shock from around the globe before we talk about specifically Costa Rica.

Before you buy your plane ticket, pack your poncho, and limit your social media use to prepare for the journey ahead, have you considered the potential Costa Rican culture shocks? I’ve had my fair share of surprises during my three weeks studying abroad here. Let me tell you about the five I’ve come across.

 

1. The pushy people of the airport city (plus, less timeliness)

Most Costa Ricans I’ve interacted with were sweet and relaxed. However, my first impression upon arriving in the country didn’t start out that way. Within an hour of landing at San José International Airport in the airport city of Alajuela, I ran into several people who were pushy towards travelers.

It all began when I emerged out of baggage claim into the sunlight. Countless taxi drivers, all yelling, “Taxi? Taxi?”, lined the airport road. I had no need for their services because I already had my own taxi pickup, a complimentary service from my hostel. I was on the hunt for a driver holding a sign that said, “Alajuela Backpackers,” the hostel’s name.

I walked up and down the line, looking at each driver and trying to spot my sign. Unfortunately, all I got were the intent faces and eyes of the other drivers and one word over and over again: “Taxi?”

I could understand how much they wanted that extra buck to bring home. Yet, their loud yelling and determined intention directed at me were overwhelming. I haven’t ever encountered such taxi drivers back in my home country, the United States.

I kept going up and down the line looking for my driver like a lost child wandering around a grocery store. I didn’t know what to do except keep waiting.

Some nations have folks who do not practice timeliness closely. I was wondering if Costa Rica was one of them. As an American, I’m not used to someone being so late without giving a call. I had to let go of schedule expectations, go with the flow of “time” here, and continue waiting.

I needed a break from all the shouting slamming my eardrums, so I asked an airport employee where I could use the bathroom. After she gave me directions, as I started walking toward my destination, I thought, Oh, hold on, Meggie. What if your taxi driver happened to show up while you were in the bathroom? You really don’t want to miss him!

I didn’t even have to use the bathroom, so I returned to a spot nearby the shouting taxi drivers. Moments later, the same airport employee approached me with an all-too-familiar pushy expression on her face. But no, she didn’t want me to get in a taxi. For reasons I cannot explain, she urged me to go to the bathroom. I tried telling her that I didn’t need to go and changed my mind. No matter what I said, she wouldn’t stop bugging me about it. With a sigh, I dragged myself and my baggage to the bathroom, if it meant she could leave me alone.

After my forced bathroom visit, I came back to the line of taxi drivers, trying to find my hostel driver. He still wasn’t there. My American sense of schedule was being put to the test!

Out of nowhere, a voice perked up behind me. Was it another taxi driver? Nope! It was a man involved with the Alajuela Backpackers. As soon as I confirmed myself as a hostel guest, he opened his cell phone and got on the line with someone. Then, he broke the good news: My taxi driver was on his way! I followed him to another airport road with less people. Mere minutes later, my taxi driver showed up, at last!

But the pushiness wasn’t over yet.

When we arrived at my hostel, he surged his hand forward, asking (actually, demanding) a tip. I had already intended to give him some, but his directness startled me. I gave him the cash, he said a quick “thank you,” and drove off.

I wasn’t used to the brash pushiness of these airport folks. When they want something, they are not afraid to show it! No other airport experience I’ve had thus far could compare to this.

 

2. Humidity and… where’s the rain?

Visitors visualize Costa Rica as a wet, rainy nation. My classmates spent three weeks here, yet we experienced few heavy rainfalls, only once or twice a week! I had my poncho in my bag, ready at anytime to whip out. For the most part, it remained a crimpled pile in there. But when it rained, it was nice to have.

Maybe it was just my luck that I came during a dry spell. No matter what though, bring your rain gear to Costa Rica. Who knows, you might run into more rainfall than me!

With or without rain, the stubborn, high humidity, leaves a sticky, even gross, feeling on your skin. Based on my experiences, except in higher elevations such as Monteverde/Santa Elena, a town perched high on a mountainside, I couldn’t escape the moist, wet air of the city (Alajuela), the rain forest (La Selva Biological Station in Sarapiquí, and parts of the coastline (Tortuguero on the Atlantic side). It was hard to stay cool because my skin felt wet all the time. For example, staying in the shade doesn’t seem to help all that much.

It’s not like the students and I had room air conditioners everywhere either. Most of our hostels only had a spinning fan blowing air on your face, albeit cool.

 

3. The Spanish language

I could get by with speaking English in Costa Rica. Many folks, especially those in the big city, have basic English. However, I wanted to try my Spanish language skills. Let’s put those high school and Duolingo lessons to the test!

When listening to Costa Ricans speak Spanish at a normal pace, I couldn’t understand the whole sentence, just a few words here and there. I tried piecing up the meaning.

Sometimes, I’ll be wrong! For example, I thought I heard “mucho gusto” (nice to meet you). But people said this to me all the time, even though we had already met! Why would you have to keep repeating your greeting?

I had to ask a new Costa Rican friend for an explanation. She said that “con mucho gusto” meant “my pleasure” or “you’re welcome.” No Spanish lesson back home had ever taught me this phrase. Plus, my ears failed to catch the first word, “con.”

My education can only take me so far. Being in a legitimate Spanish-speaking country, I can learn words and phrases that school doesn’t include and are unique to that country or region of the world.

 

4. Using the bathroom

At a muddy dock on the mainland, before my classmates and I boarded a boat to the island town of Tortuguero, it would have been wise to go to the bathroom. But the long line and $1 fee dissuaded me. Yes, it was a great price for a clean bathroom, but I felt lazy, not wanting to search for my cash. Also, I wasn’t fond of the idea that you had to pay to attend to Mother Nature’s needs.

Toiletless experiences were my kind of thing, anyway. So, I ducked behind parked cars, away from the crowds, and peed on the gravel. That’s the more natural way to pee, anyway!

Another interesting bathroom experience took place at a plaza along one of the mainland’s roads. Inside the women’s bathroom was a lady employee pulling toilet paper off a roll in her hand. She gave each person four squares. Toilet paper must have been a stolen commodity here in this plaza. That, or people liked to make trouble by stuffing a bunch of toilet paper into the toilet.

The only thing I was sure about: I’d better use my valuable four squares carefully!

 

5. Minimalist homes

I had only one daring chance to enter a Costa Rican home. I asked our hostel’s manager, Adolfo, if I could take a tour inside his home. A student and I had just done a photography session in his backyard. I was curious to see how big or small his house was inside.

Adolfo invited me in and led me around the place that he, his wife, and daughter called home. All the rooms were smaller than typical American homes. For example, there wasn’t much walking space in the kitchen. The appliances seem crammed in, along with the dining table.

Their home had less materialistic objects, as well. They only had the necessities and a few fun things, like an old television set. My home, too, was made up of two parents and one daughter. However, we had somehow accumulated so many random objects throughout the years!

 

5 Culture shocks in Costa Rica Conclusion

If you’re interested in learning about culture shock differences from other countries around the globe, check out Australia, China and Japan to start. It’s a great way to explore diversity around the world.

Some new experiences were unpleasant, the airport arrival most of all. But there’s always room for the pleasant ones too, like the observation of minimalist living in Adolfo’s home. When I came back to my home in Arizona, I felt less desire to obtain objects.

Another change at home? My tolerance for the heat! I could not find myself complaining about the notorious dry heat of my home state of Arizona anymore. When my parents would rush to turn down the temperature in our house, I sometimes wouldn’t have needed it. Too much heat is always uncomfortable, but after living with Costa Rica’s terrible humidity, I’d take dry heat any day!

These culture shocks constitute the zone beyond your creature comforts so that you can learn and grow into a wiser and grittier person. Like me, you might come back from Costa Rica a different version of you.

Meggie Tran is a mental health advocate and traveler with OCD and social anxiety who believes that anyone should be able to travel, including those with mental health conditions. She shares funny, inspiring, and deep travel stories and practical mental health resources for travelers at her blog, Mindful Meggie. You can follow her on Instagram.