La Fortuna Waterfall
Those that did their homework know that this waterfall is just outside La Fortuna, it’s a relatively easy hike (if you’re fit), with steep, sometimes slippery rocks to climb, beautiful scenery reminiscent of Jurassic Park, very muggy, quite crowded in the high season, and with a river with clear, chilly water in which you can bathe. What most of you probably don’t know is that what you pay at the entrance depends on who you are. As with every park, hotel, and museum in Costa Rica, there is a price that tourists pay and a price that locals pay. The entrance for La Fortuna Waterfall, for instance, is about $5 for nacionales ($2 if you’re a student) and $9 for extranjeros. To see the turtles in the Parque Nacional Las Baulas, citizens and residents pay $2 and tourists pay $10. To enter the Museo Nacional in San José, Costa Ricans pay $1 and foreigners $4. You, as a tourist, might think this is unfair, but you, as a local, earning in colones and visiting YOUR country, probably thinks it’s only fair. Foreigners shouldn’t be the only ones who can afford Costa Rica’s natural beauty. In fact, ICT, Canatur, and Banco Nacional have recently joined efforts to promote internal tourism; the slogan “Redescubra su país” (“Rediscover your country”). Discounts will be offered to Costa Rican families so they can vacation and explore the country; a smart move in the current global recession.
Sunday, February 15, 2009