On the map, La Fortuna and Monteverde look really close, but the actual distance is quite far because there's a mountain in between. The best way to travel between these two towns is "Jeep-boat-jeep" – take the jeep to Lake Arenal, get on a boat to get across the lake, and take another jeep to Monteverde – it takes around three and a half hours. The road to Monteverde is very winding, and the view is amazing. I decided to risk having motion sickness and stay awake to watch th

Next stop, La Fortuna. For the journey to La Fortuna, I also took the shared shuttle operated by Roots. It took around four hours, and I arrived in La Fortuna at 4 pm. My most important task on arrival was to buy contact lenses since I forgot the ones I brought at the hostel in San Jose. Some of the activities I planned in the following days would be better with contact lenses, so I had to buy the expensive monthly disposable contact lenses. After I settled in, I went for din

So... I turned 30 this year! I have been wondering about doing something epic to celebrate – a solo backpacking adventure. The original idea was to visit central Asia and walk through Silk Road, but oh well, the visa is way too complicated. The final decision is backpacking in Costa Rica for two reasons: Taiwanese can visit without a visa for 30 days, and the nature and wildlife here are amazing. I started planning this trip in 2024 and couldn't decide between the Caribbean s

Happy 2024! To celebrate the start of the new year, we went to Kawagoe for a little day trip. Kawagoe is nicknamed "little Edo" for its historic streets, which means it's a perfect place for the kimono experience. We booked our kimono experience from VASARA kimono rental . My sister just finished her PhD, so she rented "Hakama", which is the traditional kimono that Japanese students wear during graduation season. This type of kimono was only available in the store near the tr