Yes, there is a need for guidebooks. Yes, some publishers are more trustworthy than other. Differentiating fact from opinion continues to be an important skill when evaluating any information. Somehow I read through a prominent guide to Costa Rica and took the author's opinion as fact. What a mistake. The author warned that wine drinkers should stay home; that in Costa Rica you either drink beer or be prepared to pay mucho dinero for a decent wine.
I hadn't had a glass of wine since I arrived, until this past weekend. A relative was visiting me and we went off traveling and wining and dining as typical tourists will do. Much to my surprise, the wine lists that I was handed featured a large selection of international wines, available by the glass or bottle, and at reasonable prices. Every wine that I tried was fine; they had traveled well and been well maintained. So, take heart, wine aficionados, you do not have to switch to beer for your Costa Rica vacation.
The same advise applies to restaurant reviews. We tried a popular and upscale restaurant that I later read described as slipping and just not up to par. That was not my experience at all. On the contrary the service and food were excellent and their ample wine selection at fair prices per glass was better than the average price in Houston. But then again, how many times does a colleague or friend tell us that they hated a place where we have just had a fine experience.
A word of caution about the American chain hotels. They may be beautiful and 'just like home' but you will pay for that cultural translocation. One American hotel/resort in particular that I visited was spectacular architecturally speaking, the interior design impeccable, and the English that all staff spoke fluently was impressive. There were only a handful of Ticos (mejor dicho hispanohablantes) there and the Tico staff addressed them in English as well. Curious. The food and beverge prices were outrageous. The food tasted great. I am sure it was locally provided. But the prices would have led one to believe that it was imported. With out going into details, suffice it to say it was a rip-off. Dinner at one of the guidebook's top recommended expensive restaurants was less expensive than a not-at-all fancy chicken dinner there. Fear not fellow Americans. These hotels will protect you from the ravages of Costa Rican culture! Caveat emptor!
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