The goal of my virgin trip was to see a lot of CR, combining a healthy mix of tourism and chica-tasting.

Re: the tourism, I’m an architect and photographer and I enjoy prowling urban environments, especially where there are vestiges of former grandeur from past prosperity, now fallen from grace. Yesterday’s colonialism makes for today’s great photographs. CR offered plenty of that in the towns I visited.

For ultimate mobility I rented a man-tran 4X4, and got pretty good at the insane group activity that passes for driving in CR. If you want to drive around the country be ready to take your game up a notch or two when it comes to boldly passing on hairpin, foggy, narrow, pot-holed, 2-lane mountain roads. For those interested in renting, I comparison-shopped 8 providers and got the best deal and good service from Tricolor. $262/week for a tough, small Suzuki 4X4 that met all my needs as a single adventurer. That included mandatory insurance. Use your Amex card to rent and you get additional coverage. And always use the Supra gas, it pays off when you need the acceleration (see: “passing on hairpin, foggy, narrow, pot-holed, 2-lane mountain roads”).

Re: the chica-tasting, I’ve indulged in “the hobby” in Canada, in Mexico, in a few European cites (Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, etc) and all over the US. Over the years I’ve developed a real fondness for Latinas (for the reasons we all appreciate). So I was really looking forward to 8 days with beautiful Latin women in a country where P4P is legal.

That said, I don’t have the leche to spend all day every day mongering and, at this stage in my life I’m more interested in quality than quantity. For me, the hunt for quality at a reasonable price is an enjoyable part of the whole process, so I went in ready and willing to be choosy and shop until I was ready to buy, rather than settle for the sake of urgency or body-count. This is where the monger maps and good descriptions of many places offered online were invaluable.

Also, for budget purposes I chose a very pleasant, but not chica-friendly hotel, in a nice old neighborhood (Aranjuez), with free, secure parking, private bath and a fabulous breakfast in a beautiful garden ($28/night). Although I realize its great fun to bring chicas to your room, I’d decided in advance not to tackle that on this trip, concentrating instead on the MP’s.

Lastly, keep in mind this is a newbie’s Trip Report. I just go blow-by-blow through my trek of discovery, warts and all, naming-names and quoting prices. It may seem elementary to seasoned vets, but perhaps seeing it through a rookie’s eyes will harken you back to your 1st time, before you became such an experienced pro.