I believe the time people put in working, running errands, going to the gym and all the other daily stuff we feel we have to do starts to take its toll on how we live and think. This is a big reason why Tom and I decided to pack up and leave for a little while...to put things in perspective, do a bit of work on the road and to surf (ok...learn to surf for me).

My surfing experience is limited to three times...once in New Zealand, once in Australia and one time in Costa Rica where an encounter with a jellyfish put my surfing attempts on hold. But now, since we have stopped in the Baja and there are some good learning beaches, I have decided to dedicate a few months to surfing, though the extent of my abilities so far is to stand up on my board. I'm working on it.

A few things beginner surfers need to know and remember: it is not as easy as it looks. No matter how athletic you are, expect to fall over and over and over again; practice makes perfect. Coordination, decent physical fitness and sheer determination (stubbornness...call it what you will) to get back up and keep trying are ideal traits if you want to learn how to surf.

One of my most vivid travel memories was the first time I tasted fruit in Costa Rica. I was staying with a host family, and upon arrival they served me a plate of pineapple as a welcome snack. Nothing could prepare me for that first bite. It was sweet and tangy beyond belief, like a piece of sour candy that had just been plucked straight off the plant. I certainly did not lack for fresh produce growing up in the snowy climes of the Midwest, but your average pineapple in Chicago has traveled thousands of miles to reach the basket sitting on my kitchen counter. Not exactly ideal conditions for ripening and flavor.

After pineapple, I sampled several other interesting produce items like the tamarind, which is often consumed in liquid form and has a flavor I found similar to apple juice. But my favorite fruit snack during my visit was the Costa Rican mango. Other Gadling bloggers like Karen have sung the praises of mangoes before, and I have to agree. The great thing about many Central American countries like Costa Rica is they like to add an extra "kick" to their mango snack. After cutting the fruit into slices, they throw it in a plastic bag and add in a mixture of lime juice, salt and chili powder. The sweet, the sour, the savory and the spicy all rolled into one; there's no other flavor like it.

Lucky for us North Americans, this delicious mango snack is sold by street vendors in many major urban areas - I recently discovered it for sale here in New York. Or you can make your own - I can't promise it will taste as good as eating it in the tropics, but I'm sure it's still delicious.

This photo of the Volcán Arenal in Costa Rica from ohad conjures a certain feeling of an invigorating hike on a warm, bright, summer's day. So what if I told you it was taken in the middle of the night? Pretty unbelievable, huh? But that's exactly when it was taken, and on the evening of the eclipse to boot. How did he do it? With some fancy camera work, a tripod and a 117-second exposure. It's pretty amazing, really. I'm surprised at how well the colours came out. Read more about the photo here.

Want to show off some fancy camera work of your own? Join our Gadling Flickr Pool.

If you want to experience Costa Rica for its natural parks and avoid beautiful-but-touristy places (such as Quepos) head over to Osa Peninsula, home of Corcovado National Park, which is the largest park in the country (and much of Central America). I was just there in November and would recommend it to anybody who is looking for adventure travel. November is a good time to go, too, because it is the end of their rainy season but not quite their high season yet. You will end up doing a lot of trekking--both in jungle and on the beach--so plan accordingly and bring a lot of sunscreen.

We took a local flight on Sansa from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez and rented a 4X4 car from there. You can also take a "colectivo" shuttle bus (cheaply) or a taxi (expensively). It is about a three hour drive to Carate. This is where "the road ended" and we hiked 3 miles on the beach to the eco lodge. The beaches are amazing and so are most of the eco lodges. Still, the key here is modest: tents, simple meals and lots of scenery. Anyone looking to get "eco-pampered" with a massage in the sunset should probably go to Quepos instead.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country that has so much to offer to different types of travelers. Don't get discouraged just because your neighbor told you it is getting touristy. There are still real gems to find in Costa Rica.

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Also: Check out the story + gallery (below) of Gadling blogger Jerry Guo catching bats in Costa Rica.

It has been so refreshing to fly those little regional airlines in Latin America in the last couple of weeks. I have taken 4 regional flights so far and I love how well it has worked for me. Granted, the planes look about 50 years old, while the pilots look about 20, but they do seem to know what they are doing.

I appreciate that they operate like trains, without any of that insane ticket pricing structure we have all reluctantly gotten used to: "The air ticket you looked up yesterday for $250? Um, that will be $600 today. Why? Just because. Check back tomorrow, it might come down again. Umm, why?"

I have forgotten how nice it is to walk up to a counter and buy an air ticket for a flight that takes off 30 minutes from now. I did exactly that a few of days ago in Panama City. I walked up to an Aeroperlas counter and bought a one way ticket to Bocas del Toro for $70. If I bought the ticket 2 weeks before or 6 months prior, it would have still been $70. I love that - first come, first serve. Makes budgeting for travel much easier. Even better - if you miss the flight (which I did on one ocassion), they will issue you a new ticket to the same, or different, destination at no extra cost. How cool is that?

Try the same thing in the US or Europe, even with those so-called budget airlines, sometimes. They will charge you $2000 for a $200 ticket if you want to fly the same day. Changes? Yeah, right. The airlines would rather have the seat empty than charge something sensible. I remember taking a course on airline pricing structure in college and I remember that the overly complicated way air ticket pricing is set didn't make any sense to me then. Clearly, it still doesn't.

Since I'm here in Costa Rica this week, I couldn't help but use it as a theme for the photo of the day.

Thanks to jahloveforbin for this shot, posted on flickr.

It is not easy to be a backpacker these days.

I was buying air tickets from New York to Costa Rica (but out of Panama City) over the phone yesterday, using a free voucher. I am glad that I did it over the phone, otherwise I would have been spared this brilliant conversation.

After booking, the Continental operator informed me that a yellow fever vaccine was recommended and that I should have access to $500 in cash. OK, I think I can manage that.

Then, she said I will not be allowed on the plane in New York unless I can prove how I'm getting from Costa Rica to Panama. What? Isn't the fact that you have no idea how you'll travel around the entire point of backpacking?

To take it even further, she recited that in Costa Rica "entry is denied to gypsies or those with hippy appearance." I kid you not.

Are they for real?

I am planning a trip to Panama. Not sure why. I don't know much about the country but I have a free Continental voucher to use up and they fly there directly from New York. That's a good enough reason for me. Plus, it sounds like a pretty interesting place.

I am sure many of you have been there already. I hear that Panama is trying to brand itself as the new, wilder (and possibly more dangerous) Costa Rica. Any recommendations? Any must sees and must avoids? Are there good diving/rafting opportunities?

Living near the Rocky Mountains, I thought I had some experience with dangerous roads. The ones I frequent twist and in turn around, over and under the huge, jagged mountains, through avalanche plains, with only a guardrail protecting your car from plummeting off a cliff's edge. It wasn't until I started travelling that I realized that the most dangerous road that I've encountered in Canada would be considered a smooth, luxurious ride in other countries.

So if our roads aren't dangerous, where are the dangerous ones? I did a bit of research and here are the most dangerous roads in the world according to USA Today (click here for the full list):

1. Bolivia's The Old Yungus Road, from La Paz to Coroico
2. Brazil's Interstate 116
3. China's Sichuan-Tibet Highway
4. Costa Rica's Pan-American Highway
5. Croatia's coastal roads (any of 'em)

Judging by this article on the Old Yungus Road, I think I'll pass on taking a trip on it anytime soon.

When the dollar's down, what's a traveler to do? Stay home? Welcome to the life of a Canadian for the past decade and a half. We've been avoiding the US for the past few years because it was just too darn expensive. But now we're about on par and I for one intend to take advantage of it.

But with the weakened US dollar, there's bound to be less Americans at the Eiffel tower this year. As I know very well, Europe's really expensive when you're not at the top of the currency game, but just because it's out, doesn't mean there aren't other affordable places to visit. Have you considered a trip to:

• Canada? I can vouch for the fact that it's beautiful here, for those who love both urban landscapes and rugged wilderness. My loyalties lie with Western Canada, but the east is ok too.
  
• New Zealand? Sure, the airfare can be expensive, but the USD is stronger than the NZD so you're bound to save some money. Plus, it's absolutely gorgeous.
  
• Thailand? Again, the airfare is a bit pricey, but Thailand is a bargain. You can easily live off of $30 a day.
• Costa Rica? Although they boast beaches and rainforest and everything in between, this central American getaway is still one of the more affordable destinations.
  

Want some more advice for traveling when the dollar is down? Check out this link.