We bought the tickets to Costa Rica weeks ago just to lock in a relatively good price. After serious, hard-core planning, we started to feel as though we wouldn't have time to visit all the places we had hoped to in a mere three weeks. Therefore, rather than having to 'retrace' any routes, last night we bought some local air tickets for our trip. We will get into San Jose, Costa Rica on Saturday April 9th in the evening. Then, on the following Monday, we'll go back to the airport but fly only a little northwest to Belize City. Subsequently, we can take our time heading back to our original point via Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Going one way will give us more time. We hate having an itinerary that's too rushed. It is unfortunate when time prevents a longer stay at a location found interesting. I believe that the real key to any successful journey is allowing oneself the chance to alter trip decisions while still on the road.
