“Where in the world am I?” If you don’t have GPS this is a question you will be asking yourself time and again as you travel around Costa Rica. Costa Rica, like many foreign, countries doesn’t really have many street signs, especially out of town, so then the question arises: how do you find your way around?

We use a system developed in Costa Rica called PPS (People Positioning System). To use this system, if you have rented a car you will first need to pull over where you see a group of people standing around and ask. (Don’t worry, throughout Costa Rica you will be able to eventually find someone that speaks English.) In general most Costa Ricans are more than happy to help lost tourists. There is, however, a catch.

The problem with Tico directions is that they are given according to land marks only the Tico knows. For example someone will say “Do you know Juan? His house is red with a white gate go there and make a left to Jose’s house about 50 meters and you should be there.” You’ll nod your head, smile and thank them thinking all the while, ‘Who the heck are Juan and Jose?’ So off you go in search of the red house with a white gate.

The real problem arises when you find not one red house with a white gate, but 3 red houses with white gates, an no way to know which one is Juan’s! The best way to fully utilize PPS to ask anyone you can which house is Juan’s, or better, how to get to where you are going. Never rely on one persons set of instructions.

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