Our driver, Emilio, and our cultural guide, Antonio, kept glancing at their watches and speaking in quick, hushed Spanish as they navigated the packed streets of downtown San Jose. At first, I thought their thinly-masked concern has something to do with the swarms of subcompacts and mopeds zipping around the tour bus, but even as we cruised up the mountain highway, past lush coffee plantations, jungle river valleys, and mist-wrapped peaks, I could see their worry increase. When we got stuck behind a slow-moving farm truck, their stress became palpable.
