Staying connected on the road is getting easier. Internet cafes have poped up at most major tourist destination. Many hotels allow guest to send and receive e-mail. It's best to set up a free Webbase mail account with someone like Hotmail, Yahoo, Netscape, etc, before you leave for Costa Rica, since you are most likely to have only Web(and nor POP) access. Rates run between $1 and $4 per hour.