Interesting.
When it comes to directions in Spanish speaking countries: izquierda is left, derecha is right, and derecho is straight. I have yet to hear someone say "directo" unless they are selling me a plane or a bus ticket. It means "direct" and not "straight". Now, someone might say that the word "derecho" means some something else, like in "derechos humanos" which are "human rights". That is true, but when you talk directions, it is always "derecha" for right and "derecho" for straight. Yes, you will hear "a la" from time to time, also. As in "A la derecha" which means "to the right".

Be very careful if someone in Mexico (or elsewhere) gives you directions that include the phrase "a la chingada". This likely isn't the destination you are seeking.

$20 US to get to the address? Did the guy stay with you all morning, wash your bike, and get you coffee or what?
This is a perfect opportunity to use the above mentioned phrase.
$20 US for your service? A la chingada!

Perhaps the directions from the Costa Ricans were good, but your Spanish was not up to scratch?

A compass? If you have a rough idea of the time of day and it isn't cloudy, you can navigate fairly well. If you have an old school wristwatch you are never lost. Besides, "lost" is merely a frame of mind.
You are never really lost unless you have chosen not to be found.

Here is a refresher course:
How to Use an Analog Watch as a Compass: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Below is a handy graphic to illustrate things:

Motorcycling with a GPS Poco diversion a la izquierda.


Motorcycling without a GPS Much diversion a la derecha.


Hay peligro en la chingada

derecho as used in helpful explanations can also mean something like " just follow the front wheel forward down the road that gets you to the place we are talking about". It is always a direct route ..... if one knows the way , no need to mention upcoming Y or T intersections and curves. The providers of the
information are not lying or trying to fool you , it is only that they forget to take into account how totally clueless we as tourists can be:
As for San Jose , there is no direct freeway setup to get you around town , the directional signs on the main routes refer to names of the various suburbs so you need a map of some sort to establish a frame of reference.
Another complication comes from our imperfect Spanish , our ear is not tuned to detect the fine points beside derecho . I discover that I keep misunderstanding distances when it comes to 2 km or 12 .... dos and doce , 3 and 13 and it slowly dawns on me only after riding longer than expected without seeing the target.

Lack of street names is only a partial handicap. Relying on street names has as drawback the fact that for one long straight street names can change repeatedly every few blocks as some
local hero or event is honored and commemorated . If Google maps on the web is an indicator it is unlikely that the electronic map service would have all those details.... or do they?
A compass is essential for overcast days when the direction of sunlight is no help to determine North . Even with full sun on a tropical midday it becomes a challenge. Add to that an unconscious mindset which makes one
think one knows the direction of North and one can be far off course before one realizes it

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93

Just like Ottawa, Canada!

Richmond Rd. - Wellington St. - Montreal Rd.

Yeh , or my personal favourite example in Wolvega NL
where the main road through town starts off as the Pieter Stuyvesantweg and becomes Hoofdstraatwest-VanHarenstraat-Hoofdstraatoost-Lycklamaweg-Stellingenweg all within about 2 km ( and NL does not mean Nuevo León or Newfyland :confused1:?)
I purposely avoided mentioning it as peculiar to Mexican or CA context because street names worldwide do that sort of rapid changing

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93

Good one! 2 kms, one could spend more time learning the pronunciations than riding the road!