-
Bar Idem. It is a bar and a brothel. Not much of a bar atmosphere. Not much English spoken. Go in, buy a very cold beer if you wish, talk to the friendly English speaking manager named Roberto, ask his advice, and pick a girl from the seats along the wall and go upstairs. Give the girl C14000 or so and she will pay the cashier and return any change. It is probably more now. A bigger downstairs room is C17000 or more. Get down to one half hour of business and tip her if she is pleasing, which most all are. Expect to start with a BBBJ and end with a covered entry. There are no exact addresses in San Jose for anything. It is 50 meters South of the intersection of Ave. 10 and Calle 11,... across the street and 100 meters Southeast of the Tin Jo restaurant. Ask the taxi driver to take you to Tin Jo Restaurant at Ave 10 and Calle 11. Walk across the street and down a few doors. Search this site for a WSG map of San Jose and download and print it. Take a cab after dark, and to be safe, in the daytime too. The Idem which is in a bad, low rent area.
Wine and Spirits.
As a wino I can attest that the Max x Menos market, one block South and one and one half blocks East of the Del Rey, has reasonable priced wines from Spain, Chile and Agrentina and a few German and California ones thrown in. The Chilean wines are good values anytime especially the Cabernet Sav and Merlots. I also found a good value Chardonnay or two and an Asti sweet sparkler which the girls love. There are a few good sparkling Cavas from Spain but do not expect French Champagne. They do not have high end stuff nor exotic Alsacian or German wines.
If you like American or Scotch whiskey, bring it, as the import tax is very very high. Regionally produced vodka, gin, tequila and rum are good and good values, unless you insist on high end imported brands. The usual mixers are available, including fresh limes.
Other related stuff.
Bring a corkscrew in your checked luggage to San Jose or buy one locally. You may be able to bring it to SJO in your carry on, but you CANNOT take a corkscrew OUT of San Jose in your carry on bag, nor folding umbrellas. Absolutely different rules than for domestic US and Canada flights. Your CHECKED bag will be HAND searched as will your carry on bag.
-
Tipping the girls.
I tip about 10 percent or so (with a minimum of C1000 at the 747 which is cheap anyway... It costs about C4500 for F/S at the 474 plus C1000 tip.)
See abbreviations in black border above.
I also bring gifts to give instead of tips, such as perfumes, lingerie and CDs. They love it. If you give em lingerie they usually will agree to pose in it for your photos.
-
to npaul:
There are decent wines available at the local markets. They have some very good wines at the dutyfree store at the airport. Be sure to go to the dutyfree store BEFORE you go through immigration. They won`t let you back in once you have been cleared.
DG
-
NPAUL
la casa de vina (the house of wine)
san jose, costa rica
address - de la alianza francesa 50 meters este barrio amon
website - www.lacasadelvino.co.cr
email - lacasadelvinoamon@hotmail.com
hope this helps
reviews to follow in a week or so
-
Snooky: Gringo Gulch.
Calle 9 from Av Central to Av 3.Av 3 over to Calle 5. Down Calle 5 to Av Central and over to Calle 9.In this box you will find The del Rey,Blue Marlin,Morazon,Holiday Inn,Morazon Park,Key Largo,The President and much more just out off this box.That is one of the things I like about San Jose it is all right there.
Lee
Walker:
The Morazon has no charge for the chicks.The President are del Rey would be the place to stay.
Lee
-
Purplengold: Price of all night.
Price of an all nighter (more like 8pm-6am).Low end would be us70 for two girls.(that is us35 each) That was my best price and a good night. High end would be us300. Moust will take us150-200. As for enthusiasm. Take them to dinner and make it more like a date and there enthusiasm will go up. DO Not give them all the money till the AM are they will bolt.
Lee
-
I had mentioned in an earlier post that I'd used my Visa at the Tango India - a strip club I really enjoyed.
I just received my credit card bill and all is well. I even got a better exchange rate on my Visa card than I expected.
Whistle
-
Studplayer,
You asked about places. Don't know what you are looking for specifically, but will mention a couple of options not often posted on this board.
I enjoy going to Olympus. It is within walking distance of the other places. They have never charged me a cover charge. they have some pretty hot babes in there, and they don't put the money push on you like they do at the other high profile strip clubs. Not all the babes are 10's, but they look decent on the stage, and there can occasionally be a hot one worth spending some time for. If I recall, they charge the same price for drinks for the babe as they do you, and give real drinks to the ladies..
The other thing I like about the Olympus is that connected to it is the massage parlor, with a Greek name. I forget the specific name. Anyway, when things are slow on that side, you will see ladies dressed in street clothes come in from the back. Those ladies work at the massage place. So, you get to look at them too. Or, you can go to the John in the back and see some of them and check them out. Also, those ladies work for themselves, so to speak, and they can come and go as they please..so, if you get lucky like I did one night, you can find a really hot one in there, sit down and talk to her with a drink while watching the other ladies get nasty on the dance floor...and cut yourself a deal...or just take her to the back room and pay to fuck like at Idem or other places.
Another place I like is Hollywood. It has changed over the years. It used to be a low rent place mainly for locals (I have never seen another gringo in there). But now, it is owned by a group that owns some of the other clubs in town. The drink prices are the same as the others, but it has some interesting ladies...Plus, you can negoitiate for on site services if you want...they have rooms in the back...or you can get lapdances back there...as well..all kinds of things are possible.
I like going to these other places just to get away and see a different scene...
Like I said, depends on what you want.
Also, at least in the past, I have found that hookers will hang in the discos up at el Pueblo during the week. On Fridays and Saturdays it is full of couples so the hookers aren't there..but en el Kokoloco and the other ones, you can find some ladies..of course it depends on you being able to spot them and talk to them...but those things are possible...again, depends on what you are seeking...
-
Studplayer, Hollywood is on the south side of the Sabana..just down the road just past the Tennis club (going west) from the McDonalds located on the southeast corner, .. Any taxi driver will know it...don't go before 10,
-
WilliamWalker - The Morazon os no longer as girl friendly as before. They now charge for a girl as of Nov. 2002
-
Snooky
Your question was:
What's the best was to get from the Del Rey/San Jose to Jaco Beach? Does the Del Rey have a bus or something to take you there? NPaul suggested the IRAZU JACO BEACH HOLIDAY INN but I think it is a Best Western from my google search. What is a good place to stay at in Jaco Beach that is close to the action but also a decent place to stay. Snooky
Response:
I stayed with in walking distance an right on the ocean at a cool place, the Copacobana Hotel. It is a one block walk to 2 of the 3 hottest club/bars in Jaco.
Depending on your budget, the Best Western is also only 1 to 2 blocks from the action, and is on the main drag.
Del Rey can arrange for a small comfortable, air conditioned bus to drive you to Jaco fro about $18 US and it will take you door to door. Or you can public transportation bus, which is nice, very large, and will cost $5, but you aren't taken door to door of your hotels.
-
Get to know the guys at the desk at th Morazan. Treat them nice and they will take care of you. Treat them bad and you will pay the $5 Girl fee. They are pretty much full, so what dose that tell you. SEAHAWK at the MORAZAN. The best sports bar in San Jose.
-
Has anyone subscribed to the Tico Times and/or AM Costa Rica? If so how expanded are the different sections compared to the free online version?
I am specifically interested in knowing if the classifed section under women seeking men has many ads in there?
If so, this may be a way to make contact with a Tica prior to a visit.
-
I'm in Jaco now, staying at Hotel Cocal, negotiated hard for $65 for a single. It's on the beach, 2 pools, pool bar,casino, breakfast, friendly people, chica friendly. It was $95 last week and Jaco was jammed. Now it's back to normal.
Hotel Cocal is between the Beatle Bar and the disco La Central, the 2 main places to hang out. Women are available in both. I also liked Hotel Flamboyant (?) a block or so North of Cocal. Just as nice, and cheaper (maybe $47).
The Best Western is a little too family oriented and too big for my liking, and probably more $$. It's also very far from disco La Central, most of the restaurants, shopping, food stores, etc.
Hotel Copacabana looked nice also, but I really like the location of the Cocal.
-
real thrill
I used to read the Tico times all the time...and the ads are substantially better in the print edition...there used to be many more running than the last copy I picked up while visting last August.
They offer maybe 30% online..just the main headlines.
However, as to the value of those ads as a quality medium for contacting ticas in advance of arrival depends on your objectives. A high percentage of those, it seems to me, are looking for a more long term arrangment.
There are a substantial number of ads for guys coming to visit and requesting that women contact them. If I were you, I would try that as well...you can be real honest up front, saying what you want, anglo visitor (or what ever you are) coming to Costa rRca for week, wanting a travel companion and country/cultural guide..bonus if spoke english (unless you are fluent in spanish). You will probably get enough answers to get some options to evaluate. A lot depends on how much time you have before you plan to visit...
and how you want them to contact you...by mail will take a lot longer. I know you can set up an answer box to the Tico Times and have them forward the mail to you..but don't don't what are the times for that option..
Good luck...