San Jose General Reports

[Prolijo]

Good enough, Piper. We'll agree to disagree and let it lie (well until the next time this flares up).

On a somewhat different subject, I'd like to add a couple of points.

I think that photo chit-chat is a good idea in theory and would be great if it actually worked. The only problem I see is, if we can't keep completely non-photo related subjects out of the current photo thread, how are we going to keep the reactions to the photos posted out of that thread even if there is another thread created for that purpose. And if the remarks are in reaction to a particular photo, placing those remarks in a seperate thread would make it a bit less clear what the poster was referring to. Still, I think your idea does warrant further consideration. Maybe someone else has some ideas for further refinements.

My other remark concerns the recent youtube video that kicked off this recent round of debate. Whether you guys felt it was right or wrong for him to post like he did, it has now been removed from the YouTube site for copyright infringement reasons. And the guy who posted it may be pursued for legal costs but at the very least has had his CRT membership revoked (banned for life actually), meaning no more CRT discount at his formerly favorite place, if he can even return there at all. I hope it was all worth it for him.

[Piper1]

From photo gallery ...

I have thought about it. This sex-photo thread is a place to post and discuss photos, which is what I and others were doing. However, I was ready to turn the stage back to the photo posters and YOU chose to continue this worn out discussion with an inflammatory post that, btw didn't have any photos in it either.

I'm sorry if hearing opinions that differ from yours upsets you so much (not!). Personally, I don't think engaging in the P4P hobby has to mean you can't do it in a classy manner, although it very well might be true that YOU can't. You'll find many many posts, even on this board, by vets advising treating the girls with respect (at least to their face) and how that leads to getting better sessions from them. And posting photos of them against their wishes is a form of disrespect that can lead to bad sessions (or the refusal to pose for any more) IF it gets back to them, particularly for the original poster but to a lesser extent for everyone else as well due the general reduction in trust.

As far as my being "psuedo-intelligent", that's pseudo and there's nothing pseudo about it. I'd be more than happy to match wits with you anytime in real life.

Pro - true, I didn't post any pics with my previous post. Read the first part of my previous post again and you'll see why. Besides, following your lead, I thought it was a discussion thread, not a photo thread.

A face-to-face challenge huh? How very macho. I surrender to your intellectual superiority. I don't intend to visit the US in the forseeable future, so you'll have to fly to Dubai.

As for respecting the girls, my posts over the years speak for themselves.

I welcome differences of opinion and useful criticism. Most of your posts are useful and informative. I'm simply saying that endless, multiple (and overly-repetitive) posts in the photo gallery criticizing photo-posters gets more than a little tedious. As I said before, you've made the same point many many times - enough already. (PS, apologies for my speling mistake. I'm just an illiterate girl-disrespecting monger).

That's the end of the matter for me. Once the photo thread becomes a photo thread again, I'll again contribute there accordingly.

As Jackson suggests:

Hi Guys,

It's okay with me if you want to change this thread into a General Discussion instead of the Photo Gallery, but at least let me know so I can start a new Photo Gallery.

It's either that, or you can move your discussion to another thread and we can keep this thread as the Photo Gallery.

Thank You!

Jackson

Good idea Jackson - how about a photo chit-chat thread, ala Thailand, Phillipines etc.

[Paesano63]

As a frequent visitor to San jose for 5 years, I have noticed a general increase in the number of persons looking for handouts, leeches pushing phony cuban cigars and $20 viagra pills, but also more dangerously increased numbers of tranvestites and thugs in general all arounf the Del Rey.

Many old time visitors would say it was more safe to walk around at night for several blocks around the del Rey, not so any more.

Also, having been to Panama and noticing the police presence in the street around the hotels and casinos I realized that I never saw any police patrolling the area around the Del Rey.

Final word monger: with caution, the costa rican authorities know what we do and allow it, but won't go out of their way to offer protection. You're on your own.

[Prolijo]

San Jose is the chief metropolitan area of a lesser developed country and like any such city it has its more decrepit and dangerous parts. The reason for that is that, being a struggling developing country, they don't have nearly the same level of resources available to maintain the urban infrastructure that we take for granted here in the US. In that respect, it is no different from any other similar country and despite that it is not much worse than many cities in the US and is actually much NICER than many other cities I've been to in other countries. So rather than look down our noses at SJ and ignore our own shortcomings at home, we should appreciate SJ for what it is and what it has to offer. We should also understand that most western tourists, except for us twisted monger types, don't come to CR for its urban landscape but for what they can find out in the country. It makes some sense for them to poo-poo the city and head elsewhere. As for the mongers, if you hang out primarily in areas known for its bars, gambling and prostitution what do you really expect to find?

Some of what SweetLemon posted has some merit, but a lot of it misses the mark and seems to be based just on some superficial and abbreviated visit, where he spent most of his time in the highly non-representative area between the Presidente and the HDR (before prematurely fleeing the country altogether). I haven't been "everywhere in Latin America" like he has but I have been to every Central American capital city except Panama's, and many of its other larger cities as well, not to mention all the major cities of Colombia and Rio de Janeiro. Sure, Rio's embarcadero is nice, but there are plenty of hustlers in front of Helpe and go a few blocks back and up towards the favelas and tell me how nice and safe that city is. Rio is world renowned for its pickpockets. And Colombia, not CR, is on the US State department warning lists. And even for just Central America, as "bad" as it is in many ways, I'd put SJ ahead of just about any other major city I've been to there. The only corner where I ever see "at least half a dozen street rats loitering" is right outside the HDR. To say it is like that on every corner is a gross exaggeration.

Unlike most other latin american cities I've been, SJ is one of the only ones where being able to walk from venue to venue was even a possibility. Walking around by day in SJ is perfectly safe, unless you're totally oblivious to your surroundings. At night it is more hit or miss. I don't get drunk, know how to carry myself and know where not to go, and have walked around at night a lot of times with never an incident. However if you want to play it safe nowhere is more than a $2 cab ride apart.

And despite its reputation for being ugly, a charge no one else seems willing to retort, I would have to disagree. Okay, it is no Rio or BA, but they have their ugly parts too. It still beats places like Managua or Guatemala City or San Pedro Sula. The rooftops of Medellin or Teguciagalpa look pretty nice from the surrounding hills, but get down to street level and its a different story. SJ definitely has it share of ugly parts (like pretty much all of Avenida 2, the Zona Rosa, Coca Cola, etc.), but it also has its nice parks and plazas (like Sabana or Espana) neighborhoods (like Los Yoses or Amon). Your choice is whether to focus on the crime and pollution or on the positives that ARE there.

Finally, there are the chicas. I'll leave it to others to defend the chicas of CR more thoroughly. I'll just say this. While I know you can find better looking, more accomodating, and less expensive women in other places, the equation is not as simple as that. Chicas in CR are not as hopeless as SL made out. Sure, you'll find your mercenary bitches that stick to cien at the HDR as SL stated. But far more will come down from that rate than will stick to it and it is misleading to suggest that the ASKING rate is anything like the GOING MARKET rate. Sure special requests like anal may be standard fare in places like Rio and much less so in CR, but BBBJ's and FK at least are not at all rare in SJ as SL suggests and are actually the norm.

But what about the other parts of the equation. Can you fly to those other places, that SL finds so much better than CR, in less than 3 hours from Miami? Do those places have the wealth of other things to do and see that CR has? Are those other places as user-friendly for guys who are new to international mongering and who don't speak much spanish? Are those other places a center for sex tourism which draws in chicas from other countries and thus often has the cream of the crop as well as the variety?

[Mrmrmr]

Just like any major city, there are many parts of San Jose that are not safe to travel at night. Dark streets, parks, etc. Stay aware of your surroundings, move fast, take a taxi at night and stay with a group of people etc. and you should be alright.

I too have noticed some very aggressive undesirables around the Del Rey area.

[Professor 1]

I agree the city outside of the pedestrian mall is pretty ugly. The park is passable and the museum up the hill is nice, but most of the area has no esthetic at all. Even the university grounds (of UCR) didn't seem very well landscaped.

I must disagree. I found San Jose to be no worse than any major USA City, including those where I lived. I did spend a day at UCR, and the place looked nice and clean, like any urban USA University.

San Jose is no Indonesia, but I found it better than some USA Cities.

[George90]

First and foremost are the droves of thugs, bums, hustlers and lunatics hanging out in the area. They are not your typical annoying touts or low-key panhandlers one finds all over Latin America, and I’ve been everywhere in Latin America. No, it seems to be populated with the dodgier sort of riff raff one finds on skid row in a major US city. It’s advisable if you’re alone or not in a good sized group to take a taxi even for a few blocks. There seems to be no police presence in the area whatever and one gets the feeling that if you get into it with one of these guys, you’ll have a small army to contend with. There seemed to be at least half a dozen street rats loitering on every single corner and in front of every business making them totally unavoidable. I don’t like feeling that I’m not free to walk around and explore at night and here you definitely can’t. Or better put, definitely shouldn’t. Not that there is much to see in San Jose anyhow.

I haven't been to San Jose for 3 or 4 years. What you describe, SL, is very different from what I saw when I made 4 or 5 trips there.

I agree the city outside of the pedestrian mall is pretty ugly. The park is passable and the museum up the hill is nice, but most of the area has no esthetic at all. Even the university grounds (of UCR) didn't seem very well landscaped.

I walked around from one club to another; from Casablancas to Del Rey to Pantera Rosa at night and didn't have any difficulties. I didn't any roving gangs of anybody. I did see some homeless people collecting garbage. I did see drunken guys staggering about. I did see bouncers checking out the street in front of the club or restaurant they were working in.

I did see an occasional police car at night, but not often. I saw patrol officers much more often during the day time in the pedestrian mall area. The ATM area of a bank I use has a guard posted there 24/7. I didn't feel any real danger walking around at night though I don't recommend it to anyone who drinks a lot. I heard that 1 or 2 years ago that crime (muggings, pickpockets) in the Gringo Gulch area started rising.

[Member #2964]

Jet set and sweet leamon.

I had a DR girl total la noache for 15K last night.

I have just retuned from a drink at the DR and had a triple belly offer of 25K.

I knew her 2 years ago and she has added 2 bellies. I said no and offered 15K where= as she said her friend a Nica with fine natural titas and single belly would go for 15K.

All the girls WANT cien. but I am too cheap and spoiled to pay. Heading down to 6th street and out too Pasao Colon tommorw.

I enjoy the troll through the MPs. each day, week, month brings new choices.

Out to La Grillion tonight to see if Tracy from Palufos is indeed working a new venue.

What ever you do Have fun.

[Professor 1]

The standard quote is $100 USD for an "hour" (meaning they’ll do their level best to get you off in 10 minutes and then split), payment often expected in advance. Of course special arrangements can be made and there are outliers in every group, but the general terms and conditions seem to be no kissing, no BBBJ, no back door, routine indifference. The homely second stringers, though, seem a bit more amenable.

The quoted US$100 is the gringo rate, not the rate that people like me, and CRT members, pay. When I hear cien, I simply start laughing, and pat the girl on the back like I got the joke. You have to bargain as though you were in the market. I do not pay sticker price for a car, so I am certainly not going to pay sticker for P4P.

I had a great GFE that involved more than vanilla sex. It included BBBJ, for example. It helps to be able to ask for it in Spanish. My limited experience tells me that if you treat the transaction like it's a mechanical action, then the girl will follow.

[Professor 1]

The standard quote is $100 USD for an "hour" (meaning they’ll do their level best to get you off in 10 minutes and then split), payment often expected in advance. Of course special arrangements can be made and there are outliers in every group, but the general terms and conditions seem to be no kissing, no BBBJ, no back door, routine indifference. The homely second stringers, though, seem a bit more amenable.

The quoted US$100 is the gringo rate, not the rate that people like me, and CRT members, pay. When I hear cien, I simply start laughing, and pat the girl on the back like I got the joke. You have to bargain as though you were in the market. I do not pay sticker price for a car, so I am certainly not going to pay sticker for P4P.

I had a great GFE that involved more than vanilla sex. It included BBBJ, for example. It helps to be able to ask for it in Spanish. My limited experience tells me that if you treat the transaction like it's a mechanical action, then the girl will follow.

[Professor 1]

I did not sample the wares of HDR girls, because I was a cheapskate. However, I think most of the girls would easily take 80.

Some HDR girls will take less than US$80, particularly if you communication with them in Spanish. I told one "nice girl," who started with the US$100 scheme, that I am NOT a tourist, and do not pay cien. She quickly retort, "Of course, of course, and you're a nice guy."

I told her that I was not looking for ANYTHING, but just wanted a beer. I added that I would consider US$50, since she was a nice girl. She asked for US$60, and got it.

[DR Monger II]

SweetLemon, you are right about San Jose as a city. However, I didn't see thugs or street rats at every corner. I guess San Jose feels like NYC in the 1970s. I did see police, but they weren't going after TVs at night or walking the beat that much. I saw one of them stop a Dominos pizza delivery guy While some pros are mechanical at some massage places you can offer a 20 dollar tip and most likely get bbbj or 2 shots at sex. However, kissing is very rare. I found some places like Bar IDem to be too mechanical. It's kind of sad because they charge the highest rates out of all the incall places in San Jose. I did not sample the wares of HDR girls, because I was a cheapskate. However, I think most of the girls would easily take 80. Most massage parlors charge from 20-45 for an hour. For about 60 dollars, you can almost get GFE.

[Mr Jetsetter]

SweetLemon,

If the Saturday night you referred to in your fine report is this last one, September 1st, you definitely had the misfortune of hitting the DR on an unusual night. Tons and tons of mongers were in town for the CRT anniversary bash, and U.S. holiday weekends such as this one do attract an unusual number of gentlemen. I'm not a big fan of the Del Rey scene, but, believe me, most of the time the ladies greatly outnumber the men. Also, don't be so quick to categorize the male patrons as "low scale." I have met some very friendly, interesting guys there over my past five trips, a number of them very, very successful businessmen back in the States simply having a casual time partying the day or night away, enjoying a brief respite from the pressures back home.

I have to agree with you about the seedy nature of the area immediately around the Del Rey, but San Jose does have some nicer areas to hang out in, and offers some great day trips that allow you to see the countryside, such as the Pacuare River rafting trip. Perhaps if you would have spent some time at the Sportsmen's Lodge and Zona Blue and New Fantasy or a number of other venues on a weekend other than this last one (assuming this is the time period you are referring to), you might have received a more favorable impression. I'm not in any way saying San Jose is comperable to Rio or Buenos Aires or other places you've been to, but a good time CAN be had.

I also totally agree with your comment about the lack of a proper police presence. I simply don't understand it, considering the number of visitors the city has. Unfortunately, it might take a high-profie, well-publicised violent attack or two for the powers-that-be to wake up to this absurd oversight.

[Member #4603]

I was hanging out in San Jose so I wanted to leave my impression for those who have never been here. I’m a very experienced traveler and know most of the counties in Latin America, but I’m not an old hand when it comes to Costa Rica so this is my first impression, nothing more.

After arrival I made a beeline for the Del Rey/Blue Marlin after having read so much about it. It’s quite a place and I’ve never experienced anything like it anywhere in Latin America. The place itself is a decent sized bar/restaurant/casino, pretty upscale for a Latin American mongering spot and make no mistake, the Del Rey is a mongering spot through and through. Save the staff, every woman, and there are probably 100 or more circulating in and out, is a pro.

The Del Rey complex has the feel of an American sports bar set in Las Vegas. Good food, attentive staff, gambling. A decent ambience if you don’t want to get too far off the beaten track I suppose, but sort of weird at the same time. Though fairly upscale, it caters to a pretty low scale crowd of Americans predominantly. I’d say on this Saturday there were easily more guys there than girls, perhaps 2 or 3 to 1. If you see a girl you like, snap her up quickly or you’ll likely see her leaving with someone else the next time you turn around. I’ve never seen so many Americans congregated in one spot in Latin America since, say, spring break in Cancun. Although the Del Rey caters to a much older crowd and you definitely get the feeling that some of the old guys have practically taken up permanent residence there which was both inspiring and sort of sad at the same time. English is widely spoken by the staff so Spanish isn’t a necessity at all in this place.

The women are gorgeous, ranging from tall, slim model looking types to ladies with luscious latina-style ghetto booties and all shapes and sizes in between – also all colors from blonde to black with many Colombians and Dominicans. (Colombians tend to be the curvy, long-haired ones with big fake tits, the Dominicans are the black ones). Along with Rio’s Help disco and Adelitas in Tijuana, the Del Rey is surely one of the premier places to find large numbers of hot women for sale together in a single spot in the entire Western hemisphere.

Another plus is that the weather is great. No sweating under heat indexes of 100 here. San Jose has California weather.

All of this is the good part, so now for the bad part.

Despite all its good points, I’d say there are some very big negatives about the scene that will likely make me bypass the Del Rey and San Jose in the future.

First and foremost are the droves of thugs, bums, hustlers and lunatics hanging out in the area. They are not your typical annoying touts or low-key panhandlers one finds all over Latin America, and I’ve been everywhere in Latin America. No, it seems to be populated with the dodgier sort of riff raff one finds on skid row in a major US city. It’s advisable if you’re alone or not in a good sized group to take a taxi even for a few blocks. There seems to be no police presence in the area whatever and one gets the feeling that if you get into it with one of these guys, you’ll have a small army to contend with. There seemed to be at least half a dozen street rats loitering on every single corner and in front of every business making them totally unavoidable. I don’t like feeling that I’m not free to walk around and explore at night and here you definitely can’t. Or better put, definitely shouldn’t. Not that there is much to see in San Jose anyhow.

Which brings me to another drawback. San Jose is ugly and depressing. Think of a rainy day in Cleveland and you get the picture. Actually, the downtown streets most remind me of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district with bums, drug addicts, insane people, aggressive panhandlers, general filth and a notable current of negative energy all well represented. I didn’t talk to a single person whether tourist, monger, or hooker that had something nice to say about San Jose as a city.

Perhaps as big a negative is that the women by and large seem mechanical and far too business-like. It’s definitely all about the money here. Not that money isn’t important in other places, but money issues elsewhere usually seem more like background noise or even a party favor where here it is very much front and center. The standard quote is $100 USD for an "hour" (meaning they’ll do their level best to get you off in 10 minutes and then split), payment often expected in advance. Of course special arrangements can be made and there are outliers in every group, but the general terms and conditions seem to be no kissing, no BBBJ, no back door, routine indifference. The homely second stringers, though, seem a bit more amenable. Still, Rio de Janeiro this is not. I talked to about half a dozen stunners that I fully intended to take back to my room with me when I approached them only to end up being turned off by their frigid, boring conversation and preoccupation with payment.

I did manage to sample a couple that weren’t totally jaded, but they seemed too practiced all the same and were anxious to get right back on the game. No toda la noche at the Del Rey. Here the best looking women can probably turn 4 or 5 tricks in a single night which isn’t too sexy if you’re guy number 5.

If you’re coming to Latin America from the US or Canada for the first time, I can see that this mongering hot spot will seem like heaven as there certainly is nothing like it up there, but truth be told I found it something of a disappointment when compared to other experiences I’ve had around Latin America. I can get over any one or perhaps two of the drawbacks I mentioned, but not all of these drawbacks together. Even though there is less to choose from as far as women go in most other places, if having an all around good time is at the top of your list rather than just adding a few hot conquests to your trophy case, you’re likely to have more fun elsewhere. There is nothing that you can find at the Del Rey that you can’t find in any number of much better locations.

I was planning to spend more time here, but moved on to other parts in short order despite the bevy of sexy, available women. San Jose is just that bad.

One note: The Hotel Presidente is very civilized and pleasant. Well stocked mini-bar, very clean, well decorated and everything works from the air conditioning to the Internet. I give the Presidente a thumbs up. I brought an absolutely gorgeous, tall, curvaceous and not entirely sterile Colombiana here and as far as I can tell there was no fee charged for the pleasure. She let herself out after our session. No problems.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I certainly hope that the author or somebody else will post a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[Fantasy]

anyone just back with a sim card to sell? i know they are extremely hard to come by without a receipt for a phone purchase there. CR is my first stop in a central american tour, and the only sim i am missing.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP..............

Fantasy................................................................................