General Info

[Panadero]

I hear the Hotel Park has been shut down. Dose anyone hav a reason?

Panadero

[Blind Lust]

On another topic. I was reading the San Jose forum for March and came across a thread regarding child prostitution and a sensational report on Canada's W5 news program. The age of majority in CR for legal prostitution is 18, but reading this thread triggered a memory. While in Cancun in 1998, we were told by a number of people, including former pros that Mexican girls could legally enter the trade at 16. Now, I know that the law may have subsequently changed, but it seems to me that child prostitution, while reprehensible may vary in definition from country to country, particularly in Latin America and Asia, where a woman is considered fully grown after her debut age, around 15 or 16. In other words, "child prostitution" between the ages of say, 16 and 18 years may not be perpetuated by foreign mongers, but is promoted and accepted by the culture itself, international conventions and laws be damned. Would I be tempted to go with a high-school age tica? No, but not for moral or legal reasons. I find at my age that older, more experienced, more mature women give me better service for my money. I can only echo however, the sentiments of the senior members on this board who exhort us all to reject and help put a stop to the sexual exploitation, according to the law and accepted international standards, regardless of the local culture's traditions regarding the age of sexual maturity for its women.

End of sermon.

BL

[Blind Lust]

Sand Rabbit,

My man! LOL. 1.) I don't need to be led by the hand, but it would be a howl to hit the various pleasure sites together. Pay for your trip? Not as outrageous as it sounds; I have made two mongering trips, during which I paid air/hotel for my guide. In both cases, my guide paid for his own meals, drinks, gambling and companionship, but what each guy got in return for leading me and watching my back was the cost of RT airfare and hotel. I'm not offering this, understand, but I have done it in the past. As far as I can see, it would be the only relatively safe way for me to monger. Something for other readers to think about. Hey, if nothing else, if we meet in CR (and this goes for anybody with whom I connect), I'll buy a beer for you and your first 6000 colones session at VIPs Molino Rojo. Plus, I speak Spanish pretty well and can act as an interpreter. Good deal for all. Thanks again for your thoughtful, insightful and informative replies, Sandy.

BL

[SandRabbit]

Hey Blindman, if you'll pay my way down & for the chicas; to CR, i'll lead you around by the hand, whenever, wherever..LOL.....the Rabbit

[Blind Lust]

Sand Rabbit,

Thanks for the advice, but it still doesn't answer my questions. For a more complete description of the kind of information I seek, please read the postings in the 2004 Trip Reports section, which I posted today but which may be held up for awhile. Thanks again.

BL

[SandRabbit]

SJ is easy to navigate , its laid out in a grid.....use the central bank(in the center of town) as the main landmark, and the holiday inn as the backup..........btw lumps map is perfect to use on your 1st trip..................the rabbit

[Blind Lust]

Being blind, I always try to get a cognitive map of the areas I plan to visit, and SJO is very confusing. According to Frommer's, the calles (streets) run N-S with the odd-numbered streets to the east of Calle Central; thus the DR, BM, KL and President would all be in the NE quadrant, right? Can someone post a concise list of places shown on Lump's map with approximate street addresses/coordinates/intersections, so I can sort of orient myself? TIA. And yes, I've RTFF, but it's still rather confusing.

BL

[Tom27]

Pass word for GG escorts in San Jose, Costa Rica: Nice / Girls

[Jun Fan]

Well, all the fares I have checked are over $500. I live in Dallas, so I am only interested in the direct ones. When I used to go to Colombia alot, the transfer via Miami turned it into an all day affair.

I ended up using some frequent flier miles and booked tickets for May 12-16.

[Big Poppa]

Martinair has low cost flights from Miami $188, you can only call them during business hours but the low fares are worth that little hassle.

I need every extra dollar for the costa rica pleasure economy.

[Mongoose Man]

Jun Fan, Check out Expedia.com; have gotten the lowest fares there my last 4 trips. I'm not "pushing" them but I really checked around and saved 15%-25% approximately, over other outfits. Still the price cuts into the pleasure "chest".

[Jun Fan]

I sure seems like the airfares from DFW to SJO have gone up lately.

My trips have to be of the long weekend variety, ie Thurs-->Sun type. The fares I'm seeing are in the $560 area. I'm gonna have to use some frequent flier miles.

[Latin Travel]

Thanks to insights from individuals on this site as well as some other research I will be spending a week in Heredia Costa Rica and then a week in Samara Beach (Pacific Ocean Costa Rica).

I'm a late 20s, clean cut American with lower intermediate Spanish skills who usually does okay in the US bar circuit.

I definitely want to meet girls during those 2 weeks as well as avoid being a crime victim. Any thoughts on these 2 areas as well as best way to travel around if there are other nearby areas? What are Heredia and Samara Beach like?

Thanks.

[Bandy]

New York to Costa Rica via American Airlines is currently $275 plus tax. Travel must be completed by June 4, 2004. Read the restrictions before purchasing.

Bandy

[Redbull #1]

Hey Guys,

It's been two years since I've down to SJO. I've heard things have gotten really expensive.

Can anyone give me a run down on how much the going rates are at BM, Arte Sauna,
KL, 747? Also whats Hotel Morazan asking for a night these days?

Thanks