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[QUOTE=Piper1]Can someone translate the sentence below please? The online translaters mangle it!
"Hola la verdad hablo muy poco ingles pero men lo que te pueda ayudar con mucho gusto!!"[/QUOTE]Hi,
The truth is I speak very little english but I will help you with pleasure in any way I can.
[QUOTE=R Brandon]JohnnySax, I was the same way about Monaco my last two trips but haven't been since last September. However I have heard recently from mulitluple sources that Monaco is place worth a visit. I will definitely check it out alter this week when in San Jose.rbc100[/QUOTE]
Please report back here on your trip, especially Monaco.
I won't be heading back til October, so who knows how it will be THEN, but I won't go unless I hear some good reports between now and then.
[QUOTE=Member #2666]I was there last weekend and the place was excellent...good dancers, active chicas (Nicas) mostly and lots of fun[/QUOTE]
What TIME did you go (more or less)?
[QUOTE=Piper1]Can someone translate the sentence below please? The online translaters mangle it!
"Hola la verdad hablo muy poco ingles pero men lo que te pueda ayudar con mucho gusto!!"[/QUOTE]There is a web site that translates a wide variety of languages for free, you just copy, paste the text and then hit the translate button.
It also has a feature that translates a whole page. You copy and paste the link and it will translate the entire page.
[url]http://babelfish.altavista.com[/url]
I would like to buy some land and eventually build a house in CR, don`t know the area yet. Could someone give me a general idea of what the price of the sq. Meter is? I know it would vary form area to area, but I would like to have an idea. Thanks.
Looking to get some xxanax or valium while in CR. How difficult is it to get without a prescription?
[QUOTE=Pothead702]Looking to get some xxanax or valium while in CR. How difficult is it to get without a prescription?[/QUOTE]Xanax is called Tafil in CR. It is the same thing (alprazolam) and is manufactured by Pfizer. My friend bought 100 pills yesterday for 22,000 without a prescription.
Some drugs do need a prescription. Many farmacias have a doctor who visits twice a week and provides a free consultation, but charges US$20 to write the prescription. The cost of the meds is in addition to his fee.
I looked into some antibiotics and they were extremely expensive. Ciproflaxin cost ten times more than in Colombia and about the same as in the States. Levaquin was US$55 for five pills (you read that right), but they later admitted that they had a generic for $4 a pill.
The best bargain on antibiotics was amoxicillin, 10 pills for 2300 colones. They told me that zithromax also has a good price, but I am allergic to it so I did not bother to learn what they charge.
Some pharmaceutical bargains are to be had here, but on the whole they were not nearly as competitive as I had expected.
DB
Airport / travel info:
1. When you arrive if the duty free store is open, buy your Cuban cigars there BEFORE you pick up your bags etc. On your left side as you walk through the airport. Best price and best way to be sure you got the real thing. I saw a lot of counterfeits even in gift shops and some cigar stores. If you want a bottle for your hotel room now’s the time as well.
2. If you know when you will depart the country, pay the exit fee (departure tax) at the little booth in corner where you turn right just before you get in line to get your passport stamped. Pay $ 26 in USD. Open 8a-8p. It is issued with a date and is only good for that day. Excellent advice I got from this board.
3. After you get your passport stamped you can change money at the airport but unless you really need Colones you can wait and change them for a better rate in town (hotel or bank).
4. Exit the airport terminal and to the left is the window to pay for a cab. Flat rate to any of the major hotels in the center of town, now $18 in USD or Colones equivalent. I have not tried to split a cab with anyone so don’t know if that works. Get a business card so you can call them for the return trip.
5. There is a city bus stop next to the road outside the airport. Couple hundred Colones will get you straight to a bus station near the center of town. You’ll still have to get a cab to get to the center but the whole trip is less than the equivalent of two USD. In many cases not worth the hassle but if can I will try it next time since I only have a carry on bag. Round trip savings can get you laid!
more specifically:
[QUOTE=Member #2666]Take the Bus for 170 col .. 32 cents,
it's on the street side of the lower parking lot at the airport and goes the exactly the same route as the taxi and let's you out across from the Hotel Talamaca on seconda avenida .
You can get a cab there to any location in the city for 600-700 colones.
Total cost...less than$2[/QUOTE]
6. I changed money, as I needed to at Hotel Morazan at the official rate. Caja is open inside casino 24/7. No fees, no problems with big bills. Also you can get the official rate at a bank if you want, but be prepared to stand in line. Also you will need your passport if you go to a bank.
7. Cabs are cheap. If using dollars make sure up front. Cabs in front of del ray will charge an extra 500 Colones. Although illegal they will still do it. Go a half block either side and catch a cab passing by to avoid the surcharge. The meter starts at 365 Colones. Don’t get caught up talking to all the riff-raff around del ray. Keep moving.
8. Change any left over Colones for dollars at the Hotel. You won’t need them at the airport.
9. For your departure you can reserve a cab ahead of time. Your hotel can make the arrangement or you can. It’s still going to cost $18 USD. Allow 30 min to an hour if your commute is during rush hour. 7-9a & 4-7p. It was 20 min ride when I left at 5a.
10. If you did not pay the exit fee when you arrived, once you enter the airport terminal turn right and go the “departure tax” counter and get in line. Pay them then go to your respective counter to check in. Some poor bastard did not realize this and was at the airline counter only to find this out. So he got to stand in line twice.
11. Take your left over Colones change and put it in the donation box for drug addicted kids unless you really have use for all those loose coins.
General Info:
1. Credit cards are accepted in a lot of restaurants and gift shops. Not in the e mom & pop establishments. Tip and tax are included in the price of a meal. So no need to tip like you would in the US.
2. I used a calling card to call the US. Get the CR access number and dial in. Or go to an Internet café.
3. Make a copy of your passport before you leave. The Official Costa Rica tourism office recommends you carry a copy of your passport, not the real thing. The latest thing says, “notarized copy” but I just had the copy I made.
4. Be careful using backpacks and other type bags. A guy I know got his prescription glasses taken out of his backpack as he was walking in town.
5. If you travel by bus within the country there is no central bus station in San Jose. There are several bus stations depending on destination. What that means is in some cases you cannot go from place to place but must come back to San Jose to get somewhere else. Check before hand. Also reports of people stowing their bags in the luggage compartment of the bus get ripped off. Bus stations are prime spots for thieves. Watch out for pickpockets.
[QUOTE=Stevewxly]
Here's a good tip about the bus though. Try to set near the back of the bus if possible when you get on it leaving Puntarenas for Jaco or for San Jose. As it is not a direct bus, and will make lots of stops on the way, picking up and disembarking passengers.
I made the mistake of sitting in the first seat behind the bus driver. And when the bus filled up to standing room only. It happened that a pregnant girl got on the bus with another babe in arms. The driver made me give my seat to her, the rest of the bus was SRO. Standing room only. So I found that I had to stand up for the rest of the trip to Jaco Beach. About 60 miles and a hour and a half of pure hell. For me. As I have very flat feet and can't stand very long.
So if going by bus. Get to the back. When it gets crowed. You will at least be fairly safe all the way in the back, and won't have to give up your seat to someone else.
I have traveled all over Costa Rica by Tico bus, and this was the only bad experience I've ever experienced on a bus so far.[/QUOTE]
6. If you want to save a few bucks you can get a free dinner at Morazan. Go in and piddle around about 5:30p. At 6p they have complementary dinner for guests that are gambling. They put out two big metal trays with some pretty good food. Almost every day is either pork or chicken with rice and beans. Key Largo has the same style dinner for 2500c.
7. Several nice pharmacies on Paseo Colon. Vitamin C & V without a script. I bought C @ 7500c each. Good for 36h.
8. Bring something for a headache if you are going to take vitamin C. One side affect is a headache. Ask me how I know. Or you can buy single capsules in the drug store as well for a headache.
9. Next to what was the Gran Via is a mini supermarket. Good if you want to stock your hotel room. You can see the Gran Via block letter vertical sign that is still hanging on the building, which is now officially another hotel by name.
10. I got tired of getting misdirected (lost) so this time I brought a little compass from a key chain and put it on my watchband. Well at least I could tell if I was walking in the right direction.
Just to some basics to pass on to the new crowd and you experienced guys feel free to update this.
Z
What happens if you get caught bringing a drug without prescription from CR?
Is there any type of nightlife, ie bars, ticas, partying around Arenal. And any recommendations on hotels in that area.
[QUOTE=DR Monger II]What happens if you get caught bringing a drug without prescription from CR?[/QUOTE]
Well if you want the textbook answer from customs it's pretty much the same thing as the Cuban smokes. At a minimum you'll loose them.
It's more the case that they may stumble onto them than actually searching for a few pills. They got bigger worries to focus on these days.
I carry an empty pill bottle with a script and get my C there cause I'm too lazy to go back and renew the script here. You don't save any money buying C there and bringing it back to US. It's readily available there so I just stocked up that's all. I forgot to ask about how much V is.
Z
[QUOTE=Zepplin]Airport / travel info:
2. If you know when you will depart the country, pay the exit fee (departure tax) at the little booth in corner where you turn right just before you get in line to get your passport stamped. Pay $ 26 in USD. Open 8a-8p. It is issued with a date and is only good for that day. Excellent advice I got from this board.
3. Make a copy of your passport before you leave. The Official Costa Rica tourism office recommends you carry a copy of your passport, not the real thing. The latest thing says, “notarized copy” but I just had the copy I made. [/QUOTE]If you purchase the departure tax at some of the banks in town, you do not need your departure date. Also, remember that the photocopy of your passport needs to have the entry stamp. Get the photocopy at your hotel, then return the orginal to the safe.
Can anyone tell me the approx time of travel from SL to US Consulate loctaed at Calle 120 Avenida 0, Pavas, San José?
Thanks
Does san jose have any porno mag shops?
Where do the locals go for their stash? Gotta be someplace.
Thanks!
Banning mongers cost hotels big revenue losses.
[url]http://www.ticotimes.net/topstory.htm[/url]