General Info

I have been more than 10 times to CR, not really for mongering, I love the country's nature. Who wouldn't? But, Costa Rica is rapidly becoming a very dangerous place, especially San Jose, but also Jaco en Tamarindo. During my last 10 days trip to Costa Rica (San Jose->Tamarindo->Quepos->San Jose by car in September), there was a murder in Tamarindo AND a murder in Jaco while I was there. I only spend a few days in those 2 locations, I stayed most of the time in Manuel Antonio, which still seems safe. San Jose especially is out of control: in some barrios, chicas are attacked in the street, go to the police, identify their attacker, attacker gets out after a while and retaliates (kills the girl in some cases). This happened more than once. The following happened to a family I know in a less than 2 months period: niece is attacked in the street and stabbed in full daylight, brother gets attacked 3 weeks later coming home at night, last week 2 masked man enter the house, beat the brother up and steal stuff. A woman on the other side of the street got murdered 3 weeks ago. The West side of SJ seems safer (Escazu, because of richer people).

The police seems not to be able to handle this increase in crime at all.

[QUOTE=Lorenzo]I traveled by air, not by bus, and it wasn't quick, it lasted 30 days. And I visited rural areas in CA, not just urban: Tikal, Copan, rural Belize, etc. I have also visited 10 countries in South America, a few in the Caribbean, and many in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, a total of 79 countries to date on the Travelers Century Club List: [url]http://www.travelerscenturyclub.org/[/url] So get your facts straight before you make accusations. I have mongered all over the world, so I am quite qualified to make comparisons regarding mongering and non-mongering aspects of different countries. And it is not "snobbery" to value taste and discrimination.

L[/QUOTE]

That web site is interesting. I just came to realize how little I have traveled. Then I realized how much $$ it would take to make 100 or more countries. I counted 18 countries on 4 continents for myself over the last 7 years. Of course, I have been to some countries many times. I guess I should have tried new places :)

David

[QUOTE=Affligem]I have been more than 10 times to CR, not really for mongering, I love the country's nature. Who wouldn't? But, Costa Rica is rapidly becoming a very dangerous place, especially San Jose, but also Jaco en Tamarindo. During my last 10 days trip to Costa Rica (San Jose->Tamarindo->Quepos->San Jose by car in September), there was a murder in Tamarindo AND a murder in Jaco while I was there. I only spend a few days in those 2 locations, I stayed most of the time in Manuel Antonio, which still seems safe. San Jose especially is out of control: in some barrios, chicas are attacked in the street, go to the police, identify their attacker, attacker gets out after a while and retaliates (kills the girl in some cases). This happened more than once. The following happened to a family I know in a less than 2 months period: niece is attacked in the street and stabbed in full daylight, brother gets attacked 3 weeks later coming home at night, last week 2 masked man enter the house, beat the brother up and steal stuff. A woman on the other side of the street got murdered 3 weeks ago. The West side of SJ seems safer (Escazu, because of richer people).

The police seems not to be able to handle this increase in crime at all.[/QUOTE]
I agree with this statement. It's getting out of control. Gringos would be better off to find other places to monger in.

[QUOTE=Kid Brooklyn]I agree with this statement. It's getting out of control. Gringos would be better off to find other places to monger in.[/QUOTE]Yes definitely! We should all stick to the safe places like New York, LA, Detroit. Philly.

[QUOTE=ToroRojo]Yes definitely! We should all stick to the safe places like New York, LA, Detroit. Philly.[/QUOTE]
That's not what I was saying. There is Panama City, Lima, Medellin, Cali... all safer than SJ. And those goverments actually care about tourists, unlike CR.

[QUOTE=Kid Brooklyn]That's not what I was saying. There is Panama City, Lima, Medellin, Cali... all safer than SJ. And those goverments actually care about tourists, unlike CR.[/QUOTE]

I frequent CALI quite often and unfortunately it has gotten worse and worse there, more poverty and crime and a high level of unenployment and uncertainty fills the air lately, especially after the FARC bombed the city AND the police station early this year, they still havent finished the police station yet. Been to MDE and LIMA, never PANAMA, just stay out of the bad areas like ANY other large city!

See my other rerport.....Current Reports.....San Jose

Steve

House Party today.....at Steve´s Casa.

Nov 11th 2PM until ????

Food, drinks, Chicas, music-dancing, etc.

Call me at 876-2715 or just come out anytime:

From Plaza del Sol ( about 5 miles East of downtown SJ & the Del Rey .....
Go between McDonalds and KFC restaurants....one block South....turn right....then one block West....last house on the right.....big 3 story house with rock retaining wall.

Bring a friend or two.....house will accomdate lots of folks.

Pura Vida

Steve

...............................................................................................

I hear medical treatment down there is really cheap.

Anyone have some links for good dentists in San Jose?

I'm going down on Thursday maybe I can fact finding AND mongering experience while there.

I wish I had some exact people you could get in touch with. But on my last trip I met a guy who got hit by a car walking down the street in new york and it messed up his face and did a real number on his teeth. Anyway he went to see if this doctor could help him and it turns out he could and for 500. 00 us he could get done what it would cost over 3000. 00 to 4000. 00 in the states (is what he told me) he seemed real happy about and set up a return trip in a few weeks to get the job done. If I get any more info I will pass it along to you.

[QUOTE=ChiliMike]I wish I had some exact people you could get in touch with. But on my last trip I met a guy who got hit by a car walking down the street in new york and it messed up his face and did a real number on his teeth. Anyway he went to see if this doctor could help him and it turns out he could and for 500. 00 us he could get done what it would cost over 3000. 00 to 4000. 00 in the states (is what he told me) he seemed real happy about and set up a return trip in a few weeks to get the job done. If I get any more info I will pass it along to you.[/QUOTE]$500 vs $3500 incredible

Thanks keep us posted.

I'm sure others probably want to hear also.

[QUOTE=World Jockey]Anyone have some links for good dentists in San Jose?
[/QUOTE]Actually. I'm too polite to say "RTFF."

But, you really should:

[url]http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/showpost.php?p=639085&postcount=152[/url]

[url]http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/showpost.php?p=639102&postcount=153[/url]

DB

Greetings,

Does anyone have a reservation/information phone number for the Hotel Morazan so I can inquire about availability over the Holidays and book my first stay there in 3 weeks? I did not come across the number with search or on their web site and the on-line booking form forces you to enter a credit card before you even know if there is any availability.

Also this is my first visit to CR and I am wondering if the majority of monger-friendly San Jose hotels are at max capacity in late December/Early January and if they would virtually require a reservation in order to secure a room upon arrival? I have read how so many chicas head home for the holidays and am wondering if that affects how busy hotels are during that time. I have traveled very extensively all over the world (49 countries and counting) and I very rarely book ahead even at the holidays unless so advised so would like to avoid booking if it is likely I will not have any trouble.

What about hotel availability during that time on the major Pacific and Caribbean coastal destinations (Jaco, Montezuma, Tamarindo, Cahuita)?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Happy and safe travels,

Adventure Mike

I did a quick search and found this earlier post by me [url]http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/showthread.php?p=426892&highlight=morazon+number#post426892[/url]

Their direct phone number is 011-506-222-4622.

In general, you don't need to make reservations during the holidays to get a room IF you don't really care where you stay. Some place will probably have a vacancy. However, if you want to stay at the more popular places it would definitely be a good idea to reserve ahead. Besides, if you know for certain that you're going to CR and know where you want to stay, why would you have a problem with making a reservation to make sure you get the room you want? What is the worst that will happen? You decide not to go and have to send an email cancelling your RSVP? As long as you cancel, most places won't charge you particularly if they can sell your room to someone else, but if you think you might not wind up going you should always ask what their cancellation policy is. You get there and decide you don't like the hotel? You've done the research and already know which places are supposed to be good and which are supposed to be bad. If you change your mind and decide to shop around for a room with all your luggage once you get there, do you really think you're going to do much better (assuming even those "better" places even have an available room)?

In SJ, the nicest and most chica-friendly places, that are particularly popular with mongers (e.g the HDR, SL, Pres, etc.) often book out several weeks or more in advance, even some times during the rainy season. Sure there MAY be slightly less of us around because we know the chicas will also be scarcer, but the effect probably is not as large. After all, we go whenever we can and a week with holidays when we already have time off from work is a time when many of us can. Elsewhere in CR, such as at the major Pacific and Caribbean coastal destinations (Jaco, Montezuma, Tamarindo, Cahuita), where regular tourists make up the vast bulk of the hotel occupancies, the hotel quests could care less whether the chicas are all staying home and the rule about "going when they can" applies even more. Again the less popular (possibly because they're also not particularly nice) places may have vacancies but the nicer better places will often fill up.

What you decide to do may ultimately depend on what your standards are and how flexible you might be.

Thanks, Prolijo, that information definitely helps.

I am only hesitant to make reservations because I do not know the length of stay in any one location and I have no set itinerary or any other definitive travel plans, which is the way I almost always travel. I like to head into a new area and see what is cool and fun along the way and then I change my plans as I go.

That said I do know where I will be during the first few days at least and at the very end so I can go at least that far and I will make an effort to make reservations a few days in advance along the way. Since mongering options seem to be more limited in the other areas I may also decide to just stay in some of the cheaper backpacker places to meet other solo adventure travelers and in that case reservations are probably not as essential as for monger-friendly hotels.

Muchas gracias por todo.

Adventure Mike

[QUOTE=Prolijo]I did a quick search and found this earlier post by me [url]http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/showthread.php?p=426892&highlight=morazon+number#post426892[/url]

Their direct phone number is 011-506-222-4622.

In general, you don't need to make reservations during the holidays to get a room IF you don't really care where you stay. Some place will probably have a vacancy. However, if you want to stay at the more popular places it would definitely be a good idea to reserve ahead. Besides, if you know for certain that you're going to CR and know where you want to stay, why would you have a problem with making a reservation to make sure you get the room you want? What is the worst that will happen? You decide not to go and have to send an email cancelling your RSVP? As long as you cancel, most places won't charge you particularly if they can sell your room to someone else, but if you think you might not wind up going you should always ask what their cancellation policy is. You get there and decide you don't like the hotel? You've done the research and already know which places are supposed to be good and which are supposed to be bad. If you change your mind and decide to shop around for a room with all your luggage once you get there, do you really think you're going to do much better (assuming even those "better" places even have an available room)?

In SJ, the nicest and most chica-friendly places, that are particularly popular with mongers (e.g the HDR, SL, Pres, etc.) often book out several weeks or more in advance, even some times during the rainy season. Sure there MAY be slightly less of us around because we know the chicas will also be scarcer, but the effect probably is not as large. After all, we go whenever we can and a week with holidays when we already have time off from work is a time when many of us can. Elsewhere in CR, such as at the major Pacific and Caribbean coastal destinations (Jaco, Montezuma, Tamarindo, Cahuita), where regular tourists make up the vast bulk of the hotel occupancies, the hotel quests could care less whether the chicas are all staying home and the rule about "going when they can" applies even more. Again the less popular (possibly because they're also not particularly nice) places may have vacancies but the nicer better places will often fill up.

What you decide to do may ultimately depend on what your standards are and how flexible you might be.[/QUOTE]