I booked the flight directly three weeks in advance @ www.continental.com and got non-stop flights going and coming at a nice fare of $364, all taxes and fees included. Also by booking directly on the Continental web-site you get a bonus of 1,000 OnePass miles (which don’t count toward Elite Status), in addition to the 4,400 miles that count toward your Elite Status (key in getting business class upgrades). Speaking of Elite Status, on the Continental web-site, they list their airline partners and when you book on one of their partners (like Northwest or KLM) the miles count towards Elite Status, but on EVA airlines, which is one of the OnePass Partners, it says the miles can be credited to your OnePass Account, but do not count towards Elite Status. However, in reading the Continental in-flight magazine, it says EVA does count towards Elite Status. I kept a copy of the in-flight magazine and will report back in the appropriate forum as to whether I was able to get my last EVA trip miles counted towards Elite Status. It may not seem like a big deal, but the higher up in Elite Status you are, means you get the business class upgrade quicker. At 6 ft., 250 lbs., this is very important to me. But I digress.

Right after I booked my flight, I looked at the hotel options. After reviewing all the pros and cons, I decided to book my 3 nights at the Presidente. I did this online @ www.hotel-presidente.com and in the “comments box” I asked for the TSM rate of $45 per night. I said my handle was “Wallstreet”. I used to belong to TSM, but do not now. I received an email about 12 hours later confirming my reservation at the requested $45 per night. Nothing was mentioned at check-in about my non-existent TSM membership. Just ask for it and you’ll get it.

No visa is required and my US passport is valid, so nothing else was required to get into Costa Rica. Upon exiting San Jose there is a departure tax of appx $26, that can be paid in US dollars or Colones.

I packed one carry-on bag with change of clothes for three days, toiletries and of course, Viagra and condoms. I left the office at 2:30 Friday afternoon, took the subway up to Penn Station, then took the “Air Train” @ $11.55 one way to Newark Airport. I would have taken a car service, but getting out of New York on the Friday afternoon of a 3-day weekend can be a very long and arduous process. Better to take the very crowded train the two stops (20 minutes) to the airport. I was at the check-in counter at 3:30, more than enough time for my 4:50pm flight. I went to the bar and had a couple of cocktails: I was now in vacation mode, even if it was only three days. The flight was full, and I was glad I had my seat assignment from three weeks ago. The flight took off on time and landed at San Jose Airport right on the money at 8:00pm local time (San Jose is 2 hours behind NY time during the Spring/Summer and 1 hour behind during the Fall/Winter). I cleared immigration in about 20 minutes. While walking through the terminal, I saw an ATM and decided to get $100 worth of Colones, just to have. Got an exchange rate of 395 to the dollar and headed out the door. For the first time visitor, the ground transportation scene can be daunting. I remember reading about the “red taxis” as official and the right price to San Jose being $12. I made my way through the crowd and saw a bunch of red taxis with no drivers waiting at the curb. A very courteous driver asked me where I was going and said he would take me to San Jose for $12. I agreed and he brought the car around, not a red taxi, but a taxi nonetheless. I sat in the front passenger seat and we exchanged polite conversation during the 30 minute trip to the Presidente. The Hotel Presidente is located smack in the middle of town, in a pedestrian zone. At 9:00pm there was a flurry of street activity, and I walked through the clean lobby to reception. Check-in was a breeze, everything was in order, and they gave me a room on the second floor of the six story hotel. The room was very clean, with one small closet and in-room safe. Cable TV and a very modern, though small bathroom with shower, no tub. Decent for $45. I put my clothes away and took a shower. There was plenty of hot water in supply, in fact it was almost scalding. One of the things I found remarkable was the hot water in San Jose. I showered at numerous “on-site” establishments, a couple that were definitely on the low end of the scale, but the water was always very hot. Whoever designed their hot water system should talk to my super, Senor Panama.

I had listed by trip on the Hombre Calendar and received an email from Acatman, extending an invite to hook up on my arrival. Acatman is a 12-time Costa Rican vet and also stays at the Presidente. We agreed to meet between 9:30 and 10:00pm at the News Café, the Hotel Presidente’s lobby bar/restaurant. As I got on the elevator, a fellow inside held the door and said, come on in, your names Wallstreet isn’t it? I said that it was and that’s how I met Acatman. He said he recognized me from some of my Bangkok pictures, even though my face was blacked out. We exchanged pleasantries and before heading to the News Café, Acatman introduced me to two girls waiting for him in the lobby. He met them a few trips ago and they hang out with him during part of his trip. The four of us got a table and ordered drinks. Acatman then gave me the lowdown on San Jose. After a couple of drinks, we walked from the Presidente to the Del Rey and Morazan. It then got my first taste of the local street beggars. They are definitely more aggressive than in New York and rather unpleasant. They were really the only negative of my trip, and in perspective, it wasn’t that bad. Just always keep small change on hand – these people can be very persistent, a trait that must be hardened by a very difficult existence.

We went into the Del Rey and squeezed out way through the bar. It was 11:00pm on a Friday night, and the place was packed. Not every girl was a looker, but there was a lot of quality. I guess that’s why they start at $100 and some won’t move off that price. We then went west of the Del Rey to a Tico Strip Club called Tenaciones. There were girls milling about waiting their turn to get on-stage for a three-song set. No cover charge and the Imperials were cold. A couple of lookers, but mostly lower tier. On my way to the Men’s room, I saw a few guys getting very nice table dances. Made a note to check that at another time. Acatman wasn’t sure, but he thought there was action going on upstairs. On Saturday, I was able to confirm that – but I’m getting ahead of myself. I guess we left there at about 1:00am and headed over to one of the Casinos , where I was given instruction on how to lose money at Tute. It’s the CRs version of 5-card poker, but you play against the dealer and you play with the cards your dealt, no drawing new ones. I passed a nice hour and then bid goodnight to Acatman, planning on hooking up with him on Saturday afternoon. It was 2:00am (4:00am New York time) and I was dead tired. Thought about take-out from the Del Rey, but decided to head back to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep. This proved to be a wise choice.