Yes, La Muerte it's a bit off topic. So, after a a couple of responses here and a minor digression, I will post a trip report below from my first CR trip ever (and first Latin America mongering for me) just completed last weekend. Jeff314, those folks harassing you might not have been agents - but I do wonder about those described by Westfargo at AB.

Here's my other digression: I just wanted to point one other thing out. Although I missed it - about a month ago I'm told there was a 60 Minutes piece where a social crisis in Italy was described. Professional men frustrated with the rapid change in their women from traditional to "career bitch", are now ignoring the women and staying home to let mom cook and clean for them. The indiginous birth rate has dropped to near zero in some towns. Some Italian women were quoted as calling for a special gender-based or lifestyle-based tax on these men. American feminists will likely do the same here, and to the extent that they are calling for corporate and government subsidies on child day care, they may be regarded as already doing so.

Now my trip report. I went to Costa Rica March 7 to March 18, and although not mentioned in posts above, I too hung out with TampaGringo and to an extent with the "studs" from NYC. I had a good time. TampaGringo is a great guy and a great source of info. He gave me and two of the NYC folks a little walking tour of San Jose and we did have lunch at the "mercado central". We also marched into and immediately out of Centro de Masajes just to have "done the rounds". I think the ticas there were a little miffed. Oh well.

Later, I tried to attend the show at the Park (met "Bill" a few of the other expats). However, they were runnng very late and I had made previous plans to meet with some G & G Escorts and had to bolt just as the show was starting. I did observe the girls lining up in the hallway for the show. They struck me as very petite and very Indian-looking. Oddly, sitting next to me in the audience was one woman from, you guessed it, New York City. She was actually pretty cute, too. Last note about the Park - I got a kick out of the sign behind the bar, "Beef Jerky 2,000 colones, Smoked Trout 3,000 colones, Viagra also available". BTW - the Smoked Trout was good.

On other exploits - My first target was "747" both because it was said to be the best value, but also because it is best to hit it early. How true on both counts! I did biz with a cute blond named, Debbie, who spoke English and said she was born in Miami - all for $3,500 Colones (about $11). Unbelieveable! But, "747" can seem a bit confusing the first time. It looks like a Dr's office waiting room. When I arrived in the early PM, over a dozen young girls, many attractive, were simply seated in these cheap plastic chairs. I and a couple of Ticos were seated similarly, and we were all just stairring at one another, until I started to ask questions. You just pick a girl (e.g. Debbie) and go. I don't know what the hell the Ticos were waiting for. "747" appears to keep normal business hours, and my theory is that the setup allows the young girls to be able to get away with telling their parents that they have a "normal" office job.

Centro De Masajes: Saw a gal whose name was something like Nadine or Francine (?). Reasonably attractive, but not awesome. Cheap price. Service was pretty good, but not spectacular.

Camelot Bar. Just slightly more expensive than "747". There can also be many attractive girls here (but the selection appeared to me to fluctuate wildly over time). I had a great time with one named, "Monica".

Eros - Lucy's. Slightly more expensive yet. But, I did like the service there. I did biz with a tall blond nordic-looking girl named, "Crystal" who said she learned English just from being around English-speaking tourists. I wondered what such a smart girl was doing in a place like that. And, the only answer I could come up with was that she must like sex. Well, some women and particularly Ticas do in fact. Later in the week I met another Tica there who's name I can't recall. Boy howdy! was she ever horny. But, I will note that Lucy had substantially raised the price by this point.

Club Bikini - don't bother. It's really dingy.

I also did a lot of business with G & G Escort as previously hinted. I had the escorts come to my room at the Presidente. They don't hassle you at the Presidente except to let you know that they are signing them in, and bellhops escort them to your door. I think they do expect a small tip. G & G was generally very good. I did have a couple of escorts travel with me out to Playa Montezuma (which I highly reccommend, by the way), and did run into a small problem there. They were supposed to stay with me for 4 & 1/2 days, but after the first day and a half "something came up", and they insisted upon being driven back to the ferry. But, they did give me a refund, however. All-and-all, I was starting to get fatigued anyway, and determined that using the time to do just the beach was a-okay, any how. So, it was no great biggie. When I returned to San Jose, I did a little more biz with G & G which was good. I would still recommend them.

One note about the Presidente - there is some construction noise during the week.

Besides mongering, I also drove to Tabacon Hot Springs resort near Arenal in the North, and then swung around to Monte Verde Rain Forest. The latter is a bone-jarring ride. But I very much liked both places.

Some notes about San Jose - particularly about getting around. With regard to walking - there seemed to be Stop/"Alto" signs at all intersections whether lighted or not. I quickly learned that where lighted, they are not stop signs like in the US - they just mean, "when the light is red, this is WHERE to stop". In other words - they do not mean to stop regardless. And, the stop lights are strung up kinda funny, so they are hard to see if you are on foot. The bottom line is that if you are on foot and from a place like California like me where pedestrians have the right-of-way usually - a wrong assumption could get you killed. Be careful. Secondly, about taxi cabs - unlike in the US - the cabbies may ask you where you are going. If you are going only a short distance - they may refuse to take you. Apparently they don't have to accept your business. If you are planning to be in an "iffy" area such as near the Park Hotel or Centro De Masajes at night, again, be careful. Perhaps the cabbies might accept a premium for safety of you offered it, but I don't know.

Anyway - that's all from me. Thanks, again, TampaGringo!

D-

Hey D,

Sorry I didn't make it...I'm sure you heard about the "passport" incident.

Glad to hear you had a good time. TG is good people.

Take care
MMD

MilkmanDan,

Yes, TampaGringo did tell me about what happened, and I was bummed out for both of us. If it were my first trip ever there and that had happened to me, I'd be in a downright depression. Of course, I believe you had at least been to CR before, however, unlike me. Hey - did I read somewhere that you also did TJ? That's next on my list.

D-

Sactoman,

Unless TJ is 20 miles up the road from where you live then you can do a lot better with "next on my list". If you have to pay for airfare, go to Costa Rica, Rio, Bangkok, Amsterdamn, etc.

YT

ps. I wish that I lived in SD, I'd be in TJ most every night.

MMD,

If you wouldn't mind could you tell us about that incident? I know I came without a passport (just a birth certificate) and had to wait an hour for some kind of stamp or something. It was wierd and seemed arbitrary.

Youngtom,

Well, TJ is 550 miles south, but since I get to SoCal reasonably often, I may check it out. Anyway - despite the crime danger, Rio IS very high on my list - as I've burned out on Amsterdam (been 3X). I wonder why no one discusses Canada much on this board. Vancouver and Victoria, BC are pretty damn good - eh.

D-

Bookie,

I left my passport at home! All I had was my drivers license....what a boneheaded mistake! You can get to CR with your DL and BC. I believe you get issued a "Tourist Card" You should call your airline to make sure though.

Sactoman,

I hit TJ last weekend.....If you can get to CR for the same price as TJ....go back to CR. I've been 3x. I'm hoping to do CR again in the next 2 months, I have to use those tickets. If things get better with the NASDAQ and I can get the time off I plan on hitting Rio by year end.(maybe 2 weeks)