Costa Rica

Costa Rica is Spanish for rich coast. As such, one can expect to find this place to be the ideal tropical paradise. A native song is that the Virgin Mary came down to Costa Rica and never went back to Heaven. Costa Rica is a Catholic Country but other religions groups are welcomed.

Travellers in Costa Rica should exercise caution. Robbery at knife point is not uncommon. Women should never travel alone, and neither should men for that matter. There is no army in this country and the police have been known to be corrupt. Traffic in Costa Rica is dangerous, so be careful. Pedestrians in general do not have the right of way. Roads in rural areas may also tend to have many potholes. Driving at night is not recommended. Costa Rica does not have a welfare system, you work or you starve. Hungry people will do desperate things for money. The emergency number in Costa Rica is 911. Like any other tourist destination, watch out for pickpockets. Purse snatchings, armed robberies and car-jackings have been on the rise lately. Stay alert and protect your valuables at all times, especially in the San Jose area. "Smash and grabs" of car windows are very common all over the country so do not leave valuables in your vehicle. Another common robbery scheme includes slashing your tires, then when you stop to fix the flat, one or two "friendly" people stop to help and instead grab what valuables they can. If you are motioned to pull over by anyone, do not do so until you are at a well-lit place.

Narcotics

Marijuana is illegal in Costa Rica and hundreds of people are arrested each year because of it. You do not want to be in jail there. The US DEA is also present in Costa Rica and has been known to pretend to be a tourist. There is a Costa Rican equivalent of the DEA as well. It is not advised to do illegal drugs in Costa Rica. It is also not advised to bribe a police officer. Do so at your own risk.

Prostitution

Prostitution is legal in Costa Rica and can be a destination for those looking for more than sun and surf on their vacation. Unfortunately, some of the sex tourists coming to Costa Rica sexually abuse children who are held hostage in the sex tourism industry. The majority of sex tourists in Costa Rica are from the United States, and are prosecutable by the Protect Act of 2003. This act gives the US government the power to prosecute US citizens who travel abroad to engage in sex tourism with children under the age of 18. Several other countries including France, Canada, the UK, Netherlands and Australia have similar laws. Arrests and prosecutions are being made under these laws.

Bus travel tips

Below is a list of suggestions for traveling by bus in Costa Rica and neighboring countries. These are overcautious tips, but the bottom line is that they can help prevent being ripped off. Nearly all thefts on the bus are preventable thefts!!!! -Travel with someone else when possible. A trusted friend is best, of course - not just someone you met last night at the hostel, but he or she will do in a pinch. (Trust your gut feeling with new friends – most are great, but some may be con artists!) Traveling with a friend makes the journey more entertaining and more fun... you can talk and share travel stories and each of you can take turns sleeping on long bus rides. Also, there is the fact that "two heads are better than one" and it's always good to be able to brainstorm if you aren't sure what the answer to your travel question or concern is. -Make sure to wear a money belt with your passport, cash, credit/debit cards and ticket (bus or plane). Even if all my other belongings are stolen, you would still be able to get to your next destination. The waist belts are best; a neck pouch can be lifted while you are asleep. A thief would really have to disturb you and your personal space to get a waist belt. -On any bus ride (1st, 2nd, 3rd class, whatever!) try to sit above the luggage compartment so that you can watch that your bag doesn't "walk away" when others get off the bus. -Try not to fall asleep or take turns with a travel partner (when you are lucky enough to have one.) -Make conversation with locals on the bus so that they can see that you are competent in Spanish and comfortable in the Spanish speaking environment. (You'll enjoy yourself plus this may make them want to make them feel friendly towards you and more willing to alert you if someone is snooping in your stuff. Or it might warn them that if they steal from you, you and and will talk to the bus driver and police and make a full report.) Even some Spanish is better than none – use what you have! It's great practice and the more you improve the safer you'll be! -Don't bring anything that you are not willing to lose. Keep your day pack attached to you at all times when traveling – the straps get wrapped around your leg and the bag squeezed between your knees or feet. You don't want to lose your travel notes, camera, etc. -Make use of hostel or hotel lock boxes if they are really secure – this is great when you want to swim or kick back and really not worry. -Do have a few beers and enjoy yourself, but never drink so much that you won't be alert and aware of what's going on. -On a long trip, it's advised that you make back-up CDs (or DVDs) of your digital photos and send a copy back home. In the event that you are robbed, you will thank yourself!!! -When encountering a new currency, learn the exchange rate from a reliable source (online ahead of time or a local bank, preferably) and create a little cheat sheet converting it to US dollars or the other Central American currency you are comfortable with. Travel with small denominations of US dollars (crisp 1s, 5s, 10s) as back-up... usually you'll be able to use them if you run out of local currency. -Go to a bank to change money when possible and practical. If you find yourself needing to use the services of a person who is a money changer (Sunday morning at the border, for instance) make sure to have your own calculator. Do not trust money changers and their doctored calculators, change the least amount of money possible and take a hard look at the bills – there's lots of false ones out there. Always insist that your change be in small bills – you'll lose more at one time if a large bill is false, plus large bills are hard to change (even the equivalent of $20 USD in Costa Rica or $5 USD in Nicaragua can be difficult in some small towns, believe it or not!) -Traveling alone is fine and generally safe in Costa Rica, but carefully consider what kind of risks (if any) you are willing to take. Always hike with other people and try to explore a new city with other people. On solo forays, if you feel uncomfortable seek out a group of other people (both women and men). A well lighted place with people you can trust is always a plus... usually a busy restaurant or hostel is a great source of local info as well as a great place to relax and recharge.

Beaches, weather and wildlife

The coasts of Costa Rica are known for strong currents and rip-tides in some areas but most of them are great to be with the family. Atlantic coast is just five hours away from the Pacific one and both offer different views and landscapes. There are no signs indicating an unsafe beach due to riptides, so take precautions and listen to the locals on where it is safe to swim. The public beaches do not have life guards. A travler should learn how to swim out of a rip tide and not swim alone. There are some active volcanoes in Costa Rica and they are dangerous, so follow the warning signs posted. The slopes of the Arenal volcano invite visitors to climb closer to the summit, but there have been fatalities in the past with unseen gas chambers. Also be wary of the climate of Costa Rica. It is very hot in the daytime, but in the morning and evening it becomes very cool, so you should bring a light weight jacket.

• Bird watching with it's large number of micro-climates there is a great variety of birds in Costa Rica. The Resplendant Quetzal, does not do well in captivity, and is only seen in the wild. It likes to eat avocadoes and then sits in a tree to digest them.

Monteverde is a famous little town where many tourists go and even live nowdays.

• Butterflies Costa Rica has a large variety of butterflies. Many of the wildlife gardens have butterfly zoos.

• Crocodiles are quite common in certain parts of Costa Rica and, although not as dangerous as the Nile or Saltwater species, are still considered occasional man-eaters and can grow to lengths of up to 20 feet. Great care should be taken when swimming or snorkeling, especially near areas where fishing is common or near river mouths.

When you go to the Guanacaste beaches on the Pacific you can see some crocodiles over the Terraba river.

• While large, the beautiful Jaguar is extremely rare and even most locals have never seen the very large predatory cat, leaving there very little risk of attack - they appear to be very shy and elusive.

• Bull sharks share much of the same territory as the crocodiles and probably account for more shark related attacks in the world than any other species.

• Dogs are trained to be protective of property and people (perro bravo) and there are also many strays. Dog bites are not uncommon. Do not approach an unknown dog.

Gay and lesbian

Gay Costa Rica: Costa Rica is widely known as the most tolerant of Latin American countries for gay and lesbian travelers but caution should still be exercised. More and more Costaricans are getting out of the closet. There is a thriving gay scene in San Jose with many gay and lesbian options for nightlife (La Avispa, Club Oh!, Bochinche among others). The Manuel Antonio and Quepos area is also a favorite spot with several gay hotels, a gay bar and a nude mostly gay beach, Playita.

Medical Tourism

According to the Costa Rica Tourism Board, about 200 medical procedures are performed every month at the nation's hospitals for medical tourists. Among the procedures done are cosmetic surgery, knee and hip replacement, cataract removal and other eye treatments, weight loss surgery and dental care. Health care in Costa Rica is attractive for international patients because of the low prices, high care standards, and access to tourist attractions. As examples of the prices, Choice Medical Services, a medical tourism firm, says that in Costa Rica a hip replacement costs US$11,970 and a tummy tuck costs US$4410.

Costa Rica has one of the highest levels of social care in the world. Its doctors are worldwide known as one of the best. Many people from U.S, Canada and Europe go there to be treated, not only because the quality of the service but for the cost. First class Hospitals can be found in the capital.There have been outbreaks of dengue fever in some areas of the country and an outbreak of malaria was reported in November 2006 from the province of Limon but just a few cases. Protection against mosquito bites is very important, wearing lightweight long pants, long sleeved shirts and using insect repellents with high concentrations of DEET is recommended by the CDC. If you are going to be in very rural areas known to be malaria-infested areas, you might want to consider an anti-malarial med. However, most travelers to Costa Rica do just fine with updated childhood immunizations and taking preventative measures against mosquito bites (rather than take anti-malarial meds).