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Old 08-09-2005, 01:03 PM   #1
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ok im thinking of getting away for a few weeks to central america. never been...but found a good deal on plane tickets to san jose, costa rica around sept-nov of this year. i'm not sure who's a central america pro...so let me know! i've read a few threads on omi's adventures in CR.

my main q is how transportation is there...bus, car.....? how do most packers get around...and how long does it take? (i've been on 12 hour bus rides in vietnam that only covered 300 miles). how much money would i need for 2-3 weeks? or a month? and i've read that english is widely spoken...so would a group of nonspanish speakers be ok?

thanks!
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Old 08-09-2005, 01:22 PM   #2
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You've picked a nice time to go - and to get ag good deal! Anyway, I'm not a pro by any means, but here are some answers to your questions:

Transport:
The bus is king. And yes, you'll find that it can take many hours to cover just a little bit of ground, due to not only to unpaved, single lane roads, but also because the buses are everyone's means of transportation, so there are many many stops along the routes.

Airplanes. If you plan on venturing into Panama (which most backpackers in Costa Rica do), you may have to take little junker airplanes, which can be scary. Why? Some cities have no roads between them. I hear it's exciting trying to land on a tiny jungle landing strip in a WWII-era propeller plane. I didn't get to try

Car rentals. If you're going in a group, this can be worthwhile but make sure you know general car repair/tire changes/etc just in case. And carry cash for "on the spot" tickets. *ahem*

Taxis. You may have encountered this in Asia - in more remote areas, taxis are the only form of transportation... and often cheap, too! Sometimes it'll cost you only $5 to get from one town to the next. If you're in a situation like that, ask your hostel to call and arrange for one. You'll get a better deal, especially since they don't have meters. They DO have meters in big cities, though, so make sure your driver turns it on!

Money
You can easily get by on $20/day for everything. CR is the most expensive country in C. America and hostels range from $4-9/night. Buses that go across the country are just over $4. Most meals, if you eat out, are in the $2-4 range. Of course, that's just getting by. There's a lot of stuff to do, and it all costs a bit of cash. The most costly part of your trip will be touristy outings (tours, activities & day trips can be anywhere from $20-$90/day), and any chartered transport. For instance, a flight between most CA cities is around $60-$75, and private van travel between cities is around $40.

Also, US dollars are accepted ubiquitously, but if you're on a long trip, you'll save money by using the local currency as much as possible: all your prices are rounded up when you pay in dollars.

So when trying to figure out a weekly budget, take all of the above into account. Since I only had a week, I went whirlwind and did something big every day, meaning the total for a week (without flight) was almost $800. Had I paced myself, I would've had it down to probably $400/week, if not way less.

Español
You won't need it, but it sure helps! Not only is it useful when shopping, dealing with taxi drivers, etc., but it's just polite and being a good traveler when you bother to at least learn the key phrases. The same way I hate it when people come up to me and ask ¿habla español? in California, I'm sure the locals don't enjoy being approached in English from the get-go.
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Old 09-20-2005, 12:22 AM   #3
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I'll be in CR on Jan 8-16. Look me up!
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Old 09-20-2005, 02:58 AM   #4
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It's hard to add much to Omi's post. One thing I've found is that the people are very friendly, and nearly always willing to help. So, if you've gotten yourself into a jam by misreading bus schedules or whatever, ask for help! They seem to be always willing to pitch in, from giving you a ride to walking you to the proper bus stop to recommending places to stay.

The Central American/Mestizo/Catholic culture is relatively conservative when it comes to dressing. You won't see them wearing shorts and tank tops, by and large. I try to respect their mores by wearing long pants and a shirt with a collar instead of shorts and T-shirts. So, if you can find some nice, cool, linen pants for those sweaty Central American days, you might be more comfortable. If you're out hiking in the boonies, well, I'd say shorts would likely be fine. Just don't be surprised if you're sightseeing in a church or wherever, and either get looks or even aren't allowed in dressed that way. It's up to each traveler how much he wants to "blend in."

Anyway, enjoy yourself! There are tons of things to see in Central America, from Mayan ruins to hiking volcanoes to scuba diving.

Feel free to ask any specific questions...

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Old 09-29-2005, 08:44 PM   #5
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Hey all,

thaks for the info about CR, and central america. I'm planning on taking a 2-4 month adventure through the region, and am looking for as much advice, information, and connection as I can get. I'm going to be working on a cruise ship in Mexico to save up some cash, then off to the races. I currently have a good friend in Colombia willing to help me a bit, and a good friend in Mexico City that will show me around there and Cancun.

So everywhere in between is up for grabs. I've heard Costa Rica is stupidly beautiful... any specific locations? Nicuragua is supposed to be really cool too. Being an obssessed (and so-called professional) drummer, and lucky enough to be born in Canada, there's no way I'm gonna miss Cuba, but I'm not sure about legality/safety issues surrounding hosteling and crashing and friends houses. Any advice?

As I'm going ot be working on the ship for four months, so I won't be leaving until March,but any help would be great, and if any of y'all are gonna be around let me know, we can grab a beet somewhere much warmer than Montreal! hahaha....

cheers!

J.D.
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Old 09-30-2005, 02:43 AM   #6
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I lived in Belize for a few months and all I can add to what Omi said is that public transportation was CHEAP!
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Old 10-03-2005, 12:45 PM   #7
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Just got an email from Hostel Pangea in San Jose... I'm reserved and have a ride from El Aeropuerto! :D
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Old 10-03-2005, 04:19 PM   #8
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Killer... do NOT be surprised if your ride is late. They're not legally allowed to sit and idle at the terminal, so they usually drop one or two guys off to round up everyone going to Pangea and then call the guy in. In the meantime, do NOT let the other cab/shuttle drivers convince you that your ride's not coming, nor that the hostel is all booked. I thought that tip was just a possible warning from the folks at Pangea, but nooooo, the cabbies are really aggressive with their lies. It's funny, too, because they're all in little ricer Corollas and Hyundais.

I spent the time waiting talking to 3 other people going to Pangea, who all happened to be on my flight. Ended up hanging out with a couple of them in San Jose, and the other one I still keep in touch with via email!
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Old 10-03-2005, 11:10 PM   #9
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I honestly don't plan on being in SJ very long, I want to hit monteverde and then move on to Puerto Viejo to bask in the sun, and possibly get some Tarpon fishing in... :D


BTW, emailed Rocking J's to see what was the deal- they don't take reservations but said to call when I get into SJ. Is that how you handled it, Omi?
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Misadventures of a Crazed Kitchen Pirate

"Steve is the prototypical cool American male. Y'know, I'm talking about Steve McGarrett, alright? Steve Austin, Steve McQueen. Y'know, he's the guy on his horse, the guy alone. He has his own code of honor, his own code of ethics, his own rules of living, man. He never, ever tries to impress the women but he always gets the girl."


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Old 10-04-2005, 12:20 AM   #10
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Yup... Just call them before leaving SJ and you're all set.

Go to the gift shop at the American chain hotel (I forget which one) right by the Pangea to buy a cheap-ass phone card that's good for a zillion local calls. Every call in CR is local The phone card will cover your calls, your friends' calls, and your friends' friends' calls for the entire trip, and makes a cool souvenir. I had to call Rockin' J's a few times to get a hold of someone to make a reservation, but it was so cheap I just kind of laughed.. and it's great hearing however many hundreds/thousands of credits you have left each time you make a call.

Ok, I just realized I'm VERY easily entertained.
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Old 10-10-2005, 12:35 PM   #11
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omi, you're the best!

anyone who will be in c.america late october-november2005 plz let me know!

i just decided a day ago that i'm going for sure (yeah talk about last-minute planning) and now i have all kinds of "stupid" questions....the most important ones being....

do i need to make reservations for hotels/hostels, etc? or can i just show up? i'm not even sure which countries im going to yet!

how far is 1200-1500usd going to take me?

cash...travelers checks...visa? how should i carry my money?

is there anything i really need to pre-book besides my plane ticket? such as other transportation.

there's lots of questions...and i really appreciate all advice from you guys. i'm just trying to get a feel for how much planning i need to do before my flight. and basically if i'll be ok, or shyt-out-of-luck if i don't plan anything.
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