www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Can any members provide the names and locations of recommended farmacias in San Jose? I'd like to add some of these to the new version of the monger's map now in the works.

Please give street locations and indicate the side of the street it's on; i.e. Avenida 5 between Calle 2 & 4, north side.

Thanks!

Re Farmacias: I've already got some pics of a few that I've been thinking of adding pop-ups for. In addition to exact address, hours and contact info, the comparative set price for some standard item such as for Vitamins V, C or L would be very useful. This would give users some ideas on which nearby places they might want to avoid. The problem is there are places that offer great deals and there are places that will REALLY rip you off AND policies, prices and druggists can change.

1) Farmacia Balmoral (in, you guessed it, the Balmoral across from the Presidente) prices: not sure but mixed reports, some like Ruffnutz & Romulus swear by the place while others like NucknFutz, PacoLoco & Astrglide say its a ripoff.

2) Farmacia ???? (A1 C7 sw diagonally across intersection from the Morazon) $4.50 for 100mg generic V $10 for 20mg L (recommended by TMan et al)

3) Farmacia Italiano (A Cent C1/3 near the Gran Via) I forget which side of the street this one is on. As I recall there is another farmacia directly across the street from it. Don't have any prices, but this place gets consistently good reviews.

4) There is another farmacia across from the Holiday Inn that Nuck mentioned as being okay.

5) Not anywhere near your map, but recommended by several members including DingDong and Bilko is Farmacia Alvarez (A2 C3/5 s HEREDIA 150m west of Courthouse) 237-5425 http://www.farmacia-alvarez.com/ $26.62 for 10X50mg generic V. One is most likely not going to want to actually go there but they offer free delivery.

I'm sure there are many many more but this will get you started.

In general, much better deals on "monger supplements" are to be had the further away from the Gulch and your map one gets (regular meds may be a different story). One's best bet is probably to buy your "supplements" before you come down either on-line or through your regular provider. Good deals can be found in CR but you just have to be very careful where you go.

Prolijo, you are a walking encylclopedia of San Jose. I thank you and I am sure many others members do!

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GG
"Last time I said no......I misunderstood the question!"

Not really, I just have waaaay too much time on my hands. Please note my references in the above post to other members. The thanks should really go to all of them.

BTW, I already have photos of the Italiano and Balmoral Pharmacies, but I'll need one of the "Morazon" Pharmacy if I'm going to add a pop-up for it.

I have one medication that I can not get from the CAJA and have to purchase locally. I was told about "Botica Internacional" by a number of expats who say they have the best prices in San Jose. I checked a number of pharmacies and found them to be the cheapest for the medication I need.

They are located on the north west corner of avenida 1 & calle 4. I do not have the prices of vitamins C, L & V but am sure they will quote over the phone (222-7481).

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

The Farmacia Chavarria on the NE corner of Avenida 2 and Calle 7 is a good one, with a Consultorium next door, if you need a prescription.

Their paid stamp includes the description:

Av. 2 Calles 7 y 9 Diagonal a CCSS.

The pharmacy across from the Holiday in WAS called Pharmacia Rex...It is now closed and will not re-open at that location. It is too bad because the pharmacist spoke good English and was very sympathetic to the needs of a traveling gringo.

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NON ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM

DG

There are three farmacias on Central Avenue three blocks west of the Presidente. Two on each street corner and one about a half block back towards the Pres on the same side or the street. I've been using the one on the opposite side of the street from the Prez exactly three blocks west. It's called Framacias Catedral. In early June 20 mg vitamin C was 6088 colones up from 6064 colones in April. Vitamin L 20 mg was 5217 colones and 10 mg vitamin L was 3465 colones. Knew all those receipts would come in handy someday.

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MidnightRider

The original map showed the Farmacia Italian.

It is on the same side of Central Ave as the Hotel President and about 2 1/2 blocks west (just passed and across the street from McDonald's).

It's right across the street from Perimercado, another item that has been removed and is now shown as a hotel on the latest map.
There is also a farmacia across Calle 3 from this mercado.

You can see the original map on page 125 (item 1579) of the VIP pics.

You may want to include 1-2 of the best dry cleaners on the map.

Okay, okay already! I think those are enough Farmacias. I never realized we had so many druggies around here . I'll still need pics on all except the Italiano & Balmoral as well as comparative pricing, names (in some cases) & hours or tel#'s. Sounds like a good mission for someone to do to kill some time during the day between MP visits. Here is the recompiled list:
1) Balmoral AC C7/0 n
2) Italiano AC C1/3 s
3) Morazon(?) A1 C7 sw
4) Botica Int'l A1 C4 nw 222-7481 (thanks to Ding Dong)
5) Chavarria A2 C7 ne(?) (thanks to Veelee though your address suggests its on the nw side)
6) Catedral AC C1/3 n (thanks to MidnightRider)
7) ??? somewhere a block or so w of the Presidente on the s side (again thanks to Midnight though his directions aren't worth shit )

A few historical and geographical notes. The Italiano WAS on Witlings original map, which some may have forgotten was the original basis for GR's current project (we should offer an oft overlooked thanks to Wit for his pioneering efforts and inspiration). The Italiano is on the ground floor of the Gran Hotel building and that is probably part of the reason it got knocked off the map. There in fact is a mercado across the street (which I've also used on more than one occasion). It is actually L shaped with entrances on Ave Cent. and C3. The Catedral that Midnight listed is the name of the other pharmacy that I mentioned in my original post in this thread. I beleive the reason that the mercado (and this farmacia) aren't on the current map is that once again the Gran Via occupies this space above it.

A number of area fast food joints were also knocked off Wit's map, though there was a suggestion to bring those back. Other places that were knocked off his old map include the internet cafes which we've now brought back, the Mas x Menos which is another good market going up Ave Cent. past the Presidente, the Radio Shack in the ZB neighborhood which I often use as a landmark to get my bearings, the Rex Pharmacy which DG says is now closed and a good cigar store and a wine store. Perhaps GR should bring back some of those places. The problem in the Plaza de la Cultura area is that there are so many places it is hard to fit them all in.

Anyway, GR already has a new draft with many of these suggestions already on it. I'm going to post it on my site as http://www.whorticulture.info/GRSJMap6.html. I think you'll really be blown away by what GR has done so far. It is now designed to print out on a legal sized sheet of paper. GR had some concern about fitting in all the text material. After thinking about it some more, things are getting a bit cramped and tiny but the printed info on GR's map was a major advantage over the map project I was working on. What I think should be done is to move all the info to a seperate document page that could be printed on the back of the map sheet (not to mention modified by the end-user with any additional info they care to include on their copy). What do others think about this keeping in mind all the effort that GR has already put in evolving the map to where it is now?

At this time, I've only finished remapping about 1/4 of the pop-up links for the latest version and of course there are many new sites that I could create pop-ups for. I'll post a list later of missing photos and other info that I still could use.

Prolijo,
Thanks for the props.
You and GetRythm and all the guys who've contributed deserve 90% of the credit. I just got the ball rolling.

I like the little busses, too.

Wit

I printed a slighty simpler version a few weeks ago from the photo section.
Print was small but I could read it fine.

This new one looks beter yet, and the new ideas, RE, Pharmacies ect
all good !!

As long as it can be read , Print, fold double over and laminate.

Good work to everyone involved.

Fiedler

But I would be careful not to make the map too cluttered. Just a few pharmacies would be fine. It would be nice to add the few of best cleaners. We'd then have everything we need for a stay in SJ.