www.CostaRicaTicas.com

did a search on this but didn't really find what I was looking for.

I like to travel light, carry-on if possible, to avoid the seemingly inevitable (or maybe I'm just unlucky) baggage rifling and thievery that come with many airlines servicing the south. my intention is to dress clean but casual (jeans, cotton pants, sport/t-shirts), have the practical stuff I will need for temp/footwear, and that's it. Not being a clothes horse I avoid overpacking. A couple of clean pairs of pants and one I'm not afraid to get dirty.

anyway, is there any place I might want to go to,or any circumstance where I would actually want to wear anything nicer? (bearing in mind that I'll be there Xmas/ New Years) I don't want to pack it if I don't need it, and am leery of wearing better clothes in areas like this to start with, so would rather not if I don't have to. By the same token I don't want to miss out on anything good by virtue of not being able to dress for the occasion. Don't really think this is an issue, but better safe than sorry, so I'm asking.

any thoughts?

I dont understand the whole stolen baggage situation.

I never put locks on my bags, and Ive never had a bag opened or anything stolen from it for that matter. I usually get something along the lines of "You dont have locks, are you nuts?" when I check in my bags, but I dont see the big deal. Actually I had heard something about airlines not wanting you to lock your bags, in case they have to open it or something.

Actually if something is stolen from your bag, you probably come out ahead. You get up to 1200$ back, so just lie and say you had stuff in your bag that you didnt.

Now to answer your question, Im definitly no CR pro, nor have I been there during the holidays but I wore standard t-shirt and jeans EVERY day without any weird looks or questions.

I went into most of the "standard" restuarants and all of the tourists seemed to have the same t-shirt and jeans on or similar. I'd say unless you plan on attending church, or eating at a fancy grill or steakhouse then you should have no trouble wearing casual clothes.

Guaranteed, the better you look the more it is going to cost you. Like sharks to blood a Tica can smell money. Even the shoeshine guys will ask for more if you are stylin. Bring decent shirts but no crisp and new collars which stand out

_________________
Papa Azucar

I've never had anything stolen either and I don't put locks on my bags, however I do something else. I make a coil from one of those heavy duty paper clips (use pliers) and then I wind the two zipper ends within the coil. It isn't a lock, but it would take a little work to get the coil off (just trying to get the thief to move to easier bags) and it isn't a flag to security types (wants he locking).

You could also get those zip ties that are used to keep wires together and the police use the big ones as handcuffs.

My big value items are in my carry-on. It might be naive, but I have a feeling that airport personnel in CR would be afraid to steal something from luggage because an airport job is probably a pretty decent job so they wouldn't want to put that in jeopardy.

Casual wear is the way to go in CR - just your normal weekend clothes.

actually, I'd already thought that casual was the way to go, as a rule of thumb, and prefer that anyway. I was really thinking more along the lines of Xmas and New years parties/dinners/celebrations. Is it normal for people to go a little more upscale on these dates? Or can I just do as normally like to do and go casual?

What are you talking about locking your bags? The US TSA under the guise of terrorism says it will break your locks if the bag is locked so they can snoop through it. Every time I fly down here I always end up with the TSA snoop card inside, what a joke.

Anything important, papers etc I just carry on because my hand luggage has never been rifled through although I have seen some other passengers been subject to snooping of hand luggage.

I have printed a copy of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution and place it inside my checked bag, right on top. That way, TSA and I can swap informational hand-outs. (In case you flunked civics class in H.S., the 4th Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures). BTW, I don't really recommend this, as it pisses them off plenty. They hate to be reminded that they're doing something illegal and unconstitutional by examining my bags without cause.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

Hahah thats a good one

In general, Costa Rica is much more casual than other latin countries like Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina etc. If you are just doing tourist joints, then casual is probably acceptable in 98% of the places you would want to go. If you were doing any business or going to political or local events, jeans would probably stick out and potentially be offensive to party or event hosts in that country. In Costa Rica...unless you are meeting the President or something...I doubt you need to be concerned with fashion protocol.

There are locks you can use that TSA can open without breaking them. They are marked TSA X (a number is in place of the X), this tells TSA which key to use.

I have used them for 2 or 3 trips and have retrieved my locked bags with a TSA snoop card inside.

When you live here you do not have the luxury of carry on baggage only , you need those checked bags to bring home the goodies you buy in the U.S.

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

That's actually true. You can refuse that they search your bags (your right), but they can also refuse to let you on the plane (their right).

Wow, I think I paid attention in criminal justice 101.

No you di'int! There's also a provision of the Constitution which prohibits the Government from impeding interstate travel. If the TSA refuses to let you on a plane, simply because you have insisted upon another Constitutional right, then they have broken the law. Sadly, and this should be the end of this discussion, as political discourse is not allowed here, sadly the Constitution is now moot, as if we were under martial law. Hey, are we under martial law?

We oughta take any further political discussion far away from CRT, where the only issues permitted are those involving tissues.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

Ciego...the conversation is appropriate if it relates to our rights to travel, carry personal items for use in our hobby(s), or even "leave" our country with money to support our choosen lives and lifestyles. I think what a lot of guys discover when they get "offshore" is how liberating it is to be away from the "free" USofA. I know some of our patriotic, right leaning brotheren here will get jumpy at this...but I know alot of you guys know what I'm talking about...without having to go off on a political diatribe...

"Give me liberty, or give me death"...as one of the early "Libertarians" put it...

And in the immortal words of that kite-flying, bifocal-building Ben Franklin:
"He who would trade even a small measure of liberty for security deserves neither."

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

In the Atlanta airport, every bag is x-rayed before it is loaded on the belt.
It is a big big expensive machine. Not like at the TSA check in lines.
If you choose to lock it, they will have you stand by until it is x-rayed and examined. If they find something they wish to examine, they ask you to unlock it. Thus, I always lock my checked bags.

As you are aware, when departing SJO, almost every checked bag is hand searched before you approach the counter. All carry on bags are x-rayed.

_________________
PacoLoco: "You pay for it one way or another."
Ace: "Rent everything, do not buy in Costa Rica"