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Netgems
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:49 pm 
PHD From Del Rey University!
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Jawanker wrote:
Netgems wrote:
If you got American $100 bills, HDR exchanges to colones, left side of front desk, I'm accused of being excessively frugal on big ticket items but I don't sweat the chicken feed, their exchange is always good enough for me. No passport show needed, they don't take data on the bills, at least when you're there, it's fast.

Don't be afraid to carry like $1k to 1.5k in cash from airport to hotel to safe. To the west of HDR is a BCR a couple short blocks on the South side, you can get your $200 there in the inside ATM's no need to deal with the bank. There also is a $200 limit atm at the AM-PM east of HDR one block via the Blue Marlin exit.

Don't be driving yourself nuts walking all over town trying to save $3, you're on vacation, time is money, if all you have are ciens, you just paid a girl who might be happy for $60, 70 or $80 a full cien. She'll take it, she's not worried about counterfeit... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


That's true, never thought about it, but the banks and casinos are so ultra worried about checking counterfeit bills, and the working girls just take the money and stuff it into their purse!
Hey i just thought of a way to launder counterfeit bills, and have fun at the same time. Got to get those printing presses fired up!


Many of these girls are superb cons, if they got stuck with a fake c note, they would convince some dimwitted gringo to exchange for colones, so why worry? See a cien...snatch a cien... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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Jawanker
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:55 pm 
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Netgems wrote:
Jawanker wrote:
Netgems wrote:
If you got American $100 bills, HDR exchanges to colones, left side of front desk, I'm accused of being excessively frugal on big ticket items but I don't sweat the chicken feed, their exchange is always good enough for me. No passport show needed, they don't take data on the bills, at least when you're there, it's fast.

Don't be afraid to carry like $1k to 1.5k in cash from airport to hotel to safe. To the west of HDR is a BCR a couple short blocks on the South side, you can get your $200 there in the inside ATM's no need to deal with the bank. There also is a $200 limit atm at the AM-PM east of HDR one block via the Blue Marlin exit.

Don't be driving yourself nuts walking all over town trying to save $3, you're on vacation, time is money, if all you have are ciens, you just paid a girl who might be happy for $60, 70 or $80 a full cien. She'll take it, she's not worried about counterfeit... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


That's true, never thought about it, but the banks and casinos are so ultra worried about checking counterfeit bills, and the working girls just take the money and stuff it into their purse!
Hey i just thought of a way to launder counterfeit bills, and have fun at the same time. Got to get those printing presses fired up!


Many of these girls are superb cons, if they got stuck with a fake c note, they would convince some dimwitted gringo to exchange for colones, so why worry? See a cien...snatch a cien... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


Net, i have enjoyed your posts, especially the salt lick and the ear tag for the bovines. So funny. I will carry on the monger tradition in January.

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Bluelabel81
 Post subject: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:54 am 
CR Virgin - Newbie!

Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:57 pm
Posts: 20
Thanks guys. From reading it looked like I needed colones for things like cabs, drinks, MPs and Alcazar. Indy pickups sound fine with med/large US bills.

Am I better off just bringing like $50 in 1 dollar bills for drinks and cabs?

I’ll have time to get colones to set aside just for MPs and Alcazar. limiting the number of withdrawals is less about avoiding fee and more about avoiding the need to make multiple ATM trips.


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MM3
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 9:09 am 
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Any time you pay with dollars (except transactional girlfriend situations) you are liable to be brutally sodomized on the exchange rate. Especially in bars, taxis, etc.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

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Netgems
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 10:46 am 
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Bluelabel81 wrote:
Thanks guys. From reading it looked like I needed colones for things like cabs, drinks, MPs and Alcazar. Indy pickups sound fine with med/large US bills.

Am I better off just bringing like $50 in 1 dollar bills for drinks and cabs?

I’ll have time to get colones to set aside just for MPs and Alcazar. limiting the number of withdrawals is less about avoiding fee and more about avoiding the need to make multiple ATM trips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Pay everything in colones, especially cabs, their meters will show what you owe and you'll keep getting confused trying to understand the exchange rate. Bring 50 to 100 in singles for tips. CR smallest bill is 1000 colones, about $1.80, and you don't want to be fumbling with their gold doubloon coins, 3 pounds of coins adds up to 73 cents.

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MM3
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:01 pm 
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Netgems wrote:
Pay everything in colones, especially cabs, their meters will show what you owe and you'll keep getting confused trying to understand the exchange rate. Bring 50 to 100 in singles for tips. CR smallest bill is 1000 colones, about $1.80, and you don't want to be fumbling with their gold doubloon coins, 3 pounds of coins adds up to 73 cents.


And if a cab has no meter - get out! Avoid taxis parked around around the doors of gringo haunts, step to the nearest street and flag down a passing cab (especially at the HDR).

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison
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Netgems
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 2:41 pm 
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MM3 wrote:
Netgems wrote:
Pay everything in colones, especially cabs, their meters will show what you owe and you'll keep getting confused trying to understand the exchange rate. Bring 50 to 100 in singles for tips. CR smallest bill is 1000 colones, about $1.80, and you don't want to be fumbling with their gold doubloon coins, 3 pounds of coins adds up to 73 cents.


And if a cab has no meter - get out! Avoid taxis parked around around the doors of gringo haunts, step to the nearest street and flag down a passing cab (especially at the HDR).


At the HDR, the best choice is to exit the Blue marlin door, walk past the Colonial towards the AM-PM, there's always legitimate red ones coming through, plus you can hit the AM-PM if you need something before leaving, and that AM-PM has an ATM.

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Bluelabel81
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 4:38 pm 
CR Virgin - Newbie!

Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:57 pm
Posts: 20
Thanks Guys. Do you think I would have trouble finding a taxi outside Castillo around 11 at night? Or from Alcazar coming home at like 1am? Do hotels or clubs call taxis for you or Is getting an uber the best bet?


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MM3
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 6:09 pm 
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Bluelabel81 wrote:
Thanks Guys. Do you think I would have trouble finding a taxi outside Castillo around 11 at night? Or from Alcazar coming home at like 1am? Do hotels or clubs call taxis for you or Is getting an uber the best bet?


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I uber.

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison
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Jfoot
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 7:16 pm 
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Bluelabel81 wrote:
Thanks Guys. Do you think I would have trouble finding a taxi outside Castillo around 11 at night? Or from Alcazar coming home at like 1am? Do hotels or clubs call taxis for you or Is getting an uber the best bet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No trouble with taxis near Castillo. They go down that street fairly often. Castillo front desk will also call one for you if you ask them.

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Captain58
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 12:23 am 
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[quote="Rac"]The Colonial Casino, next to the Del Rey, exchanges a few hundred U.S. at a time with very good exchange rates. The cashiers there are open 24 hours a day . . and you don't need to show your passport.

Last January I had a late flight. Staying at the SL. After I got checked in, I wanted to check out the HDR first. I got to the HDR late. I went over to the Colonial to try to exchange some Ciens. They wouldn’t do it. They said I had to be playing there. I could exchange them at the table? Didn’t go back to try again. Did I do something wrong?

I just walked to the BCR next day and exchanged there. Yes it took awhile, and yes they wrote down every serial #. I got good rate. I think.

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Jawanker
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 12:44 am 
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I would tell them I was playing slots. That might work . Let them see you lose a couple of Colones.

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costareeker
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:42 am 
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Jfoot wrote:
I pulled 250k colones out of scotia bank atm in airport last week when i landed, came to $442 but worked like $500 with the chicas 8)



We think alike!! I love the exchange rate just over 500CRC:1USD!! You can round down to 500:1 & gain 5 or 6% ...I know , I'm a tightwad! Whatever. I've had only 1 chica in 7 years tell me...'No that's not right, the exchange rate is 530CRC (or whatever) :1 USD!'. So I gave her a stack of coins & it was all good.

Always settle on a price up front & in CRC & pay in CRC, not USD, and there shouldn't be a problem.

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costareeker
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:46 am 
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I always use the Casino next door to the HDR to exchange USD. Best rate and always open.

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GoodDayJohn
 Post subject: Re: Changing money
PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 11:36 am 
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Captain58 wrote:
Last January I had a late flight. Staying at the SL. After I got checked in, I wanted to check out the HDR first. I got to the HDR late. I went over to the Colonial to try to exchange some Ciens. They wouldn’t do it. They said I had to be playing there. I could exchange them at the table? Didn’t go back to try again. Did I do something wrong?
Go to the exchange booth in the back of the casino, not the one close to the entrance where they can see you walk in. Don't try to convert too much, maybe $200.
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