www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I'll be writing a full trip report later about my recent trip to CR, but I wanted to get this information out there to those of you who may be depending on getting your covid testing for return flight done at Sportsmens Lodge.

My trip consisted of a week in San Jose (at SL), followed by three weeks in Jaco, followed by three nights in San Jose before returning home. For the last three days in San Jose, I chose to stay at the Sportsmens Lodge partially due to the expected convenience of being able to get my required covid testing done there prior to my return flight to the US.

I had been in contact with the SL for weeks ahead of time to make sure that I would be able to get tested on that specific Monday morning for a flight on Tuesday. Each time, I was reassured that it would be no problem. When I checked-in on Saturday before the Tuesday flight, I even asked about it at the front desk and was told no problem, just show up between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM on Monday and I would receive my covid test there at the SL.

Monday morning came. I took my time in the morning getting up and coming down to breakfast around 9:30. I ordered my breakfast and while waiting for it to arrive, I went to the front desk to triple-check on the covid testing. When asked, the girl at the front desk got this strange look on her face and informed me that there would be no testing at the SL that day because it was a Costa Rica holiday! I was so pissed!!! They knew this was a holiday all along, yet they never told me about it and now here I was one day from flight time without a covid test!!! She then scrambled around the desk for a minute and finally said "You will have to go to the lab for a test. We will arrange for a driver to take you." Aggravated, but needing to have the test to be able to fly, I then wolfed down my breakfast and scrambled to get ready to meet the driver and off we went to the lab.

The lab was a total circus. Confusion abounded. I was mixed in with another group of tourists and had to ask multiple times the details of payment, when and how results would come back, etc. I would not have been the least bit surprised to find that my test results were lost or confused with somebody else's results. After waiting in line for half an hour, I finally got the lobotomy via the deepest recesses of my sinus cavities and got the hell out of there, worrying all along that my results would not come back in good order - either missing or false positive. (I am convinced that this whole covid testing requirement is now being driven not by science, but by greed of the pharmaceuticals, and it's the US government that is enabling it.) The testing arrangement that I saw was anything but controlled and orderly.

I jump in the van and the driver returns me to the SL. When I get there, I am informed that I now owe the driver for the ride! I go to the front desk and ask about it, and was told that they only called the driver - they were not covering the cost of the ride! Talk about customer service! Wow! They Phuck up by not informing me of the holiday, making it necessary to go to a lab even though they promised me that the testing would be done right at the hotel, they pick a driver for me to go to the lab, and then they don't even cover the cost of the driver! Unbelievable!!! The manager was called and he refused to cover the 12K colones cost of the ride!!! (After I've just spent over $2000 USD staying in the Mansion Wing and partying there twice within the month!)

So beware. Do NOT believe their advertising that you will get your covid testing done at the hotel. Be sure to have alternate or backup plans under your own control. Fortunately, my negative lab results did come back in time and I was able to fly the next day. I narrowly dodged a bullet that if I had received a false positive, I would have been stuck quarantined in my room at SL for 14 more days. But I was so aggravated by the whole experience that I swore that this would be the last time that I ever stay at Sportsmens Lodge!!!

There is a lot of hype and frustration concerning COVID-19 testing. The three times I have flown this year, I have used Clinica Biblica to get my test. While is is a little more effort than the "hotel hype" of "sure, no problem, come on down, we will handle everything", it is certainly better than the OP's experience. I'll share a detailed review my experience at Biblica.

Background
Clinica Biblica is a private hospital in downtown San Jose, less than a c2mil Uber from SL, Castillo, etc. While not every employee speaks English, there us always someone available who can. They are open and providing service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Pre-Test
They accept reservations, but they are not required. If you have a reservation, you stand in one line. If you do not have a reservation, you stand in a different line. You pay when you get your test. There web site keeps be updated, but their English home page is: https://www.clinicabiblica.com/en/ just scroll down and you should find a section for COVID-19. My advice is that registration will save you a little time on the say if the test.

Testing Location
Depending on the day of week and time of day, the test will be performed either in the hospital's regular lab area on the first floor or on the top floor of the parking garage across the street from the main entrance.

When You Arrive
You go to the testing location and take a number. For the garage, there are elevators as you enter. For the hospital, you go in inside and take a left. When your number is called you go to a checkin window. If you made a reservation, you will have filled in your basic info online (Name, Passport, Flight) they will still review it with you confirm. If you did not make a reservation, you still give the info. A reservation simply speeds the process. You pay your money and get a receipt. The cost of the different testing options is online. You now wait for your name to be called.

Testing Process
When a technician is ready, your name is ready and you go to a semi-private room and your sample is taken. A word of caution, if your name is Netgems, the sample is taken with a rectal scoop similar to a veterinarian testing your pet for worms. I'm not sure why, maybe they know something we don't.

Getting the Results
You can stay or go go. My results have always been ready within two hours. I usually go during slack times. You will get an email when your test has been completed. The test results will be a separate email. If you elected to stay at the hospital you can get a printed copy at the lab. I think the emails are sent when their staff have time, I usually get mine before 4pm. If you need it sooner, you can call the hospital main number after you get the first email (again on the website) and ask for the lab. They can send you a copy while you are on the phone.

As a last note, the OP's caution is well founded. Customer Service at all Costa Rican businesses has become worse. I hope that things will return to their pre-pandemic norms. I'm not rationalizing bad service. Hopefully, any owners out there read and heed the last line of the OP's post. If not, they wont be in business next year. Nobody wins in that scenario.

_________________
If you lose your temper you’re phucking yourself - Garcia Marquez

I thought SJO airport was also offering them a few hours before flight time. Maybe I dreamed this.

Here is the link to SJO airport testing news article.

https://ticotimes.net/2021/05/13/sjo-ai ... id-testing

I am going to inquire in August upon arrival if this is still a viable backup plan.

In my understanding, this was mostly aimed at tourists that weren’t staying in San Jose and eliminated the need for those tourists to go into a city or town. I haven’t heard any first hand reports from someone that used it.

_________________
If you lose your temper you’re phucking yourself - Garcia Marquez

I had to have a PCR test and the lab that does the testing at SL gives you a turnaround in 24 hours. Clinica Biblica is 48 hours for PCR. But be sure to check the a couple of days before you want the test, as the lab people will sometimes come in early if they have only one or two bookings (for example). I showed up at 9 and did not have it prebooked, and that day the nurse had already come and gone. So I booked for the next day, and fortunately everything went smoothly. But I only got my results back the night before my flight.

Terrible response from SL. Their loss. Looks like they lost a return customer. Where did he take you for 12k? Alajuela?

I use lab Echandi, Barrio China. Results 45 minutes after I left. $55.00.

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I am NOT a Cien Boy!!

But to note a difference. If you are going back to Canada, or various other places, you may need a PCR type test. They will generally be a minimum of 24 hour turnaround, more often 48 hours. The quicker turnaround is from the antigen test, which is acceptable to return to the US as I understand, but not for return to Canada.

It was in Curridabat, 4 miles from SL.

That’s why I would never recommend the cabs outside of SL. All crooks. Uber will take you to Curridabat for 2000 -2500.

_________________
I am NOT a Cien Boy!!

Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to shop it. When the SL told me that they would have a driver take me to the lab, I assumed that they would be covering the cost of the driver since they phucked it all up. Lesson learned. Extremely poor customer service experience, without even a hint of an apology. I won't be staying at SL in the future. There are plenty of other options that will be more than happy to take my gringo green.

Agreed……like I said, they lost a good, paying customer.

_________________
I am NOT a Cien Boy!!

Now that would of sucked, at least you made it. All's well that ends well.

Going thru all that really would of pissed me off too. I'd be fuming. I would at least PM Bill about it especially the way you were egged on the whole time.

I can go to TJ in the interim and have my basic needs met (sometimes better than expected). So until this stuff gets ironed out I will have to stay away from Intl. air travel unless I win the lotto and can call in rich to my W-2 job!

I hope Bill is not losing his touch. He has always been helpful to me in the past.