www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Every time I travel to CR, I have intentions/hopes of meeting CRT brothers and actually putting a face to a name/sig. I have met very few CRT guys over my trips.

I remember clearly my first trip to CR after becoming a VIP member, and walking into the DR/BM at 5:00 PM on a Saturday. I sat at a table, close to the windows as is often described here. I looked around and wondered if any of the guys at other tables were CRT brothers.

For me, it felt awkward walking up to strangers and asking; “any of you guys CRT brothers?” The times I did, I received puzzled looks from the strangers. I wondered if I should try a different approach and inquire more specifically such as; “anyone here members of the internet forum/bulletin board Costa Rica Ticas, the #1 source of information on Costa Rica!? A Gentlemen’s Guide to Costa Rica!” But, alas, to me it always felt very awkward approaching strangers, especially at a the BM where most guys are or appear to be on the hunt for girls and not some guy coming inquiring about if they do or do not frequent an internet site.

I remember walking into the SL in 2005 during the NFL playoffs on a Sunday afternoon. They even had a banner saying “Welcome CRT’ers “or something like that. The guys I did approach at the bar said; I’ve heard of CRT, but no, I’ve never seen the site.” I did meet Bill once, who was a helluva nice guy.

I was in CR last month and ran solo for a couple of days as my fishing buddies returned home on a Sunday and I decided to stay and roam the gulch on my own. I again walked into the SL while the NFL playoffs were on and the place was packed with Gringos. I knew there had to be many CRT members there, but I couldn’t even find a spot at the bar to eat lunch. It appeared that all eyes were on the TV’s and again, to me it felt awkward approaching strangers. So I headed to the BM where I sat at the bar and watched the game. Hell, I even wondered if RollTide was in the bar.

I’ve been to ZB and did meet some guys that were registered on CRT but said that they have never posted. Good guys none the less. Oh, but I did meet Eddie and in fact, we traded cigars and he gave me good advice on a chica.

I seem to strike up conversations with the guys that appear to be on fishing trips. You know the look; sunburned face, fishing shirt on, that type. The strangers I have met, to a man, all seem to be good guys.

But I have to admit; I am curious and felt it would be interesting to meet face to face the frequent posters here on CRT. You know, the guys that post frequently and it almost seems as if you actually know them. Guys such as Vegas Bob, Mucho Gusto, Orange, Get Rhythm, PacoLoco, Ruffnutz, Florida, Zippy, LatinHeat69, Dapanz1, El Ciego, Bilko, Prolijo, BKtuna, Irish Drifter, RBC 100, Muffdiver, Witling, and Thirdworld (in Jaco) just to name a few.

I guess I need to plan a trip during the Super Bowl, or CRT anniversary or some other organized event.

I did think of proposing that there be signal to identify CRT guys such as; touch your nose, as they did in the movie, The Sting. But, I realized, who wants to shake hands with a guy after he just touched his nose?

But, I do need to say that I personally, have benefited greatly from my CRT membership and am indebted for the advice given on where to go in CR, but maybe the best advice I’ve received is where NOT to go.

Pura Vida

OFT

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Cigar smoking doesn’t reduce us, it elevates us; It makes us more content to be alone, or it helps us to enjoy our companions. It encourages us to dwell on the simple moments and celebrate the sublime.
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Hung like Einstein and smart as a mule.
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You're not drunk if you can lay on the floor without holding on.

Yes,go to one of the party's this year.last year at the labour day weekend party.all the guy's had crt-name-tag's,so you could circulate and say hi,bum a drink off them etc......

There's a secret handshake. The problem is you have to shake everyone's hand to see if they know it.

The problem with the handshake is that all of the chicas know it.

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Play Safe

OFT,
I know exactly what you mean. My first trip, I came with a friend, and we were both first-timers so I was hoping to find a vet or two to kind of show me the ropes. I went to "happy hour" at BM asked a few guys "are you a CRT?" The most common response was "What's CRT?"

After about 5 people, I stopped trying. I did meet a couple of CRT's in SL, but only because we had arranged to meet up thru PM's.

I'd suggesting posting in the Roll Call section when you'll be in town. And if you see others will be in town, PM them and if your schedules allow you can meet for a beer or whatever.

Or as Osgood said, the parties are full of degenerate sexoholics, errr I mean CRT's.

OFT,
I already know most of these guys, so I must ask: Are you sure that you want to meet them ?!??!?! It's amazing, but in one sentence, you named off some of the fugliest members of CRT!!! Personally, when I see any one of these guys, I give them a wide berth! I can't take a chance of a chica seeing me talking with them, because if any of the chica's knew that I had a circle of friends like them, I'd never get laid!!!

OK, all seriousness aside......
OFT, you bring up a good point here, and I think it's something that should be addressed. Even though we’re closing in on 10,000 members, IMHO we’re still a very small minority in CR. You’ve already witnessed this by asking several guys if they were CRT, and you saw their responses. Granted, the more trips that you take to CR, it’s inevitable that you’ll meet more and more members. But for a newbie, it can be a bit overwhelming, even intimidating, trying to figure out which guys in the bar are CRT members. As a couple guys mentioned already….maybe we need to figure out some sort of “secret handshake” or something ?!!?!?

It’s usually much easier to meet larger groups of members during some of the “peak” CRT weekends throughout the year, i.e., SuperBowl Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, Halloween Weekend, etc. Last year, for the CRT 3rd Anniversary Party (Labor Day Wknd), Admin1 had name tags made up for the members, with your CRT handle on it, as well as your real name. That was a big help in identifying members whom you might never realize who they were otherwise.

My dos colones….. Just post the dates of your trip(s) in the Roll Call section. There’s ALWAYS someone in town during the same timeframe. To get you started, all you really need is ONE CRT wingman. And things will take over from there. Keep in mind, that some of our members actually live in CR, and are usually happy to let you buy them a drink and talk over various debaucherous subjects. They can also point out some CRT members that you might not be aware of.

Stop in the SL and ask Bill if he can point out some members for you. Stop by ZB and ask Eddie to point out some members. Stop by the BM for the 5 p.m. happy hour. Stop by the News Café at the Prez for breakfast some morning. You’re bound to (eventually) find some members in these places.

One thing that I’ve gotta mention though. CR is a great place for mongering, and we could all spend days on end, boring you with stories about our “conquests”. But after you’ve been rubbed and tugged by a thousand women (no offense VB!) what’s next ??? For me, it’s the cameraderie that we all share during the “down” times. It is because of that very group of members that you mentioned, as well as others, that my trips get better and better.

Chica’s are easy to find, but good friends don’t come along as often. You’ll come to realize, as you spend more time in CR, you’ll acquire a larger circle of friends. And the guys / members that I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with (some of the same ones that you mentioned) have become like brothers to me. We may spend a lot of time (and bandwidth) busting each other’s balls, but when all the smoke clears….We all watch each others’ backs, and you can’t put a price on that.

Besides that, when one of the members does something wrong, we put them on “double-secret probation”!!!

Pura Vida Mis Hermanos,
Mucho Gusto

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

You just have to wear something that totally stands out. See; red shoelaces! I stood out, and people automatically knew who I was, so I met tons of great guys.

Of the random guys who I started chatting with at various venues, I dont think any were CRT members. Most either know what it is, and havent joined, or they dont know what your talking about.

Next trip let me know when you are coming, or ask for me at the SL. My name is Boyd. I will be happy to introduce you to the guys that are around. I am sure Vegas Bob will offer the same at the Del Ray. Once you know a few of the regular guys they will introduce you and invite you along for stops at the various hangouts.

Even living here, I still do not know many of the CRTers. It is always a riot to meet one of the regular posters and match the person with the online persona. I was at the SL and four of us were making intros with our handles and a non CRT guy asked were we in a fraternity of some sort.

On a side note I originally learned about CRT on my firdt trip here, because I was setting in the gathering area at the BM and a guy walked over and asked me was I CRT. I asked him what it was and he gave me the web address and the rest is history. I have never run into this CRT guy again.


BKTUNA
I am never going home

I made my 1st trip last week & asked vertually every one I met in bars Massage parlors etc. if they were CRT. Very few knew what i was talking about . Howeve several went to the SL & said they joined after I told the the benifits .I agree with MG the chica part is easy , where I really enjoyed the benifits of CRT was in the downtime with vets I did meet.GR , HolaB, Like Mike ,even Budlite that redneck SOB,and Zee bra one.Muffdiver Solo & all the guys I meet & was too drunk to remember.Thanks guys.

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its the land of hoodoo , voodoo & all kinds of wierd shit.

OFT;
Here's a handy decription of some of the members you mentioned. Should be helpfull for future trips:


Vegas Bob. The tall guy who looks a little like Bill O'Riley and speaks with a Boston accent.

Mucho Gusto. Could easily be described as a modern day Clark Gable (maybe 20 Lbs over Clark's fighting weight). Usually well dressed in some kind of silk shirt over pressed shorts. Also, a great tan.

Orange. Just look for a guy with a plaid wool shirt and a Syracuse hat.

Get Rhythm. Cool dude. Very LA/Hollywood. If he's not with a new chica every hour, it's not him.

Ruffnutz. Good looking Puerto Rican guy who shaves his head. Always in the company of his great (9) GF.

Latin Heat. Always at the side of Ruffnutz and his GF.

Muffdiver. Retired Army. VERY tall. Shaved head with glasses. Ruffnuts and Latin Heat are never far away.

Florida. Think of a modern day Jackie Gleason but better looking.

El Ciego. Carries a stick and quotes shakespear.

ID. A pleasant sort who agrees with most anything anyone says.

Wit. Full of information on air travel and card playing.

LVSteve (Me). Best looking guy in the room.

Hope the above is helpfull
LVS

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Just an old horney, fat gambler.

Don't forget the snake-skin boots and the Colombiana attached to his side.

I need to go shopping for some new shirts.

Usually I'm just "full of sh*t". But I do try to add something useful from time to time.

As for stepping up and asking someone if they are a CRT member let me relate a story.

Last May I was waiting in the immigration line at the San Jose airport. The guy in front of me was alone, clean-cut, mid 40s and wearing jeans. He looked like the typical CRT member.

I asked him if he was a CRT member and he had no idea what I was talking about. He had lived in Costa Rica for 6 months years ago and was returning just for a vacation.

Since we had about 10 minutes I gave him the low-down of the scene. He said that sounded good to him. I told him I would be a Kamur in about 45 minutes and he could meet me there. When I arrived at Kamur there he was already there drinking a beer. Since that time this guy has become a CRT VIP and a good friend. I visited him last October and we email each other almost everyday.

He's already booked his room at the Medellin Mansion for May and he's never even been to Colombia.

So the point of the story is you just never know who you might meet by stepping up and asking, "Are you a CRT member?".

As for the retrobates listed above, I've met at least 15 of them and they are all gentlemen with a wealth of knowledge on a vast array of subjects. I consider it an honor just to be listed with them.

Let me add one more name to the list and that would be our beloved Webmaster Admin1 aka Tomas.

Wit

I'm with you Orange, except I need to go shopping for some new Colombiana's !!!


Now THAT'S some funny sh*t !!!! You da' man !!!

MG

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

My vote for how to recognize CRT VIP's would be for Admin 1 to sell T-shirts (or baseball hats) that on the front had the CRT logo and on the rear had "LECHE CONSEGUIDA?" (GOT MILK?).

This would accomplish two things, instant recognition, and added revenue to Admin1 who does a great job for us. Also if they were sold to only CRT VIP's it may be an additional perk to fork up the $39.00 for those that choose not to pay.

Health & happiness

Santas Bro

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It's not the size of the wand that put the rabbit in the hat, it's the magic in it!!!

One question - not that I in any way doubt the authenticity of their experience or knowledge of CR, but has anyone here ever met in person or physically seen either Zippy or Prolijo?

I echo the earlier post about first needing to hook up with a good CRT wingman, and then everything pretty much opens up for you. I met relatively few CRT'ers in my first two trips, but then when I joined forces with Ruffnutz on Trip #3 (also still fairly new to the game at the time), my CRT circle expanded pretty rapidly.

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