www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Immigration officer: "Did you travel alone?"

me: "Yes"

Immigration officer: "Purpose of trip?"

me "Vacation and to party Sir." (I am in my mid 30s and could pass for a Spring Breaker)

Immigration officer: "How was the Marlin?"

me: "Rockin, but I prefer Zona Blue."

Immigration officer: "(Smiles) Have a great evening."

TRUE STORY

Me, I tell them I am partying. And then they ask again what is the visit for and again I say partying. That is all they will get from me. Maybe I will mention that I have not broken any laws. Then back to partying. I am a free citizen of the US. And have rights. Anything you say can and will be used against you. This is a fact. So I tell them the least I can. I am partying. And not intending to break any laws. Some except this answer and some seem irratated by this answer.

It is their problem not mine. Just because they do not tell me my rights does not mean I do not have them.

When I am in their country I tell them what they want to know.

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Take a walk on the wild side.

Mam01mam, For Real???

DildoMan,
I have had Immigration officers ask me this same question on (at least) 3 or 4 different occasions. These guys know what's going on in San Jose. And I'm sure that most of them assume that we're not angels. When they've asked me that question in the past, my standard reply has always been "very busy". Never had any problems with that response. But I still say that the less you say to the officer, the better. YMMV.
MG

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

Immigration officers, Customs agents, Police officers, Fireman, Paramedics are all human and have heard of the wonders of eco-tourism in CR . Many have taken the plunge and it is not a new experience for them . My first trip in 1992 was a police officer group from (censored) doing their yearly mongering sabbatical .

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

Irish, I have no doubt that what you're saying is true. However, I think one's personal privacy and convenience are best protected by remaining as silent as possible. Remember that the BICE guy can make future travels into exercises in frustration for you if (s)he doesn't like your answers.

It is frighteningly easy to be added to the Post- 9/11 "No Fly" list; just ask the police chief of Northfield, Minnesota, who has been unable to fly for three years, and has as yet received neither explanation nor hearing about his case.

In the paranoid world where we're all considered at least criminals and at worst terrorists, it is best to give the minimum required and if plausible, deny everything else.

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

ElC I absolutely agree that discretion is the better part of valor. My response was to MG when he stated "And I'm sure that most of them assume that we're not angels. " I was pointing out that are not mongering virgins either. Just look at the police patch display in the BM

All that being said I definitely believe that a smiling face, a courteous demeanor and as few words as humanly possible are the order of the day when dealing with any person who has the power to make your life miserable even if for only a short period.

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

Yes DildoMan, for real.

He didn't even say Blue Marlin. . . just "how was the Marlin?"

I didn't b/s him (although I wouldn't have offered up or traded war stories), and I suspect my honesty reduced the interrogation to all of about 25 seconds.

Maybe he just felt stupid that he had never heard of a fish called zona blue.

I only visit CR for the purist of humanitarian motives. It is my goal to provide small, but meaningful cash grants to young latinas in order to provide then economic stability. This allows them to avoid the dangers of a coyote guided crossing in the hot and dangerous Arizona dessert in search of minimum wage employment with mega food service corporations La migra should applaud my patriotism

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Providing humanitarian assistance to self employed chicas, one cash grant at a time.

Maybe he was talking about fishing.

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

as long as you are not bringing back drugs or something else illegal, it doesn't matter what you tell them. If they want to mess with you , they will. I have made 6 trips out of MIA and never been asked any real questions and always get the "Welcome Back"

Uh, no. He knew exactly what was up.