www.CostaRicaTicas.com

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Cool post dude. I enjoyed it.

dapanz1

Very interesting and informative. I can relate to what you wrote about Parque de Diversiones.

Don't be telling these guys about places like Santa Barbara. Next they will be at the door mooching my beer.

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My life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming...." MAN....WHAT A RIDE!!!!"

Great post Mr Public. The only thing I don't agree with is the Coffee. Everyone I know was given coffee milk in our bottles as Babi*s in Louisiana and most of my friends are well over 6 ft. I think the shortness has more to do with genetics than the coffee. I do agree with the Parque Diversiones. The girl I took there was very excited about being there and kept talking about how she used to visit all the time as a Ch*ld. It is just one way of connecting with the girls and becoming friends with them. There are truly some great girls down there.

Next time you are up in San Jeronimo there is a little soda with no name... next to the church... you can't miss it. Grab a bite, but LEAVE A BIG PHUCKIN PROPINA (more than 42%) cause the lady who owns the place has a hija who is a DR bartender. You don't tip her momma BIG and she'll kick your ass..... mas o menos!

Berk.....

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FRUITCAKE... and you thought it was something you eat! Not on CRT!

good post...I like your style

Something new in a post, Way to go. I also like your low cost living post. You describe how most Ticos make it on $300 a month. I guess the main difference is they are living mostly in an extended family situation where there are several people sharing the bill load. I have not tried this extreme, but have significantly reduced my bills by learnig where to buy food and taking the buses. My first year I only took taxis. I actually now prefer the bus.


BKTUNA
I am never going home

Mr P,

It is refreshing to hear a post about CR that goes beyond the typical whore monger locker room talk.

I am approaching my second year anniversary living in CR and also have found several things to be different and cool. One of the first things that I needed to overcome was parking my ass at the HDR, drinking all day and gawking at whores. I think I spent about the first 6-8 months doing this and it just got boring. I also think I may have shaved a few years off my life due to liver damage and heavy smoking. At least I got it all out of me. I have since quit smoking entirely and cut my drinking in half. Feel like a phucking different person.

Anyway, to add to your list of cool things to do:

1. VISIT CARTAGO. This is a really neat little town and feels like a whole different world. There are ruins. The town is clean and feels very safe. The people are totally chilled out and friendly. You can also drive farther east where you will find a mirador with a incredible vista of mountain valleys and farms. Seems more like Italy than Costa Rica.

2. Like you said... go North to Heredia and visit Barva and other towns. I was there yesterday and saw the festival. Not a single gringo to be seen. Lots of chicas. Music and a general warm feeling.

3. Go for hikes in the Escazu mountains. There are national parks up there and trails that remain from the Pre-Columbus period where Indians used to bring goods to the central valley from the Caribe. Escazu is a pre-Spanish word for "resting place". The town was actually formed as a resting point from trade to the east. You can easily see a cross on the top of mountain. There are actually three crosses that lead to the top of the mountain. The first is easy and gives an excellent view of the valley. I challenge you to hike to the third. It is about a 3,000 ft vertical hike and takes 2 hours each way. If you are out of shape or have heart conditions, I don't recommend this. Take lots of water and wear sunblock.

4. On Sunday, go to Sabana Oeste and watch the semi-professional futbol games. The farm teams that feed the majors such as Saprissa and Liga play. You will see some incredible talent. Think about it this way - some of these guys will make it to the World Cup.

Funny shit about CR:

1. Ticos sometimes do this "fake" laugh in a really high pitch. It makes them sound like women. They especially do this when they are drunk. I'm pretty certain this is unique to CR. At least, I don't recall ever hearing Mexicans doing this.

2. Ticos have no concept of time. In fact, they think of "their time" as being essentially worthless. You can use this to your advantage. If you need to get work done around your house, you can get shit done on the cheap. I paid a teenage K*D 300 colones to clean my garage and then climb a tree in my yard and cut down some mangos. He spent about three hours on this, so he worked for about 20 cents an hour. He didn't complain one bit and actually spent more time climbing the tree.

3. Ticos do not have stress and never worry about a thing. Even the rich Ticos that I live amongst dont' stress about money. They live in the moment. Now, some americans may mock this, but I have actually learned to envy it. Being born into the American culture, I have been trained to dwell on the past and worry about the future, while forgetting about living in "today." Ticos certainly understand how to live in today.

4. Ticos are terrified of dogs. A K*D knocked on my door and said he was looking for work and would do anything. He even showed me his cedula, like I gave a phuck whether he was legal. While talking, my dogs charged my front gate and barked and jumped, because they were excited. Not aggressive... but their way of saying Hi. He turned ghost white. I told him I have no work, but he could bath my dogs for $6 each. He could earn this in about 30 minutes. This is more money than this K*D could have ever imagined making in a day, but he turned it down cuz he is afraid of dogs. LOL...

5. I was jogging yesterday in Santana and taking a breather. A woman came up to me and hugged my sweaty ass. Then she said "Conoce mi amigo Jesus? Mi amigo te ama." I was freaked out thinking that her gay friend Jesus was behind me or something. Jesus is a common name and there are shit loads of gay ticos in my 'hood. I said "Donde esta su amigo?" kinda like scared and get away you freaks. Then, she smiled and pointed to the sky. I was like ahhhhh Duhhhhhh.

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http://TipsCostaRica.com for pratical advice on living in Costa Rica.
In order to write about life, first you must live it! - E. Hemingway.

Chi!

Nice addition to this, very good post...


I have been thinking for quite a while about doing a post like this, but have always found something else to write about, or say...

Now that someone has started this, I want to add a little something to it...

On one of my trips last year I came to a very solid conclusion about Ticos/Ticas - They're CONSTANTLY afraid.

I don't mean this to be a bad thing, BUT, I have tested this theory and it has proved itself time and again.

I don't know if this is because they have no military, because they have nothing terribly dangerous, or what, but it's weird.

They FIRMLY believe that the "big" rollercoaster in the Parque de diversiones is terribly scary - my 5 year old could ride it...

They're afraid of walking at night in an area they don't know, even in the little towns, they're afraid of the water when they can't see the bottom, they're afraid of food they don't know...

It's amazing. I LOVE ticos/ticas, I have a lot of good friends who are from Costa Rica, but really, they're afraid of everything.

I don't write this to demean them in any way, but more as an observation. I know there are some macho ones that put on a big show, and I have some friends who are big guys (by CR standards) who think they are really tough, but put them up against someone who really is tough (an ex-navy seal for example) and they wither away and melt, without even knowing that the person could really have killed them, they just sense it.

I am SURE that I'm going to get a bunch of you guys telling me otherwise, but it's something I've found to be true with all the tico(a)s I have met.

A more timid society I have yet to meet...

This can be a very good trait... I've known several people in Mexico who have met their death because they wouldn't back down to a larger/ more qualified opponent in a fight. I have seen people in Brazil killed in knife fights that they should never have been in, and all this because of bravado, or machismo...

I think this would not happen in CR...The first one to pull out a weapon would win, just by brandishing it...

I'm curious what other people think...

Thanks for your responses guys. Chi-trekker I will definitely check out Cartago and the Escazu hills.

Good observations about Ticos. I've also noticed the "fear" thing, but I don't know how real that is. It's kind of like "que verguenza," how people dislike doing anything that could make them appear different or "un-Tico."

I went river rafting with some Tico friends, and at first they were all screaming but when they realized that a few of them were starting to enjoy it all the rest came around and they had a great time.

The fear of dogs may be related to the fact that there are a few actually rabid crazy dogs free on the streets (maybe just one in a thousand, but you never know). I know my ex-girlfriend was bitten hard in the leg by a stray dog as a little girl and never got over it.

On the other hand she and her sisters were also terrified of wandering horses, cows, and pigs. So maybe you guys are right afterall.

Just remembered two more really unique, kind of fun date places.

El Castillo is a country club in San Rafael, lots of "rich and famous" (highly relatively speaking) Ticos go there, and they have the only ice skating rink in the country. Few people even know it's there. I went as someone's guest once, but you can pay, don't remember how much, to go and use their facilities, like tennis, sauna, etc. There are trails and picnic parks around too.

Also, Panaca zoo in San Mateo, on the way to the beach. It's much better than the San Jose zoo, where the animals look sad and smell like urine. There's a "petting" part, the animals are more free, and they have like rodeos and cowboy stuff to try.

Keep the ideas comin'.

I really enjoyed your post, MrPublic. Very informative. Thanks for sharing.
I'd like to know more about trails or hiking reasonably close to San Jose. Is there a place you suggest for a day-hike of a few miles -- something less than 10.

I'm going again in May and wouldn't mind doing a little walking. Last trip I walked around San Jose a lot, but the fumes and the traffic and the noise made me wish for some rural hiking too.

I second that. Cartago is where I spend the vast majority of my time while in CR. Far enough away to feel like a whole different world as Chi notes but close enough to have action in about 30-45 minutes. Depends on traffic. I have a fantastic view of the mountains and an awesome view of the valley (particularly at night). If you haven't visited the Orosi Valley, you should definately partake in that tour. Just a few minutes from Cartago.

dapanz1

if you want just a short walk while visiting san jose then going out to the areas I mentioned might not be worth the effort.

your best bet, after la sabana and parque de la paz further south, might be the escazu hills that chi-trekker talked about.

of the areas i mentioned the closest to san jose would be to take the "san isidro por la pista" bus that stops in front of la bella maison and ride it until it turns left to leave the highway (25-30 minutes).

then you'll be at a truckstop, walk 50m north and you'll see a road that leads to the left and has a little guard house and a speed bump.

if you keep walking all the way straight up that road (probably better to drive if you could) you will come to a secluded entry to braulio carillo national park, and from there there a hundreds of little trails.

i've had the privilige of going in there with old guys who know the area very well and they showed me tracks of tapirs and smaller wild cats.

it's crazy beautiful but also gets a cold in the evenings or even late afternoons sometimes.

Its funny you guys mention the "fear" factor. At first, I was under the impression that latinos, in general, are just paranoid about security. I thought the levels of razor wire and layers of barred doors and windows were overkill. Yes - there is a lot more petty crime in latin america than many other places. However, I can name many places in the states where petty crime and violent crime is much, much worse and there are NO BARS and razor wire. So, is it exaggerated paranoia? I'm not sure.

Now, ticos are used to the simple life, which is why I believe they are afraid of just about anything. Anything big to us, is ENORMOUS or IMMENSO to them. My novia thinks that just about everything is extremely dangerous, including travelling, driving, hiking and especially swimming after a meal. She just assumed that I would drown. LOL...

I think there fear lies in ignorance and naivity. Most don't know or care much about what happens outside of Costa Rica. So, anything new or American here is sometimes viewed as a possible UFO sighting or Space Age Technology. Yes - American entered space more than 50 years ago, followed by many other countries. Many Costa Ricans probably don't know this. Have you ever watched the crowds that stand at the end of the runways at Juan SantaMaria to watch these UFO objects taking off and landing??

Concerning their fear of dogs???? This is really annoying. It is rooted in a Rotweiller mauling that occurred about 2 years ago. A nica was trying to rob a shop in El Centro and was mauled by the guarding Rotweiller's for about 2 hours. The crazyily stupid thing about the story is that the media, police and fire department sat and WATCHED and since it was on the news, so did the rest of the country. After 2 hours of mauling, the firemen finally turned hoses on the dogs and they stopped, but the guy was already dead.

I heard a rumor, which may even be true, that a law was passed shortly after, which required all Rotweillers to wear muzzles when in public. I have heard several people bitch at me about mine not wearing a muzzle when I'm walking her in the park. I just ignore the bullshit. Now, even the government believes that because the guard dogs were just doing their job like any other breed of guard dog SHOULD DO and the world just sat and watched, when it was apparent the dude was phucking subdued and harmless, that this breed is exclusively dangerous.

Now the two annoying things about this, which again lies in their naivity, is that now Nicas automatically assume that Rotweillers HATE NICAS. What the phuck? The damn dogs don't know your nationality stupid!!!! Okay - if you have a cedula that says your finally a CR resident, show it to the dog, to prevent a possible attack. He will read it, understand that your a Nica by birth, but now a Tico, and move on to attack the next Nica.

The other annoying thing is that ALL locals in this country assume that my Rotweiller puppy is aggressive, bravo and dangerous. I have been asked to leave places because of my dog, who is docile around people, when there are rabid street dogs laying around. The most bravo dogs in CR are those little shit muts that people tie to their godamn front fences, that run out an lunge at you as you past, gnashing their teeth and growling fiercely. Now, these little shits are everywhere, have countelessly bitten people, don't have any vaccinations, and are viewed as harmless. When my vaccinated, well trained and leashed puppy, is viewed as very dangerous, due to her breed, because of a 2 hours news clip, played two years ago.

Figure that one out....

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http://TipsCostaRica.com for pratical advice on living in Costa Rica.
In order to write about life, first you must live it! - E. Hemingway.