www.CostaRicaTicas.com

For information on the (incredibly cheap) C.R. buses, pick up a brochure called, "Hop a Bus." t's available at most hotel desks and travel agencies.

The information is also available online; sorry I don't have the link, but a Google search "Costa+Rica+bus+schedule+fare" will get you to the page. I believe it is also available through http://1costaricalink.com , but I am not sure.

Buses to my favorite areas (Palmares Norte, Atenas, Grecia, Orotina, Sn Joaquin de Flores/Alajuela) all charge fares of less than $8.50 round trip.

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

We went to Atenas recenlty to see a friend and it was 1300 colones round trip.

BKTUNA
I am never going home

I stand corrected. Around $5.500 round trip...cheap!

I cannotbelieve how inexpensive the buses are.

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

For me I prefer the buses over a small cab or uncomfortable van from a comfort standpoint. Ticos are very quiet and relaxed on the buses.

BKTUNA
I am never going home

Nearby trips? Cartago is great, Orisi is a sweet town as well. I like to look at the map, pick a town, and go (have done that most trips before I got locked into too much wine, women and song)

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I said hey baby, take a walk on the wild side.
Lou Reed

When I can stay for a month or so I do take the time to explore...
local buses, real cheap and you can always call a taxi if you get a bit lost
I do and eat things I never would think of at home.

and yes the food, the ticas love the pizza hut crap but I do embrace the local food, I was a bit squeamish on serviche but I came around.

For day trip I like to go south of Cartago , there is a hydro dam at Cachi and nearby a cool little suspension bridge with a restraint over the river for tipico lunch OR how about the Irazu volcano North of Cartago.

Sometimes I bring a chica, sometimes not.

Fiedler

Brings 2 questions to mind--assuming one isn't drunk and/ or loud and the Chica is dressed appropriately, how do the Ticos/ Ticas treat you? ho-hum or lotsa frowns especially from the Ticas/ female Nicas or what? And especially as some of the Chicas are on the "down-low", is it tough to persuade them to take a trip when they are so exposed and it's pretty obvious what's going on?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Be careful and do not assume that every guy on CRT is a "good guy." Remember - there is absolutely no background check or anything required for membership.

If you live here, you should assume that pretty much everyone down here is broke or living on a very meager fixed income and looking for ways to eek-out a couple of drinks here, or a session or two there. Under that assumption, do not loan someone money, unless you never want to see them again. Or, conversely, if you want to get rid of somebody, loan them $50. Not everyone is this way - but you are better off to assume that they are.

There is my rant...

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I use buses all the time for short hops... just like in any city. If you need a taxi, don't hire one!!!! Just pay a friend gas + time. I know several
ticos that aren't even taxis, they are electicians, plumbers and such. They will take you to Arenal for 50% less than pirates or red taxis. Caution - you should speak spanish and know the guy very, very well first. Do not use the white pages or bad referrals. (For example, your neighbor(s)) There are a ton of disclaimers here, however, if you have a good friend, you can save good money.

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The Caja is a major oversight by most foreigners. It is not exclusive to ticos. For about 13,000 colones, you can get full coverage for 1 month in any

public clinic or hosptial. The alternative at INS is equivalent to the US.

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Change your electric meter to "Una medidor horario". This means meter by the hour. It is free and just requires an application at CNFL. You have 3 time

slots:

8PM - 8AM Nocturnal... super cheap. Electricity is 10x less than normal. You can run your drier all night. Or, you can heat your hot water tanks using a

timer. I take full advantage of this.

8A-11:30PM Valle - 10% cheaper than normal.

10:30-12"30PM Punta - 100% more than normal. Only run the basics. Do not cook. Do not make coffee.

12.30-5:30 Valle iqual que arriba.

5.30-8.30p Punta otra vez. No se prende nada! hay que concinar despues las 8.30. Pero que importa! So, esperese y aprovechese.

I save about 50% or more on my electric bill. I put the savings into AMNETs high definition package with a DVR so I can pause live TV and record. Easy way

to save money.

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Learn spanish and suddenly doors open everywhere. Things become very negotiable and there is no shame. Its a part of their culture and expected. They are

hard negotiators and sometimes even enjoy it. Also, there is a concept called "chorizo". This especially applies in business and politics. It means that

you need to line someone's pockets sometimes to get something done right. For example, I gave the owner of a warehouse some "chorizo" to kick-out his

tenants who were annoying the entire phucking neighborhood and to rent to new tenants that had a more "neighborly" style of business. Turns out - they were

operating illegally and didn't have permits anyway, so the owner saved himself a huge headache too. In all, my neighbors love me for it. I call it good

will. And, I don't have to worry about the value of my house falling. (or at least as much as it would). This can also be done to straighten-up crooked

real estate agents (gringo and tico). Read that contract hard. And, learn how much they want as commission. If it is out of whack like 15%, you got a bad

realtor, but no problem. Pay your lawyer and the guy on the other end of the contract a "chorizo" to square up the numbers. Then, after the other side

signs, call the realtor to break them the hard news. Sorry man!!! you got to be real careful on any real estate transaction. Like I said - lots of

sheisters down here!

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Pay more money for a better lawyer. Better yet - hire a firm, not just one lawyer and they handle all of your business. The cheaper lawyers are almost

always sheisters. Not only can they rip you off, but they can also get you into a lot of trouble. In this category... cheaper is almost always more

expensive. Ever hear about those off the shelf corporations for $200???? People offer this as a cheap way to get a cell phone. Wooahhh!!!!!! what if

that corporation has $20,000 in outstanding debts and liens? Now, you just paid $200 for a $20,000 debt and a cell phone. This shit happens down here!!!

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If you are not hiding from the IRS, (I don't really fault those who do anymore), hire a good accountant that understands international taxation. I can give

a good reference. This can save you a lot of money... and who really wants to pay taxes to country you no longer live in???? Sheesh!

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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.

when you pick up your bags buy a liter of Crown royal for $19 at duty free. Hell, I paid $38 friday nite at a liquior store here in Texas

Overall a very good post in General. While labeling CRT members as "the usual suspects" may be a tad over the top, it is conceded that many in CR from the USA are either wanted or unwanted and will take advantage of you faster than a Pirate Taxi.

Not everyone is a sheister, but there are many that target tourist short time visitors. The suggestion to "loan" someone $50 is not good advice especially if you don't want to see them again. They will seek you out, hire a taxi to borrow another $50 and tell the driver you will pay.

Keep your wallet in your front pants pocket. Spread your big bills out. Some in your shoe, some rolled up in your sleeve. Leave the bling and CC's in your safe along with passport, DL, and other ID docs. Visit an ATM daily as needed and straight back to the room and safe.

Don't ask alot of questions and avoid answering personal and private ones. Keep a copy of your passport (first page and entry stamp) on you. Someone suggested your boarding stub to prove entry.

Treat everyone with respect. Pay attention to your surroundings. Don't walk after dark or before dawn. Stay with friends and / or in a safe environ if you are planning on drinking...heavily. Relax and enjoy. You are on vacation!

I wasn't necessarily speaking of CRT members. I was referring guys living in CR from the US. There are many sheisters and sheister is a very fitting term. Guys that are broker and looking for a quick buck. Tons of em down here. And the lengths they will go for that buck is really pitiful.

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

haha Been here ten years and still get a kick when some gringo tries to extract money from me. Sometimes I let them get through their whole spiel before I laugh at them. Depending on my mood. Don't like sheister gringos and would not be adverse to putting them in harms way. Why not, cops don't care of matters between gringos.

Let's compare Sheisters:

1. Failed stock broker/gringo who works in boilermaker call center that calls old retired people and steals their money by investing in non-existent real estate

2. Gringo who has K*ds in the US. The mom divorced him so hes now in CR and married to a Russian prostitute and totally ditching on all Ch*ld support. Even though he is dirt poor, always claims he is rich and owns several businesses in the US. However, he faked a broken credit card and came to my door begging for money to pay his bills. He asked for $100 and as a joke i offered him 10K colones to GO AWAY and never come back begging for money. He took it and promised to pay it back. However, never did. Same guy borrowed $600 from my German neighbors and never paid it back. Same guy also had a scheme to pay rent via PayPal. His tico landlord never once got a single payment and eventually evicted him. In all he lived rent-free for 6 months.

3. Gringo owes a LOT of taxes on a busted business deal.... hiding from the IRS.... making money playing cards and other stupid crap.

4. Gringo who is addicted to crystal meth and surives by taking pictures of motorcycles. Offers to sell them on Craiglist. When the sale is made, he goes out and steals the motorcycle he took a photo of. Ofcourse, this guy also deals drugs for side cash. Unbelievable piece of shit!!! Sells a bike on Craigslist. Then goes and steals it and takes the money. What a genius!!!

5. Gringo who has fake business in CR. Walks around dressed up with folders and portfolios and offers tourists investment ideas or partherships. I personally watched him accept $5,000 from some drunken unknowing tourist. He tried getting me to give him money to help sell some stolen fibre optic cable.

6. Gringo who has a business in counterfeit US dollasr. He buys each $100 bill for $20. Walks around with stacks of cash. The only problem - he slipped up with me by offering to pay his portion of a tab with a cien note after I had already paid on my CC. I asked him for colones... knowing it was suspect. He said its real. Went to the bank the next day. Counterfeit!!!! As a side business his tica girlfriend runs a small-time drug trafficing ring in Escazu.

All 6 of these accounts are real people that I've UNFORTUNATELY come across in CR. Only one was a CRT member. The rest are just bad guys... broke and doing bad shit to survive. The crazy thing is - most of these guys just look like "regular" guys and none of them seem to be really bad people when you first meet them.

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

Double post, but what are the leasing rates for small retail space, maybe office? thanks