www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Please give me the "newbie pass" if I am asking redundant questions in this post.

I am planning my first trip to CR and need some guidance. It will be a 14 day trip in which I will have responsibilities Monday - Friday in the morning until noon in San Pedro but I will have weekday afternoons free as well as all Saturday and Sunday.

My questions are:

How far away is San Pedro from the popular spots? I have done some research on Google Maps but I am still having trouble figuring out the distances. Addresses seem to be crazier and more difficult in CR than in Mexico.

Would it be convenient to stay in one of the popular hotels like HDR or La Amistad & take a taxi to San Pedro every morning? I would need to be on time in San Pedro every morning at 8am. Getting a good night's rest would be a good thing as well.

I was thinking of spending the weekend on the beach. It appears to me that Jaco is very popular. Do you recommend obtaining everything I need for a fun weekend in San Jose and bringing it with me or should I see the variety available in Jaco? Or both?

Is it easy to meet up with other gringos with similar interests?

I am gringo but I speak fluent Spanish; however, I am not familiar with the peculiarities of the Spanish spoken in CR. Any other Spanish speakers que puede darme consejos sobre divertirse en CR?

Many thanks and I hope to meet you in CR.

You shouldn't have any problem getting to San Pedro by 8:00am. It is less than 10 minutes by cab. Staying somewhere like SL should work great for you.

I would recommend not making any weekend plans until you get here. Many reservations are non-refundable or require advance notification of cancellation. You can always decide to go to the beach. Deciding not to could cost you if you make plans now.

Don't over-plan. Bring extra money.

_________________
"Your love gives me such a thrill
but your love don't pay my bills,
I NEED THE MONEY!" - John Lee Hooker

Disclaimer: The above is merely the opinion of the author unless specific scientific data is included.
Your mileage may vary. https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 978#206978

Mike

If you speak fluent Spanish, you will be very well off in CR. Costa Ricans, generally speak a mainstream latin american Spanish, and while there are some regional variations in phonetics (ll and y is more of a soft 'j' and rr is less forceful than in Mexico), and vocabulary, you will do very well. Caribean and Argentinian Spanish is, by contrast, IMO, a more difficult nut to crack.

By the way, on my first trip to CR, I spent a week at the Clarion Amon plaza, and worked in San Pedro early every morning. I took cabs and never had a problem. Just make certain that the taxi driver knows exactly where you are going.

Ciaociao

Hopefully you already found this link, read it and memorize.

https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/vi ... bc42da3780

I will recommend paying for a VIP membership and get access to the VIP map to give you some bearings. As the others have said, San Pedro is a cheap taxi ride away. For you, I will definitely recommend La Amistad since is number two in TripAdvisor and many other non-mongers stay there.

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Hit them fast, Hit them hard and NEXT!
A good chica is like a good carpenter - No wood gets wasted!!!

I'm tagging this so I can more readily find it in the future. orangetips

_________________
"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