www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Back on topic. Yes, I enjoy dining at Machu Picchu, and will usually splurge at least once a trip and have lunch or dinner there. I love the food along with a Pisco Sour or two. IMO, the prices are much higher than what I pay in a typical soda, but Machu Picchu is not a rip-off. My favorite dish is Parilla Mariscos, which I order for two, and share it with a favorita or a buddy. It is more than enough for two people, and whatever isn't eaten, can be taken back to the hotel to be enjoyed later.

Another decent, and less expensive, option for good Peruvian seafood is Soda Peru... just up the block from HLH.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

The one with the whip, or the one without the ball gag and hand cuffs.

Funny..I once critiqued your treatment of a newcomer, and you just went nuts. Dude, you have a nasty, acerbic thing to say about just about everyone, in just about all your posts. Try a bit of kindness and perhaps not act in such a know it all, self righteous manner. So there, some constructive criticism- lets see if you can take it.

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

"Este"... the place you speak of is not a rip off. Just like 95% of all of CR. The rip offs are when one doesn't know the game and the natives take advantage. I have said on more than one occasion that the national sport of Costa Rica is screwing the gringo. Know the game and you're less likely to be taken advantage of.

Take the Colonial restaurant next door to the HDR. They have 2 menus (assuming they still do). One cheap for the ticos and one expensive for the gringos. I figured this one out long ago.

The chicas are doing their thing... unless you set some limits. Most will act like a N*no in a candy store.

As far as MASTER MONGER... there's only one and he "ain't" posted to this thread.

Berk...

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

It isn’t just screwing the Gringo, it is screwing anyone they can. Theft, fraud and deceit are a national sport. It is right up there with “fubol”. They screw each other: family members, foreigners; anyone they can.

It used to be worse, for example when they sold the exit taxes at curb side at the airport, if you weren’t paying attention you would give the guy the money for the tax receipt then turn to do something with bags and he would disappear into the crowd of exit tax sellers. If you picked him out he would insist he gave you the exit papers and it was your word against his.

Everyone knows not to leave anything unattended because it WILL be stolen. When we lived in Guadalupe, my then 10 year old son had his bicycle inside the gated yard. The chain was woven between the two wheels and through the frame then locked to a pole. The bike was stolen.

As far as the time at Machu Pichu is concerned, my guess is your gut feeling is accurate. There probably was some collusion between the chica’s and the waiter; most likely padding of the bill.

Berk wrote about the Colonial, I was ripped off in there. There was no mistaking or something missed in translation. I was with my wife and her friend who are both Ticas and native Spanish speakers. It was just simple deceipt on the part of the waiter.

But I am gald because I used to go into the Colonial all the time but since they cheated me I never went back. Then I looked for another place to hang out and found the Sportsmen's Lodge which in my opinion is light years ahead of the Colonial in service and value. The gaming part is not important because I understand house odds and don't gamble.

Estebanh, keep the faith buddy, forget the masters, keep posting and you’ll earn your PhD from the Del Rey University. I am doing post doc studies at the Graduate School of Sportsmen’s Lodging.

This Thread was rapidly going to "Ugly Spat"--so glad cooler heads prevailed.
Anyway in Googling a bit I came up with these venues (no guarantee they're all still in biz--one reference was from '07--you know how that goes). Note the old-style phone #'s
Chancay^^3 locations^^289-6964
Ceviche del Rey^^3 locations^^234-9615/282-8019/440-0779
Bohemia^^a Frommer's reference^^2253-6348
La Divina Comida^^a pun (it's a Dante-themed restaurant)^^201-9353

BTW, in researching, I came upon this website covering all Costa Rica--don't know how bona fide it is but it seems to list venues of all types we've heard of: http://www.top10costarica.com A current site (listings up to April 2010 with archives back to '08).

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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

Anybody who takes a ho for dinner is just stupid. Trust me, everybody is laughing at you at the restaurant, not just the waiters.

I guess that means I know quite a few "stupid" people. In fact, I would be willing to bet that many of those stupid people read this forum.

Or alternatively, it could mean that you have enough money to spend, you are on vacation, you like to have fun and you are not a cheap bastard.

I disagree. Many of the girls I see do not act like a "ho", they act like they do this because they have to. They are respectful and do not act like a "ho". Any girl who acts like a "ho" I do not interact with outside of the bedroom, and even rarely take them back to my room, since if they act like a "ho", they're not going to click with me, since I don't just like phucking a "ho". Of course, "ho" is a loaded word so it may mean different things to me than to you.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

Yee Haw, Estebanh!! Tell the truth my good fellow!! Tell the truth!!! "He swings....makes contact....and it's up, up, up, up....HOLY COW!!!! It's OUT OF THE PARK!!" Good one, Estebanh.....

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

Who wants to be seen in public with a ho anyhow? Nothing wrong with taking them to your hotel and banging them, but don't complain when they bang you out at Machu Pichu, they are hoes, thats what they do.

Which Machu Picchu did you go to?

Went to Chancay in Curridabat which has reopened under a new name. Both my girlfriend and I both got sick. Buyer beware.

I had lunch there a couple of times and never any problem with the food or the bill. I was in a 7-11 here last night and they tried to short change me. It can happen anywhere.

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Go Dolphins!!!

I usually count my change when I am here in CR and find someone tries to short change me about once a week. Sometimes it is really small and other times it can be 2000 or 5000 Colones. But I don't count it in the US and really should. Thanks for the reminder.