www.CostaRicaTicas.com

If all goes well during my first trip next weekend, I plan to go to CR every month or so. I travel alone quite a bit, and my mongering trips are no different. However, I'm not a loner per se, as I like to hang out with fellow gringos when I'm not chasing the chicas. Do a lot of mongers travel to CR alone (dumb question, I know, but I'm most interested in the ratio of loners to packs of mongers going to CR together)? After perusing the boards my impression is that the mongering fraternity is pretty tight in San Jose, and I should have no problem finding someone with whom to chat or hang with, say, at one of the popular watering holes. Any insight my fellow lone mongers can share would be appreciated.

Also, is it unrealistic to think one can have a good time in San Jose if only there for 26 hours? I'll find out for myself this weekend, but I'm interested in reading about anyone's experience who does this pretty regularly. TIA!

Dcdweller:
To read about experiences just look under trip reports. You will find enough there to keep you busy till next weekend.

You're not alone in going alone. I would say 60 to 75 percent of the guys flying in-to San Jose are traveling alone. With one or two exceptions I have always traveled alone. Once you are there you will have no trouble finding a fellow traveler to drink with and talk to. Each day at the Blue Marlin at about 5 o'clock CRT has a happy hour. Look for a group of guys sitting at the tables under the windows in the Blue Marlin. Cannot guarantee they'll be from CRT but there is a very good chance they will be.
Lee

My first few trips were with 3-5 good friends. Now I prefer to go alone on MY agenda. If not for CRT, I might experience loneliness, but I haven't yet...... made a lot of friends. You will also.

_________________
Why Chicas Come to CostaRica:

"Predators gather where prey abounds"

I recently traveled alone to CR 3/13/05 through 3/21/05. I really enjoyed the total experience. I met a great bunch of guys from the board like Scubabum, Don Papi, Vegas Bob etc. Met some great ladies ( many of them!!) Have no fear, even when alone you're not alone. Just enjoy. Kenj8, Ken

BTW How's it hanging Scubabum, the new crown working out OK?

When I tell people about my solo trips to various places, they usually look at me a little strange and ask "but don't you ever get lonely", but I actually prefer travelling solo. Sometimes during my trip I might lack for company, but not usually. While there are other times when I actually prefer to be alone. Planning travel with others requires finding friends who can take off at the same time as you and preferably for the same amount of time, which is not always easy and often leads to delayed or never taken trips. People who you get along with just fine at home very often have different travel habits, such as when they like to rise or go to bed or their pace while awake. Some like to tarry at the market or at a museum or lie out all day on the beach. I personally prefer a more active and quicker pace "vacation". Some friends are accomodating or can go their seperate ways when necessary and some can't and can begin to really get on your nerves when you are with them 24/7. The biggest factor in favor of travel with others is the potential savings on hotel rooms,etc. but if you're mongering, you're probably not going to be sharing a room anyway (one possible exception to this is the possible savings in sharing a nice 2 bedroom apartment such as they have at Casa Conde).

There are also other negatives to having along a friend from home. I've found I'm far less likely to meet new people, particularly locals, when I can rely on my friends for my companionship needs. And I've also found through boards like this one it is nearly always far easier to find people who are already planning to go the same time as you are. You can meet up with and share good times if you get along and more easily come and go your seperate ways when the circumstances warrant (e.g. not have every meal together, etc. as you probably would if you went down with a particular friend).

All this applies (except for the hotel thing) whether you are travelling to "monger" or not, though the whorticultural boards are a good place to go to find kindred spirits/solo travellers. And there are usually large groups of us solo guys hanging out at known spots where you can meet up whereever you may go (whether the DR, Meia Pattaca or Nana Plaza, etc.)

I actually prefer travelling alone as well.

The trip that I just got back from was the first one that I was with someone I knew. All in all, it worked out OK, but still there are some drawbacks.

After rereading dcdwellers initial post, I realize I've been preaching to the choir and didn't tell him anything he hasn't already discovered.

CR is no different than any other mongering destination in terms of being able to meet up with new friends. In fact, if anything it might be even better. I'm not sure of Lee's estimates, but they're not far from the truth at least for those guys travelling here for whorticulture. You'll see a lot of packs, but you never know how many of those just met up once down there. The vast majority of whorticulturalists come to CR alone. And as a group, largely because we've all travelled alone, we aren't so cliquish (sp?) as to not be willing to add another member to our groups. At least nearly all CRTers I've met aren't. I've been to other "monger" destinations where guys were a bit more standoff-ish.

Lee also had great advice on how to meet up with these guys by going to Happy hour. I'm always a little disappointed when I ask "CRT?" and the guys look back blankly and say "What's CRT?", which I'm afraid happens far more often than I'd like. I then usually answer something in hushed tones like "its a secret web society of 2700 close friends". They either look at me like I'm weird, which I'm afraid also happens far more often than I'd like (and is probably true) or they become curious and ask more. I've met more than my share of non CRT'ers while down there too and sometimes some really nice guys (anyone remember my buddy Andre?).

DCD,
As to your real question about quicky trips, I usually go weekend to weekend, but I did go once for a long holiday weekend (though not just 26 hours). It will not give you much if any time to get out of SJ, which may be fine if all you want to do is hit the MP's by day and the bars by night. But with airfare and hotel costs, not to mention travel time, its hard to imagine how it wouldn't just be more economical to find a hooker at home. I'd recommend you try to go for at least a couple of days, maybe leave a little early on a friday, so you have friday and saturday night and return sunday or even monday. The extra day or two will go a long way to insuring you get your money's worth. You can then either go on a sexual binge scoring as much pu*sy as you can or take Saturday to do a day trip and see a little of CR, even if its just for half the day. You could do a different one each visit and eventually see a good chunk of at least the places of interest in the central valley. Or better yet, if leaving on Monday, do the MPs on Saturday and do the tourism thing on Sunday when many places are closed anyway.

Thanks for all the great responses. I know a lot of this information can be found elsewhere on the boards, and I've spent several hours scouring for all the good tidbits I could find. But I was seeking specific answers to specific questions, and you all did a great job of providing the info I was looking for. I know it can be irritating when one sees a "newbie" requesting "new info," and I tried to be sensitive to that when I posted. Often questions that many want answers to go unasked for fear of an admonition from the regulars, but you guys were most gracious with this newbie. Much thanks for that. Anyhow, thanks again to all, and I will try to reward everyone with a full report upon my return.

I realize 26 hours won't give me much time to explore San Jose, but as you intimated, my first trip is definitely a trip of conquest. I plan to be a mad freak in the MPs and bars! However, an important secondary goal is to check out some of the popular spots for a subsequent return trip when I can spend a little more time if I'm feeling a good vibe (I have no doubt that vibe will come). Sure it would be more economical to rent some fun here in the states, but I get a kick out of the adventure aspect of the trip as much as the final score.

As for identifying fellow CRTers, my plan is repeat my mantra "No Cien!" as liberally and conspicuously as necessary. And if I can't find a fellow cybermonger, no biggie. CRT or no CRT, we'll all be there for the same thing anyway.

Thanks again, and happy mongering!

Kenj8-
Time is going real slow. 2 weeks from tonight, I will be packing for a week of you know what!
The crown feels very good. My periodontist was impressed with the work. That made me happy. Thanks for asking.
Scuba

_________________
Why Chicas Come to CostaRica:

"Predators gather where prey abounds"

I'd recommend you try to go for at least a couple of days, maybe leave a little early on a friday, so you have friday and saturday night and return sunday or even monday. The extra day or two will go a long way to insuring you get your money's worth. You can then either go on a sexual binge scoring as much pu*sy as you can or take Saturday to do a day trip and see a little of CR, even if its just for half the day.

I agree with Prolijo... I usually go down on Thursdays and come home on Mondays. I gives me time to have the best of both worlds and I can still see some friends who live in CR or visit my latest. AND I do like to travel alone also. ( unless Dino is on a Colombian hunt!!!! )

The "quote" in the above post is from Prolijo...it didn't come up as a quote.

I am just agreeing with his suggestions.

ShowerHead

Thanks, I thought it looked familiar.