www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hey everyone,

In Jan, I may be traveling down to SJ for some dental work. The work I am having done will require about 2 weeks of just hanging out waiting for crowns to be built. This means I should have a lot of time to explore.

Some questions...

I am married, so I have some guilt (and STD worries about phucking girls), but not enough guilt to completely avoid fun. Shit, last night I hit up a local strip club then a nearby AMP for a HE (kind of wish I went to AMP first. Save me money)

What I am looking for are some nice massage parlors that either offer HE or not. I'm going to avoid strip clubs because that seems like a waste of money in a place like SJ where there is no need for the tease. I may see if I can spend a day at the Del Rey just to say I was there (and maybe take up a girl if there is one I can't resist)

Now, what I am asking is...

1) Any recommendations for good massage spots? Are there good ones who come to hotel room?
2) Other than the Del Rey, what are other 'safe' spots for foreigners to check out the girls?

I say 'safe' because I understand there is always a danger everywhere, but I am looking for locations where a bunch of other mongers are likely to be and not somewhere smack dab in the middle of the city ready to be mugged.

Not only is this my first trip to CR, but it's my first trip out of the country, so I am basing everything on the heavily propaganda of the US media and TV where everyone is out to kill you lol.

Thanks for any replies with advice

1.Pay your dues
2.Start reading

I agree but I suggest lifetime cause you will be back!

I'd recommend you stay at Amistad...
its safe and has has a great staff.. there arent girls hanging out at the bar but is chica friendly...
The all inclusive is a great value, the bar is a good place to suck down ice cold drinks after a dental appt...

its only a block from sportsman which is a safe place to hang out for chicas, its also a few min walk to new fantasy and Zona 2... del rey isnt far to walk either...
any guy who stays there will help you find your way..

the MPs are full service but i guess you can down grade to a handie
Strip clubs in San Jose are "full service" so its not a waste of time..

San Jose is relatively safe, the Barrio Amon vicinity near Sportsman might seem creepy at night... but thats because its quiet... as always use common sense... Fat old gringos walk around so its gotta be safe..

January tends to begin busy season, so id recommend you book soon

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its easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled- mark twain

I could not agree more with the Col! If you decide on La Amistad, definitely take advantage of the 'all inclusive special'. And I would highly recommend booking a Thurs, Fri and Sat stay at the Cocal in Jaco. The Amistad provides free round trip transportation with a minimum 4 night all inclusive stay (unlimited beer, wine and well drinks and anything you want from the restaurants menu) Asking for a room on the back side (less commuter train sound) is also advisable. J99

Thanks for the replies. I've been doing a ton of research and I am actually leaning toward the LA Amistad.

I do have a question, however. The all-inclusive package they show on the main page. Is that price before or after the crt discount? I am 100% booking a week there if it is before the discount. If after, I still may book, but probably not as long.

Thanks

If I recall correctly, the all inclusive at La Amistad is the stated price because of all that comes with it. Meaning no further discounts apply.

CRTers who don't want the AI option can have a discount on the regular room rate.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No tourist or travel promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided compensation (monetary or otherwise) for this potentially entertaining contribution.

For the record, I contacted them and you're 100% correct. All-inclusive has no discount.

That said, $90ish for All-inclusive is a pretty damn good deal regardless, so I'll almost certainly be spending a few nights down there while I wait for my dental crowns to be finished

Something to keep in mind if you are coming down for major dental work, you may not feel like eating a whole lot with your temporary crowns in place. I was just down in SJ for major dental over two weeks in early September. I had two implants, two root canals, and a total of 19 crowns done. The first day in the chair was by far the worst. I was there around 6+ hours while the doctor ground down my existing teeth and prepared the implant areas. I was then fitted with temporary crowns and came back for 1-2 hours in the chair over the next three days. I was able to take Friday, Sat, and Sun away from the dental office and then returned for 1-3 hours each day the following week before everything was done. Until the day I was fitted with my permanent crowns, I ate very soft food (lots of soup and pasta) and even substituted some meals with slim fast drinks that I bought at Walmart.

You need to know your tolerance for pain. The dentist will prescribe you with some pain meds, but they are “lightweight” compared to what is available in the states. The only pharmacies that can distribute narcotic pain killers are at the actual hospitals. My oral surgeon was hesitant to prescribe that type of medication, so you might need to bring those types of pills from home with a doctor’s script. All in all, between the temp teeth, the pain meds, and the discomfort of dental work, eating won’t be very high on your list of things you will want to do. Keep that in mind when you are forking over the extra money for an all-inclusive plan.

Blackjack Guy

Blackjack Guy, do you mind sharing where you went and the cost.

Thanks

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The most dangerous adversaries are the ones that come with a smile instead of a sword

I used Nova Dental in Escazu. I am very happy with the results and the care provided by their entire team. I originally came down last year in December with my wife and vacationed in CR for 10 days. While we were here on that trip, I met with three dental offices and choose Nova. I felt most comfortable with them and was impressed with the entire facility. I was quoted on the initial exam, $12K for all the work. I needed an extraction of a broken tooth and a bone graft (sinus lift) to build up the upper jaw where two of the implants were going. In total I needed three implants, two on my upper jaw and one on the lower jaw where a tooth was missing. I went forward with the extraction and the sinus lift during this first trip and spent a couple of more days recovering at the hotel while my wife hung out the pool and went on a day trip to the hot springs in Arenal. I was charged about $4K during that week. I was then to go home and return in 6-7 months after the graft healed up.

I returned in late August/early Sept for the remainder of the work. This trip I came down here solo and had the implants put in, the crown work, and the needed root canals since a couple of teeth were being moved to align my overall bite. While I was at home, I went to a local dentist and had an exam and panoramic x-rays done along with a cleaning. I choose a local dentist that offered a $29 exam and $29 cleaning. He emailed me the x-rays and I forwarded them down to Nova so they could monitor the progress of the bone graft prior to finalizing the 2 week return trip. I came back down, had the rest of the work done and had a small complication with one of the implants. The graft was initially put in place for two adjacent teeth. One of the posts, didn’t adhere properly and the tissue caused the post to “slip”. The surgeon had to regraft that area and that implant wasn’t able to be placed this trip. So, now I going to need to return a third time in another 6 months. I’ll do the same thing, visit a local dentist and get x-rays to forward to Nova prior to coming back down in the April or May of 2017. I paid the remaining $8K during this trip and I don’t anticipate a bill for the next trip.

The multiple trips are part of the risk with any major work. The soft tissue problem would have happened if I had all this work done in the States. Before deciding to come to CR for “medical tourism” I was quoted over $35K by local dentists for similar work. I’ve been down to CR now three times. I started with a mongering trip with a buddy two years ago, and then returned for the dental work. I’m fortunate that I build up a lot of frequent flier miles and hotel nights with Marriott and Holiday Inn that I can use in CR. It helps to keep my overall travel expenses down.

Blackjackguy

Why do you need 2 weeks for some crowns? Most of these places have labs on site and can have crowns done in a few days.


Not kill you, usually just to separate you from your money.

Thanks for the excellent detailed report.

Devo

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The most dangerous adversaries are the ones that come with a smile instead of a sword

The dentist wants me to stick around for an extra week to see if they need adjusting, polishing or some shit. Think it's overkill? I did have another dentist recommend a week for the same process.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't put much thought into eating, so I may just get an airbnb and save money.