re: Costa Rica first time

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Women will be everywhere and it will be some of the most beautiful women you laid eyes

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This is why I want to go

I know the actual crime numbers rising is documented, but I also wonder how much of it (from reading that State Dept. report) has more to do with government corruption and ties to narcos which has evidently recently been exposed. I imagine that CR has had that all along, but it appears that it's really come out into the open as a political issue in recent years.

We had zero issues with "street crime," but I did have my debit card stolen (and by that I'm pretty sure that I left it at a restaurant in San Jose or dropped it somewhere in San Jose). I know I didn't get pick pocketed. Anyway, they ran up like 2.3k on my card, but I got the money back within 24 hours of reporting to my bank. Was still annoying, though.

The biggest "crime" event we saw was when we drove down to La Playita (also called Playa Playitas or just Playitas). Absolutely awesome beach that you can drive you car onto then park at the treeline (don't park under a coconut tree unless you want a shattered windshield or dented vehicle). We went there quite a few days toward sunset, and on the last day, one of the locals waved us down and told us we couldn't come in because there were cops everywhere. I thought he was trying to hustle us and eventually he was like "Have you been here before?" and I said "Pretty much every day this week." Then he said, alright go on in then, but be careful.

We drove past the chokepoint onto the beach and, sure enough, there were cops everywhere. Turns out some, I'm assuming unlicensed, tour company had brought a huge tour group down to the beach in vans, set up volleyball nets, bars, bonfires, tables full of fruit, and big circles of chairs. The cops weren't having it and were running them off.

Now... there are always vendors down in that area selling coconuts, booze, beers, renting surfboard and giving surf lessons. The cops weren't messing with them, but they were running off the big tour company and making them dump out all their stuff. I figure that someone didn't pay the right people and the locals weren't having it. Anyway, that was the biggest police presence and "crime" we saw while there for a week, and it was a very CR flavored incident.

We stayed in Jaco a couple summers ago at the Palms, a condo complex adjacent to Croc's resort. Most here don't like 'Costa Rican' food.. the natives prefer what they call sodas, and yeah it's pretty plain but you can get a delicious, nutritious meal for like $3 USD. Morales House was my favorite soda, hope it is still there. If we go back, I wouldn't waste my time with their attempts at American food. The burger place in the middle of town was OK but everything else was disappointing.

I planned to cook most of the time, but I spent an hour in the grocery store and came away with very basic stuff. I didn't recognize half of the items in there.

If you use nicotine in any form: stock up before you leave home.

Beware: the north end of Jaco beach will be mostly empty, but it is riptide city. Very strong riptide action there.

Glad you're recovering from cancer! But sorry you can't take advantage of the eco-tourism. You can always take a boat out to Tortuga Island or a guided waterfall tour up in the mountains, Manuel Antonio park, etc..

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We stayed in Jaco a couple summers ago at the Palms, a condo complex adjacent to Croc's resort. Most here don't like 'Costa Rican' food.

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Thanks. Appreciate the first-person account. I really am at the mercy of my friend who has spent winters and spring there for about five years. He’s trying to talk me into retiring there. I love the ecotourism but not sure I’m up to it right now. And thank you. Doctors say I’m a top 5% case. Very thankful.