Heading to Costa Rica

[bluenix]

Am planning a few days in San José at the Joluva Guesthouse (thanks, Cajun!) before my friends and I head off to Montezuma.

 

Previous threads here give me the info I need about night life, etc., but I have a couple of general questions:

 

1.) What are the chances that my cell phone (Verizon) will work?

 

2.) What's the best mode of transportation from San Jose to Montezuma?

 

3.) Is it best to carry U.S. dollars, colons or a combination of the two?

 

Thanks -

 

blue

[kjun]

Answers:

1) You have to call Verizon and they will arrange something for your phone to work but it will cost $2 a minute for calls.

 

2) Rent a vehicle (4-wheel drive) or take a bus to Puntarenas then a ferry to the peninsula then a bus to Montezuma.

 

3) Carry a combination of dollars & colones.

the Cajun

 

My best advice is don't go to Montezuma. It is hot as hell and not very nice. Sorry, but those are my feelings.

[bluenix]

>Answers:

>1) You have to call Verizon and they will arrange something

>for your phone to work but it will cost $2 a minute for

>calls.

>

>2) Rent a vehicle (4-wheel drive) or take a bus to Puntarenas

>then a ferry to the peninsula then a bus to Montezuma.

>

>3) Carry a combination of dollars & colones.

>the Cajun

>

>My best advice is don't go to Montezuma. It is hot as hell

>and not very nice. Sorry, but those are my feelings.

 

Great. Thanks!

 

We're heading to Montezuma on the recommendation of friends who have been to CR multiple times. To wit:

 

http://www.elbanano.com/pages/578968/index.htm

[bluenix]

Here's an update on my 12 days in Costa Rica. I should perhaps warn you that this was an escort free vacation, so you may want to stop reading here.

 

To kjun's description of Joluva Guesthouse as being "a little seedy," allow me to add "you ain't a-kiddin'." It was a fucking dump. On the up side it was clean and cheap (US$35), and Carlos the manager is indeed very helpful with recommendations and making all the arrangements for whatever you'd like to do in San Jose. I also met some interesting people at the breakfast table. On the down side, let's just say the place has been in decline since about 1964 when the last improvement was made. Literally, I could see through the bath towels they were so threadbare. The bed was a box spring mattress with two dingy sheets, and the pillow had maybe two cups of foam chips inside it. (My last night I stayed at the Marriott Resort up in Alajuela. That's more my speed. Big room, newly decorated, gigantic fluffy towels, six pillows of varying composition and density to choose from, 3 restaurants, US$125.)

 

All of that, though, is totally beside the point of Costa Rica, a gorgeous country. Before leaving San Jose I did the "Highlights Tour" recommended here, and it was excellent. We saw sloths, toucans, howler monkeys, hummingbirds. And of course the place is stuffed to bursting with iguanas. The flora was just about as interesting. Costa Rica is now the world's largest supplier of leather-leaf fern (the greenery you get with the flowers from florists), and they are a major supplier of some of the world's houseplants, such as dracinea and corn plant. All of this was visible in rolling mile after rolling mile of fields full of the stuff, as well as other exports like coffee and palms grown for their palm oil.

 

Kjun advised against Montezuma, but we liked it big time. It's hot, that's true. Must have been in the nineties the whole time we were there, and some days it was debilitatingly humid, too. But who cares when right outside your door is a mile-long black sand beach with 4-6 foot emerald green waves to play in. At any time of day you look around and count maybe 20 people total. And it's cheap. Accommodations ran about $30 night (we were 3 friends, sharing). A pretty good dinner for three, with cocktails, appetizers, entrees, two bottles of okay wine and dessert came to, I swear, US$45.

 

Montezuma itself is a funky little townlet with a handful of travel agencies, bars, jewelry/gift shops, and a bookstore/post office. Hippies, backpackers and other assorted young people for the most part. It was fun to have dinner, stroll around for a while, stop at a bar for a beer, then head back for a dip in the pool before bed. The multitudes of stars, btw, are just incredible.

 

We also spent time in Manuel Antonio, but we were spoiled by the secluded splendor of Montezuma. M.A. was crawling with tourists in comparison. We couldn't be bothered to go to the gay beach, but you sure could tell one was around. At low tide there was a steady stream of adult males heading toward the north end of the beach -- the first morning I stopped counting at 50 -- and about 4pm a steady stream back.

 

I will say that the single best "event" of my trip happened at Manuel Antonio, when a troop of white-faced monkeys moved through the trees above us while we were sitting on the terrace by the beach. Their snooty insouciance, even as they moved closer and closer, cracked us up. And then one mother got all hissy and made scary faces because she thought the fat guy with the flash was getting too close to her baby. I was ready with my camera in case she lunged at his huge white belly, but no such luck.

[+ Axiom2001]

Bluenix- thank you very much for giving us avid readers an update of your journey to Costa Rica. From what the Cajun and others had written previously--my interest peaked. I just returned from there (CR) on 15 December 2003. In my looking back, the place is extremely gorgeous in the flora and fauna departments. I'm glad that I was able to experience those facets.

 

I traveled with a group of 33 hets; we stayed at four/five star resort hotels on the Pacific side which afforded us a little opulence along with the culture that exists there. Because I was with a group and unfortunately did not venture out in San Jose much at all due to our limited time there, thus I couldn't get involved sexually with the men. In San Jose and well as in the towns that we visited, I found a distinct absence of gaydar on the part of the Costa Rican men that I met directly as well as indirectly; I can't explain this, but my good friend who had traveled to CR previously stated prior to my going that gay life and orientation in CR is quite, quite different from what I'd experienced elsewhere.

 

But along with my immensely enjoying the omnipresent flora and fauna and the people, one of the highlights of my trip was being able to witness a practice session of a dance group (two men) at Museo Teatro. Yes, the 34 of us along with our Program Director ventured into this super-magnificient structure to take in its architecture, etc. Well, lo and behold, in the theatre itself were two dancers in rehearsal; we went inside and viewed their performance which turned out to be homoerotic as well as thematic; at the end of the dance per se, the men kissed each other. I think it was a little much for some of the men in our group, for they made a few corny remarks. I who loved it applauded extensively and even aked the directors the name of the CD that accompanied the dancers. The music was by a group or singer named Saint Germain; I have yet to procure this CD, but I liked the song and the dancers and the reactions of a few of the members in our group.

 

I do plan to return to CR to do more time in San Jose, to go to the Carribean side, and to get involved sexually with some of the handsome men who live there! Thanks Bluenix and Cajun!

[kjun]

Where did you stay in Manuel Antonio?

 

Happy you had such a great time.

 

the Cajun

[kjun]

Please tell us where you stayed in Montezuma. I think that this made a great difference in allowing you to enjoy the place.

 

the Cajun

[bluenix]

In Montezuma we stayed at Los Mangos (US$95 per night). While perfectly fine, their bungalows do not have air conditioning. So next time -- there will definitely be a next time -- I plan to stay at El Sano Banano. (Links below.)

 

http://www.hotellosmangos.com/

 

http://www.1link2hotels.com/costa_rica_hotels_puntarenas/el_sano_banano_hotel.htm

 

 

 

In Manuel Antonio we rented a villa (pictured in the link) at the Hotel Karahé (US$110 per night; includes breakfast of eggs, gallo pinto, fruit, etc.).

 

http://www.karahe.com/rooms.html

 

While we liked it, if I were to return I would probably try for the gay place. Shares the same beach with Karahé but I didn't actually see the property. It was fully booked for Xmas and New Year when we inquired in August.

 

http://www.villaroca.com/

[+ Lucky]

I'd carry some half-dollars and semi-colons if I were you!

[bluenix]

>I'd carry some half-dollars and semi-colons if I were you!

 

Naw. A mix of large colones and small colones works just fine.