costa rica
Food is great. Stay away from the little kids with machetes. Seriously, stay as far as possible. Don't even let them catch you looking at them. 
21-Jan-2008, 01:34 PM
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 2,305
i hope to buy a machete or at least pocket knife while i'm there.
i find them very useful at hotels, the office, and when camping.
i just don't want to run into any problems even though it's allegedly legal to have a blade in checked luggage.
i find them very useful at hotels, the office, and when camping.
i just don't want to run into any problems even though it's allegedly legal to have a blade in checked luggage.
21-Jan-2008, 01:42 PM
#4
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 631
A family member of mine had been living there 6 months a year for almost 10 years. He has a million stories, but the one that stands out the most is being abducted in broad day light, robbed, beaten, and so close to death that he truly thought it was over.
They were about to roll his tied up body over a ledge when they got a phone call from one of their buddies saying he had another victim ready to go. He understood all this due to him being fluent from spending so much time there. The guy on the phone spit in his face and said "lucky foreigner" and they left him for dead.
He was found by another tourist who was lost. They were not in a remote location whatsoever.
Don't rock any bling in public, not even a watch. The street teams literally live off of the tourists.
They were about to roll his tied up body over a ledge when they got a phone call from one of their buddies saying he had another victim ready to go. He understood all this due to him being fluent from spending so much time there. The guy on the phone spit in his face and said "lucky foreigner" and they left him for dead.
He was found by another tourist who was lost. They were not in a remote location whatsoever.
Don't rock any bling in public, not even a watch. The street teams literally live off of the tourists.
21-Jan-2008, 01:50 PM
#6
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 2,305
squeegee kids look like they have more money than i do. no worries on that end.
i'm going with the woman soon, but i'm going again with a friend to go the more backpacking/adventure route. san jose "tourist" clubs have shootings every so often.
the big thing is for home invasions and armed squatting... organized crime making money off of gringos that make real estate purchases... the cops are in on it...
funny how we complain about the cops here... they're infintely better than cops in a majority of countries.
your uncle or whatever still go there?
i'm going with the woman soon, but i'm going again with a friend to go the more backpacking/adventure route. san jose "tourist" clubs have shootings every so often.
the big thing is for home invasions and armed squatting... organized crime making money off of gringos that make real estate purchases... the cops are in on it...
funny how we complain about the cops here... they're infintely better than cops in a majority of countries.
your uncle or whatever still go there?
21-Jan-2008, 01:57 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 631
squeegee kids look like they have more money than i do. no worries on that end.
i'm going with the woman soon, but i'm going again with a friend to go the more backpacking/adventure route. san jose "tourist" clubs have shootings every so often.
the big thing is for home invasions and armed squatting... organized crime making money off of gringos that make real estate purchases... the cops are in on it...
funny how we complain about the cops here... they're infintely better than cops in a majority of countries.
your uncle or whatever still go there?
i'm going with the woman soon, but i'm going again with a friend to go the more backpacking/adventure route. san jose "tourist" clubs have shootings every so often.
the big thing is for home invasions and armed squatting... organized crime making money off of gringos that make real estate purchases... the cops are in on it...
funny how we complain about the cops here... they're infintely better than cops in a majority of countries.
your uncle or whatever still go there?
21-Jan-2008, 02:02 PM
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 2,305
you just have to be smart about it.
-driving should be at daytime only (not just for car jacking, but the roads are fcked)
-never stop to help anyone on the side of the road
-never accept help from strangers if you didn't ask for it
-use real cabs sit directly behind him in case you feel the need to react, never feel bad about telling them to pull over and you getting out if you feel something is wrong.
-don't go into alleys / houses looking for deals
-don't be intimidated / disrespected
-no local is your friend, or at least not for your winning personality
-don't trust the resort safe unless you really trust it (i've only trusted it at a 5 star in cancun where the lock comes with the key, and there was no such thing as a master key for staff). i just hide most things around the room, or carry things in a money belt
-don't wear any bling or anything fancy
-don't tip like you have money until the last day or unless you're drunk. maids get nothing but 'gimme new towels and don't clean my room' from me. all they do is make your bed anyway.
-don't buy drugs, get high when you're back home
--
i could go on, you just have to be smart and vigilant.... that being said.. my friends and i have gotten into a few interesting situations, and we've done a bunch of things above i suggested not to... nothing ever really bad has happened... military guys wanted a bribe off of two guys in cuba once, then all of us walked over and suddenly everything was okay. they can't beat up 13 tourists for $100.
mexico they are smarter, they once took a Polaroid of someone braking a table and wanted a few bills in exchange for the Polaroid and not getting arrested.
----
Costa Rica is a beautiful country, you should not bother going if you're going to stay on the resort. A friend of mine rented a car for 2 weeks and drove across the country. That's what I plan on doing when I have some more adventurous people with me.
21-Jan-2008, 02:03 PM
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 2,305
oh, i also carry a wallet in it with money i immediately need, and the rest of the money stays hidden.
if someone demands money and complying is the best course of action, i just hand over the wallet with $50. not a big deal.
if someone demands money and complying is the best course of action, i just hand over the wallet with $50. not a big deal.
21-Jan-2008, 02:05 PM
#10
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 2,305
Hopefully he made money on the house... or sold it at an acceptable rate? otherwise he could have put that money into having another gang kill that gang?
21-Jan-2008, 02:16 PM
#11
Luka
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 14,319
that's definitely not correct.
you just have to be smart about it.
-driving should be at daytime only (not just for car jacking, but the roads are fcked)
-never stop to help anyone on the side of the road
-never accept help from strangers if you didn't ask for it
-use real cabs sit directly behind him in case you feel the need to react, never feel bad about telling them to pull over and you getting out if you feel something is wrong.
-don't go into alleys / houses looking for deals
-don't be intimidated / disrespected
-no local is your friend, or at least not for your winning personality
-don't trust the resort safe unless you really trust it (i've only trusted it at a 5 star in cancun where the lock comes with the key, and there was no such thing as a master key for staff). i just hide most things around the room, or carry things in a money belt
-don't wear any bling or anything fancy
-don't tip like you have money until the last day or unless you're drunk. maids get nothing but 'gimme new towels and don't clean my room' from me. all they do is make your bed anyway.
-don't buy drugs, get high when you're back home
--
i could go on, you just have to be smart and vigilant.... that being said.. my friends and i have gotten into a few interesting situations, and we've done a bunch of things above i suggested not to... nothing ever really bad has happened... military guys wanted a bribe off of two guys in cuba once, then all of us walked over and suddenly everything was okay. they can't beat up 13 tourists for $100.
mexico they are smarter, they once took a Polaroid of someone braking a table and wanted a few bills in exchange for the Polaroid and not getting arrested.
----
Costa Rica is a beautiful country, you should not bother going if you're going to stay on the resort. A friend of mine rented a car for 2 weeks and drove across the country. That's what I plan on doing when I have some more adventurous people with me.
you just have to be smart about it.
-driving should be at daytime only (not just for car jacking, but the roads are fcked)
-never stop to help anyone on the side of the road
-never accept help from strangers if you didn't ask for it
-use real cabs sit directly behind him in case you feel the need to react, never feel bad about telling them to pull over and you getting out if you feel something is wrong.
-don't go into alleys / houses looking for deals
-don't be intimidated / disrespected
-no local is your friend, or at least not for your winning personality
-don't trust the resort safe unless you really trust it (i've only trusted it at a 5 star in cancun where the lock comes with the key, and there was no such thing as a master key for staff). i just hide most things around the room, or carry things in a money belt
-don't wear any bling or anything fancy
-don't tip like you have money until the last day or unless you're drunk. maids get nothing but 'gimme new towels and don't clean my room' from me. all they do is make your bed anyway.
-don't buy drugs, get high when you're back home
--
i could go on, you just have to be smart and vigilant.... that being said.. my friends and i have gotten into a few interesting situations, and we've done a bunch of things above i suggested not to... nothing ever really bad has happened... military guys wanted a bribe off of two guys in cuba once, then all of us walked over and suddenly everything was okay. they can't beat up 13 tourists for $100.
mexico they are smarter, they once took a Polaroid of someone braking a table and wanted a few bills in exchange for the Polaroid and not getting arrested.
----
Costa Rica is a beautiful country, you should not bother going if you're going to stay on the resort. A friend of mine rented a car for 2 weeks and drove across the country. That's what I plan on doing when I have some more adventurous people with me.
I realize that there are things you need to do/not do. My point is that certain countries are known for this type of **** happening more then others.
For example when me and my GF went to Cuba, the worst thing that happened to us was some dude trying to sell us fake cigars. Even when we went to Havana everyone was extremely nice to us. All the people asking for money weren't being overly aggressive or anything and if we said "no" they'd simply go ask someone else.
The people at the flea market were nice too. The guys selling cigars there would simply say "have a nice day" when we said "no thanks".
I didn't feel threatened at all anywhere we went there.
21-Jan-2008, 03:20 PM
#12
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 2,305
we had three guys.. one with gold teeth.. gave off a very scum type of viba in cuba following us around trying to be my 'fren' it took 20 minutes of my group of 4 saying 'no thanks' and people awkwardly shaking him hand and such because they were too polite/intimidated to not do so until i had enough and told him to fck off. not that i am particularly brave, we in in the capital building with lots of security and people around. he just wanted to follow us or take us elsewhere.
the same day in Havana, i had a guy reach into my front pocket take my cigars and insist i follow him to get more from him.
i had to take them back and tell him to fck off as well.
----
Varadero is very safe for tourists, Havana is not, it's pretty rough at night.
Except for the recent gang fighting, Cancun is normally allegedly very safe for tourists too. My friend was mugged by cops, two friends on different trips had to bribe cops to be set free (one guy was mugged, fought back and beat up the two mexicans. $500 US later he was no longer under arrest)
At the same time, my friend and I stumbled into a locals pool hall off the strip at 4am both hammered looking for tacos.. and nothing happened to us.
a very deaths here and there do not mean anything.
You hear about Scarborough a lot... I was born and raised here, and I've never been shot or mugged. Some friend have, but whatever. There is crime everywhere.
Costa Rica is very safe for tourists provided they are aware of their surroundings and have some common sense.
the same day in Havana, i had a guy reach into my front pocket take my cigars and insist i follow him to get more from him.
i had to take them back and tell him to fck off as well.
----
Varadero is very safe for tourists, Havana is not, it's pretty rough at night.
Except for the recent gang fighting, Cancun is normally allegedly very safe for tourists too. My friend was mugged by cops, two friends on different trips had to bribe cops to be set free (one guy was mugged, fought back and beat up the two mexicans. $500 US later he was no longer under arrest)
At the same time, my friend and I stumbled into a locals pool hall off the strip at 4am both hammered looking for tacos.. and nothing happened to us.
a very deaths here and there do not mean anything.
You hear about Scarborough a lot... I was born and raised here, and I've never been shot or mugged. Some friend have, but whatever. There is crime everywhere.
Costa Rica is very safe for tourists provided they are aware of their surroundings and have some common sense.
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