For Group Leaders
Costa Rica Travel Tips and Newsletter
Posted by Robert Levy on October 01, 1998 at 07:33:58:
For those of you traveling to Costa Rica for the first
time, these are the tips and cultural information that
we provide for our students to help them get ready for
their trip. Enjoy. We also produce a monthly newsletter
about Costa Rica concernng, education, history, recreation,
travel discounts, politics and more. To subscribe
reply to ipee@gate.net with ADD in the subject area.
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BEFORE YOUR TRIP STARTS
CLOTHING: Dress in Costa Rica is informal. Costa
Ricans are aware of fashion, but very seldom go to
extremes. It is a good idea to wear lightweight
clothing and a jacket or sweater so these can be
removed when the temperature rises. An umbrella may
also come in handy. Comfortable walking shoes, tennis
shoes or thongs are suggested. You might need a
bathrobe for you home stay. During the dry season
it usually gets chilly in the evenings, so bring an
extra sweater or jacket. Bathing suits are
a must. A small knapsack or bag will come in handy.
Women: Jeans and T-shirts, slacks and blouses, a
jacket. A dress or two for special occasions. Shorts
may be worn, but short-shorts may elicit unwanted
stares and whistles if worn downtown. Men: Jeans
and T-shirts, slacks and sports shirts and a jacket,
walking shorts are also acceptable. A sports jacket
and a tie maybe. Toiletries can be bought in San Jose,
but bring enough. Drugstores have a good supply of
imported goods, but are expensive.
FINANCES: The Costa Rican monetary unit is the Colon.
It is best to bring money in the form of travelers
checks (US dollars). It is always a good idea to bring
some dollars to tide you over until you can go to the
bank to exchange dollars. Don't expect to cash
personal checks. Major credit cards are accepted in
mostlarge stores or hotels in the larger cities. When
you get to school, you may ask where is the best and
fastest way to change money. There are ATM machines
around, but unless you can read insturctions in Spanish,
you'll find it difficult.
HEALTH: Public health in Costa Rica compares favorably
with that of many developed countries. No shots are
necessary to come to the country. Medical facilities
are numerous and dependable. Many English speaking
doctors and dentists practice in San Jose. Unlike other
Third World countries, it is safe to drink the water.
CRIME: Costa Rica, in general, is a safe place. It's
not a good idea to expose flashy/expensive type jewelry,
as is the case in most places in the world. Most crime
is the petty type. Don't leave valuables or personal
documents unattended or in aparked car.
TRANSPORTATION: Buses are widely used and economical.
Most taxi fares within San Jos‚ are relatively
inexpensive. Check to see that they are using their
fare meter named "Maria", if not, agree upon a price
before starting to prevent any surprises. Travel by
air within the country is adequate and inexpensive.
You may drive up to 3 months with a valid drivers
license issued by your country.
ENTERTAINMENT: Night life in San Jos‚ is varied and
will satisfy almost everyone. Theaters, movies,
restaurants, bars and discotheques with live tropical
music are abundant and lively even on week days. The
National Theater offers fine concerts and recitals.
TIPPING: At restaurants, a 10% service charge is
included in the bill. You may want to add and
extras 5% only for especially good service.
TELEPHONE: From Costa Rica you can dial direct to
most countries. To make a collect call contact the
operator and reverse the charges. You may also use
telephone credit cards through the appropriate
operator. 116 International Operator, 114 AT&T
Operator in the US, 162 MCI, 163 Sprint, 161 Bell in
Canada. If you'd like to make a call and pay for
it directly, this may be done downtown at the ICE
office, Avenida 2 y Calle 1. All international
operators speak English. These calls can be made from
private or public phones. Please remember that all
calls made with Costa Rica are time charged, including
those within San Jose.
ELECTRICITY: 110 volts-standard US type receptacles.
MAIL: Mail from the US or Europe can take up to four
weeks to be received. The same is true for you
outgoing mail to those countries. Packages can take
longer, and many are held at the post office for
inspection and taxes or tariffs. It's best to bring
everything you need with you to avoid lengthy waits
and expenses. If you wish, you may have your mail
sent to the school's address during your stay.
DIRECTIONS: It is very easy to find you way around
San Jose. Numbered streets (calles) run north-south,
while numbered avenues (avenidas) run east-west. West
of Calle Central, streets are even-numbered and while
to the east they are odd-numbered. North of Avenida
Central the avenues are odd-numbered, to the south
they are even-numbered.
Costa Ricans, however, tend to use familiar reference
points instead of streets and avenues when giving
directions. If asking directions to the popular
mariachi bar, La Esmeralda, you might hear "from the
National Theater, 100 meters west". In the case of our
school, your directions would be "from Pop's in
Curridabat, 25 meters south". You might find this
Costa Rican custom confusing at first, but with a
little patience you'll quickly catch on.
HOTEL/TOURS: The school can provide you with telephone
numbers of hotels. We can also provide you with
information about tours and vacation packages to
various places of interest in Costa Rica. We will
gladly assist you with your reservations.
HOME STAYS
FAMILIES: Participating families are chosen for their
friendliness and helpfulness towards the students.
Although families receive a fee and are supposed to
provide what has been agreed upon, they do enjoy having
a foreign student as their guest. Take this into
account and contribute towards a friendly,flexible
relationship.
COST OF HOME STAY: This cost covers payments to the
family as well as a placement fee, administrative
expenses and fees or discounts to participating
agencies and universities.
MEALS: Your family will provide you with breakfast
and dinner. Lunch is not included. Fresh fruit and
vegetables here are abundant and tasty, so make sure
to tell your hosts to serve you plenty of both. You
should be served fresh fruit both with your breakfast
and dinner. If you feel you want more food than is
offered, please ask for it.
ROOM KEEPING: Your family will keep your room and
bathroom you use clean. However, do keep you room
tidy.
VALUABLES: Although the School screens host families
carefully,it is impossible to monitor each one on a
daily basis. Due to the large number of families and
students involved, the School cannot be responsible
for lost or missing items. It is better not to leave
cash in your room while you are away, as various
people who are not part of the family (maids, repairmen,
gardeners, etc.) might come into the house. If you
notice you are missing something, please do inform the
School at once.
LAUNDRY SERVICE: Your family will provide laundry
service and will change your bed clothes weekly.
HOT WATER: Homes in Costa Rica, due to the mild
climate, usually have hot water in the shower but not
in the lavatory. Often, an electric device is used
for this purpose, so do not expect a huge volume of
water as is customary at home.
KEYS: Your family will provide you with a front door
key. This means you should feel free to come and go
as you please.
TELEPHONE: Please notice that all local calls in
Costa Rica are time charged, including those within
San Jos‚. Take this into account and be considerate
when using your family's telephone.
GUESTS: It is convenient as a courtesy to inform your
family of any visitors you might have. No night or
over night visitors, please!
FRIENDSHIP: Every family is different, so each student
in a certain month will undergo a different experience.
We usually see that friendly, enthusiastic students
tend to create a friendly, positive atmosphere. In
these cases families will probably include them more
in social activities, outings, etc.
COMMUNICATIONS: Sometimes problems arise due to lack
of communication. Please make sure to express your
needs to the family. This could be regards to type
or quantity of food, lighting in your room, availability
of a TV set in the living room, etc. If you feel your
needs are not being satisfied or you are not pleased
with you home stay, pleas talk to the coordinator
at the School.
CHANGES IN LENGTH OF STAY: If you wish to stay with
your family for a longer period of time after the
course finishes, please make the necessary arrangements
at the School. Students cannot make direct arrangements
with or payments to the families.
A GIFT: A small gift like a bottle of wine, chocolates,
or ice cream, to share once at diner time would be a
nice gesture towards you family.
HOME ADDRESS: The School will provide the address and
telephone number of the host family 2 weeks prior to
your arrival, so that you can go directly to the host
family. Students who do not want to go directly to
their family can make arrangements to stay in a hotel
the first day, go to school on Monday, and your family
will meet you there and take you home after the first
day of school.
AIRPORT PICKUPS: IPEE has someone who will meet you
at the airport to take you directly to your home stay
family. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you keep us
informed of any changes to your flight schedule so
that our airport pickup service can meet you at the
airport. They will have a sign saying "IPEE Students".
We wish you a happy stay and plenty of new friends.
