“What to pack for Costa Rica?” you ask.  The first question to answer is “How much cash should I bring?”

When my clients are coming to visit, they always want to know how much cash they should bring, and if they should exchange it at the airport. First off, everyone takes US dollars here; every one. And almost every single restaurant and store takes major credit cards. The only people that don’t are the street vendors and the taxi drivers. Nobody wants Canadian Dollars unfortunately, so you need to turn those into US dollars prior to your flight, and you will have a very hard time with traveler’s checks as well, so just don’t bring them.

There are also ATMs all over town and 4 or 5 local banks as well. So you can easily withdraw money from the machine or go inside to the teller for a cash advance, but you will need to physically show your passport. That is the only acceptable ID, not a Driver’s License. The problem with paying with US cash though, is that many of the stores or gas stations won’t give you the exact daily exchange rate for the Colon, so you will lose a few percentage points in the transactions. Places like Grocery Stores compute it by the day, so you will always get the exact correct exchange if you pay in Dollars. They usually give you back Colones though, as most stores are not stocked with US Dollars, and almost no one wants to take a Hundred Dollar Bill for fear it is a counterfeit. Bring 20s and 50s.

Here is what I would do. Bring at least enough cash to get you through the first few days, maybe $1000. Of course this depends on what activities you are doing and your spending habits and budget. Stop by one of the local banks and turn some of your Dollars into Colones so that when you are in the bars and restaurants you can pay the correct amount and not lose anything in the exchange.

DO NOT exchange your money at the airport as they will not give you as good of a rate as the local banks.

For larger purchases, like souvenir stores or nice dinners, just pay with your credit card. Your Card Company computes the exact correct exchange according to the daily bank rate. On the subject of souvenirs,  remember to allow space for them when you’re deciding what to pack for Costa Rica.

One Dollar Bills are nice to have a stack of as they are a nice gesture for a tip; to the guy at the airport who helps you with your luggage, or the young man carrying your groceries or beer to your rental car. When you park your car at most public areas, there is usually a person in a striped vest that is there to watch your vehicle. They also help you when you back out into traffic. A buck goes a long way to help this person feed his or her family. Most restaurants add a 10% gratuity to the bill, but this is not really a tip. This is shared amongst all the employees in the building. So I also encourage you to leave a little extra, as these people are working very hard to make your vacation extra special. Remember that Costa Ricans make a fraction of what you do back home, so spread the love.

Come to Costa Rica with a generous heart and you will leave with a lot more in return.

COME ON DOWN BABY!

Costa Rica bugs and snakes–how many are there?  Should I be worried?

Of course there are bugs in Costa Rica. There are bugs everywhere in the world, and especially where it is hot. But the nice thing about the Papagayo area is that we are the driest part of the entire country. Most areas in Costa Rica are technically rain forests; they receive an unbelievable amount of rain. Most communities, even just one hour from Playas del Coco or Playa Hermosa, get 3 to 10 times as much annual rainfall as we do. We are the only area in the country that experiences a dry season. From December to April we get absolutely ZERO rain. Not ONE SINGLE DROP. It is awesome. There is almost no humidity and it is a perfect 90 degrees every day and 70 degrees at night. Then from May to November we get very little precipitation, just a few hours every week and usually just in the afternoon from 3 to 5 pm. Because we have a dry season, we have no standing water, which is the breeding ground for mosquitoes and other small flying creatures. Because there are no mosquitoes, there are no bigger bugs that eat them and the food chain is stopped and you very rarely see anyone with mosquito bites. Like every beach in the world, at dusk comes the invisible sand fleas, or Noseeums (You can’t see em). So if you are going to be having a cocktail and watching the sunset you might want to put on a little repellent on your feet and legs.  In most parts of the world, as you drive your vehicle your windshield is bombarded with bugs. Not here and that is one of the main reasons I live here. I hate bugs and I especially hate spiders, I am like a little girl, and I could not live somewhere that I had to constantly deal with them on a daily basis. Trust me; in the Papagayo Region of Costa Rica bugs are practically nonexistent.

The only creature that you might get is scorpions, but unlike Arizona or Texas, they are not very common and not poisonous. Although they do hurt when or if they sting you, they will not kill you or cause any serious harm. It is like getting stung by a bee. You scream, yell and curse, but it is over very quickly, and the scorpion usually gets the worst of it as most of the time you stepped on it with your foot and killed it. I have lived here since 2003 and I have only been nailed once. Believe me, it hurt, but the pain was over in a few minutes and I was just left with a welt for about a day. They tend to hide in very dark places, like the back of cabinet below your sink or under a crate you had stacked up in the corner. They do not run very fast, so it is easy to smash them before they slip into a crack beneath the wall.  There are precautions that you can take to minimize your encounters with these very small but ugly creatures. First off, you should have your home fumigated once every few months, just like you do anywhere back home. Maids are very inexpensive here too, so having her come once or twice a week to clean eliminates your odds as well. Always shake your shoes and wet towels or bathing suits, before you put them on, and don’t reach into dark corners or cabinets without taking a peak first. You might want to keep a couple Benadryl around just in case, as just like a bee sting, some people have had allergic reactions to them and feel their lips getting numb after a sting.

I laugh when people ask me if they are going to see a snake. NO, I tell them, probably NEVER. Snakes tend to MOVE when development happens. With new homes and condos, the snakes head to the hills where there is no one to disturb their surroundings. Also most of the snakes are in the jungle, not at the beach. Costa Rican has dozens of species of snakes, some of them poisonous. But they are in places like Arenal, Dominical, Manual Antonio, Nosara, Osa and the Caribbean Coast, not in Playas del Coco in Guanacaste at the beach. RELAX. Just like living anywhere though, use common sense. Don’t walk in really high brush with open toe sandals and don’t stick your arms into piles of rocks. Most snakes are nocturnal so pay attention if you are walking in a rural area at night. To be honest with you, the only time I ever see snakes are when they are road kill on the highway.

One of the main reasons I live here is because of the beauty. There is so much nature and so many gorgeous flowers and trees. In Costa Rica bugs might cross your path once in a while, but most likely you will see a flying creature that will impress you and make you go WOW; like hummingbirds and butterflies.

Hope to see you down here soon. Just to be safe, bring some OFF.

We have 2 great Exterminators here at the beach.

BUG OFF
Marc Pharand
8997-9750

MR. SOLUTION SERVICES
Fumigadora R.B.E.
Rafael Montano Chavarria
8886-2053

COME ON DOWN BABY!