Adventure Inn confirmation Letter

Hi,

 Thank you for making your reservation at the Adventure Inn, San José, Costa Rica for the night of January 2nd. We have reserved a smoke-free deluxe room for you with a new comfortable queen-size bed, cable TV with sixty channels, a telephone with free local and international calls, a coffee maker, a hair dryer, a safe box (optional $1/day), air-conditioning and a ceiling fan, a modern tiled bath and daily maid service. You also have use of four complimentary guest computers with 24 hour cable modem Internet access, and free WiFi Internet access throughout the hotel for your laptop, have a nice little workout in the gym, then take a dip in our new 87 sq. meter, solar-heated infinity pool and Jacuzzi. Be sure to let us know if we can do anything to make your stay more comfortable.

 Your special single occupancy nightly room rate is $89.25 plus 13% tax AND because you booked directly with us, if you pay by cash (US dollars, Costa Rican colones or American Express US dollar travelers cheques), we can give you a further 10% discount off your rate ($80.33 + tax). Your stay includes an all you can eat, full American breakfast from 6 to 10 am. We have received your credit card guarantee but allow you the option to pay by cash at check out. Your confirmation number is # ------. For each reservation canceled (in whole or in part) more than 72 hours before arrival, there is a $25 service charge. Cancellations with 72 hours or less including delayed flights, incur a one night penalty at the regular daily rate. The first $25 of any cancellation is redeemable upon your next new reservation. Cancellations must be done by fax or e-mail. Be sure to ask for and keep your cancellation code.

 The Adventure Inn's front desk reception is open 24/365. Check-in is 2 pm, check-out is 12 noon but we are very flexible to accommodate your arrival and departure times. We are on the outskirts of San Jose in the exclusive and safe Ciudad Cariari area eight or ten minutes from both the airport and central San Jose. If you are driving yourself from the airport, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you read the following directions, or you could end up driving a long way needlessly. Click on http://www.adventure-inn.com/map. You can print it to bring with you.

 Like an easy stepping stone in and out of Costa Rica, we provide complimentary transfers before or after your flight between the SJO Airport and Adventure Inn. If you would like a free shuttle to or from the International SJO Airport and have not made your shuttle reservations yet please click on http://www.adventure-inn.com/shuttle/?res=------ and fill out the form as soon as possible. They should send you a confirmation within 24 hours (if not received, check your Junk or Spam mailbox). They do not allow pets or surf boards. Arriving in Costa Rica, when you exit the arrivals building, look for a person from Interbus outside holding a sign with your name on it. These quick, safe transfers will cost you nothing both from and back to the airport.

 While staying with us, stroll the peaceful, green, up-scale Cariari neighborhood. There are some fine restaurants, an upscale grocery store with an ATM, a Costa Rica chocolate specialty store, golf, casinos, souvenir shopping, bowling, a movie theatre, banking and the Real Cariari Mall nearby. The Fresh Market, about four blocks from us is an upscale convenience store that seems to have just about anything you need. For lunch and dinner enjoy the full menu and friendly atmosphere in our Moon Glow Restaurant. The kitchen is open daily from 6am to 9:30 pm, the bar offering lighter meals and snacks (sandwiches, burgers, nachos, etc.) is open daily until 11 pm or later if it stays busy.

 You can go by bus or taxi into the heart of bustling San Jose to experience the authentic Central Market, the promenade shopping district along Avenida Central, the national theatre, museums, and the Simon Bolivar Zoo. Spend some time around the Plaza de la Cultura listening to Inca Indians from South America with a pan flute orchestra, and watch the interesting Ticos going about their business. After dark, San Jose offers a huge assortment of international restaurants, bars, discos, casinos, and the interesting El Pueblo Spanish village has an older crowd in the day then it rocks at night. We advise you to use taxis at night to get around downtown as they are generally safe, reliable, plentiful and inexpensive.

Adventure Inn is the Tour Center of Costa Rica hotels

 Adventure Inn is centrally located in the heart of Costa Rica tour country. Unlike small copycat tours servicing tourists in the beach areas, our tours are the originals, the big ones, enjoyed and remembered for a lifetime. As the tour industry changes and adapts, and tour companies come and go, we stay abreast of these changes probably more than any other Costa Rica hotel. We have taken most of the tours ourselves, and love receiving feedback from our guest's experiences. Without well-informed competition from other hotels, we still want to improve our services so that your tour experiences will always be the safest, most informative, exhilarating and enjoyable tours on the Costa Rican market. We guarantee the lowest prices, and do not work with tour companies that undercut us if you go direct

 We have over forty exciting tours leaving from our front door every day of the year. However some restrictions apply including the tour is already full, or a minimum number of participants is required to make it profitable for the tour operator. Sit back, take your time and go through the tour options we currently have available. When something interests you, fill out the online form to book in advance. We will make the booking on your behalf and confirm the departure time and price with you. •Authentic Costa Rica
•8 in 1 Combo Tour
•La Paz Waterfall Garden Park
•Rainforest Adventure
•Rio Pacuare Whitewater Rafting
•Pacuare Rafting and forward to Pto. Viejo or Arenal
•Rio Toro or Rio Sarapiqui and forward to Arenal
•Rio Balsa and forward to Arenal
•Pacuare Whitewater Rafting overnight on the river and forward to Pto. Viejo or Arenal
•Rafting and Canopy Combo
•Arenal Volcano / Baldi Hot Springs
•Arenal Volcano and the Springs Resort
•Arenal Volcano / Tabacon Hot Springs
•Calypso Catamaran to Tortuga Island
•Princesa Catamaran Cruise to Tortuga Island
•The Best of the Pacific
•Jaco Beach and Crocodile
•Poas Volcano half-day
•Grecia / Sarchi Oxcart Factories and Stores
•Combination Poás Volcano, Grecia and Sarchí Oxcart Factory
•Irazu Volcano Half Day
•Orosi Valley & Lankester Gardens
•Irazu Volcano / Orosi Valley / Lankester Gardens
•San Lorenzo Canopy and Superman combo (half day)
•San Lorenzo Canyoning (half day)
•San Lorenzo Canopy and Canyoning
•San Lorenzo Canopy and Horseback Riding
•San Luis Canopy Tour
•Hands-on Coffee Tour
•San Jose City Tour
•Ram Luna Noche Tipica Dinner Show (Wednesdays and Thursdays only)
•Birdwatching in Braulio Carrillo National Park
•Birdwatching in Carara Park and Mangrove Boat Tour
•Tortuguero Canal Tour
•Tortuguero 2 days / 1 night
•2 days / 1 night Tortuguero tour and forward
•Tortuguero 3 days / 2 nights
•Tortuguero 4 days / 3 nights
•Arenal & Caño Negro 2 days / 1 night
•Arenal & Monteverde 3 days / 2 nights (Baldi Hot Springs)
•Arenal & Monteverde 3 days / 2 nights (Tabacon Hot Springs)
•Family canopy, rafting and volcano
•Deep Sea & Coastal Fishing
•Horseback Riding
•Turrialba Canyoning (closed because the volcano is on high alert)
•Golf Cariari
•10 or 12 day Cocos Island diving adventure
For a brief description and prices of all these tours, please click on http://www.adventure-inn.com/tours and to book your tour(s) in advance, at the bottom of each tour is a form you can fill out and submit and I will make all your arrangements and confirm them with you. For most tours you pay the tour operators directly when you get on the tour bus with cash or a credit card. Some require you to fill out an on-line form and fax or scan it back to them to guarantee your reservation. If you don't see the tour you were hoping for, let me know and I will do the research.

Rent a Vehicle

 Renting a car or 4WD in Costa Rica can be not only troublesome but complicated. This is why we have done the homework for our guests and have negotiated with the top consistent car rental companies the best prices for the newest cars with the best insurance terms, service, a $10 one-time charge for a cell phone plus minutes used, free second drivers, and free drop off and pick up at Adventure Inn. And with our high volume of rentals, not only do we negotiate rates that are less than if you went direct, but Adventure Inn will back you up if you are treated unfairly, though fortunately this rarely happens. Almost daily, people come to us with lower rates quoted by most multi-national car rental companies, BUT THEY ARE BEING DECEIVED, being quoted only an 'estimate' that neglects to include the costly mandatory insurance ($19 to $30 per day), 13% sales tax and airport tax. If you are quoted an 'estimate' and not a final guaranteed drive-away price that YOU NEED TO PAY, don't take their bait, or you may end up paying 30% or 40% more than you anticipated when it is too late to back out, not a nice way to begin your vacation! If still available we can get you: •A 2013 manual 2WD economy hatchback Suzuki Alto for $43 / day and $270 / week (4 people) - $750 deductible or optional $19 / day
•A 2014 manual 2WD economy hatchback Suzuki Celerio for $43 / day and $270 / week (5 people) - $950 deductible or optional $19 per day
•A 2013 automatic 2WD Nissan Tiida for $50 / day & $312/ week (5 people) - $750 deductible or optional $19 / day
•A 2014 automatic Nissan Versa for $50 / dayand $312 / week (5 people) - $950 deposit or optional $19 / day
•A 2012 manual or automatic 2WD Toyota Yaris Superior for $50 / day & $312/ week (5 people) - $750 deductible or optional $19 / day
• A 2014 manual or automatic 2WD Kia Rio for $50 / day and $312 / week (5 people) - $750 deductible or optional $19
•A 2014 manual 4WD Suzuki Jimny for $58 / day or $366 / week (4 people) - $950 deductible or optional $19 / day
•A 20012/13 manual or automatic 4WD Daihatsu BeGo for $61 / day & $384 / week (5 people) - $750 deductible or optional $19 / day
•A 2012/13 manual 4WD Hyundai Tucson for $78 / day & $486 / week (5 people) - $1000 deductible or optional $19 / day
•A 2014 manual 4WD Suzuki Gran Vitara II for $76 / day & $474 / week (5 people) - $900 deduct. or optional $19 / day
•A 2014 automatic 4WD Kia Sportage for $76 / day and $474 / week (5 people) - $900 deduct. or optional $19 / day
•A 2013 manual or automatic 4WD Toyota Rav 4 for $76 / day and $474 / week (5 people) - $900 deduct. or optional $19 / day
•A 2013 manual or automatic 4WD Mitsubishi Nativa for $97 / day and $602 / week (5 people) - $900 deduct. or optional $19 / day
•A 2013 manual or automatic luxury 4WD Mitsubishi Montero for $120 / day and $745 / week (7 people) - $1500 deduct. or optional $25 / day
•A 2012/13 manual or automatic luxury 4WD Toyota Prado for $120 / day and $745 / week (7 people) - $1500 deduct. or optional $25 / day
•A 2014 automatic Mitsubishi Zinger for $97 / day and $602 / week (7 people) - $1200 deduct. or $26 per day
•A 2012/13 automatic luxury 4WD Toyota Fortuner for $120 / day and $745 / week (7 people) - $1600 deduct. or optional $25 / day
•2014/15 automatic luxury 4WD Kia Sorento for $120 / day and $745 / week (7 people) - $1600 deduct. or optional $25 / day
•A 2014 manual Jac Refine van for $120 / day and $745 / week (12 people) - $1500 deduct. or optional $34 per day
These drive-away prices are based on a 24 hour day, and include all taxes, mandatory insurance which pays 80% over the deductible, unlimited mileage, a free second driver, 24 hour line service, 24 hour road-side assistance and pick-up and drop off at the Adventure Inn and/or airport (same price). The full insurance is based on an optional $7 per day for Third Party Liability with up to $200,000 coverage, and an optional $12 to $18 per day (depending upon the vehicle) for an exemption from having to pay the deductible in the event of an accident. A GPS installed is $ 10 / day, luggage racks, luggage baskets and inside luggage covers are all a one time cost of $5. Cell phones are a one time fee of $10. There is a $50 penalty if you return the car on an earlier day that you contracted. To book your car in advance of your arrival, click on http://www.adventure-inn.com/cars choose the correct date range at the top, choose the car you want, read the policies towards the bottom and fill out and submit the online form. I will make the arrangements and confirm them with you in case we need to make any changes.

 Also, we can arrange privately-operated A/C tourist buses going from point to point nearly anywhere in Costa Rica (they will pick you up at our door), and prices are generally between $40.50 and $70.50 per person. For parties of three or more adults, Adventure Inn has four privately-operating taxi drivers with nice A/C vans who will take you anywhere in Costa Rica for the same or less cost than the shuttle bus companies. This private transport service offers you the privacy of your own van and the flexibility of leaving at the time you choose plus stopping when and where you choose along the way. With laundry service, free luggage storage and free guarded parking, the Adventure Inn makes a great central home-base to experience Costa Rica.

 If you are not doing so already, don't sacrifice any of your valuable vacation time even the night before flying home. Take advantage of Adventure Inn and our ten minute proximity to central San Jose. You would find the hotels right at the airport to be expensive, noisy with car and air traffic, there is nothing to do and they are completely unnecessary. We offer complimentary transport to the airport 24/7 .

 Regarding money, in Costa Rica you will get the best prices if you use Costa Rican colones. You will have difficulty spending Euros in Costa Rica. You can spend US dollars almost anywhere tourists go however merchants sometimes make a little on the exchange. Presently they are bought at 530 and sold at 543 colones per dollar. Costa Rican banks here are the best places to exchange dollars for colones and vice versa. The Mall Cariari is about two minutes by taxi or fifteen minutes walking and it has several banks. If it was me, I'd use a healthy combination of dollars, colones, credit cards, use a nearby ATM, and maybe even consider travelers checks. The problem with relying on credit cards is that they leave little room for negotiating or discounts because of the high transaction fees merchants must pay, plus often your credit card company charges a fee for international transactions. You can exchange a few dollars for colones at our front desk when you arrive (depending what we can spare at the time), but you will save about 1.75% on the transaction when you can get to any Costa Rican bank to exchange your dollars. Airport money exchanges are a rip-off!

 And with many airlines now charging for excess baggage, we have a weigh scale at the front desk to help you pack. If you have excess clothes or other articles of value that you cannot bring with you, we can donate them for you to help Costa Rican indigenous flood victims.

 For any future communications, please click on "Reply" to this e-mail so all information stays together, and maintain your confirmation number in the subject line. Remember, everyone needs a passport to enter Costa Rica, with at least 90 days remaining on it before it expires, and a ticket out of Costa Rica by land, sea or air. I know you will enjoy your Costa Rican adventure and we will be expecting you on the 2nd of January.


 Best regards,

Eric Robinson, B.E.S.
 Owner - Adventure Inn, San Jose, Costa Rica
http://www.adventure-inn.com
 Phone: +506 2239 2633
 Fax: +506 2293 2778
 Founder - Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica
http://www.adventurehotelsofcostarica.com

 P.S. I hope you don't mind if I share a few personal observations I have found over my years in Costa Rica. As a hotel operator I have an obligation to my guests to help them enjoy their Costa Rican experience to the fullest. No two guests are the same, nor have exactly the same needs, but there are some common bits of information that everyone can use.

Your safety:

 You can drink tap water in Costa Rica without getting sick, however like most places these days, you are wise to drink bottled water because of trace chemicals. We sell bottled water and other beverages in the restaurant and at the front desk.

 Generally there is no need to take malaria preventative medicine or yellow fever vaccinations before visiting Costa Rica except if you are visiting some extremely isolated locations, and even then sometimes the prevention can be as hard on your body as the disease itself. There have been isolated break-outs of dengue fever caused by mosquitoes especially in the warm coastal areas. To prevent mosquito bites, wear long pants, socks and long sleeves. Use mosquito repellent sprays that contain DEET when visiting places where dengue is endemic. Limiting exposure to mosquitoes by avoiding standing water and staying indoors two hours after sunrise and before sunset will help. The dengue causing Aedes aegypti mosquito (distinctive with it's white spots on it's sides) is a daytime biter with peak periods of biting around sunrise and sunset. It may bite at any time of the day and is often hidden inside homes or other dwellings, especially in urban areas. But if you do get bitten, don't panic, the chances of you contracting the fever are rare.

 I owned a bed and breakfast in central San Jose for nine years, and over time we realized that petty crime was getting worse, especially at night. Don't worry to the point of ruining your vacation, but realize this is the Third World, and there are a lot of poor, desperate, and drug-addicted people in Costa Rica. For your safety in the city, or any tourist area and even in our safe neighbourhood, common sense is your best friend, don't leave yourself vulnerable, travel in pairs, and don't dangle ostentatious jewelry. Stay out of San Jose's seedy areas, there is nothing to see there anyway. Taxis are plentiful, reliable and cheap, but always remember the number on the taxi door before getting in. You'll enjoy returning to the safer, cleaner, quieter, less congested neighborhood of the Adventure Inn. If you want, our guards will walk with you over to the bus stop.

 For some informative reading about traveling safely in the Third World, I have taken years writing and compiling what I think is an interesting and fact-filled website with ideas that could possibly save your life, http://www.safe.travel. If you will be swimming at the beach, it is especially important you read and understand the section on rip-tides. Each year more foreigners die from rip tides than any other cause.

Getting around Costa Rica:

 There are several ways to experience Costa Rica. The most environmentally friendly and by far the cheapest way is to travel by public bus, experiencing what Ticos do. Unfortunately, it can be inconvenient and time consuming, and that matters to those who are on a short holiday, and haven't the time to really relax and go with the flow!

 Another option is A/C tourist shuttle buses going to nearly anywhere in Costa Rica, picking you up at our door every day of the year and dropping you off at your destination hotel. Prices fall between $40.50 and $60.50 per person, though the Osa Peninsula is slightly more. With laundry service and free luggage storage, the Adventure Inn makes a great central home-base to experience Costa Rica. If you are traveling with others, for groups of three or more adults, Adventure Inn has four privately-operating taxi drivers with nice A/C vans who will take you anywhere in Costa Rica for the same or less cost than the shuttle bus companies. This private transport service offers you the privacy of your own van and the flexibility of leaving plus stopping when and where you choose along the way.

 The third option is to drive yourself. Roads can be narrow and unmarked, you'll encounter some pot holes, and many Ticos are terrible drivers, seemingly unaware they are sharing the road with other vehicles! However, if you just take your time, drive at the speed of the traffic, and totally expect the unexpected, you'll do fine. Don't rush into intersections, and give children and animals a wide berth. Lines down the middle of the road are just a guideline. Once you are out of congested San Jose, it gets a lot easier. We work with a list of proven reputable car rental agencies to guarantee you the best vehicles and service at the lowest prices.

 Flying around Costa Rica is a fourth option, twice the cost of any other transport but great mountain, rainforest and ocean views and so fast. But the safety factor on the single and twin propeller planes leaves me wondering if it is worth it. Global statistics show you have 120 times the chances of crashing per mile traveled on small domestic flights than you do on the big air carriers. I am always reminded of a flight I took a few years back with Sansa to Nosara. In the small waiting room we sat with people on the other flight to Quepos. Their flight crashed into a mountain in the fog, three dead, and a horror story for the survivors taking days to find their way out of the jungle to civilization.

Recommended day tours:

 The 8 in 1 Combo tour is once again quite popular now that the La Paz Waterfall Garden Park has re-opened after the January 8th, 2009 6.2 earthquake. Experience a coffee operation, peer into the second largest volcanic crater on the planet, then enjoy a butterfly farm, a hummingbird station, a ranarium (frog) display, a snake display, an antique Costa Rican farm house, a bird display then walk down the sides and under a series of thundering waterfalls as they race down a rainforest-covered mountainside.

 The Rainforest Adventure tour is quickly becoming one of the most popular tours we offer, great for all ages, highlighting those aspects of Costa Rica that many have heard so much about. A well-informed bi-lingual guide leads you throughout, onto a covered jungle river boat ride to see wild monkeys, iguanas, colorful birds and maybe even a crocodile or cayman. Later enjoy a relaxing walk through a rainforest preserve as your guide points out and explains the interesting flora and fauna. Then catch a bird's eye view on a long aerial tram ride in a special gondola taking you quietly through the rainforest canopy. Enjoy a ranarium (frog farm), a mariposarium (butterfly farm) and a serpentarium (snake display). Finally head back to Adventure Inn through majestic Braulio Carillo National Park in time for dinner.

 The most exciting thing you can do is whitewater rafting, particularly on the warm Pacuare River, ideal and safe for the average tourist in reasonable shape (a minimum 12 years of age). Many say it is the best rafting river in the world, 30 kilometers of consistent rapids with perfect rest breaks in between, surrounded by primary growth forest, exotic birds flying overhead, monkeys and sloths, and non-stop excitement and thrills.

 One of the most popular tours still remains the one day Arenal Volcano / Tabacon Hot Springs, nothing like it in the world. Arenal is so huge, it creates it's own micro-climate. Though Arenal has sat dormant since February 2011, the view of it is majestic and visible from Tabacon Hot Springs. The hot springs are incredible in a huge beautiful park-like setting, a day you'll never forget. One thing I should mention, expect to encounter a snotty attitude from the $2 an hour staff at Tabacon. Less expensive hot springs tours to Arenal Volcano are also available

 The Calypso and Princesa Catamaran tours to Tortuga Island is just great fun, lots of sun and good times on the luxurious wide-decked boats, cruising through former pirate frequented islands where buried treasures are still to be discovered, dolphins along side, relax in the big Jacuzzis on the deck, and then pleasure in the clear turquoise waters, powder white sand and shaded jungle of Tortuga Island, simply paradise. It's a great tour to round out your holiday.

 For those wanting just to relax and experience the typical Costa Rica countryside, we have developed two original tours called Authentic Costa Rica Daytime and Sunset tours using our own taxi drivers, where there are no tourists, just you winding your way through the green mountains, distant oceans, typical homesteads, brilliant gardens, and rural Ticos going about their daily lives. Stop for lunch or refreshments on the Daytime tour, dinner on the Sunset tour as the city far below turns from day to twinkling night, even a guided hike through a large treed rainforest, the day is yours to enjoy.

 We will make all the arrangements for any tour you want. Just tell us the date(s) you want to go. Costa Rica is unlike any other country on earth. Even with a choice of hundreds of pristine beaches surrounded by jungle on two warm oceans, educated and seasoned travelers also enjoy planning for the exotic learning experiences found only inside Costa Rica, from bird watching to mountain climbing, to participating in eco-projects. I hope I have given you a few ideas.

Other Costa Rica hotels:

 In response to the non-ecofriendly practices of major hotel chains and the mega-third parties such as Expedia, click on http://www.adventure-inn.com/blog/2013/12/17/expedia-etc-and-big-chain-hotels-not-eco-friendly-in-costa-rica/ in 2005 Adventure Inn founded and still operates Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica (AHCR), a non-profit association of small Costa Rican hotels. Today we proudly have dozens of owner-operated two, three and four star member hotels strategically located throughout Costa Rica. We recommend any of our value-priced member hotels where you are assured all of your hard earned tourist dollars are circulated at your destination area rather than repatriated out of Costa Rica to bank accounts of people who did absolutely nothing to enhance your vacation. Please help yourself to a free road map at our front desk locating each hotel or visit our website, AdventureHotelsofCostaRica.com to find the perfect hotel wherever you plan to travel in Costa Rica, communicate directly with the hotel and ask for a 10% discount when you make your reservation just for mentioning Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica (AHCR).

The Tico culture:

 A lot has been written about Costa Rica, and perhaps you will let me add my personal opinions about Costa Ricans (Ticos) after living here since 1995. While traveling around, most of the Ticos you will meet have little worldly experience. You will be as much of a curiosity to them as they are to you. For this reason it is important that we, as tourists, understand we are guests in their country and should interact in a thoughtful and positive way on their natural, economic and cultural environment. Let's leave Costa Rica in at least as good of a condition as when we arrived, for others to equally enjoy in the future. Remember the excellent bargain you negotiated for a souvenir was at the expense of someone feeding their family on a dollar an hour. Some of our guests bring little trinkets from home; flags, pins, pens, small articles that can be purchased in a 'Dollar Store', and give them to children and friendly Ticos they meet in their travels. Let's try to observe, listen, understand and empathize rather than see, hear, take pictures and boast. Ecotourism gurus suggest that if you prefer the familiar comforts of home, ask yourself why you are traveling.

 To understand the Tico culture, we need to look at their history. Pre-Columbian Costa Rica left little evidence of human settlement. Neither the complex Aztec, Olmec and Mayan cultures to the northwest nor the sun-worshipping Mesoamerica and the Andes civilizations to the south-east ever became firmly embedded in present day Costa Rica. The land was too rugged and swampy to easily provide for a family. It remained basically no-man's land. When the first Europeans arrived, there were few Indians to indenture into slavery, and many that were here, died of foreign-brought diseases or the musket. As a result, because the volcanic soils were rich, and climate perfect, the landed Europeans were able to survive by their own efforts. This instilled self-pride and strong family values still seen today. You will see also that Ticos tend to be taller, more fair skinned and more European featured than people found elsewhere in Central America that largely interbred with the indigenous population.

 Ticos live like there is no tomorrow. First impressions are very important to them. They always strongly shake hands, or lightly brush the cheek with a smacking-sounded kiss and always take a moment for small talk. They are a very proud people. You will almost never see a Tico (other than beggars) with shabby or dirty clothes, though their wages are a dollar or two an hour. I don't know how they do it. Unfortunately what they show in pizazz, many seem to lack the integrity that foreigners often take for granted. Unlike us who have had to prepare to survive in a harsher climate, simply put, Ticos have been able to pick a banana or kill a chicken when hungry, and look for a roof when it rains. Avoid telling a Tico what to do (unless you are paying him) or offer unsolicited advice. It may not be received in the spirit it was given. Almost expect them to be late, and it seems precious few take real pride in doing a job to the best of their ability. If you ask them a question, many often answer what they think you want to hear rather than the correct answer, and they try to avoid saying the word 'No', as if it is insulting. Don't be disappointed and raise your voice, this is just how they are with everyone. Living here, you have to get used to it. If this behavior is anticipated, it may help an impatient, demanding visitor fresh off the plane to take it easy. Laugh it off as an experience. Relax, you're on vacation, go with the flow!

Before arriving:

 Our electricity here is 110 volts, unlike Europe so you will need an adapter for your small appliances and electronic devices. We have mini-fridges available for $7 per night, or just store a small amount in our kitchen fridge.

 One of the best parts of a vacation to Costa Rica is in the planning. There are many excellent books about Costa Rica in your library and bookstore that will help you discover and learn about our beautiful country before arrival. Feel your excitement grow as you start to customize your Costa Rican adventure!

Leaving Costa Rica:

 If your airline ticket does not include the departure tax, there is a $29 departure tax per person payable at the airport. It is best to pay in US cash dollars because if you pay in colones, there is a $2.50 exchange fee (even though this is Costa Rica) plus a $10 surcharge if you pay by credit card.

Finance your (next) vacation:

 For your information, some of our guests have been able to finance much or all of their vacation with the savings from dental work and eye laser surgery done in Costa Rica. Clean, private hospitals are fully equipped with modern facilities, and manned by American and European trained doctors who use the latest techniques. They charge about a third of what you would normally pay for the same procedure in the US and Canada. Spend your first day or so having the work done, then recover a few days in seclusion and comfort at Adventure Inn, with room service and 24 hour staff, then later tour Costa Rica when you feel more up to it. If you are interested in having any type of work done, please let me know and I will gladly refer you to a highly experienced and reputable English speaking medical doctor specializing in your area of concern.