Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [487]
Most female travelers experience little more than a ‘mi amor’ (‘my love’) or an appreciative hiss from the local men in Costa Rica. But in general, Costa Rican men consider foreign women to have looser morals and to be easier conquests than Ticas (female Costa Ricans). Men will often make flirtatious comments to single women, particularly blondes. Women traveling together are not exempt from this. The best way to deal with this is to do what the Ticas do – ignore it completely. Women who firmly resist unwanted verbal advances from men are normally treated with respect.
In small highland towns, dress is usually conservative. Women rarely wear shorts, but belly-baring tops are all the rage. On the beach, skimpy bathing suits are OK, but topless and nude bathing are not.
As in any part of the world, the possibilities of rape and assault do exist. Use your normal caution: avoid walking alone in isolated places or through city streets late at night, and skip the hitchhiking. Do not take unlicensed ‘pirate’ taxis (licensed taxis are red and have medallions) as there have been reports of assaults against women by unlicensed drivers.
Birth-control pills are available at most pharmacies (without a prescription) and tampons can be difficult to find in rural areas – bring some from home or stock up in San José.
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TELEPHONE
Public phones are found all over Costa Rica and Chip or Colibrí phone cards are available in 1000, 2000 and 3000 colón denominations. Chip cards are inserted into the phone and scanned. Colibrí cards (more common) require you to dial a toll-free number (199) and enter an access code. Instructions are provided in English or Spanish. Colibrí is the preferred card of travelers since it can be used from any phone. Cards can be found just about everywhere, including supermarkets, pharmacies, newsstands, pulperías (corner grocery stores) and gift shops.
The cheapest international calls from Costa Rica are direct-dialed using a phone card. To make international calls, dial ‘00’ followed by the country code and number. Pay phones cannot receive international calls.
Make sure that no one is peeking over your shoulder when you dial your code. Some travelers have had their access numbers pilfered by thieves.
To call Costa Rica from abroad, use the country code (506) before the eight-digit number. Find other important phone numbers on the inside front cover of this book.
Due to the increasing popularity of voice-over IP services such as Skype, it’s sometimes possible to skip the middle man and just bring a headset along with you to an internet cafe. Ethernet connections and wireless signals are becoming more common in accommodations, so if you’re traveling with a laptop you can just connect and call for pennies.
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TIME
Costa Rica is six hours behind GMT, so Costa Rican time is equivalent to Central Time in North America. There is no daylight-saving time.
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TOILETS
Public restrooms are rare, but most restaurants and cafes will let you use their facilities, sometimes for a small charge – never more than ₡500. Bus terminals and other major public buildings usually have toilets, also at a charge.
If you’re particularly fond of toilet paper, carry it with you at all times as it is not always available. Just don’t flush it down! Costa Rican plumbing is often poor and has very low pressure in all but the best hotels and buildings. Dispose of toilet paper in the rubbish bin inside the bathroom.
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TOURIST INFORMATION
The government-run tourism board, the ICT, has two offices in the capital (Click here). However, don’t expect to be wowed with any particularly insightful travel advice as it’s the staff’s job to tell you that it’s all good in Costa Rica. That said, the ICT can provide you with free maps, a master bus schedule and information on road conditions in the hinterlands. English is spoken.