costaricatim@thebishop.net
I don't know how often I will check it, but that is probably the best way to get a hold of us while we are gone.
9/6/2003 Added CRJobsInfo and CostaRicaontheWeb
22:22 7/13/2003 Added more car info
7/15/03 Added Weather info, travel insurance info, Arenal info, maps,
7/16/2003 Added house rental info plus two more pagesl, Lonely Planet excerpts and Places to check out
7/18/2003 Moved Car info to its own page, added Southern Nicoya Penninsula info
7/22/2003 Added dengue fever info page
Doc directory will be www.twjb.com/docs/
Make a copy of your passport, plane tickets and travelers checks and put it in your luggage. Also, scan and store a copy of your documents on the internet. Your passport, tickets and travel check numbers maybe some of the obvious but don't forget about your prescriptions, credit card numbers and other important documents.From the very useful site, http://www.costaricabustickets.com/Mark your bags with something that stands out and that you can instantly notice. Be creative. Some travelers use patches, large ribbons or even teddy bears. There are so many bags that look like yours and unless you distinguish your bags they might walk off without you seeing them.
Pack as if you are going to be separated from your luggage for a day or two. Use a carry on for two days or so of clothes and the essentials that you need to travel.
Tamarindo we have done before. Nice, but large and developed.
Nosara and Somara look good.
The Southern Nicoya Peninsula can be reached by road from the northern province of Guanacaste, but the easiest way from the Costa Rica mainland is to cross the Gulf of Nicoya by ferry from Puntarenas.While Guanacaste is known for its dry climate, the southern part of the Nicoya Peninsula receives more rain annually, making it a transitional zone between dry forest climate and tropical rainforest. The wildlife here is common to both ecosystems and many animals are seasonal commuters.
Two beach places to check out: Mal Pais and Montezuma -- Both sound a little like Playa del Carmen 10 years ago.
http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/img/index_p.html good info on area
http://www.costarica-beachrentals.com/index.htm
http://www.playamontezuma.net/
http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/montezuma/index.html
http://www.hoteleljardin.com/ -- looks good
http://photos.metc.hu/index.html has a lot of nice pictures of Costa Rica
Lots of good suggestions here
http://www.a1vacations.com/Costa_Rica.htm
http://www.greatvacationhomes.com/rentals/Costa-Rica.html
Most outrageously priced, a few reasonably priced at Arenal and the beaches. See for example This one and this one. Or this one at the beach.
Or live in what looks like a Condo in Hereida for $400-$500 a week http://myplaceincostarica.homestead.com/mp1.html
Very good selection at Maptak
Lonely planet has a link to sellers of travel insurance http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel_services/trvl_trvlinsurance.cfm Complete coverage could be had for $200 or so.
Family vacations often require that you slow your pace and always require that you plan ahead. If you plan on renting a car, it is best to bring your child's seat with you since rental companies don't always have them. Be sure that your child carries some sort of ID in case of an emergency or in case he or she gets lost.
San Jose Costa Rica Weather
Weather com Weather com
Weather underground
NWS
http://www.worldheadquarters.com/cr/museums/childrens/
Spanish school recommended by a teacher
schools in costa rica http://hall.gresham.k12.or.us/SH00-01/costarica.html
Buy sandals?
Itinerary planner http://www.costaricanet.net/travel.html
Costa rica blogs http://portal.eatonweb.com/country/Costa%20Rica
General resources http://www.bootsnall.com/camericatravelguides/index.shtml
Stories of traveling in Costa Rica http://www.bootsnall.com/travelstories/ca/index.shtml
Tourist class buses http://www.fantasy.co.cr/fantasy_bus.html
The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica is located in Pavas, San Jose, telephone (506) 220-3050/3939; the extension for American Citizen Services is 2453. The Embassy is open Monday through Friday, and closed on Costa Rican and U.S. holidays. For emergencies arising outside normal business hours, U.S. citizens may call tel. (506) 220-3127 and ask for the duty officer.
http://usembassy.or.cr/index.html
HOSPITAL NACIONAL DE NIÑOS Calle 14, Av. Central. Telephone: 222-0122This is a 250 bed hospital for children operating under the Costa Rican Social Security System. It has private rooms with baths, telephones and space for an extra bed in each room. The equipment operating rooms, and its pediatric specialists are the best in Central America. Only children under the age of 12 should be brought to this facility for life-threatening types of emergencies.
PRIVATE HOSPITALS
CIMA SAN JOSE: Tel: 208-1000. Location: 500 m. West of the tollbooths on the highway to Santa Ana (Prospero Fernández Free way). This is a private hospital has 86 private rooms and 14 private suites. The hospital is equipped to handle medical, surgical and maternity cases. It has a 24-hour emergency room as well as laboratory, X-ray services, and pharmacy. They accept several U.S. health insurance plans.
CLINICA BIBLICA: Tel: 257-5252. Location: Calle 1, Ave. 14. This is a private, non-profit hospital, which is equipped to handle medical, surgical, pediatric and maternity cases. There are 65 beds all in private rooms (8 intensive care, 24 hr. specialist present). The clinic has a 24-hour emergency room with emergency specialist and surgeon present, as well as laboratory, pharmacy and X-ray services. They also have CAT scan and MRI, hemodialysis with bicarbonate filter, and blood bank in the installations. They accept several U. S. health insurance plans.
From http://usembassy.or.cr/medical.html, which also has a list of doctors.
http://usembassy.or.cr/form1.html register with embassy