Jo's Trip Report
Jul 6th, 2004, 04:57 AM
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Lachat,
The way it usually works, I believe, is that they check your luggage all the way through to your destination. However, when you enter a new country, you have to claim it and take it through customs. Then you have to recheck it. The rechecking was the easiest part, as there was no line. We just dumped it with an AA person.
The 1.5 hours may be tight if AA's lines are as bad as they were for us. It really was strange because, for some reason, AA was the only airline with really long lines in the international area. I don't know whether the other airlines didn't have flights at those times or whether American is hopelessly disorganized. All I can say is to be assertive, talk to the AA people who are directing the lines and insist that they get you through. While waiting in line for our first flight, dh and I were moaning and whining to each other every time the attendants moved other people ahead of us. When it got to the point where we were really running out of time, my husband spoke directly to the attendant and said something along the lines of, "If you keep putting these people ahead of us, we are going to miss our flight." His anger was quite evident (in his tone of voice and body language), but he was careful not to actually say any words that would get him into trouble. The attendant actually looked surprised (as if she hadn't even thought of this possibility) and stopped letting other people through. At that point, the timing was really tight. I'm not sure whether it would have made a difference if we'd said anything earlier.
We didn't have any problems on the way to CR in Miami because it wasn't our first stop in a new country. I assume it will be for you, though, coming from Canada.
When we had the connecting flight in Miami on the way home,they did hold the plane past the time that it was supposed to have taken off. I assume they did this because everyone with checked baggage who was trying to make the connecting flight was being held up. Although it was really tight for us to begin with, being sent to the wrong gate was the straw that almost broke the camel's back. We couldn't easily run very fast because we had carry-ons with us and it was a long, long distance to the wrong gate and then back again to the correct gate. So, double-check anything they tell you about gates and that should help!
One other thing that didn't help was that we were in Row 27 in the plane. We had exit row seats, which was great during the flight, but it takes a while to get off the plane when you're that far back. Obviously, we'd have had more time to spare if we had been sitting closer to the front of the plane and could have disembarked more quickly.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that, yes, 1.5 hours will probably be pretty tight if AA doesn't get themselves organized before your trip. As frustrating as it was, however, we did make all of our flights, so hopefully you will, too. I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but I also have to assume that if we had missed our flight through no fault of our own, American would have gotten us on the next available flight out.
On the plus side, one of my husband's responsibilities at work is to negotiate travel contracts for the company for which he works. His company currently uses American as their preferred carrier and he's the one who negotiated that contract. So, one of the first tasks on his list when he returns to work today is to write to American and tell them about our wonderful little experience with them. I can't imagine that this will miraculously make them change their procedures, but the possible loss of his company's business is much more likely to make them take a look at things than the threat of losing just our family's business. Knowing that he has some leverage with them and that this letter would be forthcoming is one of the two things that kept me sane when we were at the airport. Xanax was the second! (I hate to fly under the best of circumstances, and situations such as we had make me absolutely crazy, so I always take it when I fly. If I didn't, my family would probably have me thrown out of the airport if the airlines didn't!)
One little bonus for us was that when I was unpacking, I found a slip of paper in the duffle bag full of damp, smelly, disgusting dirty laundry. American had inspected that bag en route to Boston. Childish of me, I know, but I was glad that they had chosen this bag to inspect--boy, did it smell!
So, good luck, and I hope my report didn't make you too nervous. Now I'm feeling bad that I was too detailed and honest in my report and that I'm making some of you with upcoming trips nervous. Sorry. I hope everything works out perfectly for you and that you have a wonderful vacation!
The way it usually works, I believe, is that they check your luggage all the way through to your destination. However, when you enter a new country, you have to claim it and take it through customs. Then you have to recheck it. The rechecking was the easiest part, as there was no line. We just dumped it with an AA person.
The 1.5 hours may be tight if AA's lines are as bad as they were for us. It really was strange because, for some reason, AA was the only airline with really long lines in the international area. I don't know whether the other airlines didn't have flights at those times or whether American is hopelessly disorganized. All I can say is to be assertive, talk to the AA people who are directing the lines and insist that they get you through. While waiting in line for our first flight, dh and I were moaning and whining to each other every time the attendants moved other people ahead of us. When it got to the point where we were really running out of time, my husband spoke directly to the attendant and said something along the lines of, "If you keep putting these people ahead of us, we are going to miss our flight." His anger was quite evident (in his tone of voice and body language), but he was careful not to actually say any words that would get him into trouble. The attendant actually looked surprised (as if she hadn't even thought of this possibility) and stopped letting other people through. At that point, the timing was really tight. I'm not sure whether it would have made a difference if we'd said anything earlier.
We didn't have any problems on the way to CR in Miami because it wasn't our first stop in a new country. I assume it will be for you, though, coming from Canada.
When we had the connecting flight in Miami on the way home,they did hold the plane past the time that it was supposed to have taken off. I assume they did this because everyone with checked baggage who was trying to make the connecting flight was being held up. Although it was really tight for us to begin with, being sent to the wrong gate was the straw that almost broke the camel's back. We couldn't easily run very fast because we had carry-ons with us and it was a long, long distance to the wrong gate and then back again to the correct gate. So, double-check anything they tell you about gates and that should help!
One other thing that didn't help was that we were in Row 27 in the plane. We had exit row seats, which was great during the flight, but it takes a while to get off the plane when you're that far back. Obviously, we'd have had more time to spare if we had been sitting closer to the front of the plane and could have disembarked more quickly.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that, yes, 1.5 hours will probably be pretty tight if AA doesn't get themselves organized before your trip. As frustrating as it was, however, we did make all of our flights, so hopefully you will, too. I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but I also have to assume that if we had missed our flight through no fault of our own, American would have gotten us on the next available flight out.
On the plus side, one of my husband's responsibilities at work is to negotiate travel contracts for the company for which he works. His company currently uses American as their preferred carrier and he's the one who negotiated that contract. So, one of the first tasks on his list when he returns to work today is to write to American and tell them about our wonderful little experience with them. I can't imagine that this will miraculously make them change their procedures, but the possible loss of his company's business is much more likely to make them take a look at things than the threat of losing just our family's business. Knowing that he has some leverage with them and that this letter would be forthcoming is one of the two things that kept me sane when we were at the airport. Xanax was the second! (I hate to fly under the best of circumstances, and situations such as we had make me absolutely crazy, so I always take it when I fly. If I didn't, my family would probably have me thrown out of the airport if the airlines didn't!)
One little bonus for us was that when I was unpacking, I found a slip of paper in the duffle bag full of damp, smelly, disgusting dirty laundry. American had inspected that bag en route to Boston. Childish of me, I know, but I was glad that they had chosen this bag to inspect--boy, did it smell!
So, good luck, and I hope my report didn't make you too nervous. Now I'm feeling bad that I was too detailed and honest in my report and that I'm making some of you with upcoming trips nervous. Sorry. I hope everything works out perfectly for you and that you have a wonderful vacation!
Jul 6th, 2004, 05:03 AM
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Well, Jean, good thing you were reading this thread! I didn't even think about the fact that lachat probably wouldn't have to go through customs in the U.S. since she isn't actually spending any time here. Duh! Good thing you were paying attention. I just wish your post had hit the board before I typed my long and obviously incorrect response! Duh! As Gilda Radner would have said, "Nevermind."
Jul 6th, 2004, 11:43 PM
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Jean, thanks for your info. Feel much relieved knowing that I dont need to recheck the luggage again. Jo, thanks for your time trying to help me out. I really appreciate it. My friend's sis went to CR in May. She also flew from Toronto and changed flight at Miami. Same flight schedule as mine. I remembered she had mentioned about time was a little tight at Miami. I'll have my fingers crossed.
Jul 8th, 2004, 09:41 AM
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Greetings Jo and fellow travelers! We just returned last night from a 30 day trip to Costa Rica. When I get unpacked, I'll try to post a report. For now, I wanted to repond RE: American Airlines. We traveled United and could not have had a more pleasant experience. Our traveleing companions met us in Costa Rica two weeks into our trip and returned home yesterday as well but on American. It was HORRIBLE, for all the same reasons. They also arrived both in CR and home starved, because all the were fed was pretzels on the planes and had NO TIME at all between unloaded luggage, customs, re-checking baggage, etc. They were furious. We were very happy with United. We were not even asked to open a thing either in San Jose or at Dulles by either customs, although we did have to go the "Agriculture" line because we had been on a farm.....Talk to ya later Jo...Hasta Luego! Pura Vida!
Jul 8th, 2004, 11:39 AM
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Jo- Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I am flying AA in November from JFK in NYC to San Jose CR via Miami. This is the first connecting flight I have evr taken and I am a little skeptical.
Honestly, I have never had any issues with AA once I realized that it is best to bring your own meal and/or snacks. How early before your flight did you arrive when they were letting people in front of you? Also, I'm sorry if I missed it, but what airport were you flying from? Lastly, when you connected in Miami, were the gates closeby?
Thanks for your help. I've gotten used to "fending for yourself" as far as meals are concerned. I am more interested in safety and schedules to my destination. Anything else you or anyone else can share would be appreciated.
Also, tica traveler- Can you tell me more about United vs. American. I am glad to hear that you had a great time on your trip and I can't wait to read your report. I am curious about what the differences were though? Thanks
Honestly, I have never had any issues with AA once I realized that it is best to bring your own meal and/or snacks. How early before your flight did you arrive when they were letting people in front of you? Also, I'm sorry if I missed it, but what airport were you flying from? Lastly, when you connected in Miami, were the gates closeby?
Thanks for your help. I've gotten used to "fending for yourself" as far as meals are concerned. I am more interested in safety and schedules to my destination. Anything else you or anyone else can share would be appreciated.
Also, tica traveler- Can you tell me more about United vs. American. I am glad to hear that you had a great time on your trip and I can't wait to read your report. I am curious about what the differences were though? Thanks
Jul 8th, 2004, 01:34 PM
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Almost all of our FF miles are with American. For every bad story about that airline, there will be one for United. Personally, I've had nothing but long delays and cancelled flights with United. Not to say that American is perfect.
Miami International isn't much fun. Seems to be oddly designed and always under construction. That said, we've always had enough time between flights.
Being from Iowa, we have to take connecting flights virtually every where that we go. Most involve two stops before the final destination. It's hard to imagine not having to connect for every trip.
Jean
Miami International isn't much fun. Seems to be oddly designed and always under construction. That said, we've always had enough time between flights.
Being from Iowa, we have to take connecting flights virtually every where that we go. Most involve two stops before the final destination. It's hard to imagine not having to connect for every trip.
Jean
Jul 9th, 2004, 06:14 AM
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Jo,
I think we are on the same AA flights that you were on. We are leaving in Aug, our flight leaves Boston at 7:30AM and stops in Miami. I don't have the flight info with me at work. I remember being told that we don't change planes in Miami, we get off & then back on the same plane. Are you saying they don't feed you from Miami to SJO? What about Boston to Miami? Do you think we should arrive at Logan at 4:30 instead of 5:30? I'm nervous after reading your report.
We are also driving. My husband will be doing the driving. Those roads sound scary! I have visions of us going off the side of the road, never to be seen again. Would you rent a car again?
Thanks.
karen
I think we are on the same AA flights that you were on. We are leaving in Aug, our flight leaves Boston at 7:30AM and stops in Miami. I don't have the flight info with me at work. I remember being told that we don't change planes in Miami, we get off & then back on the same plane. Are you saying they don't feed you from Miami to SJO? What about Boston to Miami? Do you think we should arrive at Logan at 4:30 instead of 5:30? I'm nervous after reading your report.
We are also driving. My husband will be doing the driving. Those roads sound scary! I have visions of us going off the side of the road, never to be seen again. Would you rent a car again?
Thanks.
karen
Jul 10th, 2004, 05:47 AM
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Hi again. Sorry I haven't responded more quickly--been busy with out-of-town guests!
First of all, I can't remember whether I mentioned this in my original report or not, but my husband's job requires some pretty close contact with the airlines, particularly AA. So, he has had several conversations with his AA rep. over the past few days and the response has been extremely positive. The rep. has not only been concerned and apologetic, but appears to be taking corrective action. He asked for our flight numbers so that he could address the situation specifically, i.e., he said he wants to find out which employees were on duty when we experienced problems in Boston. To make a long story short, he wanted all the details so that he could investigate and correct problems.
Now, to respond to your individual questions--
TicaTraveler--Glad you had good luck with United--sorry about your friends, but at least I feel better that we weren't overreacting to American. We really don't fly all that often--sometimes things go smoothly and sometimes they don't, but I don't really have a sense of having had more problems with one airline than another. I believe we once flew American to Hawaii and didn't have any problems. I agree with Jean that, over time, it would probably even out among the various airlines. One problem I've had with United is that they seem to frequently change planes on us after we've selected seats. We usually book our flights way ahead of time, choose our seats carefully (I'm picky about my seats b/c of motion sickness), and then arrive at the airport only to find out that they've switched planes and we've been reassigned to horrible seats, like in the middle of the plane. In fact, last time United did this, a friend of ours who works for Northwest happened to be behind the counter near the United area, and she pulled some strings with United for us. Amazing how seats miraculously "appear" when someone has an "in."
By the way, I'm looking forward to reading your report!
Wolfiesmom--We flew out of Logan Airport in Boston and arrived there just over two hours ahead of our flight. Because it was my first international flight, I had been tempted to arrive even earlier, but figured, "How crowded could it possibly be at 5:30 a.m.?" Well, I was absolutely amazed at how crowded it was at 5:30 a.m.! Even dh was surprised, and he flies occasionally for business, so is a bit more experienced with airports than I am.
I can't remember what gate we flew into in Miami, but we flew out of gate E9, so the 2nd flight was 9 gates down the E concourse. Our biggest problem was having been told that the plane was to leave out of the last gate in the D concourse, so we went all the way down D and back before heading down E.
As far as food goes, I guess I just didn't think about it too much ahead of time. I did buy some little packages of snacks for the "kids" because I knew there wouldn't be any meals on the flights. I didn't plan any more than that because I just figured we'd grab something in the airport if we were starving. I just didn't realize we wouldn't have time to use the bathrooms, let alone get something to eat!
Rufus--Hey, don't worry about it at all! You certainly aren't the only one who recommends Arenal Paraiso. I don't know whether we hit them on a bad day or whether we're too picky, or what. We certainly are in the minority in our opinion of the place--and, it really wasn't that bad, just disappointing in view of all the good things I'd heard. I keep wondering whether the weather influenced our feelings somewhat. Looking for the key or running over to the kids' cabin to make plans would've probably seemed like no big deal on a nice day. As it was, the rain was so heavy that we were soaked through in two seconds. I just took our recent houseguests into Boston for their first time on a grey, rainy day this week and couldn't help but think that the city looks and feels so much prettier and more welcoming on a nice day. I'm sure their impressions of Boston won't be as positive as they would've been if they'd seen it on a nice day.
Kwoo--It does sound as though you have the same flights we had. We didn't change planes on our way down, either, but we did get off and then get back on. Hopefully our complaints to American will change things before you go. I guess if I had to do it again, though, I'd probably plan to get to Logan at more like 5:00 a.m. I was really surprised at how many early morning flights they had. American's counter area was by far the most crowded we saw. I don't know whether they have more early morning flights than the other airlines or whether they were just less efficient. And, in answer to your question about the food, all of the flights were beverage service only (and pretzels). Please don't worry too much--I can't imagine that every day is as bad as the day we were there--and, hopefully the rep. dh spoke to will at least be able to implement the seeds of change!
Regarding the driving, yes, we would definitely rent a car again. You're obviously from somewhere in New England if you're flying out of Logan, correct? I think that peoples' perceptions of driving in CR are influenced to an extent to what they're used to at home. If you were from the midwest and were used to straight, flat roads, the CR roads would seem really different than you're used to. But they're just a slightly narrower, curvier version of some of the country roads in New England. I'm not sure where you're going, but if your itinerary is similar to ours, you'll be fine. Most of the roads we drove on were much, much smoother than the roads here at home. They were perfectly smooth! There were some major potholes on the smaller, secondary roads and they were, in general, bigger than we get here at home. But, again, you're used to swerving to avoid potholes, right? No different in CR! The roads were narrow and windy, but so are many of the country roads near us at home. The differences were that there weren't any shoulders and that there were more tight switchbacks. But, if you can drive on New England roads without veering over the white line on the right-hand side, you can certainly drive on CR roads. I think dh actually enjoyed driving on the roads over there. The thing that was the most disconcerting to me was the passing. The kids actually thought it was funny. It was pretty crazy, but somehow it all seems to work out--I guess the Costa Ricans are so usesd to driving like that that they know how to handle it! We didn't see any accidents while we were there. You're probably more likely to see one on your way to Logan! Don't worry about the driving--you'll be fine.
Re the towels, I had everyone bring one fairly worn (i.e., lightweight) beach towel and we never used them, but then we didn't really do the beach per se. El Parador, the Marriott, and Tabacon all provided towels for the pool and you could've taken Parador's to the beach as well. We never needed them while staying at Arenal Paraiso, so I'm not sure about them.
Phew, sorry this was so long. Hope I've answered everyone's questions. I'm really sorry if I've made some of you nervous about upcoming trips. I guess I didn't even think about that as a consequence of some of what I wrote in my report. I hope I didn't sound too negative--I just tend to be too straightforward sometimes, I guess. We had an absolutely wonderful trip and none of the negative things were enough to taint the overall memories in any way. Please don't worry--you'll have a blast!
Pura vida!
First of all, I can't remember whether I mentioned this in my original report or not, but my husband's job requires some pretty close contact with the airlines, particularly AA. So, he has had several conversations with his AA rep. over the past few days and the response has been extremely positive. The rep. has not only been concerned and apologetic, but appears to be taking corrective action. He asked for our flight numbers so that he could address the situation specifically, i.e., he said he wants to find out which employees were on duty when we experienced problems in Boston. To make a long story short, he wanted all the details so that he could investigate and correct problems.
Now, to respond to your individual questions--
TicaTraveler--Glad you had good luck with United--sorry about your friends, but at least I feel better that we weren't overreacting to American. We really don't fly all that often--sometimes things go smoothly and sometimes they don't, but I don't really have a sense of having had more problems with one airline than another. I believe we once flew American to Hawaii and didn't have any problems. I agree with Jean that, over time, it would probably even out among the various airlines. One problem I've had with United is that they seem to frequently change planes on us after we've selected seats. We usually book our flights way ahead of time, choose our seats carefully (I'm picky about my seats b/c of motion sickness), and then arrive at the airport only to find out that they've switched planes and we've been reassigned to horrible seats, like in the middle of the plane. In fact, last time United did this, a friend of ours who works for Northwest happened to be behind the counter near the United area, and she pulled some strings with United for us. Amazing how seats miraculously "appear" when someone has an "in."
By the way, I'm looking forward to reading your report!
Wolfiesmom--We flew out of Logan Airport in Boston and arrived there just over two hours ahead of our flight. Because it was my first international flight, I had been tempted to arrive even earlier, but figured, "How crowded could it possibly be at 5:30 a.m.?" Well, I was absolutely amazed at how crowded it was at 5:30 a.m.! Even dh was surprised, and he flies occasionally for business, so is a bit more experienced with airports than I am.
I can't remember what gate we flew into in Miami, but we flew out of gate E9, so the 2nd flight was 9 gates down the E concourse. Our biggest problem was having been told that the plane was to leave out of the last gate in the D concourse, so we went all the way down D and back before heading down E.
As far as food goes, I guess I just didn't think about it too much ahead of time. I did buy some little packages of snacks for the "kids" because I knew there wouldn't be any meals on the flights. I didn't plan any more than that because I just figured we'd grab something in the airport if we were starving. I just didn't realize we wouldn't have time to use the bathrooms, let alone get something to eat!
Rufus--Hey, don't worry about it at all! You certainly aren't the only one who recommends Arenal Paraiso. I don't know whether we hit them on a bad day or whether we're too picky, or what. We certainly are in the minority in our opinion of the place--and, it really wasn't that bad, just disappointing in view of all the good things I'd heard. I keep wondering whether the weather influenced our feelings somewhat. Looking for the key or running over to the kids' cabin to make plans would've probably seemed like no big deal on a nice day. As it was, the rain was so heavy that we were soaked through in two seconds. I just took our recent houseguests into Boston for their first time on a grey, rainy day this week and couldn't help but think that the city looks and feels so much prettier and more welcoming on a nice day. I'm sure their impressions of Boston won't be as positive as they would've been if they'd seen it on a nice day.
Kwoo--It does sound as though you have the same flights we had. We didn't change planes on our way down, either, but we did get off and then get back on. Hopefully our complaints to American will change things before you go. I guess if I had to do it again, though, I'd probably plan to get to Logan at more like 5:00 a.m. I was really surprised at how many early morning flights they had. American's counter area was by far the most crowded we saw. I don't know whether they have more early morning flights than the other airlines or whether they were just less efficient. And, in answer to your question about the food, all of the flights were beverage service only (and pretzels). Please don't worry too much--I can't imagine that every day is as bad as the day we were there--and, hopefully the rep. dh spoke to will at least be able to implement the seeds of change!
Regarding the driving, yes, we would definitely rent a car again. You're obviously from somewhere in New England if you're flying out of Logan, correct? I think that peoples' perceptions of driving in CR are influenced to an extent to what they're used to at home. If you were from the midwest and were used to straight, flat roads, the CR roads would seem really different than you're used to. But they're just a slightly narrower, curvier version of some of the country roads in New England. I'm not sure where you're going, but if your itinerary is similar to ours, you'll be fine. Most of the roads we drove on were much, much smoother than the roads here at home. They were perfectly smooth! There were some major potholes on the smaller, secondary roads and they were, in general, bigger than we get here at home. But, again, you're used to swerving to avoid potholes, right? No different in CR! The roads were narrow and windy, but so are many of the country roads near us at home. The differences were that there weren't any shoulders and that there were more tight switchbacks. But, if you can drive on New England roads without veering over the white line on the right-hand side, you can certainly drive on CR roads. I think dh actually enjoyed driving on the roads over there. The thing that was the most disconcerting to me was the passing. The kids actually thought it was funny. It was pretty crazy, but somehow it all seems to work out--I guess the Costa Ricans are so usesd to driving like that that they know how to handle it! We didn't see any accidents while we were there. You're probably more likely to see one on your way to Logan! Don't worry about the driving--you'll be fine.
Re the towels, I had everyone bring one fairly worn (i.e., lightweight) beach towel and we never used them, but then we didn't really do the beach per se. El Parador, the Marriott, and Tabacon all provided towels for the pool and you could've taken Parador's to the beach as well. We never needed them while staying at Arenal Paraiso, so I'm not sure about them.
Phew, sorry this was so long. Hope I've answered everyone's questions. I'm really sorry if I've made some of you nervous about upcoming trips. I guess I didn't even think about that as a consequence of some of what I wrote in my report. I hope I didn't sound too negative--I just tend to be too straightforward sometimes, I guess. We had an absolutely wonderful trip and none of the negative things were enough to taint the overall memories in any way. Please don't worry--you'll have a blast!
Pura vida!
Jul 10th, 2004, 08:07 AM
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Jo, thank you for your response. I feel much better now. Yes, we are from Mass. Will plan to arrive at Logan at 5:00am or maybe 4:30am just to be safe. We are going to MA, Arenal, Poas and Alejuela, in that order. Can't wait!
Jul 10th, 2004, 10:40 AM
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Jo,
No worries! I much prefer an honest trip report rather than one that sugar coates everything. I would rather know exactly what I'm really in for, that way I won't be dissapointed or have my hopes too high if everything isn't exactly perfect. I'm still very excited about my trip next week!!
No worries! I much prefer an honest trip report rather than one that sugar coates everything. I would rather know exactly what I'm really in for, that way I won't be dissapointed or have my hopes too high if everything isn't exactly perfect. I'm still very excited about my trip next week!!
Jul 10th, 2004, 11:24 AM
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Greetings all! I think I caught up on my sleep enough now to be able to see the computer screen....whew. It was touch and go there for a while. 
I'm glad to hear everyone didn't have the flight from hell my friends claimed to have had. I only know I was very pleased with the United flights. (Of course, I was even more impressed with Southwest the week before when I had to fly to catch a hop to Florida at the last minute.) I love to fly.
I'll get something posted soon re: trip journal.
Happy travels.
I'm glad to hear everyone didn't have the flight from hell my friends claimed to have had. I only know I was very pleased with the United flights. (Of course, I was even more impressed with Southwest the week before when I had to fly to catch a hop to Florida at the last minute.) I love to fly.
I'll get something posted soon re: trip journal.
Happy travels.
Jul 11th, 2004, 12:25 PM
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Wanted to add my dos colones to this posting and say "GREAT JOB!" on the trip report! Thanks for taking the time to post esp. after returning home from vacation and getting back to the daily "grind"... you still had the time to give such a great report!
A few thoughts re: your post on the Supermercado. The guards might have been handing out tickets to be validated by the cashier? Possibly their lot is used by other business in the area and they're putting a stop to it. Just speculation, esp. since your girls were only getting directions and not shopping. "Tico Spanish" is somewhat different than that spoken in Mexico, Panama or even Spain (or so I'm told.) A friend of ours spent a great deal of time in Mexico and actually had a difficult time here in Costa Rica. A Tica girlfriend and I just returned from a two day trip to Panama and SHE had a difficult time understanding them! I give your kids "two major thumbs up!" for using their Spanish language here. Good for them! Kudos! But that might explain the problem you experienced at Rodeo?
To the previous poster re: Villas Nicolas. VNic is located on the main road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio Parque. I really don't encourage walking to restaurants at night on the mountain road. There is NO shoulder to walk on, and as JoBurritt can attest, it's really difficult to see people walking...in the dark...in the rain...while driving. Well, you get the idea! However, from VNic, you can walk to SiComoNo (right next door) and to the restaurant atop Villas Parque called BS Grille. Brian and Shannon do a GREAT job with burgers, wings and gringo foods with a smattering of tico foods mixed, lots of fresh fish, and you certainly CANNOT miss the great view. Karolas is down the hill next to BarbaRoja and they get good reviews also.
PS: JoBurritt, I LOVE the tortilla soup at El Gran Escape too!
Lisa in Manuel Antonio
A few thoughts re: your post on the Supermercado. The guards might have been handing out tickets to be validated by the cashier? Possibly their lot is used by other business in the area and they're putting a stop to it. Just speculation, esp. since your girls were only getting directions and not shopping. "Tico Spanish" is somewhat different than that spoken in Mexico, Panama or even Spain (or so I'm told.) A friend of ours spent a great deal of time in Mexico and actually had a difficult time here in Costa Rica. A Tica girlfriend and I just returned from a two day trip to Panama and SHE had a difficult time understanding them! I give your kids "two major thumbs up!" for using their Spanish language here. Good for them! Kudos! But that might explain the problem you experienced at Rodeo?
To the previous poster re: Villas Nicolas. VNic is located on the main road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio Parque. I really don't encourage walking to restaurants at night on the mountain road. There is NO shoulder to walk on, and as JoBurritt can attest, it's really difficult to see people walking...in the dark...in the rain...while driving. Well, you get the idea! However, from VNic, you can walk to SiComoNo (right next door) and to the restaurant atop Villas Parque called BS Grille. Brian and Shannon do a GREAT job with burgers, wings and gringo foods with a smattering of tico foods mixed, lots of fresh fish, and you certainly CANNOT miss the great view. Karolas is down the hill next to BarbaRoja and they get good reviews also.
PS: JoBurritt, I LOVE the tortilla soup at El Gran Escape too!
Lisa in Manuel Antonio
Jul 11th, 2004, 07:09 PM
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LA--Hope you have a great trip!
Kwoo--When do you leave?
TicaT--I'm loving your trip report!
Lisa--Maybe the Supermercado was having trouble with overnight parking or something because when we stopped there during the daylight the next day, the guards weren't there. If you ever find out for sure, I'm really curious.
Regarding the Spanish, you may be right about the guys at Rodeo. Actually, I'm not even sure what my kids' Spanish is like because they've had so many different Spanish teachers and I know some have spoken Castilian Spanish and others Mexican Spanish. My oldest daughter minored in Spanish in college and studied in Spain one summer, so she's pretty conversant in the language, but she may lean more toward the Spanish spoken in Spain.
However, for the most part, the kids were able to get their points across in Spanish while we were in CR. Whenever we needed directions, they were able to get them in Spanish and when we ordered food in Zarcero at a take-out pizza place, the woman there didn't speak a word of English. We ended up getting the correct food, so the kids must've done something right!
The kids actually had a really good time kidding around with guides, bellhops, etc. There was one really cute, friendly bellhop at the Parador who the kids had fun bantering with. One day, Pedro the lizard was out in the driveway and my oldest asked the bellhop how to say lizard in Spanish. He looked at her kind of funny, she repeated her question, and he said, "Lee-zard." We all got quite a chuckle out of that.
The canopy tour guides seemed to have a blast teasing my girls about their Spanish. To be perfectly honest, I think it had something to do with the fact that the guides were all young men and I think some of the conversation taking place between them and my daughters was flirting! Nothing inappropriate, and all in fun, but I think the combination of young men and young single women contributed to their enjoyment. Evidently, my oldest had been saying, in Spanish, "I love myself," but thought she was saying something else. They teased her unmercifully about that. On the way back in the van, she and my other daughter got into a conversation with the guide about the Spanish word the girls knew for sh*t. They asked if it was the noun or the verb. Long story and another of those "you had to be there," but even though I could only understand some of their conversation, it was pretty funny.
Once again, I've rambled enough! Now I have to go see if TicaTraveler has posted another segment of her journal!
Kwoo--When do you leave?
TicaT--I'm loving your trip report!
Lisa--Maybe the Supermercado was having trouble with overnight parking or something because when we stopped there during the daylight the next day, the guards weren't there. If you ever find out for sure, I'm really curious.
Regarding the Spanish, you may be right about the guys at Rodeo. Actually, I'm not even sure what my kids' Spanish is like because they've had so many different Spanish teachers and I know some have spoken Castilian Spanish and others Mexican Spanish. My oldest daughter minored in Spanish in college and studied in Spain one summer, so she's pretty conversant in the language, but she may lean more toward the Spanish spoken in Spain.
However, for the most part, the kids were able to get their points across in Spanish while we were in CR. Whenever we needed directions, they were able to get them in Spanish and when we ordered food in Zarcero at a take-out pizza place, the woman there didn't speak a word of English. We ended up getting the correct food, so the kids must've done something right!
The kids actually had a really good time kidding around with guides, bellhops, etc. There was one really cute, friendly bellhop at the Parador who the kids had fun bantering with. One day, Pedro the lizard was out in the driveway and my oldest asked the bellhop how to say lizard in Spanish. He looked at her kind of funny, she repeated her question, and he said, "Lee-zard." We all got quite a chuckle out of that.
The canopy tour guides seemed to have a blast teasing my girls about their Spanish. To be perfectly honest, I think it had something to do with the fact that the guides were all young men and I think some of the conversation taking place between them and my daughters was flirting! Nothing inappropriate, and all in fun, but I think the combination of young men and young single women contributed to their enjoyment. Evidently, my oldest had been saying, in Spanish, "I love myself," but thought she was saying something else. They teased her unmercifully about that. On the way back in the van, she and my other daughter got into a conversation with the guide about the Spanish word the girls knew for sh*t. They asked if it was the noun or the verb. Long story and another of those "you had to be there," but even though I could only understand some of their conversation, it was pretty funny.
Once again, I've rambled enough! Now I have to go see if TicaTraveler has posted another segment of her journal!
such flirts! You must've had Jorge, Harley & another whose name I forgot. They made it fun yet never compromised safety.
Jul 12th, 2004, 05:23 AM
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Jorge was one of them. Another had a name I never quite understood, like "Meffie" or something like that. I can't remember the other guys' names. There may have been an Eduardo, but I'm not sure.
Jul 12th, 2004, 05:51 AM
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Jo, we are leaving Aug 10, a Tuesday. I called AA last night and they did tell me that Boston is one of the cities that has long lines and they recommend you come even more than 2 hours earlier. What day of the week did you travel on? They also told me they don't provide meals, only drinks and pretzels. So I think we may bring grinders or some kind of sandwiches with us. Did you notice when you got off the plane in Miami if there was a place nearby to buy lunch? We only have one hour before the plane leaves Miami for San Jose. I don't think we will have time for lunch when we arrive in CR. We have to pick up our rental car and then drive to MA, about 3 1/2 hours, and obviously want to arrive before 6:00pm when it gets dark.
I loved reading your report. It was very helpful and I definitely prefer that someone be honest and not sugarcoat everything.
I've never been to Central America before and am so excited about this trip. My daughters are 23 and 21 (similar to your kids ages). I know we will all have a great time!!
By the way, what kind of clothes did you wear in Arenal when it was raining? Would shorts be warm enough or did you need long pants? I've told my family we should all pack at least one pair of long pants and lightweight jacket or sweater. We've already bought cheap ponchos, too.
Thanks.
Karen
I loved reading your report. It was very helpful and I definitely prefer that someone be honest and not sugarcoat everything.
I've never been to Central America before and am so excited about this trip. My daughters are 23 and 21 (similar to your kids ages). I know we will all have a great time!!
By the way, what kind of clothes did you wear in Arenal when it was raining? Would shorts be warm enough or did you need long pants? I've told my family we should all pack at least one pair of long pants and lightweight jacket or sweater. We've already bought cheap ponchos, too.
Thanks.
Karen
Jul 12th, 2004, 11:25 AM
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Hi Karen,
Well, I didn't remember this, but my son did. I guess my Xanax must've done more than just alleviate the anxiety I experience when flying! He said there was a steak sub place in the Miami airport where the kids got subs when we stopped en route to CR. I know that on the way back home, we got individual Papa John's pizzas in Miami and there were several other food options, including Burger King. I don't know whether they always fly the same flights into the same gates or not, but I'd say that, given our experience, there will probably be several food options around. I was actually surprised--the pepperoni pizzas were $4 each and were a reasonably sized lunch (well, my poor teenaged son could probably have eaten 5 of them, but his appetite is pretty crazy right now). I thought that price was really decent for airport food.
We flew out on a Thursday and returned on a Friday.
As far as clothes go, I'd say you'll definitely be fine with one pair of pants and one sweater/sweatshirt/windbreaker per person just in case you need them, but you may not. I don't think any of us wore pants (other than on the plane), but we did use windbreakers/sweatshirts once. The only place that was at all cool when we were there was outside of San Jose (at the Marriott), and then only in the evening. Arenal was muggy and rainy, but not cold. We did use our cheap, ugly ponchos in Arenal. It took a while for the kids to give in and wear them, but at one point they finally decided they were sick of getting wet and threw fashion out the window! Hopefully, you'll have much better weather than we did and you won't need the ponchos at all! I think we had particularly bad luck weather-wise, so I'm sure you should average more sun than we did!
By the way, I found that when clothes didn't dry down there, it didn't much matter what they were made of. Even the synthetic shorts I bought for whitewater rafting smelled mildewy before they were dry. I'm glad I didn't go too crazy buying travel-type clothing for the trip because, in Arenal, nothing dried! I hadn't planned to do laundry in CR, but it just ended up making more sense than lugging too many smelly clothes around. Also, someone on Fodor's recommended a travel-size bottle of Febreeze. I bought one at Shaw's and, before we had done any laundry, one of my daughters was whining that she didn't have a clean, dry pair of shorts to wear. So, I Febreezed my above-mentioned shorts, gave them to her, and she didn't even notice that they weren't clean.
I can't wait to hear how your trip goes. What hotels are you staying in? You will have so much fun! My kids were really skeptical before we went, but they all had a great time.
I'm glad you didn't mind my honest (i.e., sometimes negative) comments. I always figure "forewarned is forearmed," but I don't want to worry people! The positives far, far outweighed the negatives.
Jo
Well, I didn't remember this, but my son did. I guess my Xanax must've done more than just alleviate the anxiety I experience when flying! He said there was a steak sub place in the Miami airport where the kids got subs when we stopped en route to CR. I know that on the way back home, we got individual Papa John's pizzas in Miami and there were several other food options, including Burger King. I don't know whether they always fly the same flights into the same gates or not, but I'd say that, given our experience, there will probably be several food options around. I was actually surprised--the pepperoni pizzas were $4 each and were a reasonably sized lunch (well, my poor teenaged son could probably have eaten 5 of them, but his appetite is pretty crazy right now). I thought that price was really decent for airport food.
We flew out on a Thursday and returned on a Friday.
As far as clothes go, I'd say you'll definitely be fine with one pair of pants and one sweater/sweatshirt/windbreaker per person just in case you need them, but you may not. I don't think any of us wore pants (other than on the plane), but we did use windbreakers/sweatshirts once. The only place that was at all cool when we were there was outside of San Jose (at the Marriott), and then only in the evening. Arenal was muggy and rainy, but not cold. We did use our cheap, ugly ponchos in Arenal. It took a while for the kids to give in and wear them, but at one point they finally decided they were sick of getting wet and threw fashion out the window! Hopefully, you'll have much better weather than we did and you won't need the ponchos at all! I think we had particularly bad luck weather-wise, so I'm sure you should average more sun than we did!
By the way, I found that when clothes didn't dry down there, it didn't much matter what they were made of. Even the synthetic shorts I bought for whitewater rafting smelled mildewy before they were dry. I'm glad I didn't go too crazy buying travel-type clothing for the trip because, in Arenal, nothing dried! I hadn't planned to do laundry in CR, but it just ended up making more sense than lugging too many smelly clothes around. Also, someone on Fodor's recommended a travel-size bottle of Febreeze. I bought one at Shaw's and, before we had done any laundry, one of my daughters was whining that she didn't have a clean, dry pair of shorts to wear. So, I Febreezed my above-mentioned shorts, gave them to her, and she didn't even notice that they weren't clean.
I can't wait to hear how your trip goes. What hotels are you staying in? You will have so much fun! My kids were really skeptical before we went, but they all had a great time.
I'm glad you didn't mind my honest (i.e., sometimes negative) comments. I always figure "forewarned is forearmed," but I don't want to worry people! The positives far, far outweighed the negatives.
Jo
