San José Local Customs

by zrim
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typical fruitstand

There are fruit kiosks all over the city. The selections did not seem exotic like a fruit vendor in Malaysia, but seemed to have the more "recognizable" fruits like apples, grapes and bananas. Given the dangers of hepatitis and other such germ transmitted disease--I'd definitely wash any fruit bought on a street corner before ingesting.


	Street Musicians	Tip Rating:

By zrim

on February 22, 2004

by zrim
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woodwinds and strings

Playing some hauntingly beautiful songs, this troupe drew quite a crowd on the Plaza de la Cultura. We stood and listened for a few minutes, but the jostling crowd and the lack of any place to sit on this busy Christmas Eve meant that we had to push on sooner than we would have liked. I'd say that this music performance, albeit very brief, was the highlight of the afternoon in San Jose.


	Bills and Taxes	Tip Rating:

By besbel

on March 1, 2003

Not only in San José, but in Costa Rica in general, the list of prices at restaurants and shops generally does not include taxes, which are charged at the final bill. It took a while to me to get used to this, because in my country all prices include the taxes....and I had to pay more than expected a couple of times because of this :-( So, be always sure that the prices offered are the final ones, taxes and other fees included!


	Telephone calls, Internet	Tip Rating:

Updated By besbel

on March 9, 2007

Sometimes doing and receiving international phone calls was not that easy, even if you are doing it from a five-starred hotel. A few times my international calls got cut with no apparent reason and the telephone cards offered a little amount of minutes (as for me, I could only call 10 minutes to Peru with a 3000 colones' card). At that moment, the cheapest way was calling through the Internet, but now it's more convenient to use MSN and chat. As for the internet, the cheapest way is going to the internet cafes located around Avenida Central, in downtown San José. The fee per hour is in average 500 colones (around US$1.5).


	Money Exchange, Credit Cards, ATMs.	Tip Rating:

Updated By besbel

on February 6, 2007

The exchange rate is around 1US$ = 517 colones. However, dollars are widely accepted even if the bills are stained or has medium-size fractures. You can use the US$1, 2 and 5 bills to pay little expenses like taxis. Finally, for exchanging colones, you can do it at your hotel/hostel or any bank safely. As for credit cards, Visa, MasterCard and American Express are also generally accepted. If you have Visa or Visa Electron as I do, and need cash, you can take out your money from the ATM of Scotiabank. I did it in the ATM in Multiplaza Mall and it was completely safe.


	competition...	Tip Rating:

Updated By pollon

on May 7, 2003

by pollon
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reflexion at the airport

don't worry if you arrive at the airport, you are immediately sold the necessary paper for the departure tax (included in the paying of the paper itself) and you hear a warning saying you don't have to buy it out of the airport but at a certain desk, it's valid anyway... I have thought it can simply be a question of commercial competition or of not respected monopoly...???


	Waiting for the wife to complete the shopping	Tip Rating:

Updated By zrim

on April 20, 2004

by zrim
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waiting on the trouble and
strife

The central district was very busy on Christmas Eve afternoon. Lots of people completing their last minute shopping. But these guys obviously had had enough and chose to wait out the shopping trip in the central plaza in front of the National Theater. Can't say that I blame them since shopping is not a particular favorite of mine either (or couldn't you tell from the plethora of shopping tips that generally appear on my pages.)


	Patience	Tip Rating:

By penumbra

on September 2, 2006

by penumbra, 1 more photos
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Next stop Cuba

I like a country where they wait their turn in line. It just seems polite and proper to me. So I like the Costa Ricans because they’re patient enough to wait in line for buses and taxis and cash registers. In general life runs at a slower pace, but an orderly one.


	San Jose has tons of small...	Tip Rating:

By TempNomad

on August 27, 2002

by TempNomad
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San Jose has tons of small museums...most are within 50 cents to three dollars for entrance. The Fidel Tristan Jade Museum re-opened three days before I left...or thereabouts. It's beautiful. It's located on the 11th floor of the National Insurance Institute in downtown San Jose. It's open during the week. It has loads of beautiful jade (of course!) and also has a sizeable collection of ceramics. An extensive fertility collection, if I remember correctly. I also really liked the Gold Museum, and El Teatro Nacional. San Jose has an incredible amount of dramatic, dance, film, and art productions. It has more independent theatres than any other city I've seen. And I live in NYC!


	Weed-Whacker	Tip Rating:

By penumbra

on September 2, 2006

by penumbra
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Slice and Dice

I saw this several times walking around San Jose and finally got the courage to take a picture, albeit when his back was turned. No need for machines when a willing arm with a machete is available. Just don’t upset the gardener.