BACK
HOME FROM COSTA RICA
by Rudi Schiffer
Just
came back from a week in Costa Rica. Columbus called it the “Rich Coast” when
he landed on the beach there on his fourth sailing. As advertised, it’s a
friendly country with lots of pluses and some significant problems. Met some
interesting people who have retired there or work there and they seemed content
after a trial period. Stayed four days in the capital city of San Jose in the
Central Valley where most of the people live and it’s not easy to blend in to
avoid being accosted by street folks looking to make a buck on fake Cohiba
Cigars, Viagra, and other such counterfeit crap.
 |
| Rudi Schiffer |
There
are about 30 so-called casinos there which are really mom and pop joints,
small and run well except they severely lack games on the floor. The biggest
casino, Fiesta, is near the airport and it had only about ten table games
consisting of rummy, an offshoot of blackjack that is strictly as house game
with a big advantage. There was no regular blackjack in action as I was told
the dealer would not be on duty for some time. I asked for blackjack at the
Cocal Casino in Jaco Beach on the Western Pacific coast, but they had no games.
At the Horseshoe in San Jose they did have a game and I was the only one to
play on the $5 min to $300 max bet.
There
are some distractions, like young female dealers in high mini skirts and high
heels. As soon as I broke a Benjamin I was joined by two scantily clad “hostesses”
and a second watchdog dealer and some onlookers. Made me feel like John Daley
with all the gawkers. I could only figure they were all trying to distract me.
When I hit a 21 and was paid 3-2, the pit boss had to approve the payout.
Weird.
The most interesting place was the casino at El Rey in San Jose. I took
a stroll through the joint and went to bar for a Bacardi and Rum but couldn’t
get in. It was wall-to-wall hookers all smiling and beckoning over their low-cut
tops and more. I was told that prostitution was legal in the country and for
sure that is a major attraction for lots of guys coming here. It’s a booming
trade. Beggars are plentiful there — no welfare here or food banks, and lots of addicts to boot. One plus is that
smoking was declared illegal two months ago inside any establishment and if you
want to puff a cigar, head for the street. You know that ticked me off. The
water in the city was potable and food good at the restaurants, but none of the
eateries on the beach had air-conditioning.
Costa Rica is famous for its eco-friendly parks and reserves and hundreds of
American school kids were pouring into the country when I was there. Lots of
rain forest, volcanoes, alligator river tours, waterfalls and wildlife
tours. Met a Brit from London, who
said she had just come back from a 17-day backpack trip through the jungle and
never felt afraid.
The
only trouble I encountered was at Customs at the airport as I had picked up
three small beach stones for my grandson. They were confiscated. I guess
they are a national treasure. Everybody accepted dollars and communicated
easily but it’s nice to learn some basic Spanish phrases before you go. Between
the airfare from Memphis to Juan Santa Maria airport, my travel, food and
lodging only set me back about $1,300. A reasonable expense. Would I go there
again given the opportunity, yes. All in all it was a very interesting trip and
enjoyable.
