RETO JUVENIL INTERNACIONAL An experience that changes the world. Intern Guide

Transcription

1 Intern Guide This guide is made by a current intern here at the RJI office and its purpose is to guide YOU, the new intern, in the in s and outs of navigating your way around the Central Valley, SJO, Chepe, or as is it s most commonly known- San Jose- ensuring that your stay is as care- free as possible! Weather The official rainy season begins in May and lasts until December. This is a rough estimate. Rains can begin as early as April in the Central Valley. It s difficult to forecast an exact pattern, but mornings can be sunny and warmer and then temperatures begin to drop from around 1 pm onwards. It is chilly and windy in the afternoons and evenings, so bring sweaters, long sleeve shirts and scarves! When it rains, it usually rains consecutively for at least a couple of hours. A quality umbrella, raincoat and rain boats are must- haves! That being said, if you are here for a prolonged period of time, be aware that you will likely encounter mold. Most residences in Costa Rica do not have air conditioning, so the constant moisture is known to breed mold. Safety Like any metropolitan city, it is advisable to maintain basic street- smarts when navigating through the San Jose area. Several extra tips for ensuring safety include: Do NOT take any taxis that are not official. To recognize the legitimate ones, they must have a yellow triangle on the side and with the letters TSJ and then a code for the taxi. - Reliable company: COOPETICO Do NOT walk around on your phone. SJO is prone to petty crime and this is an easy way to make you a target Do NOT walk around alone after sundown Do NOT take out your wallet in the street Wear your purse to the side in front of you Tap water is safe to drink in 99% of places in San Jose! If you re going to be here for a long period of time, don t waste money on bottled water and help the environment!

2 Transportation Buses are fairly easy to catch leaving from the Boulevard in the center of the city and are also very accessible from the Outlet Mall or Mall San Pedro area. They range from colones to get anywhere from Cartago, Alajuela, Escazu and anywhere in the SJO area. To get to RJI take the Carmiol or Sabanilla buses. La Periferica is a cheaper bus option and circumnavigates the entire city in 4 routes routes Taxis will start running the meter (called la maria) at 585 colones (a bit over $1) It s much better to pay in colones to avoid getting ripped off. If the taxi does not run la maria for whatever reason, agree on a fee BEFORE beginning the drive. Cultural There is a wide variety of options for cultural activities in the Central Valley. Good options include: Teatro Nacional (San Jose Center): Pretty inexpensive plays, shows, contemporary dance, the symphony GAM Cultural: Urban guide to cultural activities of all types Art City Tour: 1once a month the Art City tour provides buses that travel from all of the separate cultural places that are highlighted for that month. Buses and events are free Mall San Pedro: Wednesday nights movies cost $2 Costa Rica Craft Brewery (Cartago): The only craft brewery in Central America. They offer free tours and tastings! Ph: Merecumbe (San Pedro): Dance studio with many studios around the country offering classes in salsa, merengue, bachata among others rhythms. Ph: Accommodations The following places are useful to begin your search in terms of finding housing. You can find rooms in a shared house from around $100 to fully furnished 1 bedroom apartments with utilities included for $440. Tico Times: English newspaper in Costa Rica, check the classifieds Craigslist Costa Rica Casa Kibi Kibi (San Pedro): Guest house for travelers, rent out rooms, shared bathrooms and rooms are cleaned 1once a week

3 Villa Lakshmi (San Pedro): Apartments mostly targeted to travelers, minimum lease of 3 months, furnished Cell Phones Cell phones and activations are easy to obtain here. Kolbi or Claro are the most popular companies and you can easily get basic prepaid plans for around $15- $20. If you would like to get a post pay monthly plan, you must take out a line for yourself but under the name of a Costa Rican person *you can pay for this line yourself at any ICE in the country* If you have a Blackberry or iphone that you want to use while you re here, again a CRican must take out the line for you, you will have to buy a CRican sim card (BBerry) and you must unlock it in your home country before coming. Money The currency here is Colones. The exchange rate is between 500 and 530 colones. Banks will usually allow you to exchange your money without having a bank account, and will usually have the best price. You can exchange your money at the bank in the departures area of the airport when you arrive. You will not be able to open a bank account here unless you are a resident, but you can use your ATM card to take out money in colones. Be sure to check with your bank regarding the fee for withdrawal. Pay in colones whenever possible to avoid being ripped off for being a tourist, although most places accept dollars, VISA and MasterCards. DO NOT TIP! Service charges are included with your bill Markets Costa Rica is known for it s delicious fruits and vegetables and you can be sure to find a good variety of them all year round in SJO. Start here! Zapote Farmer s Market: Sundays 7 am - 1 pm from the registro nacional 100 meters south Organic Market: Saturdays 8 am 2 pm Polideportivo de Aranjuez de la iglesia de Santa Teresita 300 meters north & 300 west Supermarkets The following are the ones you will see around most frequently in SJO: Perimercados: not much variety, can find inexpensive produce Mas X Menos: good assortment, median prices Automercado: higher- end supermarket, lot s of American and international products Walmart: there are 2 in SJO one in Guadalupe and one in Curridabat

4 Pequeño Mundo (San Pedro): Similar to Walmart but cheaper, dollar store style Epa (Curridabat): For household items Travel Around the Country Instituto Costrarricense de Turismo (ICJ) has a booklet online as well as in the actual office in SJO that contains the bus schedule to almost every city in the country. Bus service here is very efficient and practical. Address: East side of the bridge Juan Pablo II, La Uruca Phone: Shopping Mall San Pedro: local and some intl. brands, fairly low prices Outlet Mall (San Pedro): local brands, low prices Multiplaza del Este (Zapote): higher end mall with stores like Zara, Mango, etc. Artesanal Market (SJO center): Open- air market with souvenirs and hand made crafts Restaurants and MUST TRY dishes Ticos will have their own recommendations for you in terms of local food spots. This list is made to highlight some of my favorite little places I ve discovered. Café de los Deseos (Barrio Amon): My favorite place in SJO, eclectic café with live music, delicious affordable food, and a variety of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks Ph: El Porton Rojo (Los Yoses): Best pizza in SJO! and delicious cinnamon sangria Café Giratablas (San Pedro): Delicious and inexpensive vegetarian Indian food Ph: La Casita (San Pedro): Delicious homemade Costa Rican food with a homey feel and wonderful service Bonsai (San Pedro): Great sushi! Chifrijo: popular snack food consisting of rice, beans, pork rinds, and cut up tomatoes and onions on top in a chop- chop style Gallo Pinto: rice, black beans and spices and herbs sautéed Café Rica: coffee flavored liquor Tamales: Dish eaten mostly in Christmas time where corn meal is stuffed with chicken and vegetables and wrapped in a plantain leaf

5 Nightlife Lonely Planet and Google I m sure have bombarded you with options of things to do in the city. Here s a list of places that are worth the visit: El Cuartel (San Pedro): Looking for a Monday night outing? This is THE spot in SJO Hoxton s (Barrio Escalante): Hipster scene, dj s playing classics and decent food Craics Irish Pub (San Pedro): Love beer? This is the place, have a try of Costa Rican Craft Brews Antik Restaurant & Bar (Barrio Amon): Lounge, restaurant bar with different rooms and live djs playing electronic music Common Words/Phrases Mae: most used word, means pal or dude Con mucho gusto: the typical phrase used to say you re welcome Pura Vida: means all is good used as a greeting, as a hello, or a goodbye, also to respond when someone asks how you re doing Que chiva: means That s cool! Diay: the most used filler word, equivalent to the American like Tuanis: means, That s cool Vara: used as thing in the context the thing is that or that thing is broken Soda: small cafeteria style where homemade food is served Pulperia: convenience store Miscellaneous - There are a lot of bugs in Costa Rica, so bring plenty of bug spray - Costa Rica is close to the Equator, UV exposure is much more serious here, don t underestimate the sun, so always wear sunscreen! - Things run on TICO TIME. Do not expect punctuality or a sense of urgency in regards to most quotidian activities - Ticos are non- confrontational and very passive people. Keep this in mind when interacting with locals and when something doesn t go your way - No toilet paper in the toilet!! Emergency in- office contacts Hours: 8:30 to 5 pm Monday- Thursday Address: Carmiol, 5ta casa a la izquierda, Sabanilla Montes de Oca Yazmin Ruiz: , cell: Fabio Mora: cell: