Profile of Costa Rica (page 2)
DRESS CODES: Formal dress is required for business engagements. Shorts, especially for women, are for the beach or country club and should not be worn in restaurants or at parties. Women can wear trousers. Strapless dresses are only acceptable for evening events.
SOCIAL NICETIES, TRADITIONS AND TABOOS: Costa Ricans are not very punctual for social activities - except for football matches, the cinema and weddings - but are more formal with their business appointments.
Mothers are regarded as the leading family figures; grandparents and elders are highly respected.
The national pastimes are football and politics. The people have a strong sense of democracy. Costa Ricans are affectionately called 'Ticos' for short.
EATING HABITS: People eat frequently, especially snacks as they walk down the street. These include gallos (filled tortillas), with meat and vegetables. The staple dish is rice and beans which is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Costa Ricans eat a lot of meat - beef, chicken, pork. Eating fish is considered a luxury although fish marinated in lemon juice and spices is a cheap delicacy. Vegetables and fruits are also popular and cheap. Imported apples and grapes are considered a special treat.
There are restaurants in all the major towns serving a variety of cuisines. Local food can be found in small 'sodas'. Popular restaurant dishes include: olla de carne (soup of beef, plantain, yuca, nampi and chayote), sopa negra (black beans and poached egg); and picadillo (meat and vegetable stew).
UNUSUAL/STRICT LAWS: Always carry your driving license. There are tough drunk driving laws, with the penalty of having your driving license impounded for a minimum of three years.
Air travellers from Colombia now need visas and are subject to strict searches for drugs. Failure to carry identification papers/passport may mean imprisonment as police carry out spot checks for illegal immigrants.
Street corner foreign exchange transactions are technically illegal, and often risky.
SECURITY: There are pickpockets in downtown San Jose. Beware of mugging in the national parks at night and of theft at beaches and ports.
HEALTH FOR VISITORS: Drinking water is safe in all the major towns and cities; in other parts of the country it should be boiled first.
Malaria had to a large extent been eradicated, but it has begun to re-appear. Malaria pills may be advisable for extensive stays in lowland areas. Inoculation for yellow fever is recommended. Costa Rica has one of the best standards of health and hygiene in the region.
Several strains of dengue fever have been showing up across Costa Rica. It is particularly dangerous upon second infection, with a slightly different strain. The 1991 cholera epidemic which raged through countries in Latin America, notably Peru, did not reach Costa Rica.
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