Never Use the ATMs at Banco Popular in Costa Rica

I had the most horrific thing happen to me when I first came to Jaco, in search for an apartment to rent on the weekends. If you haven’t been to Jaco, it’s a beach on the Pacific side and is one of the closest beaches to San Jose. I already had an apartment in San Jose and wanted a beach home for the weekends.   I grabbed a taxi and asked him to take me to the closest ATM or cajero as Ticos call it. The driver took me to Banco Popular, which you’ll recognize clearly because they’re the only bank in Costa Rica that advertises with a giant orange sign. I went inside and put my card in the machine and it immediately began making strange noises, while meanwhile the taxi driver is waiting outside so I can grab my card and pay him. The ATM...

Before You Come to Costa Rica: Pack Your Toiletries in a Plastic Bag

Airlines are very tight on security these days, requiring that you not bring any liquids that are above a certain size (this includes liquid deodorants and sprays), and absolutely no bottled water.  If you do need to bring certain toiletries that you think you cannot buy in Costa Rica, put them in a large sandwich bag. Do this ahead of time because going through security at the airport takes long enough, you don’t want to be pulled to the side by security as they search through all your personal...