Frequently Asked Questions

Free WiFi access

Add me in Facebook

Read about us in your
Lonely Planet Guidebook

We have covered below some commonly asked questions about Personalized Spanish and Costa Rica in general, if you have any other questions feel free to contact us at learnmore@personalizedspanish.com.

PREPARING YOUR TRIP

Visas

You will need a passport to enter Costa Rica. Citizens of the United States, Canada, and most European and Latin America countries receive automatic 90 day visas when entering the country. If you are planning to stay longer than 90 days then you should plan a trip to leave Costa Rica for at least 72 hours and then return again, obtaining a new 90 day visa. Bus trips to Panama or Nicaragua can be arranged easily at low cost. And, of course, flying to any of the countries in South or Central America or the Caribbean is always an option.

Weather

Costa Rica only has two seasons.

What they call summer occurs from December through April and is also more descriptively referred to as the Dry Season. During the Dry Season, much of the country has zero rainfall. However, note that in the mountains and wet rainforest areas, there still is some rain, but less.

What is called winter occurs from May to November and is more descriptively referred to as the Rainy Season or Green Season. During the Rainy Season, it rains EVERY day. However, it generally DOES NOT rain ALL day. Morning and mid-day are generally sunny and pleasant. The rain usually comes in late afternoon and rains REALLY hard for a few hours or less.

In San José

In San José, the weather could not be closer to perfect (in my opinion). All year round the weather is almost the same with the exception of whether it is raining or not. Early morning is generally cool, mid-morning through the afternoon is generally warmer ranging from 75 – 85 degrees F. and then the evening cools off again. December and January can get as cool as 55 at night but it is more often closer to 65.

MONEY

Colones
Costa Ricans use colones, internationally known as the Costa Rican Colon (CRC). The value of the colon is always declining in relation to the US dollar. As of september 30, 2005, the exchange rate was 480 colones to 1 US dollar. You can always find the current exchange rate by visiting http://www.nacion.com and scrolling to the bottom of the page under the heading Tipo de cambio. Although not stated, this is the exchange rate between US dollars and Costa Rican colones. The value next to Compra is the value you'll receive when exchanging your dollars.

There is no need to obtain colones before your arrival. You can obtain colones shortly after your arrival to Costa Rica. US dollars are accepted in many tourist areas and US dollars and traveler's checks can be exchanged at all banks. If you're coming from another country other than the U.S., please be sure to obtain some US dollars to bring with you as it can be very difficult to exchange other currencies.

Bank Machines (ATM's)
You may want to keep most of your money at home; using automatic teller machine's to withdraw money directly from your bank account instead of using traveler's checks. Teller machines (cajero automaticos) marked as ATH (a Todo Hora), along with several others such as Banco Banex, Banco Interfin, Promerica, and ScotiaBank are on the Cirrus and Plus banking networks. There is no charge for using these machines other than that charged by your own bank. At most ATMs, you can even choose between receiving colones or dollars.

Traveler's Checks
Traveler's checks can be exchanged at banks and most larger hotels often for a small fee. (At banks, usually a flat $2.50 service charge.) However, in general, traveler's checks are NOT accepted at most stores, etc. Also, please be warned that where traveler's checks are accepted, your signature will be looked at very carefully, and compared with your passport signature, so please make sure you sign your checks carefully when you obtain them and again when you use them. Be prepared to show your Passport when you use them.

Charge Cards
Charge cards can be used at many places in Costa Rica, but are commonly charged a service charge. Generally, grocery stores, pharmacies, and big stores add no additional charge. But small hotels, travel agents and gift shops commonly add a surcharge of 5 - 10%.

HOMESTAY

Your Room
All Personalized Spanish students will have a private room in their homestay (unless other arrangements are specifically requested.) Your room should, minimally, be equipped with a bed, desk and closet or wardrobe. Other members of your homestay should not enter your room except for cleaning and gathering laundry purposes unless invited in by you.

Laundry
Laundry will be done for you. You will probably be provided with a basket in which to put your dirty clothing and your clothes will be washed at least once a week.

Meals
Your family will provide breakfast and dinner each day. You should let your host mother know what time you would like to eat breakfast in the morning and what time you expect to be home for dinner. Many families do not eat meals together so you may eat most of your meals alone. If you will not be eating breakfast or will not be home for dinner, please let your family know ahead of time.

If you have any special food needs, please let us know before your arrival so we can let your host know.

Keys
Your family will provide you with a set of keys so that you can come and go as you please. Remember to be considerate if you arrive home or leave while people are sleeping. Always make sure that you close and lock doors behind you.

Showers and Hot Water
Most Costa Rican homes do not have hot water. However, all homestays do have "hot" water showers (generally their maximum temperature is more warm than hot). The water is heated as it leaves the showerhead.

Consideration for Family
Please remember that you are living with a family and should be considerate to them at all times. Music and television volumes should be kept to levels that will not disturb others.

Telephone
Keep local calls limited and use calling cards or call collect for International calls. See the Telephone section below for more details.

Visitors
As a consideration to your family, you should receive they're approval before bringing guests into their home. No overnight guests are permitted.

Drugs, Smoking, Drinking
No drugs of any kind other than prescribed medicines are permitted in your homestay. Smoking cigarettes is permitted only if indicated ahead of time by your family. Any drinking should be done in moderation. In consideration of the families, inappropriate behavior can not be allowed.

Costa Rican Culture
Please remember that Costa Rican culture is not exactly the same as your culture. There are times that things will be done differently, and we ask that you respect these differences.

In some Costa Rican households, it is not considered respectful to help yourself in the kitchen. Please check with your family before helping yourself in the refrigerator. This rule should also be applied to washing your own dishes or "helping" in the kitchen. For many Costa Ricans, the kitchen belongs to the mother of the house and "help" is not useful to them. Always ask before assuming that you're being helpful.

If you have any questions about what you suspect might be cultural differences in your homestay, please feel free to bring it up with your teacher or our staff..

Spending Time with Your Family
While there is no requirement to do so, we encourage you to plan to spend time with your family. They have been asked to be available to spend at least a small amount of time with you each day and have been encouraged to invite you on outings, to family gatherings, etc. We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to truly experience Costa Rican culture and use the Spanish you've been learning.

Gift
We encourage you to bring a small thank-you gift to your family. Gifts that show something of you, your culture, your talents or where you live or work are generally well received and offer a nice opportunity for cultural exchange.

Other Languages
If your family speaks another language, especially your native language, we have encouraged them to remember that you are here to learn Spanish and asked that they keep speaking your language to a minimum. If you choose to help them, this is your choice. But in general, they should only be speaking Spanish to you. If you feel that they are using your language too often or are asking you to teach them your language, please let us know and we will speak to the family and request that they modify this practice.

Problems with Your Homestay
Personalized Spanish has carefully selected its families to try to assure that your stay will be a pleasant and rewarding experience. However, if you have any problems at all, please feel free to talk to us so that we can resolve them as soon as possible.

If you have a problem that cannot be resolved, we will change your homestay placement.

ABOUT COSTA RICA

Ticos, Tipico Food and Coffee
Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos. Foreign students living in Costa Rican homes commonly refer to their Costa Rican mother as their Mama Tica and their Costa Rican father as Papa Tico.

Typical Costa Rican food is referred to as Tipica comida. Gallo Pinto is a very common Tipico food consisting of rice and beans and is generally served for breakfast. Most tours that leave in the early morning will take you for a Tipico breakfast, consisting of scrambled eggs, gallo pinto, fruit and bread. A Tipico lunch is the "casada" which consists of rice, beans, fried plantains, salad and some type of meat - fish, red meat, pork or chicken. Arroz con Pollo (rice and chicken) is another popular Tipico dish.

Coffee is a part of Costa Rican culture. In most families and workplaces, you will note that Ticos have a morning coffee break and an afternoon coffee break. At this time, people drink a cup of coffee and, usually, eat some form of bread.

Costa Rican Addresses
In Costa Rica, in general, there are no house numbers or street names. Directions are always given from commonly known locations. From the commonly known location (which may be something that still exists, like a church, or something that used to exist, like an old cinema), directions are given using meters and north/south/east/west. 100 meters signifies one block no matter what the real distance is and as a point of directional reference, almost all church entrances point to the west.

Buses
You can find a bus to just about anywhere in Costa Rica. The bus system is very thorough and extensive.

Most buses within the San José area cost between 160 and 220 colones (30 - 45 cents). Each bus route has a different price. Always check the window for the posted price. While it is quicker and easier if you have exact change, all bus drivers are equipped to provide change for 1000 colones or less.

Taxis
Taxis are relatively inexpensive and plentiful. The minimum fair is 2000 colones. Depending on where you're going, 2000 colones are common fairs in and around San José and a bit higher from Tres Rios to San José. Official taxis are red with a yellow triangle on the side indicating their license number. All official taxis should have a meter, referred to as a Maria. Before entering a taxi, you should either agree on a price or ask them to use the Maria.

Tipping taxi drivers is not expected. You may tip them if you choose, but don't feel obligated.

Restaurants - Getting Your Bill and Tipping
In Costa Rica, you will NEVER get your bill in a restaurant without asking for it - even if you spend 2 - 3 hours hanging out talking! When you're ready for the bill, get the waiter or waitress' attention and say "La cuenta, por favor." Your bill will arrive shortly.

In many restaurants the tip has already been added to the bill. Take a close look at your bill before paying it. The first number you should see added to your bill after the food and drink total is Impuestos (taxes). Then you may or may not see an additional number labeled Servicios (services/tip).

Telephones
You may use the telephone of your family for short calls (5 minutes or less) within Costa Rica. However, for longer calls within Costa Rica, you should plan on buying a telephone card. For international calls you should plan on calling collect, using a calling card from home (MCI, Sprint and AT&T have local numbers you can call), or buying a phone card.

To call collect, dial 175 to reach an operator.

Cell Phones
Cellular phones from other countries generally do not work in Costa Rica.

Crime in Costa Rica
Violent crime in Costa Rica is almost non-existent. However, as is the case with almost all big cities, theft is not uncommon. Take common precautions against pickpockets and backpack thieves, especially in San José. Always keep your backpack or purse close to you. DON'T set it on the floor or a chair near you while your attention is occupied paying a vendor or trying on clothing. For example, if you're at a mall eating in a food court, instead of sitting your backpack on a chair or the table, place it on the floor between your legs, with one leg through the straps. With normal precautions, you should not have any problems.