http://www.cupotico.com/ A Web Site about Costa Rica with travel information maps hotels reviews and general information. en-us Copyright 2001-2009 Cupotico.com Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:51:12 GMT Travel admin@cupotico.com (Admin Cupotico) web@cupotico.com (WebMaster Cupotico) 40 Three large Social Security system hospitals provide San Jos? with round-the-clock emergency care with regular hours for laboratories, X-rays, pharmacies and doctor's appointments. These are the Calder6n Guardia, San Juan de Dios and Mexico. Some private hospitals are: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/Hospitals_in_San_jose.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/Hospitals_in_San_jose.html Foreign residents can and"buy intoand" the Social Security system (Caja, as it's called in Costa Rica) by paying a fee from $40 to $50 a month and then going to government hospitals for treatment However, since medical care is free, it isn't surprising to find that the system is crowded, well-used. When people don't feel quite up to snuff, they traipse off to the hospital to see a doctor. Of course, for emergency treatment, there is no problem you are seen immediately but for an ordinary office visit with a governand­ment doctor, you could find yourself standing in line or sitting in the waiting room for a long while. For elective surgery, you can expect a wait of several months for your turn. However, there is a better way: choose a family doctor who is in both public and private practice. See him as your private doctor for minor problems and as a public servant for expensive treatment. Mon, 22 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/Choosing_a_Doctor.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/Choosing_a_Doctor.html The United States' irrational health-care system, with its exand­clusion of about 37 million citizens from the ranks of medically insured, is yet another reason people think favorably about living in a country where health care is not only available, but afforand­dable. In a United States hospital, patients with Medicare coverage usually pay far more just for their deductible share than the total operation and hospital bill would cost in Costa Rica! In the United States, should you visit the emergency room, the first thing they ask for is your hospitalization plan or credit card. If you have neither, you could be told to get lost. In Costa Rica, when going to an emergency room in any government hospital, there is no charge for resident, visitor, or even someone in the country illegally! This affordable medical system is another of the benefits Costa Rica enjoys because there is no military to absorb resources. Statistics show that the general level of care is equal to or superior to the United States. In fact, the United Nations recently noted that Costa Rica is in first place in Latin America for development of preventive and curative medicine, ranking with the United States and Canada among the 20 best in the world. Infant mortality is lower in Costa Rica than in the United States. The average life expectancy is 74 years for men, about the same as in the United States, but far above other Latin American countries. Why is quality health care inexpensive in Costa Rica? A prominent physician (in private practice in San Jose) explained it this way: and"Here, our government considers medical care as a public service and obligation, just as it considers education and highways a public responsibility. The government builds hospitals and trains medical specialists to serve the people, not as a business. But in the United States, medical care is a profit-making industry, a big busiand­ness where profits are maximized to the highest point people can pay. Here, a doctor working for a government clinic earns between $800 and $2,000 a month. In your country, where doctors work for profit, $20,000 a month is common. Some heart surgeons in the United States will schedule five heart-bypass operations the same day. At $50,000 from each patient, this assembly-line practice brings in $250,000 for one day's work!and" Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/Medical_Care.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/Medical_Care.html As a part of its commitment to serving the public, the Costa Rican government has spent large sums of money on water and sewage treatment. Unlike in most Mexican and Central American cities, you can drink the water in San Jose and other major towns around the country. Many smaller towns have excellent quality water, as do most hotels, where drinking water comes from safe wells. The government strictly monitors these water systems, even those private ones used by a handful of people. Every two months, at a minimum, tests are made for purity. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Travel/You_Can_Drink_the_Water_in_Costa_Rica.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Travel/You_Can_Drink_the_Water_in_Costa_Rica.html In many third-world countries you play a game of Russian roulette when choosing a restaurant. A dining room can look wonderful, with white tablecloths, gleaming silverware and tuxedo-attired waiters, but the kitchen can be a virtual cesspool. Not so in Costa Rica. If a restaurant looks good, then its kitchen will be just as nice. I've found very few places where I would hesitate to eat, and I've never been served bad food. I can't say that about some United States restaurants. The level of cleanliness of Costa Rican restaurants is remarkable. This is partly due to government regulation, but more because the Ticos have a natural inclination toward neatness and order. Another factor in restaurant safety is the relative scarcity of houseflies in Costa Rica. Since this is the tropics, you might expect to see more insects than you would in the more temperate zones of North America, and you do, but-in balance. Yet, you'll see remarkaband­ly few houseflies, the true villains in spreading disease. In San Jose and other towns on the Central Valley you can eat outside at a sidewalk cafe without sharing your lunch with flies. This seems strange to visitors from North America's Midwest, where the fly population blooms in the summer to a plague. Yes, an occasional fly might drift past, curious as to what you are having for lunch and hoping to join you, but nothing like you expect back home in the summer. The same thing goes for mosquitoes; in the dry season, they areas scarce as houseflies, and even in the wet season they aren't so plentiful as to require screens on the windows in many areas. Still, mosquito repellent is essential, for the little critters can carry Dengue fever, a flutelike illness. Thu, 11 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/A_Healthy_Country.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Moving and Living In Costa Rica/A_Healthy_Country.html Electricity: The same as in the United States or Canada-110 volts alternating current. Short power failures are common.Time: Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time, but because the length of the days is virtually unchanged over the seasons, Daylight Savings Time is not observed.Tipping: Hotels, restaurants and night clubs are required to add 13 percent value-added tax (IVA) plus ten percent service charge. Although the ten percent is considered a tip and they expect no more, I add an extra five percent if service is excellent.Drugs: The law provides a jail sentence of eight to 20 years for anyone involved in drug dealing. Drug use is considered extremely serious, and mere possession of drugs can be interpreted as evidence of drug dealing. That means prison time, folks! (Maybe that's why there are so few juvenile delinquents and so little graffiti.) Tue, 9 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Travel/Miscelhineous_Information.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Travel/Miscelhineous_Information.html Costa Rican social behavior is a curious mixture of old-world, Spanish formality and a special Tico-style of relaxed interactions. You always shake hands politely when being introduced or when meeting an acquaintance on the street, women as well as men. the hand is not fully press but rather lithight toch of both edges of the hand , curving the middle part of the palm. Women also may greet other women friends with a kiss on the cheek; with close friends a man may receive a light kiss, but only if they know each other well. The exaggerated hugging and kissing which is often common in the U.S. is not approved here. Men, when greeting truly close friends, will often give an abrazo a quick hug and pat on the back or perhaps lightly clasp the friend's wrist or forearm instead of shaking hands. and"Getting down to business,and" as we North Americans are apt to do, without any preliminary greeting and small talk is considered somewhat rude in Costa Rica, yet not as rude as in some other Latin American societies. Costa Ricans know how we North Americans are, so they never make a big deal out of it; they realize that and"businessand" is the custom in our countries. To be polite, you might spend a few moments inquiring about someone's children, or spouse, or perhaps give a compliment about their clothing or anything else you might think to say before talking business. It gets things off to a smoother start.Costa Ricans have a delightful habit of issuing off-the-cuff invitations to visit them at their homes, for dinner or for cocktails, but you should always wait for the invitation and not just drop in. An exception to this is when someone moves into the neighborhood, or when you move into a new home. Then it's considered polite to knock on the door and introduce yourselves. When invited to someone's house for the first time, it's customary to bring flowers or some small gift. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Courtesy_and_Custom.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Courtesy_and_Custom.html Restaurants, by law, add a ten percent service charge to the bill. Then it's up to the customers if they care to leave something extra. I find that a five percent tip is greatly appreciated and leads to extra special service the next time. Barber shops and beauty salons expect a 15-20 percent tip. At Christmas time it's customary to give something to the newsboy, supermarket attendants, garbage collectors, and of course you give a yearly Christmas bonus to the maid, gardener and any other employees. The Christmas bonus, aguinaldo is not a gift or a tip, but is required by law. An extra present will be greatly appreciated. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Gratuities_tips_and_aguinaldo_.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Gratuities_tips_and_aguinaldo_.html A most difficult thing to get used to is the way Costa Ricans view time. When invited to a social event in the United States or Canada, it's considered ill-mannered to arrive late. Not in Costa Rica. Should you receive an invitation for dinner, say at 8 p.m., and you actually arrive at that time, you are likely to embarrass the hosts; she is probably in the shower and he is still at the office. Typically guests arrive from one-half hour to two hours late. Tue, 26 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Tico_Time.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Tico_Time.html For those addicted to the sound of a roulette ball bouncing along the wheel, or to the riffling sound of cards being shuffled, you'll find no lack of action in Costa Rica. There are numerous gambling casinos scattered about the country. Many large hotels have casinos, sometimes in the lobby as if this were a miniature Las Vegas. Some gambling casinos are found upstairs over night clubs or restaurants. Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Gambling_Casinos.html http://www.cupotico.com/info/Culture/Gambling_Casinos.html