McDonalds again

Against all reason, ethics and logics, we ended up at the most horrible restaurant in the world once again. This time, however, we felt safe, as the paramedics were waiting outside for the next liposuction client or victim of food poisoning.

Acid Bar, Tibás, San José

Acid Bar in Tibas is a fine little place, especially if you like loud heavy and death metal. Very good, friendly atmosphere, though; low risk of involuntarily taking part in satanic rituals. Good food, too. Highly recommended.

Open 16.30 - 24.00 Monday - Thursday and 16.30 - 2.00 Friday and Saturday

Address:
100 mts este, 100 mts sur Cementerio de Tibás

Somewhere in Buenos Aires

This picture was taken at 3.11 a.m. on december 13, and now, only two months later, I have forgotten where I was at that time. Chances are that this picture was taken at a bar, though. somewhere.

Rafa's Bar, Barrio California, San José, Costa Rica

Rafa's is the perfect place, there's no better bar in the world. It's located 25m south of the old caribbean railway station and opens every day from 11 am till 1 am, except sundays, when it opens around noon and closes around 10 pm. A beer costs 575 colones and the booze can be purchased by the bottle in order to lower expenses further. However, Rafa's is not your average chinchorro; instead of being filled with elderly, drunk lunatics, it attracts mostly students.

Rest. Mirador, Naranjo, Costa Rica

This restaurant, which I believe is to be found outside Naranjo, has a nice view and is utterly unaquainted with the concept of fresh ingredients. Good coffee, though.

Tree Houses, San Carlos

The Tree Houses Hotel, just outside San Carlos, has a long trail leading to a marvellous attraction; this WC. The tree houses themselves were slightly disappointing; according to the propaganda, they are supposed to be excellent places for observing birds and other creatures, and utterly serene in the midst of a private nature reserve. The truth is that it's an excellent place for being eaten by mosquitos, listening to the trucks that pass by on the highway next to the houses, aquiring health problems due to the humidity inside and being pissed off because they overcharge criminally. Also, it's an hour drive or so to La Fortuna, where most things of interest are to be found.

Bonus pic below: the trail is also a toilet for the horses and cows. Multipurpose trails rule.

Puentes Colgantes, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

The hanging bridges outside La Fortuna is one of the better attractions in the area; a 3 km trail through the forest with a lot of bridges where one can appreciate the view and sometimes see the Arenal Volcano. Unlike the horrible Tabacon resort, you're not likely to run into many other tourists here.

La Antigua, Tres Rios, Costa Rica

Good and reasonably priced food here, highly recommended for a late lunch, it's a couple of blocks east of the municipalidad de Tres Rios. And flowers on the urinal! Very upper class indeed.

Toilet Candy

This tempting piece of culinary art was purchased in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, and cost us 150 colones. The sweets in the bowl are supposed to look like fish.

Bar rest. La Teja, Cartago, Costa Rica

Somewhere far, far up in the mountains of Cartago, La Teja is an oasis for the lost and thirsty traveller. The lack of lightbulbs at the WC gives it an interesting touch of avantgarde design.

Doña Chila

Doña Chila, located somewhere along the road between San José and Ciudad Quesada, offers typical costarican food and group urinals. A bonus pic below: Christmas decorations the Doña Chila way.

Bico's Bar, Puriscal, Costa Rica

A splendid Chinchorro in the centre of Puriscal, the town with the best Chicharrones in the universe. IWCRP gives Bico's five stars for the innovative concept of storing cleaning utensils on the urinal.

Jardin Cervecero, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Tasty fish here, at Jardin Cervecero on the paseo de los turistas in Puntarenas. Below, a bonus picture from the same street, justified by the sign up in the palm tree.

Horizon Yoga Hotel, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Although yoga may be a silly activity, this hotel is a great place to stay in Sta. Teresa. The cabin on pic 2 comes with a private pool; no incontinent child-devils will destroy your evening by the pool. But most important is the mind-boggling WC design.

Rancho Sancho, Santa Teresa

Rancho Sancho has good and abundant mexican food at a relatively decent price, and happy hours with margaritas for 1500 colones. The breakfast is also good, and free if you stay at the Hotel Buenisimo a little further up the hill. The cabins are really nice and a good value at $85.

Playa Tambor

Playa Tambor is more than the hideous all inclusive mega-hotel; there's a nice little beach with a lovely, apparently nameless bar where the probability of finding an umbrella in your drink is signifcantly smaller than that of finding a cockroach in it.

Ferry Puntarenas - Paquera - Puntarenas

The trip from San José to Puntarenas takes about 2 hours, the ferry ride between Puntarenas and Paquera takes about one hour, and from Paquera to Montezuma or Sta. Teresa it's about 1.5 hours. However, the trip from San José to the beach usually takes about ten hours. Mysterious!

IWCRP brings you:
1. A pic of the constantly changing ferry schedule
2. A lottery salesman in Puntarenas
3. A man whose occupation is unknown, Puntarenas
4. Ferry Tambor III
5. The other Ferry
6. Paquera

Update May 07, 2008:

Since it's difficult to find reliable info about the ferry schedule, here they are:

Ferry schedules:

Puntarenas - Paquera:

5.00 am, 7.30 am, 10.00 am, 12.30 pm, 3.00 pm, 5.30 pm, 8.00 pm

Paquera - Puntarenas:

5.00 am, 7.30 am, 10.00 am, 12.30 pm, 3.00 pm, 5.30 pm, 8.00 pm

There are two ferries, one with a capacity of 160 cars, the other one takes 45. Bold text in the schedule above means it's the big ferry.

The ferry company's phone number is 2661-2084

Centro Turístico Pacuare, Costa Rica

On the road between San José and Limón, this is a decent option for a quick, inexpensive meal. There's also a pool outside in case the WCs are occupied.

Bungalows Calalú, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Calalú is the best place to stay in Puerto Viejo, although the WC is very traditional.