learning spanish in Costa Rica

I took about 5 weeks in Costa Rica and it was great. The only problem
is the homestays. They generally are far away and you have to travel
many hours by bus. Make sure to find and apartment (furnished) close
to the school or you will suffer greatly. The traffic is completely
insane in San Jose - it can take 1 hours to just drive 3-4 miles.

In general CR is pretty expensive - I paid around $12 for group
lessons and $18 for private per hour. You can find much better deals
in Guatemala and Nicaragua - they don't know much English so you get
lots of practise. Private lessons could be as low as $4 per hour - and
you progress is amazing.

Internet is another thing - make sure you have it pre-installed in the
apartment.

People steal like flies in these countries - keep this in mind. Never
leave a cab before the driver has (otherwise he could leave with
luggage). Never share a cab with anyone you don't know. Never put
luggage in the "correct part" of a bus - keep it with you. Pay for an
extra seat if needed. Keep $40-60 in your pocket and copy of passport
at all times. Don't leave your cc in the bar or pay with it when you
cannot see the machine. They make copies all over the place.

About 20-25 % of the students had something stolen while I was there.

Best wishes, Marcus
Tomlab Optimization Inc.
http://tomopt.com/
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