Bringing Your Dreams to Life Welcome to Paradise! Thank you for choosing Costa Rica Dream Makers. We hope you enjoy Costa Rica and our complete Concierge Services! Laughter, adventures, smiles, new discoveries and awe inspiring moments are ingredients for life-long memories! s your dream to zip-line through the jungle, to “muscle” in a Black Striped Marlin while hanging off the back of Ia sports fishing boat, to quietly observe a pair of Scarlett Macaws, or hike through the tropical jungles of Costa Rica? If so, Costa Rica Dream Makers can and will transform your dreams into reality! Our team is committed to making this your most memorable vacation ever!!! This concierge book is dedicated to you, our clients! During your vacation the Costa Rica Dream Makers team is here to assist you in creating your dream vacation which is relaxed, enjoyable, adventurous, memorable and FUN!!! We want to be part of creating your life-long memories of Costa Rica. We are a “think outside of the box” kind of company! If your “dream” adventure or service isn’t listed here, let us know and we’ll do our best to “pull some strings” and make it happen! We are committed to making your vacation experience with us absolutely REMARKABLE… absolutely SUNSATIONAL! Remember, we’re here to bring your dreams to life! A Few Details... CLEANINGS: Light cleaning and full housekeeping services can be arranged by request through our Guest Services team. Office: +506 2643- 1450 CHALLENGES: If you have any problems in your accommodation, please give us a “holler” so that we can quickly find a solution and get you refocused on the important issues of having “fun”. Office: +506 2643-1450 EMERGENCIES: In the case of an emergency please dial 911, for non life threatening emergencies please call: +506 8871-1284 NON SMOKING: Please remember that you are staying in a non- smoking unit and smoking is permitted only on the terraces… please don’t forget to use the ash trays provided. We appreciate you passing this information along to any other guests in the unit. We care about PROTECTING the ENVIRONMENT! So, we kindly ask; before leaving your room please help us by turning off: the lights, television, and air conditioning units. Together we can save electricity and help preserve the planets health and well being! Hey... FUN FACTS I didn’t know that! This section is dedicated to those of you who strive to do well at Jeopardy or maybe Trivial Pursuit! You just can’t help yourself in your continual quest for knowledge about the places you visit. Either that, or you have been left in the condo, there’s no power… so no TV, or you’re sunburnt… so no outdoor activities and you are so ridiculously bored that you’ve reached for this little book to pass the hour away. Whatever the reason, here are some fun facts about Costa Rica… sure to impress your friends or fellow travelers! Enjoy… just think, you’ll be able to pass yourself as a “learned” voyager! Let’s start with a few easy ones… Hey did you know that… t The national currency of Costa Rica is called the colones (ko lo nees) however U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere. t The national language is Spanish though many of the more commercial towns and tourist attractions will have English speaking guides and employees. t Pura Vida pronounced “pura bida” (v’s become b’s here) means pure life and is said a billion times a day by everyone. It means that everything is all good!!! t Buenas pronounced “bwe nas” is a casual way of saying hello and is used often in stores and restaurants by staff. t Sodas… no these are not fizzy drinks, but are the small restaurants found throughout the country that serve “typical” Costa Rican food. t Gallo Pinto means simply rice and black beans, a staple meal in the locals’ diets. t Tico or Tica is a way to say that a within a particular ecosystem. Okay, there up one of the free local magazines that person is Costa Rican. It’s not considered is an unusually large number of plants, publish the tide charts in order to figure derogatory to use this term and remember insects and animals that make Costa Rica’s out when you need to plan your surf that ticos are males and ticas are females. jungles their home. (Wow didn’t think time… we recommend the Surf Guide! Don’t mix them up! you’d ever get that one!). t Costa Rica and Playa Hermosa in t Although Costa Rica may be t Many Costa Rican families rely on particular have some of the best surfing in considered a 3rd world country, many are peddle bikes as their primary mode of the world, which is why our national surf now considering it a developing country transportation in rural towns. We’ve team trains here. due to the technology firms such as Intel witnessed as many as 5 people balancing t Have you noticed that most of the Corporation that have made Costa Rica on one bike… a true talent! (Dad fences are made out of live trees? That’s their new home. peddling, mom sitting on the cross bar why they call them “living” fences. They t Costa Rican government has been a holding a toddler, son sitting in back in a prune them annually though otherwise democracy since 1940. child seat, newest baby in front basket!!!). there is little maintenance. Pretty smart! t The elected candidate is called the t Did we mention that the Spaniards t Did you know that ripe coffee beans President (not Prime Minister). brought Catholicism when they are RED when they are picked? t Costa Rica is often referred to as the conquered the country and it has t Costa Rica’s largest export items are “Switzerland” of Central America. remained the primary religion? bananas, pineapples, coffee, cocoa, cattle t You will find a higher standard of t Imperial, Pilsener and Bavaria are the and sugar. living here than in many Central American national beers manufactured in country. t If you aren’t a resident of Costa Rica countries. You can normally find a beer for fewer then you need to leave the country for 72 t The temperature of the ocean is the than two dollars in the local cantinas. hours every 90 days. The gringos call it a same as the air (test it out, we dare ya!) (No one really says “cantina” so don’t forced holiday! Boo hoo right? t Summer begins in December and runs embarrass yourself by asking where to t Foreigners have the same rights when through to the end of April (5 months… find one!) it comes to land ownerships as a national beat that!) t Flor de Caña is a Nicaraguan rum that does. t The Costa Rican school system runs is widely consumed, of good quality and t On 90% of the Costa Rica coastlines, from February through to early December known to provide excellent hangovers the first 200 meters of land from the high (Summer holidays are from December to when consumed in excess! tide line is called concession land and is the end of January) t Guaro (gwaro) is an alcohol that owned by the government. Costa Ricans t Green season (rainy season) is from is super inexpensive and commonly believe the beaches should be enjoyed May through November though the consumed by the locals. POTENT and by everyone. Concession land may be two heaviest months of rain happen in TOXIC! Yuck! (The guys are definitely leased from the government for up to September and October. It rains like you going to go in search of some now.) a 25 year term. have never experienced rain before!!! t Costa Rica, like many developing t Jaco is an exception to this concession At times we’ve watched as much as 10 countries, is not widely familiar with the rule (as are a few other small beach towns) centimeters came down in one hour! Can concept of spaying and neutering their as in the 70’s the ocean front property in you say… flood! The rest of the months pets. The result is that there are hundreds the bay became titled from 50 meters we enjoy fabulous sun in the mornings of street dogs and cats that are always back of the high tide line. That is why you and short showers in the afternoons. looking for good homes. There are local see all of the buildings so close to the t Adult literacy rates in Costa Rica are vets that have begun educating pet beach. 97%. owners and they do occasionally supply t This book is available in PDF format t Population of Costa Rica is 4.1 million free spay/neuter clinics in order to help or online www.CostaRicaDreamMakers. people, approximately 3 million live in the with this epidemic... to learn more or com. If you MUST have one of these great Central Valley near the capital city of San become involved with the McKee Project concierge books, please request a copy Jose. here in Jaco check out the website at from your CRDM Dream Team! Please t Costa Rica has two international www.mckee-jaco.com. leave me in the condo for the next person airports. One is in San Jose and the other t Due to the fact that in Jaco most of the to enjoy! is up north in Liberia. restaurants and bars are open-air, you will t The various territories of the country often see people bring in their pets; who are divided up into Provinces and NOT are always welcome! Well we hope you feel a little more States.