Keeping Your Bearings Straight - Driving & Directions!

You can get confused in Costa Rica, especially in San José, trying to find your way around. Except for the center of San José, most streets have no names or numbers or they are not in a visible place. People use known landmarks to get around, to locate addresses, and give directions. If you are unfamiliar with this system it is almost impossible to find your way around, and easy to get lost. Don't worry, after you have lived in Costa Rica awhile, you will get used to this system. In the event you get lost, you can always ask Costa Ricans for directions-provided you understand a little Spanish or they speak some English.

As you know, Costa Ricans are generally very friendly and are usually happy to help you find the address you are looking for. However, it is always a good idea to ask a second person, because most Ticos are embarrassed to admit they don't know an address and will sometimes give you directions whether they know where you want to go or not. Here are some basic tips on how to get around Costa Rica and understand how the street numbering works. It is somewhat easier to find your way in downtown San José because of the layout of the city. Avenues, or Avenidas, run east to west. All the odd numbered avenues are north of Central Avenue (Avenida Central). The even numbered avenues are south. Streets, or Calles, run north to south, with odd numbered streets east of Calle Central, and even numbered streets to the west.

If you get lost, looking for a street sign on the side of a building and counting by two's will usually help you get your bearings. Keep in mind that the word avenue is often abbreviated as A and streets as C when you get written directions. To find your way around Costa Rica, you also need to know that 100 meters (cien metros) is another way of saying one block. Likewise, 50 meters (cincuenta metros) is a half-block and 150 meters (ciento cincuenta metros) a block and a half. The word varas (an old Spanish unit of measurement almost a yard) is slang and often used instead of the word metros-meters, when giving directions.

Landmarks, such as corner grocery stores (pulperías), churches, schools and other buildings are usually used with this metric block system to locate addresses. For example, in finding a house someone might say, "From Saint Paul's Church, 200 meters west and 300 meters south." In interpreting written directions you should also know that "M" stands for meters.

An old trick Costa Ricans often use for finding the four compass points may make it easier for you to get your bearings straight. The front doors of all churches in Costa Rica face west. So, if there is a church nearby, imagine yourself with your back to the entrance of the church-you're facing west.

If you live in San José, there is another method for finding the compass points. Volcano Poás is north, the Cruz de Alajuela mountain, approximately south, the direction of Cartago is east and the general direction of the Sabana or Rohrmoser is west. This system of using landmarks should make it easier for you to find your way around the city.

Sonn the time wasted searching for a house or building in Costa Rica may be a thing of the past. The Costa Rica Postal system plans to initiate a new plan which will introduce a uniform system of street and house numbers. Signs will be posted on street corners following a coordinated system of colors, sign sizes and symbols. Blue signs will mark international thoroughfares, yellow will be used to indicate inter-provincial highways and white will denote interurban roads. Homeowners will be told where to place their number signs. This system will be tested in several areas with the hope of extending it to all parts of the country within three years. Let's hope this system becomes a reality to make everyone's lives easier.



On Driving in Costa Rica
By Carlos Morton

After nearly two years of living (and Driving) on Costa Rica's scenic highways, I feel inspired to submit the following wisdom to my fellow gringos. I speak with the voice of experience, having been a taxi driver in Chicago and New York City. I've also lived in mexico, driven there and other parts of Central America. So, without any hyperbole whatsoever, I give the following advice.

1. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE POTHOLES: Three are too many of them! Trying to avoid the potholes will only cause you to crash into other cars and/or pedestrians.Best thing to do is buy yourself a monster Sports Utility Vehicle (or Hum-vee, tank, dump truck, etc.) and drive over all obstacles, including beaches, ditches and animals.

2. IGNORE ALL STOP SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND SIGNS: Everyone else does! Besides, the traffic lights are usually positioned in awkward places too hard to see. Stop signs are bent, broken, faded or hidden behind shrubbery.

Translations: "Alto" "means speed," "Ceda el paso" means "get the hell out of my way!" If you find yourself in a rotunda, pretend you are in the bumper-car rides at the Parque de Diversiones (local amusement park).

3. PARK WHERE YOU WANT: That's right! In the middle of the street, on the sidewalk, anywhere your little heart desires. No one will give you a ticket; no one will tow your car away. Continue talking with your car in idle to Don Profundo while other frustrated motorists honk their horns and curse.

4. DRIVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You may pass on the right, drive on the sidewalk, pass on the left going up hills against oncoming traffic, it's all fair game. Furthermore, this is a free country, and you don't have to wear a seatbelt if you don't want!

5. DO NOT TRY TO BRIBE A TRAFFIC COP: It will cost you more! Yes, he'll think your just another rich Gringo who overstayed your tourist visa. Wait until he offers to let you give him the propina (tip). The barter, always barter. Show him the certified Tico driver's license you procured from a cereal box.

6. DISCARD YOUR MAPS: Maps are usless without street signs or addresses. if you want directions, stop and ask three or four different people, who will probably tell you three or four different ways to get there.

7. DON'T LET THE PEDESTRIAN HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY: People think they own the roads! Run them over! That also includes kamikazes on motorbikes, people on bicycles, horseback riders and oxen pulling colorful oaxcarts.