More Costa Rican Oddities!

By BobbyRica | November 21, 2009

* Churches are your landmarks. When traveling, it is interesting to note that the churches in Costa Rica are usually landmarks that will help you reach your destination. In this case, these churches are your best friends on the road.

* Make a sign of the cross before crossing the street. Unlike in most progressive countries, the pedestrian won’t have much power after they get hit by speeding cars in Costa Rica. Pedestrians are actually referred to as “targets” that drivers have free liberty to hit in the middle of the road. Therefore, do yourself a favor and be careful in crossing the road.

* And you thought only American guys name their cars. Taxi drivers refer to their meter as Maria, which is actually refers to the Virgin Mary. Beats me.

* Flag ceremony on the airwaves. Most radio stations in the country start operations with the Costa Rican National Anthem, followed by public announcements from the government that people should know.

* Open the faucet with care. The Spanish word for hot is “caliente.” This is quite important if you are operating hot and cold water with the switches. Usually, the switch for cold water is indicated with a “C.” However, some parts of Costa Rica have their hot water on the switch with a “C,” referring to the first letter of caliente.

* Ants are more than just bugs. While ants are considered as pests in most countries, they are pretty much part of the Costa Rica lifestyle, as they can be seen crawling on your walls and floors. You can kill them all you want, but another group will soon come and bug you even more. However, if you can’t get rid of them, eat them instead! Costa Ricans have included ants in their cuisine.

* Keep your three-feet blade handy. Locals carry machete around with them. Thankfully, it is not used as weapon, so stop peeing on your pants! The machete is pretty much utilized like an army knife because it allows them to do a lot of things with it like cutting and slicing…stuff.