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I have been reading this site for several years but haven’t actually made it to visit CR yet. As my plans get closer I am starting to worry about things people take for granted and that none of the many guide books I have been reading touch upon. So I am turning to your wisdom and on the ground experience for help. This is more up for me than usual because a bout of pneumonia has left me more sensitive than usual (which is pretty sensitive).
What is the actual prevalence of smoking in the environment – on the street, in restaurants & bars, in shopping areas, in taxis, on buses, in hotels? Are there non-smoking taxis? Smoke free tour buses? I know the CR Health Minister has called for less smoking but are there real smoke free areas?
How bad a problem is mold in hotel rooms? I realize that in some very high humidity areas like cloud forests it is probably ubiquitous, but is it a problem everywhere? Would you suggest avoiding particular areas? Not coming in the green season at all?
Is it the custom to wear lots of perfumes and aftershave-type lotions? Do taxis use those “air fresheners” that hang from mirrors? Do restaurants burn scented candles?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Car exhausts and the overall smog level in San Jose is actually MUCH improved since I first arrived 12 years ago but if you are “more sensitive” than usual, you should probably avoid any city anywhere…
Smoking is more restricted than even before and people certainly can not smoke on buses and only rarely would a taxi driver allow anybody to smoke.
A well managed hotel should not have any mould problems…
The Ticas do like to use perfumes and the men do use after shave.
Scott
i have a friend with asthma and all the things you mention are indeed a real problem! ticos do seem to smoke a lot, but not on buses or in taxis, although i’ve gotten a few taxis where the driver smoked! restaurants usually have a no smoking section, but that isn’t always adequate. as for mold — it’s unavoidable, even if you can’t see it. someone with extreme sensitivities will probably have a problem with it. the ambient RH is about 80% — mold grows above 70%.
[quote=”rowanf”]I have been reading this site for several years but haven’t actually made it to visit CR yet. As my plans get closer I am starting to worry about things people take for granted and that none of the many guide books I have been reading touch upon. So I am turning to your wisdom and on the ground experience for help. This is more up for me than usual because a bout of pneumonia has left me more sensitive than usual (which is pretty sensitive).
What is the actual prevalence of smoking in the environment – on the street, in restaurants & bars, in shopping areas, in taxis, on buses, in hotels? Are there non-smoking taxis? Smoke free tour buses? I know the CR Health Minister has called for less smoking but are there real smoke free areas?
How bad a problem is mold in hotel rooms? I realize that in some very high humidity areas like cloud forests it is probably ubiquitous, but is it a problem everywhere? Would you suggest avoiding particular areas? Not coming in the green season at all?
Is it the custom to wear lots of perfumes and aftershave-type lotions? Do taxis use those “air fresheners” that hang from mirrors? Do restaurants burn scented candles?
Thanks for your thoughts.[/quote]
My wife and I both have allergies and she is highly sensitive to diesel exhaust. You can always back off from a truck blowing smoke unless you are in the cities. San Jose is the worst to fly into and also the most confusing. Think about flying into Liberia and staying along the Northern Pacific coast. It stays much drier up there. I would also bring plenty of Benedryl tablets which seem to work well for us. They are hard to find down here and you can only buy individual pills. Most decent chain hotels do a good job with mold control. The smaller hotels usually don’t turn on the A/C until you get there. They are usually musty when you walk in. Good Luck, you will love it here!
there is also the issue of allergens to which you have no previous exposure — like the stuff that blows in the wind from Nicaragua that caused me to have an allergy attack and i don’t even have allergies.
Thanks so much for the replies. I was afraid that would be the answer. It is funny how you dream about things without examining the practicalities. I spent my childhood in Panama (CZ) so I think I have a handle on living in the tropic (and miss it!) but the intervening years have raised some challenges I am realizing I need to consider.
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