I didn't know the Marines were banned from visiting Tijuana in 2001. I was talking about the more recent changes, something about guys getting a court-martial if they get caught in a place like Thailand with a hooker, and the reason being they didn't want to contribute to Sex trafficking. It was big news on these boards a few years ago, with guys blaming the Bush Administration for the changes. Maybe I'll post the links if I find them, but I don't now if the US military actually enforces these new rules? I see they are really tough with the laws in Korea, and I could see why, as I love those Korean girls in the MPs in California, so I guess it could be the only place where they are enforcing the new rules?
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After the two hour hike we did in the Reserva I told the guy to call me a cab because time was running short. This was the second time I had to deal with 'ugly Americans' the first was on the trip from San Jose to Jaco, where our bus is almost full and we pull up to the Best Western Hotel, and this American who looks like Woody Harrison starts screaming I'm not going to get in the van with those people! I don't know who he was referring too but the bus had a mixture of white, Latins, and old and young people. He was demanding another van, screaming that they were going to put his luggage on top of the van, and he didn't want that. The people who worked for 'Grayline' and the hotel tried to calm the guy down, finally they just told him if he is going to get in the van or what? The dude gets in the van with a pissed off face on, while the rest of us are shaking our heads, thinking 'what an asshole!'
The second time dealing with ugly Americans was at the Reserve when this American couple tried to steal my cab they called for me, but they couldn't speak any Spanish and didn't get in the cab because they thought he was trying to cheat them? I come over and the representative of the park reserve comes over and tells them the cab is for me, but asked me if I mind sharing a cab with them. I said I don't mind, the fair was going to be 3700 colones. We get in and the couple starts to tell us how all the taxis try to cheat them, with this driver being no exception, and how lucky they were that we came along because the taxi driver was getting ready to fuck them. keep in mind the taxi driver could hear all this and could speak a little bit of English, but understand more then he could speak.
Then the lady asked me to pay the taxi driver, she gives me $1.60 American dollars and says that's right isn't it? I said no, I said we were going to give the taxi driver 2000 Colones, about $4 dollars, and to make it easy they should do the same, with a little tip for the taxi driver.Then the lady starts to tell me that she doesn't think I'm right, but I explain to her it's very easy, he is the way I do the exchange thing in my head. I take out the zeros of a amount like 2000 colones, and then double it which makes it 4, that's equal to $4 dollars. Suddenly, the taxi driver jumps in and says 4000 colones for the whole group, and we say OK. We let the couple out first, and they give the taxi driver the 2000 colon of course no tip, and they are staying in one of the most expensive places in Monteverde. Fucking ugly Americans because in Latin America, I can't stand to see it, as it makes me ashamed to be American like they are.
If there was once complaint I heard and read it's from the taxi drivers in Costa Rica, as they are similar to taxi libre in Tijuana. A lot of those fuckers don't want to turn on meter, called "la Maria" in Costa Rica, having something to do with honesty and religion. I didn't have much of a problem with taxi drivers except outside the Clarion hotel where I asked him the price to go about a mile away, and he said $3 US dollars, it should have been $1 or $2 dollars at the most, but if you negotiate a price up front with them, that's what they charge you. In hind site I would have just had him turn on the 'maria' and gave him a buck. From then on I leaned not to take a taxi from my hotel, but rather the street. But I could see how people who love to fight with taxi drivers in Tijuana, would love to fight with them in Costa Rica too. Burt would have a field day in Costa Rica, getting pissed off at the taxi drivers if they tried to short change him. LOL. It should be noted a lot of taxi driver don't speak English or want to, so I could see American tourist getting ripped off or have communication problems with these taxi drivers especially since it's not a custom to tip them.