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We have chosen to have a lazy time in the small touristy town of Manuel Antonio. We stayed here eight years ago and are back at the same hotel now under new ownership. It is set one street back from the sea front and with a swimming pool and terraced restaurant, a wee bit classier than we are used to.
Our waiter over charges us by nearly 50% on our first breakfast bill. We correct the "error" but make sure we closely scrutinise all future bills in this place. This is the first time we have come across any dishonesty in Costa Rica. In fact we have been handed back cash on the couple of occasions we have accidently over paid.
The currency is Colones, of which there about 680 000 to the pound or 554 000 to the US dollar. Most places accept both Colones and US dollars but their exchange rate is usually rounded down to C500 000 to the dollar. This means that if paying dollars you are over paying by at least 10% . To further confuse the issue, restaurants and hotels have an added 10% service charge and 13% tax. Some prices are shown inclusive of this 23% and some add it on afterwards..
On Christmas Eve, we have a less lazy day at the National Park. The park is very very busy today with tourist groups but we do manage to find some quiet places and see howler monkeys, cappucin monkeys and some racoons a well as lizards, bats and a leaf frog.
Apart from a guy dressed as Santa trying to draw customers in to our hotel restaurant and a Christmas tree in every other restaurant, there's not much to mark this out as different from any other day of the year.. very refreshing.
We have cocktails and a delicious meal at the restaurant next door.
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