Best Buy really is the best buy when it comes to appliances!

The compressor on our 15-20 year old refrigerator was getting loud and after letting it go for a few months we decided we better get a new one before we came home one day to spoiled food.

PPL Appliance Offer:
I saw a write up in the flyer which comes with our electric bill saying that PPL (our electric company) would come haul the old refrigerator away at no charge, recycle it, and give us $50. Sounds great! Going on the PPL website for further details revealed the downside to all this: you have to get the new refrigerator then find a place to store the old refrigerator for several weeks until you can get onto the PPL pick-up schedule which had very limited time slots requiring taking time off work (if you work a 9 to 5 job).

However, the website also indicated that PPL had an agreement with Best Buy to haul the refrigerator away immediately while still allowing me to qualify for the $50. Although we haven’t bought many appliances recently, our gut reaction was to go to Lowe’s. I’m not even sure we realized Best Buy sold appliances. But, since the Best Buy in our area is right next to a Lowe’s we thought …what the heck…let’s check it out…what do we have to lose?


Best Buy versus Lowe's:
It just so happened that Best Buy was having a big sale the weekend we went in. And, although they don’t have as large of a selection as Lowe’s, it was easy to find something we liked. In fact, the prices were so good (10-35% off) that we started to think about getting rid of our 20+ year old stove and 15+ year old countertop microwave in exchange for a matching set of stainless steel appliances.

Still, we went over to Lowe’s hopeful that they could do better. We had spent well over an hour looking around at Best Buy, but we left Lowe’s within minutes. No sales…and big price tags compared to Best Buy…there was no new stove or microwave in our future if we decided to buy at Lowe’s… not to mention the PPL hassle.


Delivery:
We went back to Best Buy and bought our matching appliances. They were delivered the following Saturday during the window of time we were told they would arrive and the delivery people were very conscientious …no scratches or dings on the appliances or the floor. But here comes the best part….


Price Matching and Google's Product Search:
We were told that if within 30 days the prices on any of our new appliances dropped we could ask for the better price. We went in to Best Buy two weeks later and asked the sales associate in the appliance department if any of the prices had dropped. He looked it up on the computer and told us “no” but he cleared up a misconception I had…it didn’t have to be the Best Buy price that dropped …if I found a better price in any store I could get the reduction!

Google has a beta site for product searches. Click “shopping” in the upper left-hand corner and then enter the model number of the appliance in the search field. A list of stores offering your appliance and the price they are asking comes up. We found better prices on 2 of the 4 appliances we purchased so we printed out the retailer’s webpage and took them in to Best Buy.

I expected a big hassle…things like this usually are. I went to customer service counter and within 10-15 minutes I was walking out of the store with $455.80 refunded on my MasterCard. Wow!

Then, I found an even better price on one of the appliances I’d already gotten a price reduction on…there is no way they are going to reduce it again…right??...wrong…they gave me a second price adjustment with no hassle.

I am a believer…Best Buy really is the best buy when it comes to appliances!

Don't Book a Room at Hotel Ca'Alvise in Venice Italy

Ca’ Alvise:
Address: San Marco 3673, Venice, 30124 Italy

We booked Ca’ Alvise through hotels.com for 10/6/10-10/8/10 at a rate of $189 per night. I did quite a bit of research on hotels and decided on Ca’ Alvise because it was a four star hotel on a canal furnished with Italian antiques…just my style. Bad choice…whatever you do (especially if you are American), DO NOT BOOK THIS HOTEL...you won't be staying there!

We knew we would be arriving at the hotel in the morning and emailed the hotel a week or two before our departure requesting an early check-in. We received no answer which should have been our first clue. We arrived between 9-10AM on 10/6/10 as we alerted them we would. The lady at the front desk confirmed they had our reservation and photocopied our passports. Then she quite matter of factly told us to come back at 2PM because that is their check-in time. The hotel still uses keys with room number tags hanging from them and I could clearly see five or six keys just hanging there. From her curtness with us (we might be being paranoid but it felt like the fact that we were American brought on the rudeness), we could tell we weren’t going to get anywhere arguing so we had her store our luggage in closet and took off to explore Venice.
We returned at 2:15PM and requested our room. The same five or six keys we had seen earlier were still hanging there. The same front desk clerk called the porter who loaded up our luggage on a hand truck and went out the front door. The desk clerk couldn’t shut the door behind us fast enough (literally…the door bumped into me as she was pushing it closed) as she told us we were going to their “other” building.

Five or 10 minutes into our 15-20 minute trek across Venice I knew something was wrong and started to get nervous. The porter finally pulled our luggage between the rows of tables in one of the street-side restaurants and rang the buzzer of an unmarked door. Someone rang us in and we proceeded up a flight of dark steps. The only thing you could see clearly was the art piece at the top of the steps which was a back lighted piece of pink glass with a raised figure of an overweight woman in a slightly risqué position…now I’m really nervous.

At the top of the steps, the porter took his tip and off he went never saying one word to us. The lady who greeted us saw the looks of confusion and despair on our faces and asked if we knew what was going on. We said we didn’t and she explained that Ca’ Alvise didn’t have a room for us so they made arrangements for us to stay at her boutique hotel. She also shared that Ca’ Alvise had been doing this to guests all week…carting them off to her hotel leaving her to do the explaining.

Visiting Newport, RI with our dog

Getting There: We made the mistake of following the advice of our GPS and taking I-95 through New York City on a Tuesday afternoon which resulted in a 6-7 hour drive turning into a 8-9 hour trip. Stop-and-go traffic is exhausting so as it is but we have a manual transmission which makes it all the more brutal. My colleague at work says there are alternate routes (albeit longer in mileage--now he tells me!!) to Newport and we will definitely find one the next time we go.

• Tolls: Be sure to have a lot of $1 bills and change readily available. Between the turnpike fees, tolls, and bridge charges, we spent $25-$30.
• Audio Book: At the last minute we decided to take an audio book on the drive. What a lifesaver...especially with the traffic...it helped keep the road rage at bay! It worked well that the run time was 1-2 hours less than the anticipated drive time since we wanted to talk at least part of the trip. We bought Kathy Reichs' Devil Bones and lucked out with both an author and narrator which were fantastic...a poor narrator can ruin a perfectly good storyline.

Beechtree Inn—34 Rhode Island Ave, RI: We would highly recommend this B&B even though we aren't really the B&B types. I found it on Orbitz, but I booked the room by calling the inn directly in order to get the military discount. The military discount is offered to active and former military personnel but my impression was that there is not a standard discount per se...we still paid the $149 per night (same as Orbitz) but they waived the pet fee which is $25 per night with a maximum of $50 per stay.

• Room: Our room had a firm but comfortable queen-sized bed, small but adequate closet with lots of hangers, bathtub with Jacuzzi jets, blow dryer, and an electric faux fireplace that served as a wonderful nightlight. There was no counter space in the bathroom. A thin, glass shelf below the mirror and an awkward, round, multi-tiered shelf unit were meant to make up for that but fell short.
• Internet: We had free wireless internet access which was very fast and reliable.
• Breakfast: Unlike many B&Bs, we had a choice of breakfasts each morning: eggs (scrambled or sunny side up), pancakes (plain or blueberry), French toast, or omelets (about any kind you could want). Bacon, ham or sausage and home fries were also available. In addition, you could help yourself to breads, yogurt and fresh fruit while you were waiting for your order. The first day we ordered eggs and they weren’t that great. It could have been because the regular cook was off that day. The next day we ordered French toast and it was absolutely fabulous…I stuck with the French toast the remainder of our stay.
• Dogs: Beechtree Inn was very dog friendly. At check-in we received a tote full of dog supplies: a few baggies for clean-up, a treat, a doggie towel for wiping off dirty feet, and a sheet to cover furniture if you have a dog that sheds (ours does not). We had taken our dog on two away from home trips previously, but this was the first time we were leaving him alone in the room. The other trips we kept him with us at all times. We were a little worried he would cause a commotion. Jim, the innkeeper, was very kind and told us he would call us if our dog caused a disturbance and let us talk to him over the phone to calm him down…quite kind …luckily it was not needed. Oakley, the owner’s dog, was a little territorial with our dog, but not big deal. As mentioned earlier there is a $25 per night pet charge with a maximum charge of $50 per stay.
• Location: Beechtree Inn is located in a residential area. It is very quite which is quite nice. Everything was close…mansions…cliff walk…downtown/pier…but just a little too far to walk so we drove.
• Kitchen: There is a communal kitchen on the top floor. It is very clean and equipped with a full size refrigerator/freezer, two burners in the countertop, a microwave, dishes, silverware, paper towels, etc. We took advantage of the kitchen and it worked out really well for us. Later in our stay another couple started using the kitchen as well. It was a little awkward at times given they were staying on the top floor (where the kitchen is) with small children and sort of claimed the kitchen area as an extension of their room.

Newport Mansions--We went to Newport primarily to tour the mansions.

• Preservation Society Membership: I went online and decided to buy a dual membership to The Preservation Society of Newport County (http://www.newportmansions.org/page3553.cfm). The preservation society owns a number of mansions and the membership allows you unlimited access to all of them for a year. The clincher for me was the membership is tax deductable whereas the ticket packages and individual ticikets would not be. If you purchase the membershp online several weeks in advance of your trip, you will get your permanent membership card in the mail before you leave...not to worry if it doesn't arrive in time...they give you a temporary one immediately upon sign-up online.
• The Best Mansions in the Preservation Society Stable: See as many mansions as time allows but the absolute "must sees" under the Preservation Society's perview are The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms. All three are absolutely fabulous and you explore at your own pace with a self-guided audio tour. The Breakers is just so grand I don't even know where to start. The Marble House has an amazing gothic/church room full of religious art that absoutely fasinated me. The Elms had a conservatory that I loved and wonderfully manicured grounds to explore. Rosecliff and Chateau-sur-Mer are also worth seeing but we didn't like the tour guided tours as much as the audio tours.
• Green Animal Topiary Garden: We went to the Green Animals topiary garden which in about a half hour outside of Newport and is one of the Preservation Society's properties. It is not worth the gas. We were terribly disappointed. It was small and many of the topiaries you could not tell what they were without a guide/map. We were lucky that many of the flowers in the garden in general were blooming (astible, lupine, delphinum, etc). I don't think anything would be in bloom if you toured at another time of year.
• Belcourt Castle: Although our Preservation Society membership granted us access to more mansions than we could reasonably see in 3 days, we still sprang $30 each to go to Belcourt Castle's murder mystery night and we are really glad we did. This was the first murder mystery for both of us and we were very pleased. We were greeted the second we stepped foot in the courtyard and ushered into a large room on the first floor where an art show was taking place. We voted on our favorite artist and the evening went from there. Ultimately, the art critic was shot and killed and we needed to explore the castle looking for clues. It was fun to wander the rooms freely and at your own pace. It was a unique and fun way to tour a mansion.
  

Tips when Traveling to Arenal Costa Rica

In late November 2009, my husband and I travelled to Arenal/La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Being first time visitors to Costa Rica, I have some tips and hints to pass along. These tips will be especially helpful if you are frugal travellers like we are.

Airport: We flew out of Washington-Dulles International (IAD). This was our first trip out of IAD and it worked out really well. According to my boss who flys out of IAD often, the prices are generally cheaper than PHL or BWI and we found this to be true. We paid $230 per person round trip from IAD to San Jose, Costa Rica. We met a fellow traveller in Costa Rica that had paid $600+ to fly out of Newark, NJ to San Jose.

Airline: We flew Copa Airlines which is a Panamanian airline we booked through Priceline. Again, we paid $230 per person round trip.

• Food/Beverages: In addition to the awesome price, this airline offered great service too. We received free meals on all our segments (we even got a lunch on our 1 hour 15 minute hop from Panama to Costa Rica.). Beverages, including alcoholic ones, were also free.
• Baggage: We were allowed two FREE 50 lb. bags per passenger. According to the Copa Airlines website, you are not allowed a personal item...only a carry-on (22 lbs which they did weigh)...so, I made sure there was space in my carry-on to fit my purse but this never became an issue...I was allowed to bring on both my purse and carry-on. Our baggage made it to Costa Rica and back undamaged. We were a little worried about our baggage arriving at the same time we did because our layovers in Panama were so short...40-50 minutes...no problems there.
• Frequent Flyer Miles: At the check-in counter going to Costa Rica, I was told Copa Airlines is a Star Alliance partner and they took my US Airways frequent flyer number. On the way home, the lady at the counter told me they only partner with Continental Airlines and would not take my US Airways number...not sure which is true...I guess I'll find out when I get my November statement from US Airways.

Rental Car: In San Jose we rented a car from Thrifty. We got a small 4WD SUV called a Daihatsu Bego. It was manual shift which was fine with us but be sure what you are getting if you don't drive manual...many of their lower priced vehicles are manual shift. 4WD is preferable if there is even a remote chance you'll be travelling dirt roads. The cost of the SUV was $138 for the week. We booked directly from the Thrifty website. READ THE FINE PRINT!!

• Insurance: The fine print on your reservation will explain the insurance and other requirements in Costa Rica. Unless you bring a document from your credit card and/or insurance company saying you have liability coverage in Costa Rica through them, you will need to buy liability insurance there...that's their law. We checked with our insurance carrier at home and our insurance did not follow us to Costa Rica...only US states and territories of the US plus Canada. The liability insurance is $19.99 per day if you are agreeable to a $3000 hold/deposit on your credit card. If you prefer a $1250 hold/deposit (so you have more money available to spend on your credit card), the daily insurance cost increases to $21.99. This is only liability insurance (i.e. if you damage someone else's property). Collision insurance (i.e. if you damage the rental car) is optional. Thrifty will sell you liability and collision for $34.99 per day. We enrolled in a program for collision insurance through our American Express credit card and got coverage for the full rental period (i.e. 8 days) for a flat $24.95. We waited in line about 1.5 hours to get our rental as the Thrifty clerks had to explain the insurance situation to person after person.
• Extra Drivers: Spouses are allowed as a second driver at no cost...don't let them charge you the extra $5.00 per day if you are married.
• Current Scam: Make sure you have a good spare tire, jack, etc. There is currently a scam going on in Costa Rica where villains will puncture your tire as you pull out of the rental lot. They follow you in their car until your tire goes flat. When you pull over to check it out, they stop and offer assistance. When you pull your luggage out of the trunk to get to the spare/tire iron, they steal your luggage...you can't follow them...you have a flat!!! So, again, make sure you have what you need to change your own flat before you start out.
• Existing Damage: Also, take the time to check the car VERY closely for damage...after travelling all day and waiting in line I know it is the last thing you want to do but do it!!! I read before we left that the rental companies in Costa Rica are quick to blame damage on you if it isn't noted on the damage form you sign when initially taking the car. This will be particularly critical if you didn't take collision insurance...you'll be paying for the damage out of your pocket!!
• Airport Tax: We were told by another traveller while waiting in line that it is cheaper to rent from Thrifty because they are not in the airport terminal. Many rental car companies are in the airport but they must charge you 12% extra for that benefit. Walk past the other rental counters and wait right outside the door at the curb for the Thrifty shuttle.
• GPS: There is currently (until the end of 2009) a coupon for $8 per day for a GPS. You can't take a corporate discount on the website and use this coupon. Even if you call the reservation number, they won't let you use both. But, if you present the coupon at the counter when picking up your car, they will give you this additional discount. The GPS was absolutely wonderful!!! It warned you when a speed bump was coming up in the road as well as one lane bridges (there are a ton of them). It was very accurate and a lifesaver for two directionally challenged individuals like my husband and I.

Driving in Costa Rica: I was warned by a colleague not to attempt to drive in Costa Rica. Everything I could find on the Internet seemed to support this position...the roads are terrible...there are potholes everywhere...Costa Rican drivers are crazy...there are no street signs...etc. We decided to chance it. We were visiting Arenal in the interior of Costa Rica and it would have cost $400 to get a shuttle for 2 round trip to our destination...the car was less than that even with the insurance and it gave us the flexibility to explore on our own. Don't listen to them...there is no reason not to drive in Costa Rica. They drive on the right side like the US and they really don't drive crazy. Now...granted...we didn't try driving in San Jose which is where we understand it is the worst, but outside of San Jose driving was no problem. GET A GPS (see GPS comments in the Thrifty section above)!!

The Westin Reston Heights: Since our flight left at 5:30AM, my boss suggested we stay over night at The Weston Reston Heights. We got a great rate directly from the hotel's website...$79 for a Friday night. I think that rate is atypical, however. The hotel was very nice as expected from a four-star Westin.

• Internet: We were surprised it cost $12 per day for Internet. We ended up going to a Panera Bread nearby for dinner and free Internet.
• Towels/Shower: The Westin only gave us two towels for two people and to top it off they were a little rough. We really liked the dual shower head. Since we got up at 2:30AM to get ready for our flight, we were able to conserve time by showering together and each of us taking our own shower head...sorry if that was too personal :-)
• Parking/Shuttle: The best part is the PARKING IS FREE (airport parking would have been $10 per day in the economy lot which for us would have been $80...the exact cost of the room). They have a multi-level parking garage...you park wherever you want...and hop the 24 hour FREE airport shuttle. The airport shuttle runs during peak times on the hour and half-hour. At off peak times, you need to ask the front desk to call the shuttle. And, from the airport on your return, you need to call the front desk to send the shuttle...again, this is only if you are arriving/departing at odd hours...which we were. It would be nice if there was an 800 number for the front desk. My cell phone died while in Costa Rica and I did not take the charger. The airport had pay phones...it only cost 50 cents...but, still a toll free number would have been nicer. Ironically, when we got back at 12:30AM on a Sunday morning, the hotel phones were down...not the best way to end the trip.
• Taxi: Since the phones were down, we had to take a taxi which cost $19 from the airport to the Westin.

Volcano Watching: What is not said by the hotels touting volcano views is that seeing the volcano is not a guarantee. One local told us the volcano is only visible about 25% of the time. Your chances of seeing red lava are about 5% or less...not only does the volcano need to be visible...it needs to be night time...AND the volcano needs to be active...good luck with that!!! Since the only reason we came to Costa Rica was to see red lava, I probably don't need to tell you we were disappointed. But, I must say, we were at least blessed with seeing the volcano in its entirety (not just the base) for half a day one morning. We did feel lucky we at least got to see it.

Arenal Observatory Lodge: The lodge is beautiful with an absolute focus on environmental preservation and volcano watching (if you are lucky enough to be there when the volcano is visible--see above "volcano watching" section). We had Smithsonian room with floor to ceiling windows facing the volcano.

• Beds: The one king bed and other double bed are facing the windows for perfect nighttime viewing. The beds are very firm but were surprising comfortable...my husband and I had some of the best nights sleep we've had in a long time in those beds!!
• Floor: Bring your slippers...the entire room is tiled...and cold!
• Patio: There is a covered patio on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling windows perfect for viewing. The patio is equipped with 3 chairs and a small table.
• Not Provided: The room does not have a hairdryer, phone, TV, or Internet.
• Road to the Hotel: In reading the TripAdvisor reviews before booking this room, many people complained about the dirt road to the hotel. I was expecting something awful with all that grousing...it was no big deal...especially with the 4WD Bego SUV we rented.
• Safe: The room does have a safe (no charge) which is large enough to fit a regular sized laptop computer.
• Bathroom: Shampoo and bath gel (no conditioner) are provided via a dispenser is the huge shower stall (I think this was a handicap accessible room).
• Maid Service: If you want maid service, be sure to be out of your room between 8:30-9:30AM. If they come while you are in the room, they won't come back. Since it was very rainy during our stay, we got up and went to breakfast then came back to bed...resulting in no room service 3 of the 4 days we stayed. There are no "do not disturb" signs provided.
• Hiking: The property is very large...720 acres if I remember correctly. They have a variety of hiking trails. The waterfall trail is not too vigorous overall (getting up and down to the falls is a little tricky). This trail also has a hanging bridge (Dante's bridge I think it was called). There is a very challenging trail...Cerro Chato...it is a straight up hike...about 4-5 hours round trip...we went about 1/2-3/4 of the way and turned around when we hit the cloud line. The day we were out there wasn't much wildlife to see anyway....one white faced monkey...tons of butterflies...a few birds...one 8 ft snake.
• Breakfast: The daily FREE breakfast was great. It was pretty much the same each day but there was enough variety that you could switch it up on your own. The buffet consisted of scrambled eggs, pancakes, fried bananas, rice/beans, cold cereal, toast, fresh fruit, juice, coffee/tea, etc. Breakfast was served 7-8:30AM...I think. Get there early...they don't refill the buffet close to the end...plus, the pancakes get hard.

Tabacon Resort: You are greeted at the check-in desk with a fabulous fruit drink and warm cloth to wipe your face. We stayed in a garden view superior room which was nice...but, nothing special. We booked the room through Travelocity which was cheaper than going through the hotel's own website ($185 per night).

• Spa: We got a special promotion rate which included 2 $75 certificates for spa treatments. I got a pedicure and my husband got a 1/2 hour back massage. Both treatments were fully covered by the certificates. During the treatments we got a glass of champagne and a small plate of fruit. The spa was wonderful and there were many, many treatments to choose from...all at what I felt were reasonable prices.
• Water: There is a water cooler to fill up your water bottle around the corner at the front desk. This is also a good place to get hot water for tea. Your tea will have a coffee taste if you use the coffee pot in the room to make your hot water.
• Internet: The Internet is very slow...you won't be able to upload or download videos...we tried to send a webcam video home...no go. Plus, it costs $5 per hour or $10 for the day. We got Internet for one day hooking up to a cable in the room. They have wireless Internet in the lobby but the charges still apply. They also have computers in the lobby you can use...but, you guessed it...the charges apply.
• Extras: The room did come with some nice extras like a robe, slippers (which you can take home with you), blow dryer, and complimentary welcome fruit platter. There is also a safe in the room you can use for free.
• Refrigerator: There is a refrigerator in the room but it is filled with sodas, beer, snacks, etc. all of which are outrageously expensive.
• Checking Out: When checking out, they will ask you if you are sure everything is out of your room. Then, they will send in a maid to check and give the OK. I assume she is checking you didn't damage anything, steal the robes, take snacks/sodas, etc. Take note that there will be a $3 per day "Community Develop. Fund" charge on your bill. This is not a tax and you don't need to pay it...just ask them to remove it from your bill.

Tabacon Hot Springs: As a guest at the Tabacon Resort, your admission to the hot springs is included. Had it not been included it would have cost $45 per person for the day. There are evening only rates but I don't know what they are.

• Buffet: We had the International Buffet for lunch at the restaurant at the hot springs. It cost $30 per person (tip included). The buffet included fried fish, pork chops, chicken, fresh fruit, variety of cheeses, fried bananas, soup, pasta, various desserts, etc. We found it to be a good value. Since the tip is included, the waiters will try to run up your bill. Since water was our only beverage, our server brought us a huge bottle of spring water....everyone at the tables around us got water from a pitcher for free...it never occurred to us to specify we wanted that water.
• Avoiding the Crowds: Be sure to go to the hot springs during the day and at night...the experience is very different. We went on a Wednesday night and the springs were not crowded at all...we had one of the pools to ourselves for quite a while. It seems as if buses come from 5-7PM so avoid those times if you can. Friday in general also seemed a little busier than Wednesday and Thursday.
• Water Shoes: If you have water shoes, bring them. The bottoms of quite a few of the pools are pretty rough on bare feet and people don't stay long is these spots because of it. We were among the vast majority that did not have water shoes but if we had some we could have had some primo spots absolutely to ourselves.
• Private Lounge Chairs: Directly outside the women's locker room, there is a stone wall. Look over the wall and you will see some lounge chairs. One set of chairs has an umbrella. This set of chairs is a good place to camp out if you are staying for the day. They are generally available because it is not intuitive how to get to them. The umbrella keeps you and your stuff dry during the frequent down pours. You are close to the bathrooms and water cooler (where you get/return your towels). It is private because it is hard to get to. And, you can read even after dark because of the lights from the spa.
• Bringing in Food/Drink: They don't check your bags so you can bring in drinks/food if you want although not a lot of people do (including us). We saw one person get a can of beer out of their bag. But, the best idea we saw was to bring one of the tall plastic sip cups with the long built-in capped straw. You could put whatever you wanted in it and you could take it along into the water.

Day Light: Since Costa Rica is near the equator, almost all year long the sun rises at 5:30AM and sets at 5:30PM.

Money: US Dollars were accepted everywhere. We did not change any money into Costa Rican Colones...although we did get some back as change. In November 2009, the exchange rate was $1 to 592 Colones. When paying in US Dollars, however, each store will use a different exchange rate...in other words, you'll lose a little on the deal...you won't get the 592:1 deal. For us, it was worth not having to find a place to exchange. If you do want to exchange, we were told the banks (and not the airport) were the best place to go.

Groceries: La Fortuna has 3 grocery stores. We shopped at two of them--Christian 4 and SuperMega I think were the names. We found them with our GPS. Even though neither of the hotels we stayed in had refrigerators, we got peanut butter, jelly, bread, breakfast bars, cereal, fruit, pretzels, chips, bottled water, wine, etc....saved a lot of money that way.

Souvenirs: We went to quite a few gift shops in La Fortuna and found the Tabacon Resort to have the nicest selection. Waiting for our flight home we discovered the airport had the same items as Tabacon Resort (with slightly higher prices) plus a whole lot more. I'd suggest getting your souvenirs at the airport on your way out of the country.

EcoZoo: The Arenal Observatory Lodge was selling tickets to the EcoZoo. We decided to go and enjoyed it very much...it was a nice thing to do on a rainy day. We got to hold a frog, tarantula, and snake. Don't get too excited for the butterfly room...it isn't that great. Admission was $12 per person.

Language: We bought a Spanish/English dictionary before we left. We used it a couple of times...it was helpful in figuring out what some of the signs said. But, for the most part, everyone spoke at least a little English. We had not problems in this department.

Departure Tax: Be sure you have $26 per person for Costa Rica's departure tax. It is collected at the airport when you are leaving and they take US Dollars. You can pay on your credit card but it will be considered a cash advance transaction which will incur all the related fees from your credit card company...better to pay cash.