Sex and the Single Tico
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Heading to Costa Rica on vacation? Well there are a few things you ought to know. First thing: Ticos (thatÃs how Costa Ricans refer to themselves, a helluva lot easier than sayingCostariccenses) are damn guapo (cute). Somewhat more European looking than Mexicans since thereÃs little indigenous blood. Not generally quite as beefy as Cubans or Brazilians (since thereÃs little African blood as well) but damn cute. And, while the country is generally socially conservative as is all of Latin America it is more open to gay and lesbian travelers than almost anywhere else in Latin America and has a reputation for this, even outside the gay community. Their rivals taunt the Tico national soccer team (which is doing quite well, thank you) with chants of "Putos" (fags). Mmmm, sounds pretty good to me: a team of athletic gay boys on a field wearing skimpy shorts.
Of course, you also have to know a few choice words of the language. And if youÃve learned your street Spanish elsewhere, especially in Spain, youÃll need to make some adjustments. Of course the best way to learn is ìon the jobî. I was playing with a guy in a park in Madrid one time and he said me estoy corriendo (which literally translates as "I'm running myself"). I was like, ìHuh? What does that mean?î even though I knew all the words. He quickly demonstrated by shooting his leche (cum). But this phrase doesnÃt work in Costa Rica. They go with a more direct translation from the English: me estoy viniendo. The most useful phrase here is simply Que rico as in Que rico tu pinga (cock) orQue rico tu culo (butt). Mostly though, this is a great thing to moan, all on its own, like when youÃre getting a great blow job. It also works great when youÃre telling his mom later how great dinner is.
Ticos tend to be fiercely proud and rather possessive too. You might hear Te quiero (I love you, sorta) sooner than you expect. However, Te quiero is rather less strong than Te amo (I love you) so donÃt fret too much. But donÃt be too manipulative either: if youÃre here for a vacation fling and no more, then say so. I will say that a greater number of young Ticos like somewhat older in shape gringos. But let me get this out of the way: theyÃre not all looking for a sugar daddy and theyÃre not all hustlers. Yes, like everywhere, this exists, but I donÃt find it much more prevalent than back in the States. Check your attitude about the developing world on the plane on the way here. Yes, if youÃre pushing 50 with a belly the size of Lake Erie and a cute Tico boy wants to suck your pinga then maybe heÃs in it for something else. But this country is richer than its neighbors (50+ years without an army will do that) and has a life expectancy longer than the United States (a public health care system and a much less stressful lifestyle will do that).
There are an amazing amount of wonderful places to see in Costa Rica for such a small country. But, if youÃre seeking sex, youÃll probably want to start with two: San Jose and Manuel Antonio. The capitol San Jose has more than one would expect of its share of gay bars and, for a change, of lesbian bars. It also has several gay bathhouses and several exclusively gay hotels. The bars run the gamut from a video bar that could be anywhere in the States, Bochinche, to a hustler and go-go boy bar, Puchos, to a dance club with lots of male-male and female-female salsa and meringue dancing, La Avispa. ThereÃs quite a few more. These three have been around for a while but like everywhere these things change rapidly so check local listings. Several bathhouses await your pleasure as well.Parque Morazon and the park a few blocks East can be pretty cruisy too but be very careful, especially after dark.
The town of Quepos and the short stretch between there and the Manuel Antonio National Park are the other gay mecca. There
are a number of exclusively gay hotels and many gay friendly ones and a couple of gay bars. Pick up a copy of Circuito Playita for the latest listings and a map. But the real gem is the gay nude beach: La Playita. ItÃs a small beach but one of the most beautiful in the world. Clothing optional. Even when the police drop by (not often) theyÃre not looking for nudity but instead for drugs or petty crime. Fun waves to play in (if youÃre not a strong swimmer, be careful there are riptides and people have drowned there). Lots of incredible shade trees overhanging the beach so you can stay all day. And lots of cute guysófrom all over the world. The best time to meet Ticos is on weekends when the guys from San Jose come down to enjoy the beach for a few days. Especially during the Costa Rican ìsummerî (dry season) of December and January when schools and universities close for the annual holiday. Behind the beach there is a little waterfall and some cruisy trails. And monkeys. If youÃre not having any luck with the cruising, why not watch the monkeys leap from tree to tree instead?
Pura vida and enjoy Costa Rica!
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Posted by Doug Dosdall on January 1st, 2005 in Articles.
