Travel advice: Who's been to Saprissa?

[MakingNews]

OK, who's been to Saprissa in San Jose?

What's the best way to get to and from the stadium? How hostile was the environment and how did Tico fans treat you? How would you rate your overall experience? Any veteran advice?

I'm planning to go on June 3 and just looking for some idea on what to expect. I've been to the Azteca and to Guatemala City, so I'm not a novice. But I always like to have some sense of what I'll encounter.

Tell us your Saprissa stories.

[law5guy]

OK, who's been to Saprissa in San Jose?

What's the best way to get to and from the stadium? How hostile was the environment and how did Tico fans treat you? How would you rate your overall experience? Any veteran advice?

I'm planning to go on June 3 and just looking for some idea on what to expect. I've been to the Azteca and to Guatemala City, so I'm not a novice. But I always like to have some sense of what I'll encounter.

Tell us your Saprissa stories.

So... Back in October 2005, I went to Costa Rica for the game.

How did I get to/from the staduim... Taxi. Make sure you know what side of the staduim your ticket is for. Otherwise, you will need to walk around to the other side.

How hostle was the crowd... not hostile at all. Of course it was raining like gatos e perros (cats and dogs) and they won.

Overall experiece... fantastic. The Costa Rican fans are really vocal and loud. Fireworks after the game.

"Expert" Advice... Take a raincoat, and if you want to take pictures at the game... make sure you have a scuba housing for your camera (like I did.) lol

In San Jose, visit the The Museo de Oro Precolombino or Museum of Precolumbian Gold... it is quite impressive. If you have time, rent a car and get out of the city ... visit Arenal and Monteverde.

My Photos of the game and Costa Rica trip at:
http://sports.webshots.com/album/481194995hhqrvK

[usafan12]

Just to add to that:

I went to the games against Honduras and El Salvador, and yes, taxis are by far the best way to get to the stadium - just make sure you have ¢5000 bills (colones) or smaller with you since they get antsy with dealing with money larger than that.

As for the stadium experience: depending on the weather it may be a good idea to bring a light coat, since the open design of the stadium allows a lot of wind to get in. And physically there is absolutely nothing to worry about form the fans - after an incident in a CCC game against Atlante, the security standards here improved dramatically, and now you're not even allowed to bring coins in the stadium. Also, in the last game, the announcer made a point of asking for silent respect for El Salvador's national anthem, which I hope he'll do again next time.

Two side notes, though: just as a heads-up in case you're not fond of hearing a bunch of expletives at once, that will happen (all in Spanish, though); and any time away fans try to make noise, the Costa Ricans are always ready to drown them out.