Help me decide - Gautemala or CR away

Discussion in 'USA Men: Fans & Travel' started by superlimey, Nov 30, 2004.

  1. superlimey

    superlimey Member

    Jun 7, 1999
    Boulder, CO
    OK, I've got a week for only one of the above (match and vacation combo).
    I'd would rather go to CR as I've just been to Guatemala a few months ago and I've never been to CR.
    However what is of great importantance to me is whether the match will be meaningful or not i.e. will our boys have qualified by the time the CR game rolls around? Maybe they will have qualified by the time the Guatemala game is played?
    Could someone who is better at the maths than me post the most likely outcome by these two games so I can better make a decision.
    Oh, one other factor - I'll have a newborn by then (she'll be 9 months old in September) but I'll probably drag the mother-in-law along as a babysitter for while the match is on.
    Cheers.
     
  2. Mikeymike15

    Mikeymike15 Member

    Jul 7, 2004
    Atlanta
    Well super, I'd personally do CR. I believe that while the GUA will be more important then CR game at that time, to the US, we will probably give away a point or three in games where we should have won or drawn and thus make the outcome of both games critical. Further, should we be in by the CR, that will most likely mean the CR will be fighting for the 3rd or 4th spot and thus make it important to them, subesquently making for a very exciting atmosphere in CR regardless.
     
  3. Joe Gannon

    Joe Gannon New Member

    Jan 27, 2004
    New Market, Md.
    I agree that the'll both be important - - so as soccer goes it's a toss-up. However, I've been to Costa Rica and it is an amazing country. The people are truly friendly (soccer aside), and the country is gorgeous. If you are going for more than just the game I can give you some insights. Also, if you like amazing fruit that's real cheap - wow.
     
  4. denver_mugwamp

    denver_mugwamp New Member

    Feb 9, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    There's a bit more to do in CR. Eco lodges, erupting volcanes, river rafting... I've been in all the hex countries and they all have something to offer but my advice would actually be to try either Panama (inexpensive and kind of like CR before it was discovered) or T&T. (Tobago is a $30 plane flight away and it's mostly sleepy little fishing vilages.)

    Later--I came back to post to do an addition. Don't go to T & T during carnival. People have told me it's not safe unless you're with people who know the area. Go to Panama.
     
  5. superlimey

    superlimey Member

    Jun 7, 1999
    Boulder, CO
    Cheers for all the feedback.
    Been to T&T but haven't been to Panama. Won't it be a bit dodgy weather-wise in June?
     
  6. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    I've never been to Guatemala - only country in the Hex to which I haven't been - but Costa Rica is just a joy to visit.

    Ironically, San Jose, where the game will be, is what I find the least appealing of CR but it is a good place to use as a base camp for day trips into the mountains and jungles. And, if you want beaches, the Caribbean side is nice and docile and isolated and cheap and the Pacific side is a little livelier, a tad pricier (still cheap compared to the US) but has some of the best beaches in the world.

    I'm already marking my calendar for a trip to CR when the US is down there. I love going to CR anyway and this time, I get to say I was there when the US finally got a result down there!
     
  7. denver_mugwamp

    denver_mugwamp New Member

    Feb 9, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    The weather always seems to be about the same--highs in the mid 80's and lows in the mid 70's. It rains a bit more sometimes than others but you will get rained on whenever you're there. The country has a great infrastructure and you can drink the water everywhere except the islands. Panama City has a lot of nice sections and is head and shoulders above San Jose. Hotel rooms can run as little as $25 with AC. The food is excellent and there's 24 hr supermarkets. The ATM's spit out US $20 bills since they use US currency. There's not a lot of tourists so the people are still friendly and haven't jacked up the prices yet. My favorite place is Bouquette--a coffee-growing town in the mountains where it's always at least 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the country.
     
  8. voodoodiver

    voodoodiver Member

    Jun 21, 2002
    FLL
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you dive, it HAS to be CR!!!
     
  9. TAKK

    TAKK New Member

    Jan 28, 2004
    Westchester, NY
    Fly fish? Fish at all?

    CR
     
  10. HartwickFan

    HartwickFan Member

    Jul 31, 1999
    Climax, MI
    Club:
    VfR Wormatia 08 Worms
    Nat'l Team:
    Tuvalu
    I agree with TAKK -- if you fish at all, go to Costa Rica. I went there on a vacation seven years ago, and we hired a charter for a day of fishing off the Pacific coast (around Manuel San Antonio). We ended up catching two sailfish that were each probably about seven feet long and 150 lbs. -- it was awesome. Supposedly, Costa Rica has the best sailfishing in the world...
     
  11. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    It's just Manuel Antonio, but otherwise, the point is valid. The fishing in that area is top-shelf.
     
  12. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000

    I always thought that Guat was more known for diving.





























    [​IMG]

    :D :D
     
  13. Gioca

    Gioca Member

    Jun 13, 2004
    Hartford
    Club:
    US Città di Palermo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What's Trinidad and Tobago like, anyway? Is it the kind of place where people take vacations, with beautiful resorts and beaches, or a place to avoid?
     
  14. denver_mugwamp

    denver_mugwamp New Member

    Feb 9, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    T&T has a split personality. Trinidad has a pretty vibrant economy with a fairly large city--Port of Spain. There's a lot to do there and it's got the restaurants and clubs. Tobago, on the other hand, is a sleepy little island that is mostly fishing villages where you can stay in a guest house for about $25 a night. There's only one big resort on the island. Neither one of the islands is really on the tourist track unless your a birdwatcher. A lot of tourists from Venezuela go there.
     

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