Crate & Barrel, Starbucks, Lego

Chi-chi clothing & shoe stores...I could be shopping at Stanford Center.

This is the Escazú Shopping Center located in a very upscale suburb of San José. We "discovered" this very attractive mall on our 3.7 mile walk from our hotel to M's new dentist. We do a lot of walking during our stays in SJ. Car rental is very expensive. The rental agencies do a "bait & switch." They advertise amazingly low daily rental rates and then won't rent you a car unless you pay for Costa Rican insurance. The agencies don't accept your U.S. car insurance coverage or insurance offered by credit card. Driving in Costa Rica is not for the faint at heart. This is an hilarious article about Driving in Costa Rica, from El Residente Magazine published by ARCR.

whose office is located in the hospital adjacent to the Mall. While M was in the chair with Dr. Brenes (whose office is located in the hospital adjacent to the Mall) reviewing a tooth implant, I wandered around this complex. As I neared the entrance of the Mall, I saw a huge stone Chinese looking horse and I thought it looks like the "PF Chang" horse. And it was. Costa Ricans enjoy U.S. franchise food outlets from McDonald's to TGIFriday's, KFC (of course) & El Jardín del Olivo.

M is very happy with Dr. Brenes, DDS. His office is ultra modern with a very attentive staff. Dr. Brenes studied at Loma Linda College (a highly rated learning center for implants), he had a practice in Glendale, CA for many years. He & his wife decided to return to San José about 8 years ago. The cost for an implant with Dr. Brenes is about 65% less than a U.S. dentist. "Medical tourism"is thriving in San José. There are many U.S. trained doctors & dentists that offer state-of-the-art medical treatments for a lower price. In the Immigration area of the San José airport, there are huge TV monitors that advertise beach resorts and dental practices.