Dictionary & Bug spray

I can't comment on the dictionary, although I believe there may be an LP 'Costan Rican Spanish' phrasebook available which is probably your best bet.

As for anti-bug stuff, interestingly enough there was an article in our local newspaper today which reviewed spray vs. lotion, etc. High on the recommended list for kids was lotion containing lemon eucalyptus oil...better control on kid's skin with lotion than deet spray and the article said it was supposed to be at least as effective as DEET. We have some of the stuff and it seemed to work OK on our last Pacific Northwest camping trip a couple of weeks ago.

I pack a 5"x 3" Oxford Spanish Minidictionary. My spanish is pretty good, but I really need to work on my verbs. Use deet....you'll find that you wont really need it all that much. Put some baby oil from the knee down at sunset if on the beach. The noseeums will likely be the worst of your problems.

Depending on where you are, you can purchase a SPanish/English dictionary. In San Pedro (Guate), where I studied -- there were many stores selling the same dictionaries we have here in the US (but at a fraction of the price!)

Cheers

Oh -- and yes, Deet...

Repel makes a really great Lemon Eucapalytus (spelling?) Oil repellent spray. We tried it for the first time in Nicaragua when another traveller gave us her bottle before her departure flight. Loved it! Worked great, lasts long, and smells really good. And not as bad for the environment.

Lemon Eucapalytus Oil website on About.com

Cheers,
Kay

There is a new repellant on the market that is non-deet and works...though reviews are still sketchy. Try searching here...the name was listed awhile back. For sure, 100% DEET works. I've heard questions on using it on very young kids..don't know if the youngest qualifies. I was always thinking babies. You might want to apply some to an inconspicuous patch of skin on the 4 yr. old and check back about 12 hrs. later for blisters or peeling. If the critter is wearing anything made of plastic keep the DEET off that as it can damage it. #4...heard this myth about DEET and environment before. Can you back it up? You are only using a few drops. Or is PETA sad about starving mosquitoes? You don't use it and die from a bug bite...then there is a big old carcass stinking up the place.

Here's a link to my favorite pocket dictionary: Langenscheidt. Please keep us posted - sounds like a great future travelogue!

About the bug spray:
I did my research since I was traveling with three kids and am concerned about too many chemicals on the skin and stuff like that. If you put in a search engine "best insect repellent" a link would show up about repellent reviews. Repel has very good reviews as it's mostly natural stuff. At the end I decided in a DEET Low concentration repellent(scared as I was about dengue or malaria), the name is skinfantastic family unscented. It was listed as very effective in one of the review sites. The DEET concentration is low so you would need to apply it more often. After certain percentage, not exactly sure which %, the higher concentration means that it lasts longer not that it protects more. I just wanted to tell you that I did not use the repellent at all. I did not come across any mosquitos until the last day out of SJ we went to see a house in a very nice development and inside the office I saw my first mosquito and it had the white stripes on the legs. This are the ones supposedly to transmits the diseases.
Buy something you will be comfortable putting in your children's skin taking into account that the disease does exist in some remote places. I do not know where you're going but we were in Heredia, Arenal and Brasilito, and did not have any bug problems at all and just got back two days ago.

Hush up Bob. Your Angry-Fat-Man comments are getting way old.

Stop being the bully. It's really not entertaining nor helpful.

NYC SW.... Your thinking you are the resident expert after a couple days in each spot is stupid and needs to come to an end. Try double checking your facts before you post. Or simply go away. As to insulting based on appearance...seen your photos. May do on a corner on the lower east side but no where else. No wonder you've had relationship issues.