GUILTY COSTA RICA - Carla Stefaniak, 36, American tourist, San Antonio de Escazú, 27 Nov 2018

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20 some years ago when I went back to school at my old age for some Spanish classes, my professor was from Costa Rica. Someone in the class asked her why she didn't live there and she shook her head and said "It's too violent"
 
Satchie said:
Just to comment from my one visit to Costa Rica, Escazu is an uncrowded suburban area outside the capital, close to the airport. Popular place for expats and middle-class locals to live. But massive security is a way of life: high walls with razor wire, steel doors that come down at night, steel bars on the windows, guard dogs, security guards with machine guns outside the banks. It's just what you do when you are well off.

So I can't imagine it was someone who broke in.
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This is all unsettling. I was wondering actually why there would be a security guard at the AirBnB she was staying in. Who wants to live like that? Even more so, who wants to vacation like that? My feelings of course...I'm not as brave as I used to be.
 
zecats said:
This is all unsettling. I was wondering actually why there would be a security guard at the AirBnB she was staying in. Who wants to live like that? Even more so, who wants to vacation like that? My feelings of course...I'm not as brave as I used to be.
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For a graduation from high school, a bunch of my friends and I went to central Mexico for a month, took the train to Copper Canyon, sleeping out in tents, great trip! Over 40 years ago! No way would you let a bunch of young kids go hiking and camping in central Mexico now!
 
mickey2942 said:
For a graduation from high school, a bunch of my friends and I went to central Mexico for a month, took the train to Copper Canyon, sleeping out in tents, great trip! Over 40 years ago! No way would you let a bunch of young kids go hiking and camping in central Mexico now!
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Link to the American teacher who was just found murdered there in or near Copper Canyon.

Found Deceased - Mexico - Patrick Braxton-Andrew, 34, American tourist, Urique, Chihuahua, 28 Oct 2018
 
zecats said:
This is all unsettling. I was wondering actually why there would be a security guard at the AirBnB she was staying in. Who wants to live like that? Even more so, who wants to vacation like that? My feelings of course...I'm not as brave as I used to be.
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I should have emphasized, the security is to deter theft, rather than assault. The risk of break--in is high, being near the major city. It's not an area so much for tourists, as for people who live in luxury homes and apartments.
 
I just got back this evening from a solo trip to Havana, Cuba. I’m a young woman. I stayed in Airbnb’s there, including one that didn’t have many reviews but looked gorgeous (it was lovely). I feel that I need to temper the rampant fear on this thread with my own experiences. I had the time of my life traveling solo in Cuba and can’t wait for my next solo trip. If I were too fearful to use Airbnb’s, my life would be much less amazing. Carla did nothing wrong, and nothing that many, many young women in the US haven’t done. If she is the victim of foul play, that is tragic, but it will be an anomaly in a country that is incredibly popular with tourists and expats.
 
azure said:
I just got back this evening from a solo trip to Havana, Cuba. I’m a young woman. I stayed in Airbnb’s there, including one that didn’t have many reviews but looked gorgeous (it was lovely). I feel that I need to temper the rampant fear on this thread with my own experiences. I had the time of my life traveling solo in Cuba and can’t wait for my next solo trip. If I were too fearful to use Airbnb’s, my life would be much less amazing. Carla did nothing wrong, and nothing that many, many young women in the US haven’t done. If she is the victim of foul play, that is tragic, but it will be an anomaly in a country that is incredibly popular with tourists and expats.
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I have been to Costa Rica but not for about ten years. Drove with my husband on the Highway of Death from San Juan to Puerto Viejo.

In Limon, where the cruise ships go, we stopped for gas, There were armed police with some kind of huge weapons. I heard the cruise ships in Limon have some kind of little boats by them for protection.

We got lost in San Juan. The guide books said to never go by the Coca Cola plant. My husband parked by there and left me for quite awhile while he asked for directions. A woman drove her car and led us to the correct highway.

Puerto Viejo was a lot of fun. We went all over. We got gas for our car from the man who sells gasoline. It was someone who had gas cans of gasoline.

I tihink things have become more developed since we were there

A policemam told us to never pick up hitchikers.

An American we met on the beach said he was teaching there, He had complete health care and said they even did heart transplants.

Any country is like where one lives in the US. What precautions do people take where they live?

In a foreign country if you meet someone from the US, you assume the person is your friend. Israel Keyes went on a cruise.

Tourists are easy prey.
 
azure said:
I just got back this evening from a solo trip to Havana, Cuba. I’m a young woman. I stayed in Airbnb’s there, including one that didn’t have many reviews but looked gorgeous (it was lovely). I feel that I need to temper the rampant fear on this thread with my own experiences. I had the time of my life traveling solo in Cuba and can’t wait for my next solo trip. If I were too fearful to use Airbnb’s, my life would be much less amazing. Carla did nothing wrong, and nothing that many, many young women in the US haven’t done. If she is the victim of foul play, that is tragic, but it will be an anomaly in a country that is incredibly popular with tourists and expats.
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Rampant fear? No, but common sense. And Cuba is probably much safer than Costa Rica right now, as if that isn't crazy enough! The world is changing faster than we can keep up.

I am glad that you are enjoying traveling, but I would suggest that having a friend travel with you.
 
mickey2942 said:
Rampant fear? No, but common sense. And Cuba is probably much safer than Costa Rica right now, as if that isn't crazy enough! The world is changing faster than we can keep up.

I am glad that you are enjoying traveling, but I would suggest that having a friend travel with you.
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I did my fair share of traveling alone. Mostly throughout France since I’m a language teacher and it was fun and necessary. Nowadays I doubt I would. Common sense and defensive awareness have become my mottos of late, even when out and about locally. Websleuths has certainly influenced that a bit.

ETA not blaming this young woman in any way. Hope she’s found safe.
 
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zecats said:
I did my fair share of traveling alone. Mostly throughout France since I’m a language teacher and it was fun and necessary. Nowadays I doubt I would. Common sense and defensive awareness have become my mottos of late, even when out and about locally. Websleuths has certainly influenced that a bit.

ETA not blaming this young woman in any way. Hope she’s found safe.
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Yes, (tongue somewhat in cheek) there's a few things I've learned could be dangerous, mostly from spending too much time on websleuths.

The number one is, don't get married! Or engaged. He'll kill you to collect your life insurance, or inherit your money, or to be free to marry his mistress, or because you want to leave him, or you're going to have his baby, or because his family wants your baby, or you stand up to him, or....
 
Has it been stated how long the power was out? If it was out for a while, or overnight, I wonder if there was backup power like a generator, or battery backup for security alarms and cameras. Someone could possibly have taken advantage of the power outage to break in and abduct her, perhaps even with the complicity of a guard. A guard was involved in the abduction of the German nurse in Somalia. On the other hand, maybe if the power was still out after several hours, she did decide to go by Uber to a hotel or B&B with power. IMO
 
Riverview man flies to Costa Rica to search for missing tourist sister

RIVERVIEW, Fla. — The brother of a missing tourist has flown to Costa Rica to search for her.

ABC Action News was the only station with Carlos Caicedo, the woman's brother, as he flew out of Tampa this morning. Also, Senator Marco Rubio's office tells us they've reached out to both the embassy and the state department. But tonight, Caicedo isn't waiting on any of them to come up with answers.

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Today the Organismo de Investigación Judicial, or OIJ, in Costa Rica confirm they're investigating. They are circulating flyers with her picture requesting leads.

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Caicedo is refusing to sit without answers. He's retracing her steps. He last heard from Stefaniak on Tuesday after she took an Uber to her San Jose Airbnb and snapped a picture of her room.

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ABC Action News reached out to Uber and Airbnb about this case. Uber got back to us and told us they're looking into it.
 
Eleanor Rigby said:
A comment in the Heavy.com article linked above says she has been rescued in good condition. I sure hope this is true, but I could not find MSM verification. IMO
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The comment was posted on a media FB page, Noticias Fortuna. They have confirmed the info is incorrect and have apologized for their error. Carla has not been found.
 
This a very worrying situation. A young woman, alone, in the middle of the night in a foreign country, drives away in an unknown car with a person who likely is a casual holiday acquaintance at best. All communication stops. I'm struggling to maintain hope :(
 
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