54 Hours Without the Sale of Alcohol
Come midnight on Wednesday (technically
00:01 Thursday) to 6am Saturday morning, Costa Rica will be "dry", as
the sale of liquor, beer and wine is suspended for 54 hours.
The Fuerza Pubica will be in charge of the detail of ensuring that all
bars, cantinas, supermarkets and any place where alcohol is sold
publicly are shut down or they cannot sell alcohol - under any
circumstances.
The closing is part of the Semana Santa rituals. The only other times
that Costa Rica goes "dry" is during elections and political rallies
surrounding elections.
Semana Santa is time for Costa Ricans to take in the beaches and other
recreational areas of the country. It is also a time when many visitors
are in Costa Rica. A check of several hotels in San José and the beach
areas that cater mainly to foreigners, say they are booked solid for the
week.
Costa Ricans know of the "dry" rule and prepare ahead of time. But, many
visitors find themselves frustrated when the bar, come midnight
Wednesday has to close and police start with their ritual of placing a
special "closure" tape on the premises and areas were alcohol is sold.
Supermarkets block off the entire liquor, beer and wine areas, while
some bars care closed completely, others just have their liquor cabinets
and beer coolers "taped".
In addition to the no sale of alcohol, visitors will find some backlogs
at the airport and other border crossings, when come Thursday and
Friday, customs and immigration services will be reduced to a minimum
level. Any customs and immigration problems will take longer to resolve.
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