Another Two Brits Retire To Costa Rica

We featured fellow Brits, Malcolm and Angela, in May 2009 when we celebrated their property purchase.

That seems ages ago but like us, they had to sell up, pack up and bale out – but the day came, and they arrived in December to carve out their bit of paradise in Costa Rica. In contrast to our ten boxes, the perfectionist Malcolm filled a container with every tool he needs for the mammoth job ahead!

They bought a beautiful finca (small farm) of 42 acres, way up the San Pedro and Esperanzaz valley, at 4,300 feet, an hour and a half south of us. Though they intend to build a new home, that will take time so their first priority was to spruce up the simple Tico home they inherited and make it habitable.

We’ve just had our first visit to see the progress and celebrate their achievements – interior and exterior painted, leaky roofing repaired, hot water and new shower room installed, and the kitchen operational, they’re up and running!

Malcolm was so wise to bring all those tools, wood-working bench and vice, and scaffolding to boot – he’s done a terrific job! Many old Tico homes have decorative external plaster, in the first photo, painted to great effect.

Not content with that challenge, Malcolm has been horrified to find pits of buried waste all round the property, so he’s digging them out, with no idea when that job might ever be finished!

In similarly ‘untidy’ fashion, the hillside is covered in fallen timber so there’s another big clear up job to be done. Thankfully they’ve found a very reliable Tico worker- a man with a machete is all you need!

We had a wonderful walk up the hillside – heavens, you would need the genes of a mountain goat to do that regularly, but on a cool cloudy day, the climb was invigorating and the views magnificent. Its that truism – there’s the right corner for every taste in Costa Rica and we sure do love Malcolm and Angela’s little bit of heaven.

They’re so ‘close up’ with nature, the air is wonderful, the tranquility tangible, and they’ve found a warm welcome in their Tico community. A lovely day and a joy to share their pleasure, and so good to welcome another two Brits to the local landscape, we’re up to eight or so around these parts!

We’ve just had a special ‘Mi casa es su casa’ day, this time at our place. Little Sophia, daughter of our young farmer neighbours, was having her 3rd birthday. Sadly, there are no other young children within walking distance, though if Laura and Jose had not moved, she and Samanta could have been pals.

So, we had the two Mums, one granny and the girls for a little party for Sophia’s birthday. Play dough was a great success, I think we’ll do this again; these little treasures don’t have every day play-mates and they had such fun together.

I mentioned we were in for a bumper crop of water apples – well here they are, just one branch and we have four trees! I was filling buckets every day and trotting them off to the old people’s home, friends and neighbours – actually to anyone who would take them, its that Scottish Presbyterian upbringing thing about not wasting good food! We’re now into the mangos, natures bounty indeed!

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Written by VIP Member Sheelagh Richards. Sheelagh is originally from Scotland and her husband John who is from Wales are two inveterate British travellers who fell in love with Costa Rica, the beauty of the Talamanca mountain range and the perfect climate of the Rio General valley where they have established a small Bed & Breakfast called Casa de Los Celtas.




You can see more about John and Sheelagh’s very affordable B&B outside San Isidro here and photographs and prices here and you can also see a free online video interview with John & Sheelagh Richards here.

Please contact our Recommended Costa Rica Realtors working in the area: James Drews, Daveed Hollander and John Wieland, by using the simple form below and they’ll send you:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.