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This posted in the wrong place and reposted here by SCott
JayS
Posted Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 12:00 PM from 186.15.26.73
My wife and I were visiting Costa Rica and my wife broke her ankle requiring surgery. The surgery (and nursing care) was excellent. We hear people from Panama go to Costa Rica for operations. (No supporting data, just hearsay). We moved to Costa Rica to retire in 2007. We have been to David, Panama three times and visited Bouquette, Panama once – we prefer Costa Rica.
Yes, we have a house in San Antonio de Belen, Costa Rica in a gated community with an electronic alarm system in the house. Due to pets we have NEVER turned it on! No problems with crime even when walking outside to a restaurant after dark. (No problems when walking around the town in daylight, either.)
You need to be aware of surroundings no matter what country you are in.
Interesting thread.
While we were in CR this past winter, two of our Tico friends were robbed at gunpoint for their cellphones by people with ‘funny accents’ (read, not Ticos). One was in San Jose, mindlessly walking down the street playing with his phone, a mistake he won’t make again. The other is pretty tall and fair for a Tico, we think he was mistaken for a gringo, anyway he was out late and alone. And we have heard of two murders that were more like assassinations, the general consensus of which is that they were dope deals gone wrong. I have come to the conclusion that petty theft is a national past time and we choose to deal with it or not. Crimes of passion and greed occur everywhere.
CR doesn’t have a monopoly on crime. In 24 years, on our little 3 miles of dirt road behind 2 locked gates in Northern Calif, we’ve had home invasion robberies, regular robberies, 2 suicides, a murder, various and sundry gun threats, one vacation home destroyed by renters that held a 500 person rave, and every year there seem to be folks that can’t read that just walk on thru looking to take the marijuana plants that they are SURE everyone is growing. Oh, and regular helicopter/CAMP activity looking for the guerilla growers that ARE growing large amounts of pot (which also brings more people looking to steal said pot).
The whole time we were in CR this winter I kept up on the headlines back here in Calif and there were more than enough murders, rapes, road rage incidents and manslaughter problems to go around. Not to mention the crooks running the country.
At least CR doesn’t deny they have problems.
I STILL choose CR over Panama because I have made FRIENDS here over the past 7 years of visiting. Friends that have told me what neighborhoods to stay out of and how to protect myself and not invite problems. As I said, the crime I’ve heard of was perpetrated on Ticos, not gringoes. Although I did know of one woman who lost her diamond rings that she left in the shower stall at her fancy condo in Punta Leona (that’s 3 locked gates with guards) – guess it was just too much for the maid to pass up. She got them back, after her mother-in-law suggested they ‘might have accidentally ended up in the trash’, which is where they were ‘found’.
If I wanted all the fancy stores/malls/designer stuff, I’d stay in the US. Costa Rica still has a soul, which is a lot more than I can say for the US. No need to trash/bash the US, Scott, they do it to themselves quite well without help.This is an interesting discussion, but suddenly seems to have become overwhelmed by the subject of crime… Let me see if I can take it back to the original topic…
I’ve lived in Costa Rica for six years, in Manuel Antonio, on the Pacific Coast. While I’ve never lived in Panama, I’ve been there dozens of times, and even own property there. Both countries are beautiful, tropical paradises. They’re also surprisingly different from one another–geologically, culturally, politically, and in many other ways. You notice the differences the moment you cross the border–better roads, an indigenous presence, fewer trees, a military presence, less mountainous, etc.
From what of tasted of Panama, and despite the tribulations of living in Costa Rica (petty crime, inefficiency) I’d chose Costa Rica over Panama any day. I find this country more beautiful, geographically and climatologically diverse, more warm and inviting, and more prepared for foreign residents than Panama. One weekend I took my family to Africa Mia, in Guanacaste–a very African-like savannah in the middle of nowhere. The next weekend we went to metropolitan Escazu to see Avatar at the Imax theater. The next we went to Playa Ventanas, on the Ballena Coast (my favorite beach!). For someone who is motivated to suck the marrow out of life… there’s a ton of marrow here!
It’s easy to look at a statistical report card and make decisions about how a country must be. These stats are important to know, but more important is just how you feel when you’re here. Don’t ever make a decision to move to one country or another because of a crime stat you saw on a CIA site, or one person’s bad experience. Get down here and see for yourself!
There are challenges to living abroad. But that’s the price for living in paradise!
😆
[quote=”soflodoug”]Lets just show the facts. just my piece of mind.[/quote]
IMHO your “facts” asre totally screwed up.
We live without gates, fences or bars and have no need of a security guard whether Tico or Nica. That kind of trash talk has a ring of prejudice.
If your so enamoured with “cosas Americano”, Panama is the place for you. Sounds to me like you would rather move NYC down to Panama.
You are selling fear of Costa Rica like a 3rd world Rush Limbaugh and the way you’re trying to sell Panama makes me think your selling Panamanian real estate.
We are rather attached to our “village” life and when I said I never considered Panama it’s because in “my piece of mind” Panama sucks.
[quote=”Scott”]But you are not providing us with facts soflodoug, you are giving us your opinions which are simply WRONG!
In the future please feel free to give us your opinions soflodoug but please also feel free to provide FACTS otherwise some people might prove you wrong with a few, quick Google searches.[/quote]
Sorry Scott, I just had a change of attitude reading soflodoug.:oops:
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]soflodoug is welcome to question the validity of the CIA data, the OIJ data, or any other data he wishes. In doing so, he may be doing us all a favor. What he should refrain from, however, is substituting his own limited perceptions and interpretations in their place.[/quote]
When you live in a world of fantasy all is safe and secure. Maybe we should at least leave him his fantasies.
[quote=”tomstew1″][quote=”kevin.smith”]….and yet the entire country is still safer than Houston TX. Nowhere is perfect.[/quote]
I live in Houston and have a house in Palo Seco…I don’t have to pay someone to guard my house 24hrs a day in Houston. I do in Palo Seco….Theft is like a national sport in CR.
Sorry, couldn’t resist 🙂
Scott: You always seem to find a way to try and bash the USA…Why is that?[/quote]
@tomstew1
I don’t think Scott is bashing the US as much as facing the truth. Afghanistan was right but Iraq was wrong, insane tax cuts and a lack of oversight led to a deep recession workdwide, fumbling around with Katrina, bedding down with big oil.
@kevin.smith
As far as the national sport is concerned, if you don’t know how to play the game don’t flaunt your “stuff”.Many Americans come down to a country that hasn’t got diddly with their (relatively) big bucks, nice cars, fine household goods then buy or build big houses and then try to lord it over the locals.
I’ve [b]seen[/b] the same thing happen in the States with the same results. If a guy making $150,000 a year can move into the Watts area of LA buy a cheap house and tear it down to build a nice big home and is too good to make friends in the neighborhood the result will be the same. It amounts to a slap in the face and he’s going to get burned.
I am not pointing fingers. Each of us has a unique situation. Those who have been here for a time and actually mix with the Ticos will probably tell you somewhat the same thing. They are helpful and friendly even if they don’t know you. It’s more a perception of arrogance that causes you problems.
Done with your rant???
Or are you trying to impresed someone??
The fact is you live in a secluded BUBBLE and not with the reality Ticos live. Not the middle class Ticos but 80% of them, under that category.
Not that I am poor or that my extended family in CR is either, they work for ICE, Casa Amarilla (Department of State equivalent), teachers and all educated and middle class.
None of them retired because they can’t and not because they can.
Typical Gringo answer is (I am OK) living here. Ask a Tico how he is doing?? and find out the real CR.
In the meantime enyoy it while it lasts, because you are happier and a whole lot better when you have real TICO family, friends around you.
Or did you leave the USA to surround yourself with Gringos in CR??
warren
[b]aguirrewar [/b], I have no idea on you you mean by
[b]’by your own admission (multiple times).
so 1 more time makes it OK.'[/b][i][/i]
If you are referring to the time the [i]’goods were returned'[/i] I was happy, but that doesn’t make it ‘right’.Once they poisoned 3 of our dogs, and 2 of them died and I will [i]never[/i] forgive them for that.
We are very located on a farm, where we happily live with a [i]Tico[/i] family, and mix very rarely with other ‘gringos’ in our area, preferring our neighbors.[quote=”costaricafinca”] Once they poisoned 3 of our dogs, and 2 of them died and I will [i]never[/i] forgive them for that.
We are very located on a farm, where we happily live with a [i]Tico[/i] family, and mix very rarely with other ‘gringos’ in our area, preferring our neighbors.[/quote]The safety of our dogs is the very reason we’re working toward getting fenced and gated.
We, too, have a Tico family living with us that has helped us in ways we could not have imagined.
Living among the Ticos gives us the same sense of community that we had in the States and the Ticos are more prone to help a stranger.
Pura Vida
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