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[quote=”jtd2″][quote=”alexander69″][quote=”jtd2″][quote=”lavemder”]Please help us prepare for a long-term trip to CR.
What navigation system works the best? Is it better to buy one in CR? What brand, where to buy it?
Garmin or Tom tom? How many rental cars have navigation system in it?
Thanks in advance…[/quote]Try: http://www.gpstravelmaps.com/costarica.php
Have a nice trip!!![/quote]
Good road signs! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! CR does not have road signs other than the major highways and no addresses, so yes, I can read a paper map and have but like everyone said once off the main drag you are F&*^% without a GPS. Spend the freakin money and use common sense.[/quote]
Alexander69,
Are you responding to the website link that I posted??? The link that I posted provided a GPS navigational software of Costa Rica for Garmin GPS devices…they had an update last Nov. 2010 that fixes the general navigation fixes throughout Costa Rica and added more roads. Since then, I had no problem so far…[/quote]
Yes, I bought those “maps” and highway 27 wasn’t even on it. It looked like I was driving in air. Save the money. DON’T buy gpstravelmaps unless you have money to burn. Navsat or smartways is the way to go here in Costa Rica. Course, everyone has an opinion and I’ll finish by saying I am grateful that I knew where I was going that day.
[quote=”orcas0606″]CR Bill is right on all accounts. I did the next to the last task of going to the Embassy (USA) “registered” with them which included filling out a one page form, showing my valid passport and paying fifty dollars. Hoped this helped.
Alexander69: I don’t understand why anyone would want to notify the US Embassy of their residency status in Costa Rica and on top of that pay them $50. I’m sure big brother already knows where you are.
[quote=”alexander69″][quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”lavemder”]What kind of “Application form” you have to fill in Canadian or USA
Embassy in CR in order to apply for residency?
Has anyone have done it lately?[/quote]Oh Man, do you have a lot to get up to speed on!
Yes, people are applying for residency everyday, and there are hundreds of posts on this forum about everyone’s trials and tribulations and frustrations (and successes) in the process. Maybe it should be as easy as “what kind of form?” but the truth is that your embassy is one of the very last in a long agonizing process in the application for residency.
Others are much more astute in detailing the steps, so I’ll leave that to them – but before they can even start you must let us know
(1) which country are you now a citizen of?
(2) are you presently residing in that country or in CR?
(3) what type of temporary residency are you trying to secure?and finally, (4) how much patience do you have?
If the answer to #4 is not “great” or “extensive” or “exceptional”, then you will need to hire an attorney or an organization to assist you. If indeed you do feel that you have adequate patience to undertake the endeavor on your own, then I can assure you (based on the simplicity of your question) that your patience will be sorely tested in the process.[/quote]
CR Bill is right on all accounts. I did the next to the last task of going to the Embassy (USA) “registered” with them which included filling out a one page form, showing my valid passport and paying fifty dollars. Hoped this helped.[/quote][/quote]
Because you will not get a cedula number until you do. And yes, big brother knows everything about you including where you are under the “homeland security act”……….
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]For those of you living in Costa Rica and who pay your own utilities, you may be interested to know (just in case you haven’t heard) that ICE is now permitting “grid-tied” electrical systems.
Basically, an array of photovoltaic panels is installed at your homesite and connected to a 15 amp breaker in your circuit panel. Then, when the sun shines on your panels, they make electricity which goes back into ICE’s electrical grid via your electricity meter. In effect, you are selling your power back to ICE and thereby reducing your monthly bill.
ICE’s rate structure for electricity is “laddered”. The higher your usage the more expensive those last kilowatt hours are. So a grid-tied system essentially cuts off or cuts down your consumption at those high-cost levels.
None of this is the same as “going off grid” in which case you would be completely disconnected from ICE and wholly dependent upon the electricity you generate and store on-site. That is an add-on possibility, however.
There are a couple of companies in Costa Rica who are doing these installations. The one we’ve talked to so far has projected a payback of about 8.5 years. That’s about a 12% guaranteed annual return on investment. Where else can you get that?
But the picture gets brighter. ARESEP, the utility regulatory agency, has already approved a 5% increase in ICE’s electricity rates (effective in February, I think) and is likely to approve an additional 12% increase in the near future. If those and other rate increases are approved, and it seems that they always are, then the payback becomes more attractive still.
If you have or can raise the capital, a grid-tied system might make economic sense for you.[/quote]
Thank you for the information David. I am happy and proud to report that we are totally off-grid and have all the creature comforts we want including a pool. ICE is nothing but a legal mafia squeezing gringos for money. I am sure you know about the “tiered” system that ICE uses to calculate your bill right? What a blatant travesty. If anyone wants the number to an excellent solar company here in CR send me a PM and I will give you the contact information. HAPPY NEW YEAR![quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”lavemder”]What kind of “Application form” you have to fill in Canadian or USA
Embassy in CR in order to apply for residency?
Has anyone have done it lately?[/quote]Oh Man, do you have a lot to get up to speed on!
Yes, people are applying for residency everyday, and there are hundreds of posts on this forum about everyone’s trials and tribulations and frustrations (and successes) in the process. Maybe it should be as easy as “what kind of form?” but the truth is that your embassy is one of the very last in a long agonizing process in the application for residency.
Others are much more astute in detailing the steps, so I’ll leave that to them – but before they can even start you must let us know
(1) which country are you now a citizen of?
(2) are you presently residing in that country or in CR?
(3) what type of temporary residency are you trying to secure?and finally, (4) how much patience do you have?
If the answer to #4 is not “great” or “extensive” or “exceptional”, then you will need to hire an attorney or an organization to assist you. If indeed you do feel that you have adequate patience to undertake the endeavor on your own, then I can assure you (based on the simplicity of your question) that your patience will be sorely tested in the process.[/quote]
CR Bill is right on all accounts. I did the next to the last task of going to the Embassy (USA) “registered” with them which included filling out a one page form, showing my valid passport and paying fifty dollars. Hoped this helped.
[quote=”jtd2″][quote=”lavemder”]Please help us prepare for a long-term trip to CR.
What navigation system works the best? Is it better to buy one in CR? What brand, where to buy it?
Garmin or Tom tom? How many rental cars have navigation system in it?
Thanks in advance…[/quote]Try: http://www.gpstravelmaps.com/costarica.php
Have a nice trip!!![/quote]
Good road signs! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! CR does not have road signs other than the major highways and no addresses, so yes, I can read a paper map and have but like everyone said once off the main drag you are F&*^% without a GPS. Spend the freakin money and use common sense.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]There’s an outfit called NavSat that’s said to have excellent maps of Costa Rica. They’re a domestic company here. You pay your fee and download the maps from the Internet. It appears that their maps are specific to Garmin.
See http://www.navsatcr.com/%5B/quote%5D
That is right David. I brought my garmin, had navsat put the CR maps on it. It works really well but costs 115.00. I tried GPSmaps on-line in the states for CR. It only cost 50.00 but barely worked when I arrived. Buy maps here in CR.
We arrived last week with our dog. She was in the cabin with us. When going through customs all they did was look at Health certificate, which was signed by USDA, took their copies and gave the rest back. Didn’t even look at the dog, who was still in her bag. Very easy.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Boy! You’re right about that, dboy. No physician I’d want touching me would rely on something written on my driver’s license to decide which blood type to give me. This is an interesting idea that pops up in the public sector from time to time, both here and elsewhere, but it’s pure drama, nothing more.
That said, I think my wife’s American Red Cross donor ID card satisfied the MOPT the last time we renewed our licenses. Maybe they understand the value of this too.[/quote]
Happy to know about the blood donor card as I have one and donate often. Twenty dollars seems reasonable to be driven around and waited on. Anything over that is absurd. I think the problem is that when a tico sees a gringo all he sees is dollar bills. That is because we have set it up that way. The “blue eyed” price. We need to be diligent in not just paying whatever is asked of us. Bargain, don’t pay more than two or three dollars an hour for unskilled services. I’ve been taken advantage of three times since my introduction to CR. Once by two gringos and twice by ticos. It was very costly and I won’t be taken advantage of again. Any thoughts on this. Stories? Good and Bad?
[quote=”maravilla”]i paid nothing but the fees for the physical and bloodwork and then the license. why would someone need a lawyer? this is a no-brainer, although i do know people who have used the services of ARCR and they charge $35 a person. seems silly to me.[/quote]
I knew you had to have a physical but I did not know about the blood typing. It is a good idea. I have read about the licensing process but have not gone through it yet. Will be in the next two or three months, hopefully.
[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”ticorealtor”]My question is how many people have used a lawyer for the process? I am taking a quick survey to see how much people have spent and who they used.
In the family biz there is about 3 to 4 gringos a day that come to get the physicals and process done. It is interesting to see the prices people have been charged with lawyers. We have seen up to 200 dollars.[/quote]
For a driver’s license? You have to be kidding!
12,000 colones for the blood test at any lab.
10,000 colones for the driver’s license at COSEVI in Uruca.Total cost: 22,000 colones
Sshh, a little secret…they speak English at labs and COSEVI[/quote]
A blood test? For?????
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]harperanne, you’re aware, I hope, that you must make prior arrangements with your airline to bring the cat in the passenger compartment. If I understand correctly, there’s a maximum number of alive animals the airlines will tolerate on each flight and, too, there is a charge. Best to check in advance.[/quote]
You are right David! Harperanne, make sure you make reservations well in advance to make sure your dog is first on the day of travel. US Airways will allow only one dog per flight in cabin.
[quote=”rpulmer”]I have a 10K system at my finca on the Sierpe River. Remote location offered no alternative. I run everything through a 3K inverter, and have a “small” GE frig, ceiling fans, plenty of lights, and enough to charge lap top and ipod. If I were to spend more time there in rainy season, I would have a backup generator to charge the battey bank.
So far (2,5 yrs.) all is well![/quote]
Thanks for the information RPulmer. We are going with a 3KWH system with a back up generator. Gas range and oven, gas dryer(just in case) 3 tier HE fridge, led lights and TV. I would like to talk more to you about our progress and just cool solar gadgets in general if you would like to.
Send me a PM with your email address. If we find that we are using the generator too often in the rainy season I am going to look into a wind turbine. Hey David I’ll let you know the “rules” about that when and if I go that route.stay dry,
Alexander
Greed,
manipulation
slander laws
loss of fundamental values
This is what is killing the lifestyle here and eliminating the smiles.This is true in every corner of the world. It just keeps spreading like cancer. Stand tall!!
Alexander[quote=”2bncr”]Besides the crime, the higher cost of living (with less demand for goods – go figure) what upsets me most is the changing of the culture. There is a move toward traditional values in the US (small move but a move none the less). I first came here about 20 years ago and the difference in cultural values is significant. It’s not all smiles like it used to be. Materialism and greed are running rampant.
20 years ago we would marvel at the tranquil calm Tico and think, how can they be so happy with so little. Then the cars started to pile in. Yes not so long ago there was no traffic here. You could drive anywhere any time of the day without traffic and that included san Jose. When the Ticos started to drive we realized that the quickest way to make a calm Tico an macho monster was to put the behind the wheel!
To side track, walking has its rewards and those are that you earned your arrival. Driving is cheating you way to your destination. Do you see many people happily driving somewhere. Take a moment to look at driver’s faces – stressful.
You see a lot more happy walkers that is for sure.
Man I miss the traditional values. Arias and the new woman are moving this country to be the US and what is worse, it is the same bunch a cronies that are strangling the life out of the average Tico. When the cost of building and good is down in the states and from what I hear pretty much worldwide, and the demand here is low (jut go into your local hardware store and witness the empty sheles9 the cost of living and building here keeps going up.
It sure isn’t supply and demand. So what is it. I’ll tell you what, It the greedy few that control the markets in Costa Rica.But since the asinine slander laws here have everybody afraid to name names the situation perpetuates itself.
Greed,
manipulation
slander laws
loss of fundamental values
This is what is killing the lifestyle here and eliminating the smiles.[/quote][quote=”DavidCMurray”]Certainly $27,000 for a solar powered system versus $25,000 for ICE’s installation looks like a heckuva deal. Either way, you’ll have some maintenance costs, but not having ICE’s monthly bill and not having to deal with the occasional outage would be well worth the $2,000 initial price differential in my book.
What’s more, if you didn’t install the pool and its pump at all, you’d really be miles ahead.
I have just one question: ICE wanted $25,000 to bring power to your site, right? Did you get a bid from a private contractor? I just wonder how competitive ICE’s pricing is (or isn’t).[/quote]
ICE would not allow a private contractor because it needed to be connected up the main road a ways and something about the “main grid”. Did not make any sense but most of how they do business doesn’t make sense to me. We could still run a “triplex” line from the main road. We would have to pay for the poles, line, labor, meter(which would be at the main road) and the neighbor(2000.00) this would all come to about 10,000.00 and we would have to maintain the poles and let whomever wanted to connect to them do so. We moved out there for privacy. There is hearsay that the guy who has the land behind us wants to develop even though it is in a hole but doesn’t have the money for the electricity or well. The same one that wants us to pay him 2000.00 to run them:):):).. More than you wanted to know but you can see how this became an easier and easier decision.` Peace to you. A.
