[camby]

Wecame last month, could only stay for a week and stayed in the NE part of Guancaste, Playa Hermosa……yes, very lovely, would like to come back, see other parts, in particular, Lake Arenal, Nicoya Peninsula, Osa,etc….

[camby]

[quote=”maravilla”]no, we did not do ethiopian food (which i love by the way, if only i could get teff here !). we had Italian fine-dining restaurants, where every single thing was made from scratch — even in the 90’s it was expensive to do that and then chemicalized, industrialized corporate food took over. people like cheap, and cheap is what they got at every restaurant but ours. so really, the prices scott quoted are NOT expensive if you want to eat well prepared FRESH food, and not some glop out of a 5 gallon bucket that the food service companies supply to most restaurants. you get what you pay for.[/quote]

often wanted to open an organic resteraunt here in states, but the cost is prohibitive to profit mmargin and most people think that organic is a gimmick and slop up those buckets…..that and investing in anything in the states is out for me…….any land, business,etc I do in the future is out of the States….not investing in a dead carcass.

[camby]

[quote=”Scott”][quote=”camby”]Think of me while you are in the sun, fun and more laid back environment, while I am stuck here in increasing fascism and since wife has the $$, will never leave the drab, culture-less Amerika…..[/quote]

Keep on dreaming camby and NEVER believe that you will “never leave” anything because “everything must change!”

[/quote]

thanks for the support, that is why I come here at times, encouragements and people that think out side the box. Will have to watch videos later, they block them here at Govt bland land……I enjoy your vids and have subscribed to your vids on Youtube.
again, thanks for the cyber “pat on the back”, Scott….I keep dreamin’ and pushing……:)

[camby]

[quote=”critterhill”]Vern,
Where have you been looking? What’s your criteria? Go south to the San Isidro del General area or north to Lake Arenal. My observation as a frequent visitor and “blog” watcher is that so many want to move to CR, live with fellow expats in the same size homes/crap they are leaving behind. We find the simple, relaxed lifestyle to be our draw not “stuff” or the same house/property we’ll be leaving behind one day.[/quote]

Noted that too, I get a lot of real estate emails about settling in cookie-cutter homes in gated communities and most look like the neighborhoods and track homes we have around us. To each their own, fine, but for me, would not want to live like a strip mall, strip neighborhood I would leave behind………..
At first, can see hanging w/expats and groups, would eventually, wantto branch out and meet/greet Tico/a and I am not the joiner type long term..

[camby]

[quote=”costaricabill”]Wow, Camby – you are a busy guy! In addition to that big case-load, this morning you were multi-tasking like crazy! Either that, or you have hired a staff of writers to make your posts on the various discussions. Do they get paid by the word, the # of posts or by the hour – if it is the latter, you only owe them for 2 hours today!

Here’s are the times I could find “the Camby staff” posting this morning on WLCR.

8:16
8:18
8:22
8:26
8:38
8:44
8:53
8:59
9:02
9:05
9:07
9:10
9:14

Good job! Gives us plenty to read!!!:lol:[/quote]

are we being humerous or?
and why did you feel need to enumerate how many posts and the times for them?
Yes, I was rather hectic yesterday, more so today, but I do take time out to talk with others and surf a bit, keeps the mind off how mind numbing this job is, plus the drab and grey landscape in and outside of the office. Today is worse, yet last 2-3 weeks, keep coming out as the #1 or #2 producer in my unit…..guess, perhaps, I am that damn good:wink:

Think of me while you are in the sun, fun and more laid back environment, while I am stuck here in increasing fascism and since wife has the $$, will never leave the drab, culture-less Amerika…..

[camby]

[quote=”elindermuller”]Here at Lake Arenal are you can buy 5000 meters (1.25 acres) with lake view for 40 – 50 K, or a small home (1000 sq ft.) for 50 K. In 2006 those properties would have been twice as much.[/quote]

I have noticed a lot of price reductions and “fire sales” when I look online……..

[camby]

[quote=”davidd”]Scott

can someone please explain why this is a good thing???

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/treasury-secretary-geithner-lift-debt-limit-infinity

please i am at a loss for words

is it a strategy??? it’s almost like the debt is make believe and does not exist

or

it’s like someone who is going to die and is spending everything they can because they are never going to pay this back anyway.

am I missing something

anyone????

[/quote]

like getting a credit card and they keep raising your limit, even though you do not pay even interest, let alone principal….and these are the “professionals”

[camby]

I prefer the beaches, heat and all, though the A/C is a must, at least in Living and bed, rooms…..
I am a beach person, CR and Ecuador have both.

[camby]

[quote=”maravilla”]you can find turkeys here, but they are imported and expensive, and none are organic. just the pumped-up-with-sodium turkeys that cost 3x’s the price. everything else is available too. we did the big dinner a couple of years ago, and then didn’t do it again. i mean, what is there to celebrate?? it was just an excuse for me to get the turkey from a neighbor so i could make turkey soup! as for xmas, it’s not a big deal here at all. it’s a day for the kids when baby jesus brings gifts. no santa claus in this culture. mother’s day is the biggest holiday and everything is closed on that day. easter is a huge deal. this year we are having thxgiving dinner at a neighbor’s. getting organic chickens instead of chemicalized turkey. but it could come and go and we would hardly notice. to other expats it’s a huge deal. to me, ehhh![/quote]

Likely for me, quickly T-giving would not be big at all and no loss, partially for religious issues.
Glad the commericalism is not big in Christmas, at least, not like here.
I can see easter, a lot of Catholic culture go all out for that.

Chicken sounds great to me and cheaper, more plentiful……

For me, T-giving is a day off and long weekend, will pay for it the following Monday as my case load does not take a day off and certain things cannot be bumped up,etc.
Plus,some family coming in for T-giving, so getting together is main thing…….

[camby]

[quote=”Scott”]I have some British friends who moved here after living in Ecuador for 10+ years, they’re very happy here ….

[/quote]

what made them move? restless or other issues?

[camby]

[quote=”beansandbooks”]Had to laugh in regard to your comment on International Living. I read it too but you need to take it all with a large grain of salt mixed into a reality cocktail. There are some great articles, however, and their email machine never sleeps. Need to get it on Ambien to slow it down sometimes. Good luck on the search-I have spent the last year doing just that and after sifting through all the information and talking to a lot of expats in CR, Belize and Equador, CR finds almost always finds its way to the top. This may have something to do with the dimensionality of the country in that there is a lot of diversity within a relativly small geographic area, thus feeding the needs and desires of a large swath of people. Good luck from a neighbor in a almost neighboring state![/quote]

yes, me too-like the articles, but a lot of them seem to be driven by Ronan’s need for investing……
Good articles, at times a bit annoying and the email thing, I think I blocked them….get the magazine, not the emails…
So far, CR and Ecuador are topping list for me, but like you, still here in US and doing research……
Have a sister-in-law in Maryland, Charles County…..

[camby]

[quote=”Scott”], they tend to open when they feel like it …

[/quote]

:lol::lol:
Pura Vida-no worries!! 😀
that would blow the minds of most Londoners or Americans…..

[camby]

[quote=”maravilla”]$115 for a great dinner for two is a FRACTION of what you would pay for a similar meal in LA, NYC, London or Paris. when we had restaurants in the 90’s, it used to cost $50 a person to eat there, and that was without tax and tip. fine dining is expensive, no matter where you go. if i weren’t married to an italian chef, who was praised by Julia Child when she ate in our restaurant, i would make him take me there!!!! but i think i will just tell him to get into the kitchen and work some magic.[/quote]

Where did you have your buisness(s)? Did you serve Ethiopian too?

[camby]

[quote=”johnnyh”]I don’t even go to El Pollo Loco here in Tustin California. I can cook chicken better. Because of my diet, which is to say I have a fragile stomach that produces way too much acid, I keep it simple. Jasmine rice, beans, chayote squash or green beans, chicken or tilapia, salmon on special occasions, hardly any red meats, let alone filet mignon! I do go to Costco for salmon and angus beef patties. I make superior burgers to any restaurant!
So I think I can adapt to the Costa Rican diet!:D[/quote]

I noticed that if one likes rice, beans, occ some Pollo and seafood and lots of fresh veggies and fruits, CR is for you…hate rice? beans? then likely, traditional CR cooking is out……We ate good, esp when going local…….great, now that organic salad I ate for lunch, not sounding near as good as the huge plate I ate Wed when I was in CR…..heaping rice, beans, Pollo, Carne…:D

[camby]

[quote=”DavidCMurray”][quote=”barbaracjohnson”
$115 is more that one-tenth of my social security. A good reason to leave Costa Rica. Not cheap at all. [/quote]

C’mon now, Barbara. One person’s unfettered extravagance is hardly cause to abandon the whole country. $115 is more than I’d spend, too, but it doesn’t make me pack up and leave.
[/quote]

to splurge occasionally is nice and happens all over world. We normally do not eat at the pricey places near us, normally going for under $40-50, but nice on occasion….

[Author]

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