[Cancertomnpdx]

It was pointed out at the ARCR seminar in October the problem in Costa Rica with gold is that it will be difficult to sell your coins anywhere in the country. No market exists as it does in the states. I don’t think you would want to advertise that you were trying to sell coins on craigslist.com/cr which is probably the only way you could find expats that might be interested.

[Cancertomnpdx]

You might want to look at these links for some ideas I have been looking at:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/582113763QPfmia?start=0

http://waydewonderwall.com/

and

http://yurtsdecostarica.com/

I have tried to make contact with the yurt website but no response when I tried three months ago or so.

Thanks,
Tom
Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

I went to Costa Rica on October 24 and participated in the ARCR seminar on the 25th and 26th. I had with me my apostille endorsed birth certificate from Indiana Secretary of States and the police report from Portland, notarized by their Oregon notary and then sent to the Oregon Secretary of State’s apostille endorsement also.

The only thing I was lacking was my Social Security notarized letter from the US Embassy in San Jose which I got the morning of October 29 in a twenty minute visit with an appointment I received earlier in October with an email exchange with them. I was also taken to the police department somewhere in San Jose by a lawyer for ARCR, given permission to get in the queue and was fingerprinted in about a half an hour and was done but the filing.

So Tuesday, November 27, ARCR filed my application with Immigration and then sent me by email a PDF of the notarized receipt and file by Immigration. Now I can enter Costa Rica with on that document and not have to get a tourist visa when I move in September next year.

I think once you have filed, maybe have your receipt in hand from Immigration, you can leave the country and return back into the country on that document you have received as receipt for your filing. I think the trick will be not to be late on leaving the country on the 90th day.

Maybe others here can explain that part better then I can, since I have always gotten tourist visas and never over stayed my 90th day.

Tom
Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

I have found that Visual Link Languages’ Spanish is best program for the way my mind works. I can study early in the morning before work, over the day I can remember the sentence patterns even if I am sitting in a boring meeting in the afternoon.

My property in Costa Rica is on You Tube, enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra0J5gqonsA

The couple of seconds may be a bit ruff with the video stop of a second or two, but eventually you get to my property. The song is called “I never knew a woman who could drink so much rum…..” The tune is by a group from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Tom
Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

My lawyer won’t allow me not to pay it, so I did. He said that the lawyer/notary was responsible for all clients where they held their original documents. I think not paying is three percent month penalty. Since my attorney was pretty certain that the government would crack down on not paying, I more then willing paid. Also, he had to go and queue up to pay all his clients, so it was worth is small fee for doing so.

Later,
Tom
Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

[quote=”bealman”]My wife and I plan to move to CR in Mid-October. I would like to open an account and have money wired, prior to moving and being physically present in CR. Is this possible? Thanks[/quote]

I agree that it is probably next to impossible. It took me 8 hours of sitting and waiting plus two trips to my attorney for more notarized documents. The key with the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica seems to have turned on two things, first that I had a local CR citizens that introduced me to my branch in Orosi and second I could keep returning to my attorney for more notarized documents. Then on my second trip my attorney told he should have sent to his friend at the BNCR down the street in Cartago it would have been quicker.

You night look at Scotiabank (http://www.scotiabankcr.com/), it seems their English page is under construction but could use Google translate for particular page translations by copying, pasting and then translating.

Or you might try Banco de San José (http://www.bac.net/bacsanjose/esp/banco/personas/percuentas.html) but I don’t see an English page. I know they speak English since I got help with my ATM one time.

Just make certain whatever bank you decided to use is somewhere near where you want to live. Also if you take the ARCR seminar at Casa Canada you can the low-down on many of your questions.

Best to my knowledge, all electronic transfers of fund into banks in Costa Rica are through a electronic transfer from you hometown bank.

Tom
Portland, Oegon

[Cancertomnpdx]

I have used Skype at 2.3 per minute on both computer and Android phone. Last year my Android phone worked perfectly from Orosi with T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi call also. I keep about $30 on my Skype account so I can always telephone number in the states for the 2.3 cents a minutes rate. If the person you are calling has a Skype account then it is totally free.

I got both voice mail and a local telephone number from Skype for a whole year so that that I could hear from anyone at home in Portland. When someone leaves voice mail, then Skype shoots you an email to tell you that you have a voice message. I think you can buy this service in quarterly purchases. I just bought the whole year myself.

When I am in Costa Rica, I always call everyone on Skype not matter if they have an account or I am using their telephone number. I did purchase an ICE month long card for an International telephone I took with me from Amazon.com. I gave up and just continued to use Skype and T-Mobile WiFi calling, it was very easy to do either.

I also even reset my password with my credit union here in Portland on Skype twice during my trip.

Tom

[Cancertomnpdx]

I paid this tax last month through my attorney. He insisted doing for me because he holds my original corporation papers and wanted the receipt with my file. His fee was normal for his work. And much to his credit and tenacity, he finally got my name on my property account in the Canton Paraiso. The property account drama is either the basis of a good Colombian soap opera or a whole chapter in the story of my life in Costa Rica. The books is due in about 20 years I would think.

Later,
Tom
Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

This is what I was able to do with my 2G T-Mobile phone in Orosi, Costa Rica last October.
(1.) The guest house where I was staying didn’t have WiFi, but their restaurant/school did. So I would download my emails from gmail to my phone and answer them offline when I went back to the guest house in the afternoons after my classes.
(2.) I also discovered that when I was in the school and connected to their WiFi, I could use both my Skype account and my T-Mobile contact list dialing via T-Mobile WiFi calling feature. I was carefully at first to make certain I wasn’t running up huge charges, but it went against my 300 daytime minutes and since I have an unlimited data plan it didn’t make much of a dent in it.
(3.) Everyone in Costa Rica I wanted to call, I called them on Skype either on their Skype account or at the 2.3 cents per minute from my cash reserve on Skype I have in order to call people’s cell phones.
(4.) Friends in the states, I called them on T-Mobile WiFi calling through my contract list on my gmail account since it is is synced to my iGoogle account.
(5.) I got myself a Portland Oregon phone number on my Skype account so you could call me and leave me voice mail. Skype sends you an email to your email account when someone leaves you voice mail. You can purchase the voice mail by the quarter or the year. I picked the year giving my whole contact list of friends and family the Skype number. Privately I asked several people to test it for me before I left on the trip and it worked perfectly. I had one or two voice mails from friends in Costa Rica when I was in Costa Rica so it can work both with people want to call you from either the states or trying to get in touch when you are in Costa Rica.
(6.) When I was staying in a small hotel in Alajeula, their WiFi was never above one bar, but it worked perfectly for both my email traffic and twice I had to call my credit union here in Portland via Skype to reset my password on my debit card. Both from Alajeula and Orosi, I was able to log on to my credit union account via my 2G phone, local WiFi and through my iGoogle feature of my T-Mobile phone.
(7.) I had a conversation with T-Mobile in person on Sunday and I am now thinking that I might renew my contract with them and upgrade to 4G in October. Then I could move to Costa Rica next year and finish out my contract using WiFi and Skype features I have described above. Since my property sits on an mountain high above and overlooking Orosi, I have a direct line and view of the upgrade WiFi tower in downtown Orosi.

If you have any questions, please ask me privately.

Thanks,
Tom
Portland, Oregon, closer to moving to Palomo more then ever!

PS: On my return from my last trip, I asked T-Mobile for the number to unlock my current phone on advice of a friend who has traveled world-wide using his T-Mobile account. T-Mobile was more then willing to give up the number. This means that you could if you wanted, buy yourself a monthly long ICE Sim card and swap out the Sim cards using it in Costa Rica. On the last trip I took along an international cell phone I bought off Amazon for $40. By the time I go around to getting the Sim card in Orosi, I was already using the features I mentioned above. If you have a WiFi calling feature on your current phone service provider and a free Skype account, you can get by for both phone service, email mail traffic and web searching like I did.

[Cancertomnpdx]

You may want to check out the Lankester Gardens as a source to start with.

I recall their staff was friendly and wiling to assist with ideas from my past visit.

Try http://costa-rica-guide.com/parks/lankest.htm%5D

[Cancertomnpdx]

Sidebar question. If I live in Costa Rica, have no kids to come and visit, and have my dog with me, how do I get my stateside credit union to send me new VISA credit and/or debit cards when they expire? Would having a mail forwarding company in Miami do the trick? Going one step further, if I have a mailing address in Miami I wonder if Florida would see me as a resident of that state? If so, would Florida want a piece of the action from my 401(k) earned and rest for the rest of its existence in Oregon?

Thanks,
Tom
Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

When I read a BBC announcement of the bribes in Mexico had been paid, I immediately let my mind run to “the same is probably true in Costa Rica!” Of course, my problem is that I spent to long working for lawyers and sometimes the worse criminals are your own clients who think they know it all and don’t listen. I would bet that Walmart was advised against their plans for Mexico and maybe even Costa Rica, but I don’t think they are a family who listens to good advice unless in it is going to increase their “grasping” for all the cash in the world.

I even heard recently they have put a Walmart outside the gates of heaven so people queuing for entrance permission will have something to do while they wait for their admittance ticket.

[Cancertomnpdx]

I suggest you read Vicki’s suggestions on using taxis in Costa Rica instead of owning a car. I started this process with Luis in Orosi last October on my visit. The upside is that if you know two or three taxi drivers in your local area, then you become in the perfect spot to be friends and get invited to neighborhood events that you may not be aware of.

Thanks,
Tom
[url=http://livinglifeincostarica.blogspot.com/2010/05/owning-car-vs-taking-taxis-in-costa.html]

[Cancertomnpdx]

I bought property in Polomo about two miles outside of Orosi in 2008. It is the most beautiful place in the world I have ever been! I overlook Orosi and if I squint, I can see new/upgraded the WiFi tower in downtown Orosi. Also I can walk down my mountain, ride my bike to the blue footbridge, cross the river and I am in downtown Orosi immediately. I have property among the nicest Costa Rican neighbors. The lady next door is famous on the mountain for her mango ice cream.

I am on a very limited budge compared to the assets many fellow Americans. I have struck friendship with my gardener who has been so much help with my property. The most important thing I think, it is very important to live among your neighbors and get to know them.

I am a hero in my area because when I was putting in new culverts along my property stop the run off during my first clean off, I became a great friends because I agreed to spent just $50 or $60 for extra concrete to help repair my neighbors run off also. I couldn’t believe the handshakes all the way around when I returned after agreeing to do that. And here is a buster that may sit off probably some interesting comments on this website.

Since I am a single person and have no interesting heirs, I plan to return the property to someone local when I am gone. But my point is that I am setting in place the ability for me to have a very nicely built house for $30 per square foot. Now having said that, I am trying to learn to practice the patience of Job.

I am willing to have outside contact with you if you want to discuss Orosi. As to shopping and everything, Orosi has the basic needs which are prettying good. But if you need Walmart from time to time or any other mega stores, Cartago is only about 5 miles away. Of course you have to climb up the side of a huge mountain to reach it, but then when you come home you have this splendid view when come home on your return trip.

Tom
Portland, Oregon

PS: The most important thing I did before I traveled to Costa Rica in 2008 was simply read Scott Oliver’s books. You need to due your studying and plan to be proactive on your move to Costa Rica. You can do it the usual Americans do by hiring service which I have and still plan to do when I move. But working on my own through the Internet research, I have developed my own expertise of what I need to do. A good example was the day I went to a lawyer after I agreed to buy my property, I pulled out my notes from Scott’s book and asked the lawyer to walk me through my notes and many questions I had concocted in my mind over night.

[Cancertomnpdx]

[quote=”PeggyS”]My husband & I are Canadians recently relocated to Costa Rica several weeks ago, with our German Shepherd. She has since developed a leaky bladder (common condition in 81% of all “senior” spayed females). After a visit to the vet in Atenas, it was agreed that phenylpropanolamine was the best course of treatment.

Unfortunately, none of the “suppliers” that this vet deals with sells the required medication. Can ANYONE out there help me find this medication in Costa Rica? Thank you[/quote]

My last female that was spaded didn’t do very on the phenlpropanolamine at all. My Portland vet here in Portland was able to get a lab to mix up estrogen for my dog. Estrogen I think is still available for use for “leaky bladder” which seemed to solve my problem perfectly.

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