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[quote=”iansmom”]Has anyone brought in boxes along or instead of suitcases ? not everything we have fits in suitcases and allows good options for padding. I have seen boxes come out of the baggage claim but wonder if its a problem on the Costa Rica side. Thanks ! Jo[/quote]
I have brought boxes and seen others do it as well. It depends on the size and “condition”, i.e., if it is a new computer in a new box with the brand name on it, likely that it will draw attention. Several years ago I brought down new electronics, I removed them from the original box along with the factory packing material, cut the box down all 4 sides, turned it inside out, re-taped all of the edges and corners, took a big black marker and wrote my name and CR phone number on a couple of sides, wrapped it with some twine to make a “handle” and I had what appeared to be a “used” box. Went right through, no problem.
Also, you can get really good big suitcases and footlockers at thrift stores (Goodwill) for under $10.00, and the same for “comforters” – they make great packing & protection material for a fraction of the “moving blanket” price!
I understand that at both SJO and LIR they have recently upgraded their scanning equipment, so who knows what will happen.[quote=”Videolady”]CostaRicaBill, Thanks so much for the update, very happy to hear all is well.[/quote]
Thanks ofr your note and kindness!
Tomorrow is our Monthly FIRST FRIDAY get together, so if I hear anything different I’ll let you know! We are expecting 40-50 expats, so I am sure we will have plenty of stories. If you have a question or concern about a particular property or a particular expat, PM me and I’ll do my best to find out!The different experts and seismic agencies disagree a bit on exactly where the epicenter was, but most agree it was somewhere within 10 km or so of Samara.
Other than the shelf items on stores here in Samara there was very little damage and I have heard of no injuries or deaths here. Unfortunately there were reportedly 2 deaths in Nicoya, but 1 was not directly attributed to the tremblor.
Most of our Samara stores, restaurants and bars have reopened this morning. BNCR is still closed today as their suspended ceiling is no longer suspended, and PALI is closed as they are still cleaning up and restocking the shelves. Our genset performed as designed, so we were without power for less than a minute.
ICE turned off the power for 7 hours or so as a precaution, but their crews were out actively checking the lines and all power was restored before 5pm. Internet never went down, but cable TV was out until after 10pm.
I am now a very strong believer in the California Seismic code. Our house was rolling and pitching the entire time and I have yet to find even a hairline crack. Only one item fell off any of the shelves, and that was a wooden bowl that hit the glass coffee carafe on the way down, so no coffee this morning yet.
All items on pantry shelves remained in place, and no cracks on stone or wood floors.
All of our neighbors that I have talked to report the same scale of damage – minimal, however those with concrete tile roofs do report they lost several tiles. We have a standing seam metal roof and had no damage at all to roof or structure.
For such an impressive display by Mother Nature we are indeed fortunate, and thankful!
David – ’09 was my first full year on SS, so I was really paying attention to it. Congress voted themselves a raise that year and the funding language was that their increase would be paid for by the freeze on COL increases for recipients of SS.
I couldn’t believe what I read – i think I may be able to find it.[quote=”costaricafinca”]It sounds to me you may be considering a hot air balloon business….:[/quote]
Looks like a very good assumption….I didn’t figure it out, but my hat is off to “CSI Finca”.
A balloon ride from Papagayo at that time of year may end up in Vanauatu!
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]What davidd said . . .[/quote]
For those of us that think we can read between (or beyond) the lines, perhaps one of your best posts EVER!
The only reliable information will, in all probability, be solely up to you to gather.
The only “reporting” weather station in that area is Liberia airport (LIR) and unless you happen upon an amateur climatologist who keeps and records the information you want (for what purpose I can’t imagine) I’m pretty sure you are “SOL”.I would imagine that the “American” stores (Ashley Home Furniture, Robb & Stuckey, etc.) may also offer a selection of recliners.
And here is the latest…..
I have a friend that is 100% certain that he can sign up for caja with only a file number, no cedula. Supposedly, he is going this week. I will let you know![quote=”Deke272″]Sorry
another question I had and should have included.
What does it take to join the CAJA? And how much a month for that for one person? I believe obtaining residency is a requirement first if I am not mistaken.
[/quote]
It is the proverbial chicken and egg. Supposedly, you must be a resident to join caja, but you can’t join caja unless you are a resident….Here is the next to the latest I have heard…..
Supposedly, once you have an appointment scheduled with migracion, you can go to caja and make application and pay first payment, then you take that receipt to migration appointment, and then with cedula in hand you go back to caja and they accept your application[quote=”Deke272″]Hello,
What is the latest set of requirements to attain residency?
Criminal background check,
600$ (US) a month guaranteed income,is this still correct and what more needs be added to that list?
Thanks!
[/quote]Deke – you have a lt of catching up to do….
* certified copy of birth certificate
* proof of guaranteed income (amount depends on type of residency you are pursuing, but the $600 for pensionado has been increased to $1,000)
* background check
* are you married? if so, certified copy of marriage licenseall of the above (and possibly more) must be notarized and go to the secretary of state in where they are issued, they must receive an “apostille” and then everything packaged together and submitted to migracion here in CR.
there are plenty of services and attorneys that offer assistance with this process.
One final requirement – PATIENCE!
[quote=”costaricafinca”][b]ratas,[/b] if you don’t have an [i]Entramite[/i] document when exiting on a CR-US ticket, you may still be asked to purchase a ticket out of CR when you try to return. This is what happened to us.[/quote]
Based on what I saw yesterday with my friend and the other guy ahead of us in line, I don’t think it is “you may be asked”, I almost positive it is “you will be made to”.
That is also what I said in my first paragraph.
I guess the points of my post were:
BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE YESTERDAY,
1. if you provide your entramite document to migracion at the border you will not be required to prove “onward travel”;
2. if you overstay your 90-day visa, and provide your entramite document (if asked, I wasn’t), it is not a problem;
3. as has been said on this site many times before, except for renewing your tax exoneration after 6 months, there is no requirement to stay out of CR for 72 hours.Here’s the catch – – – it is, but should not be, still up to the interpretation of the migracion agent sitting in front of you.
Welcome! Glad you made it and glad you shared the information about the service that provides bus tickets. Just remember, when you do make that bus trip to Nicaragua, to get back into CR you will need another “onward passage ticket”, be it another bus ticket (available at the border) or a plane ticket out of CR.
I went to Nicaragua yesterday with a friend who was on his 87th day. I had been here over going on 5 months but have my Entramite document, so I wasn’t worried and didn’t really need to go but had nothing else to do…..
No problems for either one of us going out of CR, getting entry or exit stamps in Nicaragua, going to duty free or returning to CR migracion for entry (so far it had been 45 minutes since we parked my car on the CR side of the border). Only 3 people in front of us at the window, while in line my friend heard the agent direct another gringo where to go to get his bus ticket, so he left the line to get the ticket and returned a minute later with the ticket ($25.00). At the window with his ticket, no problem for him. I handed over my passport and a copy of my Entramite document, and no problem for me.
We were back in my car within an hour, each with a fresh 90-day stamp a 60-day supply of Flor de Cana (special was 4 liters for $36.00). As I was leaving the parking area, a young man ran to the car and said I needed to return to the migracion desk – “Mucho importante!”. So I walked back in expecting a problem, only to be greeted with smiles all around. They were all happy that they caught me before I drove away because the agent still had the faded, folded up copy of my Entramite paper, and he did not want me to leave without this “muy importante” document! He called me to the front of the line and handed it to me with a big smile, and I returned the favor with a sincere “Gracias, Amigo!” I started to say it was just a copy and not the official document, but thought better of it!
Back in the car, we headed back to Samara after only 1 hour and 5 minutes since our arrival at the border.
[quote=”olmurabis”]It did reduce. It went from $700/sq meter down to $321/sq meter.[/quote]
I was responding to your posting before it was edited (after my response).
Before it was edited (changed) it read “(This is actually about 50 per cent more than I expected it to cost. The various upgrades really added up to a lot.)”
[quote=”olmurabis”]
This means the cost of construction was about $321 per sq meter, or about $30 per sq foot. (This is actually about 50 per cent more than I expected it to cost. The various upgrades really added up to a lot.)
[/quote]Hi Mitch, thanks for the additional information – but your response prompts another question….
If the price ($70,000) didn’t change, but the constructed area was actually larger, wouldn’t that result in the price per square meter being reduced, rather than increased?
I think $68/sf for the “inside area” and $31/sf for total area is pretty darn good.
And I am glad I could help you get all that extra area without it costing either of us any more money!!!
