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The Gonzales Clinic in Grecia does excellent work. One of the two brothers is a clinical professor at the School of Dentistry at Baylor University. He’s the one who does the implants. The second brother and the sister (Jessica) are general practice dentists who are highly regarded, too.
You can reach the practice at (506) 2494-1000. The receptionist does not speak English but other members of the staff can assist.
I would make my travel plans to include George Lundquist’s excellent three-day tour of the Central Valley for folks who are thinking of retiring to Costa Rica. George will show you more and at less expense than you could hope to accomplish on your own. And he’s a fountain of excellent information and advice.
You can get details from his website. Just Google “George Lundquist Costa Rica” for a link.
So you think that scofflaws should just be allowed to run amok? What other means of enforcement can you suggest? And the solutions are so simple: first, just obey the law; and if you slip up and get a ticket, own up and pay up. What’s the mystery?
And why do you automatically assume that the government is incapable of enforcing this new policy? Maybe you should get yourself a ticket, fail to pay it, leave the country, and let us know how well it is or isn’t working when you head back.
In a large North American metropolitan area one could do a search of the Multiple Listings and carefully review 100 offerings that met a set of criteria for size, location, price, age, etc.
Inspecting each of those would, however, be a daunting task. You’d have to spend a good half hour in each plus (say) fifteen minutes between inspections, so it would take around seventy-five hours or two full work weeks. And then there would be the inevitable return visits. I wonder what real estate agent would devote that much time to a single sale.
In all of Costa Rica, I’m skeptical that one could locate 100 properties for sale that met any meaningful set of criteria more specific than (say) “there’s indoor plumbing”. Maybe if you included condo units.
Or maybe I’m wrong . . .
A couple of years ago, my best friend made his first visit to us here in Costa Rica. In the run-up to his arrival, he mentioned being anxious to sample “Costa Rican cuisine”. Well, he was in for a disappointment.
We eat in the local establishments and have always felt well taken care of, but to call most of the everyday restaurant food “cuisine” would be a stretch.
Now, it’s true that there are some very fine restaurants scattered about, but they’re hardly cheap and they’re hardly commonplace. If your wife wants “cuisine”, be prepared to stick to the touristy places and to pay for the privilege. If you or she want to experience what Costa Rican food is really all about, seek out the “tipico” places.
If you’re here in Costa Rica, could you take the low-tech approach and pay your taxes at your nearest local Banco Nacional office, or is that the one in Jaco?
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]Some time ago, I suggested banding together to fight FATCA and FBAR.
[/quote]
So how’s that going, Victoria? What has been accomplished?
If you’re traveling from Grecia to either coast, you will almost certainly have to first go to San Jose to make a connection. From there, you can get to almost anywhere in the country. Were it me, I’d expect to leave Grecia early in the morning and spend most of the day in transit.
Where to head? I dunno. Most coastal communities will have pretty decent accommodations. A Google search will put you in touch with lots of options.
saratoga, thanks for the update about Fabrica. Do you know if the Banco Nacional branch office there is operating or not? We have to go give them more information about ourselves and we avoid the downtown Grecia branch at all costs. (You have to bring a lunch.)
CRBill, are you shopping at the feria [u]in Grecia[/u]? Please send me a PM, if yes.
davidd, in addition to the non-operational gym at Fabrica, there are at least two other locations that offer spinning classes. I don’t know what else is available.
There are also physical therapists with private practices in Grecia. I could point you to two who have taken good care of me.
We’re actually about 7.5km from the central park in downtown Grecia. The last time I took a cab home, the fare was about c3,000 ($6+/-) but that was probably four years ago. I’d expect the cost to be more like c4,000 today, but don’t hold me to it.
Seems like the busfare into Grecia is around c300.
We live at a higher elevation outside Grecia, too. Yes, there is regular bus service into town on all the main (paved) roads, and you can always call a cab.
Whether or not the walk to the bus stop is steep depends on where you’re located. Generally, the main roads that radiate outward from Grecia toward Poas are uphill and steep. Grecia is at about 3,500 feet and Poas at about 8,500 feet, so the roads that radiate outward toward Poas are all uphill. That’s the direction you seem to be describing. The side roads ([i]servidumbres[/i]) may or may not be steep. Without knowing more about where you’ll be, it’s impossible to say.
There is a gym located in Fabrica, the entertainment complex outside town, and probably one or more others. It will have exercise equipment but I’m not sure if it would meet your needs for “rehab”.
Grecia has a central bus station which serves the local companies, has regular service to nearby towns, and offers transportation into San Jose. From there, you can find busses to destinations all over the country as well as Panama and Nicaragua.
In addition to what Bill said above, it’s also important to understand that all the documents you submit to Immigration must be less than six months old when you submit them. So you cannot, for example, have your original birth certificate processed, or your marriage license.
It would be advisable to contact a Costa Rican attorney who specializes in residency matters to get the very most current information and advice. This won’t come for free, but it will be worth every colon you pay him or her to do the running around and get it right the first time.
[quote=”Scott”]
Are you thinking of starting up a new tattoo business in Grecia David? You might meet some “interesting” people…
Scott
[/quote]Most assuredly NOT, Scott. And please don’t start any rumors that might find their way back to my [i]esposa[/i].
Here’s a link:
http://www.toyotacr.com/cotizador
to Purdy Motors where it appears you can get a price quotation.
Since there is only one importer/dealer for each car brand in Costa Rica, Toyota included, there appears to be very little bargaining room.
Okay, I gotta ask . . . Does anyone know anything about the licensure of tattoo “artists” in Costa Rica and, in particular, the sanitation standards, if any?
The import duty on a new vehicle or one that’s one to three years old here is about 56% of its “Black Book” value plus freight and insurance. Vehicles four to six model years old are charged about 67% of that Black Book value. Over seven years — about 79%.
Whether you import your own new car or buy a used one from a dealer here, you, as the ultimate owner of the vehicle, will pay all those costs. And when you sell the vehicle, you’ll pass those costs on to the next owner. No one is going to give you that money for free.
You’ll have to consult Purdy Motors, the sole importer and seller of new Toyotas, about the cost of the RAV4 you want.
A consideration in this matter is that of just what the vehicle you would buy from Purdy Motors actually is. That is, vehicles imported directly from Asia do not necessarily meet U.S. safety and environmental standards. A vehicle you buy in the States will.
A number of reliable people have told me that cars imported directly from Asia are several hundred pounds lighter than cars imported to the U.S. So what’s missing? They look the same inside and out, but what about things like the safety beams in the doors, crush zones, etc?
We have friends who bought a 2012 Kia Cerato here in January. It’s the twin of a Kia model sold in the States which has six (I think) air bags. The one they bought here has two. In an accident, how many air bags would you like to have??
