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Check out http://www.kiva.org they are a micro finance group which does work all over the world and in central america too I believe. They may be able to cut through the red tape.
AlbertoB,
I think you can find tragic stories like those from any country, however, statistically you don’t have a leg to stand on when you compare the two countries per capita rates of gun or other violent crimes.
I’m not sure if you actually know any Canadians, but I was never told my whole life to not get involved – I would just think about it and weigh the consequences of my potential actions before taking them.
With respect to the self defense gun, yes it is a really good idea to leave guns loaded around the house in case you need to defend yourself, or if some five year old wants to see if he can pull the trigger. In fact there are rules in this country not only to obtain and carry and concealed weapon such as a handgun, but also how you can store it. You are legally bound to store them in separate locations to prevent accidental shootings.
With the exception of law enforcement and the army, hand guns are for sport shooters not self defense in this country. Incidentally I have always preferred the racking sound of my 12 gauge for pure psychological effect on a potential intruder. I should think that if you are half asleep when your home is invaded you likely have a better chance of doing something useful with some buckshot anyway….We bought land directly from the Tica who owned it, it was far less than the ‘going’ rate which realtors have posted on their listings.
I am not so sure there are more ‘druggies’ on this side either, they definitely stick out as there are a lot fewer people, I would imagine that other bigger cities on the Pacific side have their problem areas as well- their size just hides it better perhaps.
The roads on the Caribbean side are very close to the ocean, so access is a breeze from anywhere.
In a nutshell, this side is developing (slowly), and similar to other places on earth in this stage you get many of the budget minded travelers (back packers, young people) frequenting the area, as well as a mix of people who love the area and despite the lack of services.I have been in the Puerto Viejo area on the East coast three times. I found it refreshing as it is not developed as the Pacific side. There are some very nice hotels there, and you can get a decent place for about 2/3 of the cost on the other side (at least when I was there last).
There always seems to be a greater variety of foreign nationals there.
I did not see any crime personally when we were there, although there is reportedly a serial rapist prowling the local beaches. Not really into the bar scene, so I can’t speak of the town at night really. Spent an evening in Limon one night and I would definitely watch where I was going there…
Also, we found that it rains frequently there at night and sometimes in the early morning, but usually it clears up and the sun shines. Always seems ‘fresh’ there as you don’t have the incessant heat we always seemed to get on the Pacific side.
We had great experiences there each time and ended up buying a small chunk of jungle for later use..Edited on Dec 09, 2008 17:57
free markets? like what exists between Canada and the United States (free trade in theory only)? If I am not mistaken many agricultural subsidies exist in the US for wheat, tobacco, corn, etc, what is free about that? The existence of these ‘free market’ products are really hurting other countries that either don’t subsidize, or can’t afford the same level of subsidy that the US federal government provides. If this is not the case please tell me how it really works…
Kenneth,
So basically you are proposing that people with dark skin are the suspicious ones. Perhaps your answer would be to separate them and make them fly on a different plane, or perhaps sit in the back so you can keep an eye on them?
The problem with this logic is that terrorists are adapting to changing security. If they can’t get men between 17 to 40 where they want them, they will start using women, children, or other unsuspecting people to achieve their goals.
Thank you for answering my first question, I am still interested to know which liberties you would be willing to forfeit in this war?Kenneth,
Perhaps you could elaborate on what exactly makes a person ‘suspicious’?
As well perhaps you could make a list of liberties that you would be willing to forfeit in this war?
Vague statements such as these are what should make all thinking people nervous. Are you basically saying that big brother knows best, just trust him?
Public oversight and criticism has been integral to the development of all western nations would you not agree?Alfred,
you said “Obama as a choice would be one of least vetted we could get. What has this man accomplished? Nada, zip, zero. He is being bandied about like a great world leader and savior of our country. He hasn’t done a thing, hasn’t been tested, and has not clearly stated most of his positions. Yet, millions are willing to trust a country , and their very lives to him. It doesn’t make sense.”
Maybe you could elaborate on what GWB had ‘accomplished’ to get him into the position he held?You can likely get satellite high speed internet there too from a US based provider such as Hughes. We use it here in Northern BC and it works great anywhere. Not cheap though, $150/month for 1.5MBPS.
I wish the US would hurry up and get on with it. Canada has been experimenting with private clinics for certain procedures and these people hold the US system up as great success story. Private clinics generally address conditions which have longer waiting lists and that medically have a quick turnaround time ->high profit.
All the tough stuff (and patients) can continue using the publicly funded system.
In the universal system in Canada waiting times can be longer for some procedures, but at least everyone has equal access to it in the end.
If that’s socialism I’m all for it!Try Google Earth, the resolution of the coverage in that area looks good enough to trace it up to the source.
Certainly sounds from the Janes information that drug trafficking is a big part of the increasing crime statistics in Costa Rica.
Anyone got any ideas where most of that product is heading?I too live in a rural area in Canada. Our house door is unlocked, our keys are in the car/truck in our drive way 24-7. Would I do this when travelling to larger urban centres here in Canada? – NO!
Tempt fate and you will surely be disappointed. Highly urbanized/developed areas ALWAYS have more crime.
It really is not surprising that an increase in tourist traffic leads to an increase in petty theft. There is also a corresponding increase in the percentage of inexperienced tourists who don’t realize the dangers of leaving valuables in exposed locations (vehicles, beach, etc).
Even seasoned travellers can/do occasionally get ripped off, but as Sprite said so well “People who DO become victims of crime are usually first victims of their own lack of situational awareness.”
The day I have to live in a gated community is the day I start looking for a new place to live.
