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Did your son not need to show the return flight information when he boarded in the states? I know that I’ve had to show that information on earlier trips down to Costa Rica, but on more recent trips, I don’t recall anyone asking for it. That’s why I wondered if the data is in the computers. However if your son’s itinerary was for a 5 month stay, maybe I’m needlessly concerned. Perhaps there is an allowance for tourists to take excursions out of Costa Rica before returning to America. That would simplify things considerably for me. Thanks for your input.
David C,
I may be moving a household of goods down to Perez Zeledon. If you have the time and inclination, I’d appreciate it if you could compile a short list of other shipping companies that you did NOT use to make your move. I’m pretty sure that you can’t be sued for not including on the list the company that you did use.
editer
albertoB, please don’t lump all of us Americans together. The last election shows that most of us are not total boobs. The anti Obama postings that you see here and all over the internet are just the sore losers blowing off steam. The longer the diatribe, the sorer the loser. I offer the initial posting on this thread as evidence. These people have way too much time on their hands and can’t think of how to use it except to attack the people who so soundly defeated them.
I still can’t get any of them to give me straight answer to the question that I post over and over again on this site: If they are so opposed to socialism, why would they want to emigrate to Costa Rica, which is obviously a much more socialist country than the U.S.? One would think that these right wingnuts would prefer the Honduras, where, if the people elect a leftist president, the military can throw him out over some trumped up charge.
editer
David is right. Like the big guy in Butch Cassidy said about knife fights, “There are no rules.” So the only way to drive is to be really, really aware of everything, everywhere. In Perez Zeledon, cars share the road with semis, delivery trucks, ATVs, motorcycles, motor scooters, bicycles and pedestrians and occasionally, horses. The only rule that seems to apply to all of them is “Stay alert or die.” That’s why you see so many haloed hearts painted on the pavement.
Stop signs in Costa Rica are equivalent to yield signs up in the States. If you approach an intersection with a stop sign, you need only to slow down and if no cars are coming down the intersecting street, you can zip across with no worry about a ticket. If there is an approaching car, you give him the right of way — unless you can goose your accelerator so that you can cross the intersection before he hits you. Don’t worry about the pedestrian in the crosswalk on the other side. He or she knows the stay-alert or die rule.
In America, our roads became crowded over a period of several generations and we were able to adapt at a manageable rate. We changed our driving habits and we expanded our highway system. The Ticos haven’t had this luxury. In a very short period of time, Costa Rica roads have been flooded with vehicles driven by inexperienced steerers. (I hesitate to call them drivers.) There’s been no opportunity for parents to pass good driving habits along to their children. Few people have been driving long enough to develop good habits, like keeping a steady speed on the open highway.
The Interamericana passes through Perez Zeledon. Often when I’m trying to enter the highway, I see openings appear and disappear in the traffic. The problem is there is no steady traffic flow. Each vehicle is traveling at a different speed. Often a vehicle speeds up or slows down seemingly at the driver’s whim. There is never any predictable, lasting space between vehicles. In Chicago, when I’m trying to merge with traffic, I’m used to a driver speeding up to make sure I don’t merge in front of him. I’m used to dealing with that type of aggressiveness. I’ll wait and slide in behind him. In Costa Rica, the opening could disappear because the driver behind speeds up or because the driver in front slows down. They aren’t acting out of meanness to me. They just have an erratic foot on the gas pedal.
Riding my Honda in Chicago has helped me develop my situational awareness. One must be alert to all possible contingencies. That same situational awareness is invaluable when driving in Costa Rica.
Man plans and God laughs. This is deeply disturbing to me because I am (or will be) one of those living on Social Security. I’ve committed the bulk of my retirement savings to building a small house in Perez Zeledon and it is in the initial stages of construction now. I assumed that having my own house and vehicle would allow me to live a comfortable life with my SS benefits. However my payments will be well below the $2000 minimum. I could handle twice the current $600 per month but $2000 is more than three times that figure. What happens if this law passes? I guess I’ll have to sell my house at a tremendous loss. It will make my retirement considerably less comfortable than if I had not considered the move to Costa Rica and just stayed in Chicago. I’m afraid that my dream of Pura Vida may well become a nightmare.
I suspect that many Gringos will be affected in this way. What will this do to the value of property in Costa Rica?
I truly understand what you are saying TXGringoRico. That’s why I think that xspire1’s advice was so good. I would certainly take any car that I am considering to purchase to a reputable, uninvolved mechanic. There is no way to guarantee that a car will not have defects. However the only choice that I have is to take a chance or to resign myself to traveling by bus and taxi. I’m still to much of a gringo to give up driving, so I’ll take my chances.
editer
Does anyone have experience with Suzuik Gran Vitaras? This vehicle has been recommended to me. I’ve seen models from 2000 to 2005 for under $15,000. They usually have fewer than 100,000 miles on them. I’ve been looking in the La Nacion classifieds.
Other than using Russ’s service or a similar service, it seems that buying a used car must be an ordeal. The worst part would be locating where the sellers live and driving two or three hours to get from one seller to another.
editer
While I probably hate George Bush as much as anyone who hasn’t actually lost a family member to his idiotic war for higher oil prices, this isn’t the time to start impeachment procedings. We have enough on our hands to get a sane leader elected before America is completely lost. By all appearances, it seems that the right wing nuts who have foisted this incompetent buffoon onto us for the past seven plus years are discouraged and not as fired up to vote as they’ve been in the past two elections. One would hope that they realize that they aren’t bright enough to participate in a democracy and leave voting to people who actually read newspapers and monitor news sources with an eye to filtering out propaganda.
There are some encouraging news items making the rounds. First, America’s image is improving slightly around the world. The reason for this is that GW’s term is approaching its end. It will take a ton of work to restore the world’s perception of our country to the level that it was immediately following September 11. The second piece of good news is the Supreme Court’s decision to extend habeus corpus to the inmates at Guantanamo. As many problems as America has, we still have our Constitution. I won’t completely give up on our nation as long as that document stands. Of course a one vote swing could have produced a completely different picture. That’s why this next election is so important and why we shouldn’t distract ourselves with an impeachment circus.
Let’s face it. George Bush has eroded the Constitution with warrantless arrests, extraordinary renditions, signing statements that repudiate laws passed by Congress, the wiretapping of American citizens, torture, and god knows what other treasons. Terrorists can’t destroy America by blowing up buildings every ten years or by killing the heroes that Bush sends into harm’s way. Buildings can be rebuilt and even the agony of lost lives eases over time. The way to destroy America is to destroy our Constitution. Under George Bush the terrorists have made some progress toward that end and he has proved to be their most useful tool.
Hi Scott,
Have you had an opportunity to meet with any of the construction auditing firms yet? I’ve signed with E&T (Escrow and Trust) Solutions in San Isidro but I haven’t sent any money down yet. I’m curious to know if this is a secure and efficient way to get money to my contractor.
Thanks for any information,
editer
Hey Harvey,
I think that if you are a resident of Costa Rica and pay the nominal fee, you can take advantage of the national health care system. The following article has good information:
https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/248.cfm
The pittance that is required for payment is stunning considering that I’m paying nearly $500 a month for catastrophic insurance which I carry to protect some property that I own. I just had some blood tests performed so that I could get my prescriptions renewed. Because the office visit wasn’t considered a catastrophic need, I have to pay $300. When it comes to health care for its citizens, the U.S. is back in the dark ages while Costa Rica lines up with the most advanced industrialized nations.
editer
vbcruiser, I’m closer to dsullivan than to you in retirement income. No swimming pool in my backyard. What interested me in your list of expenses is the $90 per month for insurance. Does that include coverage for burglary? If there is good coverage for theft of household items, I might be able to expand the list of possessions that I will bring down with me.
Thanks
editer
