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Great post. Your firm view on life is admirable. It is, however, limited to what you can see.
1. they seem to be searching for something that they can not find
Aren’t we all? On the other hand, one way to avoid dwelling on the issue is to stay busy. Thinking? That’ll hurt.
2. I have a feeling some are just not getting it done in US
Those that “don’t get it done” in the US generally come to CR with few resources, and leave after a short while after discovering that it’s quite hard to “get it done” there as well.
Those that “got it done” in the US, on the other hand, may believe that the rat race is something to endure in order to create the means to retire to a more tranquil, and perhaps more meaningful way of life.
Then there are those, evidently like Joseph, who are highly productive individuals that are either not ready to dismount that exercise wheel, or never will be. God bless ’em, as they definitely pull the rest of us along. There’s no doubt, however, that precious few of them have the patience to deal with the highly fortified barriers to productivity existing in CR.
3. Tree huggers who drive me nuts.
Me too. If it’s between me and the tree, the tree’s goin’ down.
But then there are those many corporate entities that will not flinch at damaging the environment, or causing harm to people, if it will make them a buck and they can get away with it. Laisser faire capitalism is extreme. The world should not be a game of Monopoly.
4. Socialist who want someone else to pay for their way of life especially healthcare.
Socialism is the other extreme of the continuum. A people which looks to its government to take care of them is a people who will never be able to fend for themselves. A system which does not reward individual achievement cannot compete with systems that do.
5. Do not want to compete in the real world anymore.
If I had my druthers, yeah, I’d cash in my chips and step away from the table now… What, after all, does “real” mean?
On the other hand, many gringos do try to take their entrepreneurial spirit to CR to make a go of it (only to have it slowly, but inexorably, crushed by the every-day grind of actually trying to get something done&)
6. No one owes anybody a living, get a job pay your taxes
Most gringo ex-pats already had that job, paid those taxes, been there, done that. Now they’re earning retirement income in dollars, and paying bills in colones.
Let’s see, this, or the rat race? Hmm, let me think!
You know, everybody is right. There are no “polar” opposites, simply positions on the political continuum. The extremists, like goal posts on a soccer field, help us to find the middle ground for our time and in our culture (after all, democratic Athenians were extremists). We’re really much closer politically than we think. Consider:
The Soviet Union and the United States, so called “polar” superpowers, adopted similar economic models for the creation of their respective military-industrial complexes. These economies were nether completely socialistic, nor capitalistic. They were somewhere in the middle, unholy marriages of government and the private sector. They had to be in order to fulfill their military mission. This clearly “mixed” economic model was copied for various other, non-military industries, such as pharmaceuticals, energy, and communications, none of which could exist as they do today without it.
Over time the Soviet Union made free-market revisions to its economy, such as the ability to make a profit. Likewise, over time the US made socialistic revisions – social security, medicare, progressive taxation (the recognition that governments in “capitalistic” countries must use taxation as a means to smooth out the rough economic edges caused by a free market).
There’s political rhetoric, and there’s human reality. We love to argue, and it’s so much easier if I’m white and you’re black. Much less exciting to acknowledge the gray tones, hard to get across in sound bites.
The developed world will surely continue to push Costa Rica to become more productive. Costa Rica, in its own small way, will continue to pull us all back to the days of a simpler life, one less bent on “getting ahead”. Ying & yang.
C’mon Joseph, what would you have to pull if it weren’t for all us riders?
Edited on Jul 30, 2006 14:28
Make an inquiry with the Colegio de Medicos y Cirujanos de Costa Rica. http://www.medicos.sa.cr
Hey Scott, how do I write my tildes & enyes on your forum??? I don’t want to sound like an ano when I say Happy New Year!
I don’t “know”, but I’d guess that he does have to get it done at the CR Consulate.
In CR you can’t be a Notary Public unless you’re an attorney, and you can’t be an attorney unless you’re licenced to practice in CR. Hence, the CR Consulate would be the only place outside CR that would be able to provide the proper verification of your identity, and to help you create a power of attorney (Poder Especial), for the purposes of conducting a real estate transaction. The Consulate would then forward the document to the proper governmental agency in CR, properly wrapped, stamped & blessed, to make it all official.
If it doesn’t come directly from the Consulate, they can’t be sure it’s authentic. Falsification of documents is a protected industry in CR. Only Ticos can do it inside the Registro Nacional.
Looks like La Nacion developed an entirely new site for their classifieds. Go to http://www.economicos.com, then Bienes Raices (real estate), then Alquileres (rentals), then Habitaciones (rooms). There were only 11 there when I checked, but there’s probably 50 or more in the print edition. You’ll need to see it before you rent anyway, so line something up to begin with, then check them out when you’re down there.
Furthermore, all 11 were in or near San Jose. Everyone has their own definition of “moderate climate”, so go by altitude. I lived at 5,700′ above sea level, and the temperature was around 65-70 during the day. The beaches are more like 90-95 during the day.
Your best bet is to decide on the area you want to make your base (you can explore from there) then inquire as to rooms. People who rent rooms put out signs (cheaper than La Nacion), which usually read ” Alq. Hab.”
$350 monthly is a lot of green for just a room. I spent the equivalent of about $50 monthly for a very simple room in a very simple house, which included 1 meal a day. Sounds like you could afford an “Aparthotel”. These are basically furnished apartments which may or may not come with a kitchen. I’ve stayed in Aparthotel San Jose, which is right by the Museo Nacional in San Jose. Fairly basic, very inexpensive, no kitchen, but comfortable & free continental breakfast. Then there’s Aparthotel Los Yoses which is probably nicer. Google “aparthotel costa rica” & see what you find.
So I have the gift of the written word. So what, Jenny – you’ve got soul! Where’s the perfect place? In your own good heart as you journey through life.
Jenny & Maravilla: You are both in the middle of that journey, and your good hearts will take you through. There are many more good people than bad in this life, and if you can stay positive, your goodness will rub off on others. That’s gotta be worth something.
Me, i’m the cynical SOB mouthing off from the sidelines, still saving up to try it all again…
Beer: Cerveza
Soccer: Futbol (accent on the “o”)
Bathroom: Bano (The “n” is an “enye” – pronounced “n” then “y”)
Check: Cuenta
How much: Cuanto
Hello: Pura vida
Goodbye: Pura vida
Good: Pura vida
Great: Pura vida
Wonderful: Pura vida
Nice: Pura vidaOK, you’re ready…
My 2 colones worth:
Violent crime in Costa Rica is much less prevalent that in the US, but has grown markedly since the end of the war in Nicaragua.
Petty crime in CR is omnipresent, except evidently where Maravilla lives (I always had the impression that Shangri-La was somewhere in the Orient). If you’re not completely paranoid, you’ll get ripped off. In the US, you can leave your home alone in most neighborhoods with no worries. That alone is a big relief. The same is true for your car. There’s a reason why there are so many cuidacarros in CR.
Dkt2u has a valid point (even though he dissed my Clash of Cultures post). The point is even more valid in a historically socialistic like Costa Rica, one which is now forced into a more market economy. People feel entitled, and when you take away the safety net, the jump to stealing is not so big, particularly from the white collar types who get ahead through institutional corruption and never go to jail for it. (Incidentally, the same could be said for the U.S. where, in spite of our free market mentality and bootstrapping historical identity, we’ve still managed to foment a healthy culture of victims.)
Window bars were there from the beginning, and originally had nothing to do with crime. It comes from old Spain, to keep the daughter’s virginity intact (and therefore the family honor). So in Latin America, when crime became a bigger problem they had to take it one (or many) step further Walls, Dobermans, concertina wire, guards&
You can live in tranquility in Costa Rica with no window bars as long as you have nothing to steal, and you keep your blinds open for everyone to see that. If you can’t part from all those addictive material possessions, you can live there in relative tranquility if you have enough money to not only build your house, but protect it as well. If you’re somewhere in the middle, you’ll be telling your own horror stories one day in the not too distant future.
C’mon Gatorman. If you fall for that you’d have to change your name to GullibleMan. $30K, sight unseen, over the phone, in a country where international criminals find safe haven?
Send me $60,000 and I’ll tell you more…
That’s a catch-22. 1 year is not long enough to buy furniture, and furnished homes or apartments are usually only offered at tourist rates.
If you’re alone, you might consider renting a room. There are plenty of those available, and you can pretty much pay as little as you want (for a whole lot of not much). Look in the Económicos in La Nación (www.nacion.com) under “habitaciones”.
You don’t need to speak the language to get around. If you’re unsure of where you’re going, just stop and ask somebody by saying the name of your destination. They’ll say a bunch of intelligible things, then they’ll point. Just follow the finger.
Also, my buddy said he discovered the right way to handle all the potholes – just go real fast (with somebody else’s car).
fhmoroz is right. Wing it. If you have 10 days I always recommend renting a car and driving the following circuit:
La Fortuna: Arenal volcano & Tabacon hot springs
Guanacaste (Beaches): Flamingo, Tamarindo & others more off the beaten trail
Monteverde (Cloud forest)
Manuel Antonio (Beaches & lowland jungle)
The road to Manuel Antonio is a little rough, but you don’t need a 4X4. Others on this site may be able to tell you about the road from Arenal to Liberia (Guanacaste) around Lake Arenal. You used to need a 4X4 for that, but it might be better now.
If you have 15 days and more energy, check out the Atlantic side – Cahuita, Puerto Viejo – for a more Caribbean taste.
This tour will give you the country’s highlights. There’s much more to see, but maybe next time…
