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Micky. Check for yourself, but Puntarenas, overall is my least favorite city in Costa Rica, but the most convenient way to get to the Nicoya Peninsula via ferry. If you are looking for a “city” with a “local” flavor and quick access to the Pacific try Nicoya or San Isidro further south.
Have you ever been to Puntarenas?
It is a very seedy port city with higher crime, home to numerous fish canneries and a prison. The primary reason people go there is to catch the ferries to the Nicoya Peninsula.This is also something to remember: If you are using a US bank credit or debit card, the exchange rate you will get is significantly lower than the rate you will get locally. At least 10% lower.
Also, although TSA as no authority to confiscate your cash; this was recently tested when they attempted to confiscate an attorney’s cash, Customs apparently does have the authority. Of coure this would only really be a concern inbound to US. If it is over $10,000 and not declared, be prepared to depart with your cash.Basic economics – the cost of living is always proprtionately higher to income in less developed nations and thus the number of what N.A.’s and E.U’s would consider “toys”.
It always depends on the purpose you are bringing cash. The more you bring the larger denomination, limited to $10,000 “by law” of course. Scott is absolutley right about any marks, hole punches or tears or you will be stuck with a C-note and most business will not take anything over a $50, but a $20 is highly preferrable for it matches their highest circulating denomination of C10,000.
Just be aware there is a park above Ciudad Colon that is home to the Fer de Lance or terciepolo, so we are not immune in the Valle Central, but they do prefer brush and not lawns. They are an ambush snake by way of camoflage; it’s the way they hunt. Always hike with a walking stick in front of you scanning the trail when in [u]their[/u] known environment.
Scott. I love the line “Parasitic Civil Servant”. This is exactly what the US Congress is made up of, especially the leaders of the House and Senate!!
Chinese commu-capitalism is a far cry from western capitalism Sprite. What does China want with Costa Rica? Bananas, coffee and pineapple or other raw materials they can rape and pillage like they have done in their own country and rendering their water undrinkable? There is portions of China so polluted there are not even any bees to pollinate. Or do they want land and concessions so they can build their factories and import their entire work force like with the new stadium? Even big International and US oil companies are reluctant to do business with China. They will not leave a positve mark on the landscape.
My fear is the Chinese relationship mainly because their environemntal, as well as human rights record is utterly pathetic. In addition, they tend to make little effort in hiring locally, so it will be interesting to see how many of the “protected workforce” laws get “sold out” so they can create in-country “sweat shops”. You would expect that any Chinese company opening a factory or plant here would have to meet the same labor & environemntal standards as the American or European based companies do. I for one am very leary of their business practices as are most of the western corporations who have dared to do business with them only to get burned. Chinchilla better tread lightly in this arena.
American International School and Lincoln School are the two listed by our Dept. of State. However, there are many other quality schools such as the Blue Valley School, British School, Country Day School, European School, Humboldt School (german decent only)and the Pan American School.
http://www.bluevalley.ed.cr
http://www.bscr.ed.cr
http://www.cds.ed.cr
http://www.europeanschool.com
http://www.humboldt.ed.cr
http://www.lincoln.ed.cr
http://www.panam.ed.crNot missing the bigger picture at all Sprite. Nothing that I have read or researched gives me any optimism about the US. The math simply does not work. I stopped watching network news years ago and all mainstream, sound-bite media. The trust factor with government, media and corporate America vanished long ago. That is why some of us have a plan B and have become selfishly focused on self and family only.
Sadly, the memry of the Amercin voter is extremely short. The motivation for the collapse of the financial system, specifically mortgage backed securities, was caused by the government itself via several pieces of legislation starting with Carter, exacerbated by Clinton and then the younger and dumber Bush. Basically, these legislative acts extorted banks into lending to those who could not afford a mortgage or the bank’s expansion and ability to open additional branches would be disapproved and their access to discount rates with the Fed would be controlled. This created the “cooking the books” sceanario that was eventually exposed and brought down the system. Of course, the current administration is using the corporate scapegoat angle to divert any blame away from them. Unfortunately, most of the American public accepts this as truth for their sole source of infomation is the sound-bite on te news.
There is trash in the streets in every latin american country. I recently went to Spain and Barcelona had a lot of trash compared to Madrid. The southern US has an inordinate amount of trash compared to the Pacific states. I have never been to a developing or underdeveloped country that does not have trash.
Lastly, your posts are being deleted by the webmaster for what I would guess as inappropriate, non-contributory content.Anywhere you live on the Pacific coast, you will have earthquakes. There is nothing you can do to stop them. There is no acurate way to predict them. Your house has to be built to withstand them, which is challenging in Costa Rca unless you have some knowledge of seismic construction methods. The Nicoya peninsula is beautiful and my favorite place in the country. Anywhere south of Samara is less developed and the gulf of Nioya side is the least developed. The canton of Cobano is my personal favorite. The weather can get warm and it can rain like nothing I have ever seen, but all in all it is as close to ideal as you can get with a range of 75-95.
