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The trials and tribulations you encounter along the way will bring you to such great depths of frustration, desperation and depression that you will no doubt experience a religious awakening.
vrbo.com – “Vacation Rentals By Owner”. Best site out there for what you want. Huge inventory, very high volume. We’ve used it successfully over the last 18 months.
That would have to be San Andres. It’s a small island, part of Colombia, about 125 miles off the East coast of Nicaragua, and they’re always advertising cheap beach vacations there from San Jose. The Ticos I know who have gone have enjoyed themselves. Watch out during hurricane season, they get raked over regularly.
Seems like an excellent choice for a 72 hour holiday, unless you have to take your car with you.
Scott, what leftist organization are you talking about?
If US military personnel are posted at the Embassy, that is US territory. If they’re training Costa Rican police or rural guard forces, then that is a result of a public bilateral treaty between the US & Costa Rica. All perfectly normal. The US Military is highly trained and very professional, and Costa Rican forces could benefit from such training. Personally, I think Costa Ricans could provide some valuable training in non-violence and negotiation skills to US police forces as well.
President José Figueres said it best. During an interview he was asked why he abolished the military. He said “Why not?” The reporter then asked about the US military, and wasn’t he glad they were around during WWI. He said “Of course. But the military is like the doctor. You get sick, you call the doctor. You don’t want him living with you!”
I’m sure our President and the Pentagon would love to have a base in Costa Rica, but this is a political impossibility. Costa Ricans would never publicly approve it. That’s why President Monge kept it a secret when Reagan’s CIA was using northern Costa Rican airstrips in support of the Contras.
I think the interest in a Southern Command to replace Panama is all about drug interdiction – The War on Drugs. Remember, that was the one after the Cold War, and before the War on Terror. We needed something to fill that gap.
Maybe we should pick our battles with a bit more care. Doesn’t our War on Drugs give aid and comfort to the terrorists? After all, if it weren’t illegal, there’d by no money in it (where did Reagan find the money to fund the contras again?)
Personally, I’d rather confront a glassy-eyed, grinning stoner than an Al Queda-trained islamic extremist with dynamite strapped to his chest and a death wish.
Sorry about the rant. I’m afraid it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I think this is going to be a lengthy thread…
Teaching English is one of the few jobs a gringo can get in Costa Rica without much trouble. Yes, it is still illegal, but not heavily enforced. As such, many institutes that teach English will take the chance of skirting immigration laws in order to gain a native speaker teacher.
However, you won’t make much money, and you won’t be able to gain residency status, much less citizenship.
Buy a copy of the Tico Times when you get there. The print edition contains a calendar of events for numerous expat organizations where you can meet people.
Here’s a list I found at:
http://www.montessoriconnections.com/schoolsdb/internationalschoolsdb/costarica.htmlEscuela Montessori: Mundo de Ninos
Apto. 321
Ciudad Quesada, San Carlos Costa Rica
Voice: 506 460-3932
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Early ChildhoodEscuela Bilingue Montessori del Mar
300 mts sur puente Rio Lajas, Cabuya
Mailing Address: Apdo 158
Cobano, Puntarenas Costa Rica
Voice: 506 642-0331
montessoripeninsula@yahoo.com
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, Upper ElementaryGolden Valley Montessori of Costa Rica
Heredia Centro
Mailing Address: Apartado postal 63-3000
Heredia, Heredia Costa Rica
Voice: 506 237-0404
Fax: 506 237-0404
info@goldenvalleyschool.com
http://www.goldenvalleyschool.com
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Early Childhood, Lower ElementaryManuel Antonio Montessori Academy
El Mirador del Pacifico
Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas 6350
Costa Rica
Voice: 506 777-4771
maschool@etntelephone.com
http://www.montessorischoolcr.com
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, Upper ElementaryManuel Antonio Montessori School
El Mirador del Pacifico
Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas 6350
Costa Rica
Voice: 506 777-1073
Fax: 506 777-1073
maschool@etntelephone.com
http://www.manuelantonioschool.com/
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Infants, Toddlers, Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, Upper ElementaryHome-two Montessori
50 mts. Este Iglesia Catolica San Rafael de Escazu
Mailing Address: 1108-1250
San Jose, San Carlos Costa Rica
Voice: 506 228-8674
Fax: 506 289-7941
alexandra@hometwo.com
http://www.hometwo.com
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Toddlers, Early ChildhoodMontessori Infant Community
Barrio Montealegre Zapote
Mailing Address: 50-2200
San Jose, San Carlos 1814
Costa Rica
Voice: 506 234-2531
Fax: 506 234-2531
http://montessori-infant-community.com
Type of School: Private
Programs Offered: Toddlers, Early ChildhoodAlso, there’s one in San Pedro, 1 block East of Roosevelt School. I don’t know what grade they go up to.
If what you pay your worker is 10% or less of his total income you would be exempt from paying most, if not all, charges to the CAJA. Pretty difficult to verify if you ask me, but if it’s more than 1/2 day per week you probably have to pay them. Even if there no charges to be paid, you may have to file anyway (like filing US taxes even when you owe nothing).
You pay:
-23% of gross salary, plus 9% deducted from the employee, to the CAJA monthly.
-9 mandatory holidays annually (if half time, half pay)
-2 weeks vacation for every 50 weeks worked (proportionally if part-time)
-“Aguinaldo” basically double pay for the month of December
-3 months (I think) paid vacation for pregnancy/birth
-“Sesantía” 1 month salary per year worked (I think) upon removal
If you want to know more:
http://www.ministrabajo.go.cr/Informacion/leyes.htm
http://www.info.ccss.sa.cr/namvet: If you need a gardener, you’re not living in a condo. If you’re not living in a condo, you’ll need a guard, unless you never leave your house unattended. What many people do, Ticos & Gringos alike, is build a small house on your lot for a married couple to live in. They help you with gardening, maid service, security, and even messenger service (saving you years of waiting in traffic and standing in lines – get him a Vespa). Use an attorney to help you put together the labor contract. This will protect both parties, and prevent the possibility of squatting as well. File with the CAJA. Once you get used to it, it’s not that bad. Be VERY careful who you hire. Check out references, and even consider hiring a private investigator to do a background check and find out where family members live.
I know, Gringos tend to think this is all paranoia, but in fact paranoia is the proper state of mind in order to avoid becoming a victim. As a Gringo, you are considered easy prey. Costa Rica CAN be paradise on earth IF you take the proper precautions. If not, your dream can easily turn into a nightmare.
The wait for land lines is worse, even if there are connections.
La Nación, August 25, 2006:
“Aunque cuenta con suficientes conexiones, el Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) tiene 84.000 solicitudes de telefonía fija en lista de espera. Algunas fueron tramitadas hace más de seis años, según expresaron a La Nación algunos lectores.”
I’m unfamiliar with the current cost of the phone and service in CR.
Maravilla, I’m shocked. To think that you would try to get around the waiting list that everyone else has to abide by through tapping your connections in ICE. How very Tica of you! You’ll do well there (lol).
Maravilla,
I heard that currently there is a waiting list of 40,000 for cell phone lines from ICE. If true, that’s down from 210,000 in December. If I were you I’d wait on the phone, sign up when you’re down there, make arrangements with someone to acquire it when it comes through if you’re not there (this may entail giving them a copy of your passport and a “Poder Especial” – specific power of attorney, as well as money, to whoever does it for you), get the list from ICE of the approved phones, and then buy it when you get back to the U.S.
The alternative is to buy the phone and line there from a private party. They advertise in La Nación. More expensive, yes, but considering the above, it may be well worth it.
Jerry,
Raising kids is one of the best reasons to live in Costa Rica. There are no “cliques” in schools, and new students gain 100 new friends on the first day of class. The custom of kissing on the cheek starts when they’re young, and I’ve always felt that this act creates an immediate intimate respect for each other. Yes, Playstations abound, but so do soccer pickup games, particularly as the average neighborhood income drops. In the high income areas with all those big walls seems to impede the social interaction on the block.
I haven’t heard of that school, but it sounds private. It also sounds small, which is just fine for kids that age. As they get older you might think about the larger, more established private schools, particularly those with international credentials. These will be farther away from where you live, and your transportation woes will increase. Also, don’t forget that schools only go up to the 11th grade. I’m unsure whether this affects their ability to go on to a college in the U.S., but if they continue onto higher education in Costa Rica, before college they get what’s called a “Licenciatura”, which takes another year. Furthermore, be aware that if you move back to the U.S., the school calendars collide. They’ll miss half a year in the transition.
Even the private schools lack many of the tools and supplies we take for granted in the U.S., such as copy machines and hand-outs. As a result, it is common for teachers to write all the instructions for homework on the blackboard, and the students must copy it down. This takes time away from learning, and if a child misses a line, they miss that part of the homework. It also seems like Costa Rican schools focus more on memorizing facts than questioning their validity. In my opinion, the educational process in the US is still based on the notion of an assembly line economy, though it has progressed here and there. In Costa Rica, not so much. But this is not a flaw. The improved social interaction with their classmates more than makes up for it. Also, if needed, there are many Montessori schools around.
It’s always amazing to see a how cordial, well-mannered and well-behaved Costa Rican kids are. Teaching them is an absolute joy, as they actually appreciate learning. The downside is that they are not taught to be as questioning (as they are in the U.S.), and they tend to take things more at face value. Rebels have their place in the U.S., but not in Costa Rica.
Regarding colds and flues, they’re different in the tropics. Colds aren’t nearly as bad as they can get in the U.S. Flues can be though, and one of the kinds of flu is called “quiebra huesos” (bone breaker). It’s really no worse that a regular bad flu, it’s just interesting that they name them.
Also, there is a malady new to northerners to watch out for, “se le mete un aire”. The direct translation for this is “air gets inside you”, which will be the diagnosis of everyone from friends, to parents, to aunts and uncles, and even to the best educated doctors in the country. I was floored when the doctor told me that’s what I had. I thought it was just a crick in my neck – and that’s what it is, but in the tropics, they can be severe. It’s always blamed on a cool wind hitting your neck, particularly when you’re hot or wet. That’s why you’ll see babies wrapped in winter hats and scarves on busses all the time. The cure is a “Parche León”, a eucalyptus patch. They finally came on the market in the US five years ago or so for muscle aches, but they’ve been selling them at Costa Rican pharmacies for decades.
Also, conjunctivitis (red eye) seems to be more common there. The rate of ear, nose & throat infections seem to be about the same. Develop a relationship with your pharmacist. They can help you in a pinch when your regular doctor is unavailable, as they’re much more willing, and I think able, to diagnose and treat clients. In the U.S. they would never go that far. It was only seven years ago or so that they made it illegal to sell antibiotics over the counter in Costa Rica. I know all about the inadvisability of doing this, but given a good relationship, it is still done. You can always follow up with a doctor visit later. When your kid is suffering…
Good luck, and no worries. Your kids will enjoy wonderful childhoods there.
P.S.: Small children call their teachers “Niña”. Don’t ask me why.
Scott,
9% fixed, up to 49 million colones, for purchase or constrution. You’re definitely eligible, so don’t think twice. It’s the best deal in town. I doubt if rentistas or pensionados are eligible since it’s a government institution de “interés social”, but I don’t know that for a fact.
I bought my land for cash, then bought a 4 year “maduro” through an intermediary that had already been paid on for 2 years. Two years later I got the loan to build.
Barrio Amón, if I remember correctly:
Esquina Noroeste Holiday Inn Aurola, 200 metros Norte, 50 metros Oeste.
Call to make sure they’re still there: 222-22-13. You probably have to go through an agent. That phone # is 255-08-83.
I don’t think the Banco Popular in Costa Rica is part of the Banco Popular North America.
As far as Costa Rican banks go, I think that BICSA is the only one with a branch in the U.S., and only in Miami. The only U.S. bank operating in Costa Rica is Citibank. However, their Costa Rican operations are limited to commercial activities.
In my opinion, the lack of US banks operating in Costa Rica is due to at least two primary reasons:
1. The immaturity of the CR financial sector, primarily due to the:
a. lack of credit reporting institutions
b. skewed playing field in that only deposits in State-owned banks are insured)
c. lack of residential addresses that can fit in a data base, or on an envelope for that matter (lol)2. The lack of will on the part of US banks to look to the Latin American market (no American car dealerships there either). If Costa Rica finally signs on to CAFCA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), I think the country will consolidate its role as the administrative center for US companies in Central America, and more banks will start operating there.
The many pensionados and rentistas on this forum can tell you how they bring in their dollars. I’d be surprised if they said any bank other than Banco de Costa Rica or Banco Nacional. I was always under the impression that this was mandatory, as the purpose of these programs is to bring dollars into the State-owned financial system in exchange for colones.
dkt2u: I you read my posts you’ll see that I bash Costa Rica pretty good too. It’s fair to say that I have a love-hate relationship with both my country of origin, and my host country.
Even if you aren’t nervous hanging around banks, bank security sure is. Have you seen the “air lock” you have to go through to get into some branches of Banco Nacional? They don’t spend that kind of money on such extreme measures for no reason.
