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It sounds great to me! I’m not sure I’ll be set up for full catering by January but it should be no problem getting some good BBQ put together for everyone. Whether or not you want BBQ, I’d love to come and meet people.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]There’s no point in debating the matter, tracy, Costa Rica is not crime-free. And the anecdotal evidence (supported by little hard data) is that crime is on the rise. In this population of four million or so, hardly a week goes by without a news report of a murder. And home invasions, carjackings, burglaries, muggings, pocket pickings, etc all occur as well.
So let’s be clear . . . Costa Rica is not crime-free.
Now, the question you didn’t ask but which must be addressed is whether crime here is significantly worse than it is anywhere else. You’ve not said where in Canada you’re coming from, but if it’s one of the major metropolitan areas then you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Costa Rica’s crime rates, according to the best data available, are lower than any of your major Canadian cities. And they’re lower than virtually all U.S. cities. And they’re lower than other Latin American countries and much of the rest of the world.
Does any of that mean that you’ll never be a crime victim in Costa Rica? That there’s no chance? Ever? Heavens, NO! We’re all susceptible every hour of the day. But if you’re reasonably prudent, your chances of being victimized are not very great.
What’s more, Costa Rica has way too much to offer to let unfounded worries about crime deter you from considering relocating here.
Scott, how about chiming in with some statistics.
And, how about some of the other active Forum participants chiming in with some anecdotes about North Americans who relocated to Costa Rica, were crime victims, and returned to North America [u]for that reason alone[/u].[/quote]
Tracy, I’ve lived here for over ten years and I basically agree with David. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about crime, but I do think you should be aware and informed.
I’ve often heard others make the same claim as David, that the crime rate is lower here than in most major cities in the US and Canada but that isn’t necessarily true because a large percentage of non-violent street crime, petty theft, car break-ins and the like are never even reported to the police.
The police here are under-staffed, under-trained, and under-paid. The same is pretty much the case with the overall criminal justice system. Until the Costa Rican government does something to address these issues, crime is going to continue to be an ever-increasing problem.
Having said that, the vast majority of crime occurs in areas and neighborhoods that you will never even see. So long as you are reasonably cautious and prudent, chances are that you will not feel threatened by crime here.
I’m really surprised that this thread has generated so much interest.
As a long-time resident, let me summarize my view on some of important points raised in the discussion.
First, to get the most out of living in Costa Rica, I think it’s essential to become a part of the community. This includes learning as much as you can of the language, the culture and the people.
Some of the elitist,segregationist attitudes referred to in the original post do exist here and can be a problem, whether or not you live in a gated community. On the other hand, it’s very easy for new residents to become lulled into a false sense of security and to become overly trusting of surroundings and of their new Tico friends and neighbors.
I’m reminded of Robert Frost’s poem, The Mending Wall. Sometimes good fences DO make good neighbors and I’m not necessarily referring to physical walls. We all need to create our own comfort zone where we feel safe, secure and nurtured by our environment. However, we must also be able and willing to see beyond our self-imposed boundaries and, if we are to grow, we must always be willing to occasionally venture outside our comfort zone.
My advice to all is to be cautious about your personal safety and security, whatever that means to you. At the same time don’t live in fear. Be willing to take a some risks and push your limits, understanding that you may sometimes get burned. That’s the way life works!
[quote=”ticorealtor”]If you are looking in the Central Valley area Tres Rios is a great place. We live here and it is close to everything, Trea Mall is just down the road, San Jose by bus is 25 minn and mountains all over the place. In the last nine years or so this place has been growing and growing.[/quote]
I totally agree. There’s no place else in Costa Rica I’d rather live. For my lifestyle – space and privacy without being outrageously expensive, I particularly like San Ramon de Tres Rios where I live but its a small area and there’s never much on the market here. Ticorealtor probably knows the overall Tres Rios area much better than I do. I’d encourage you to check it out. I love it here.
[quote=”Scott”]Give up TV and buy some good books!
I haven’t watched TV regularly since 1996
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com[/quote]I agree with Scott. I’d much rather read a good book than watch most of the mindless drivel on TV. Besides that I’m married to a Tica and would have a serious marital crisis if I tried to change channels when she was watching her novelas.
One problem I’ve had, though, is that even though I’m fairly fluent in Spanish and can wade my way through Spanish language books, I really can’t do it for relaxation and finding a continuous supply of books in English has always been a challenge to me.
I finally broke down a few months ago and bought an Amazon Kindle ebook reader. What a wonderful, lifechanging experience it’s been for me. There’s so much great free material available in Kindle format on the internet that I’ve bought almost nothing so far. The prices have come down since I bought mine and the features have improved. You can now buy one for $139. I had mine shipped down through Aerocasillas and used my customs exemption. Total shipping and fees were around $25, but it took forever to clear customs. Much better to have someone bring one down, if possible. I highly recommend the Kindle to any serious reader.
Sorry, Sprite, but I don’t agree with you at all. I love Costa Rica and would never consider living in the States again but crime is a SERIOUS problem.
At least in the Central Valley, most people who choose to live in gated communities do so not because they’re elitist or segregationist but because they’re legitimately concerned about the safety of their families and property and they can afford to do something about it.
You apparently find it easier to pass judgement on them than I do. I don’t live in a gated community and never have but I do have dogs (and guns) and we never leave our house unoccupied – not even for a brief trip to the supermarket.
Chris, I’d love to offer cornbread. I’m a died in the wool southerner and cornbread is a favorite of mine. However, I can’t get decent cornmeal here. I bring both grits and cornmeal down from the States to use at home but it’s not practical to do it on a commercial basis. I buy mine mail-order from Nora Mills Granery in Helen, GA. Maybe when I’m well-established I can consider importing direct from the States but for now my primary bread will be “texas toast”, thick-sliced garlic bread, toasted on the flat-top griddle. It’s really good with BBQ and I think you’ll like it.
You may have a hard time getting your hands on guayba wood. It isn’t commercially available here. I’m fortunate to have my own trees. If you’re interested in reading about it as a smoking wood, here’s a link: http://www.hawaiiguava.com/about-guava.html
I certainly expect to be open before Christmas and hope to meet you. Where do you stay when you come down? Drop me a note before arriving and I’ll give you directions.
[quote=”wspeed1195″]are you going to do the rotisserie style chicken?….
it really impressed me,and being A miamian with all cuban friends for the most part my palate is latin.I couldn’t imagine them soaked in Mojo then roasted.
anyway,you’ll see me there….
I’m gonna bring my tea bags to make A big pitcher of steeped carolina iced tea….
[/quote]I’m not planning to use a rotisserie. My barbecued chicken is cooked in the traditional southern style, low and slow with natural wood smoke. I make all my own marinades, seasoning rubs, and sauces. BBQ chicken is one of my favorites, both to prepare and to eat.
I prepare Cuban roast pork with homemade mojo (lechon asado) every year for our family’s New Year’s Eve parties here and may offer it in the restaurant as a special during the Christmas season. I love it but it’s not southern bbq and won’t be on my regular menu.
I definitely [b]will[/b] have fresh-brewed southern sweet tea and homemade lemonade on the menu. They both go great with BBQ. Also, peach cobbler for dessert.
[quote=”Scott”]When you’re ready – send me an article about your new BBQ restaurant with some photographs and biographical information about yourself – and I’ll be happy to publish it here for you …
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com[/quote]Thanks, Scott, I’ll certainly do that and appreciate the offer.
As to smoking woods, there are several hardwoods and fruitwoods available here that are great for smoking meats and I use many of them. One of my favorites is guayaba (guava, in English). It’s used by some of the top competetion BBQ teams in the States, and imported from Hawaii at very high prices. I have my own guayaba trees on my finca near Siquirres and have a good supply of wood stored up. I also use coffeewood (roots are best), several different hardwoods, and natural lump charcoal. Although it’s expensive here, I also have a modest supply of hickory and applewood which I brought down from the US.
Skippy, Bill, Orcas – Thanks for your comments. My restaurant will feature Southern regional style pork barbecue – what many people think of as North Carolina style, but with a wider variety of sauces than traditional NC vinegar sauce. I’ll have pulled pork, ribs, chicken and and a few other items. I don’t have any beef BBQ on the menu but will try out Texas style BBQ brisket and maybe beef ribs as specials and if they sell well I may add them to the menu later.
I have to train the butchers here to cut the meat the way I need it, particularly brisket because it normally isn’t sold as a cut here. They grind it up for hamburger. I’m working directly with Montecillos in Alajuela to supply my meat and don’t expect to have any real problem getting the cuts and quality I need. They are pretty experienced and are the largest slaughterhouse and meat packer in the country.
Skippy, thanks for the sauerkraut recipe. Unfortunately I really don’t have space or crocks to do fermented pickles. I make my own fresh-pack cucumber pickles and sometimes green tomato pickles, when green tomatos are available, but they aren’t fermented. They’re refrigerator pickles. They’re super crispy and not as salty or vinegary as fermented pickles. I’ll be giving them away in the restaurant with all food orders.
I don’t want to cross the line and use this forum for commercial purposes so I won’t say any more. With Scott’s permission, I’ll will post a link to my website when it’s up and running. If that isn’t allowable, you can always send me a PM after November 1st and I’ll give you the info.
Thanks Chuck! I’ll let you know when I open – sometime in early November. My Costarican wife and family also love Southern barbecue. Fortunately I have all the smokers and equipment here and frequently prepare BBQ for friends and family, mostly ribs and chicken because pulled pork takes so long to cook – about 12 to 14 hours to do it right. Once or twice a year we buy a whole hog, have it butchered and I smoke all of it, usually for groups of 50 to 80 people.
San Ramon is actually much closer to Heredia than is the town of Tres Rios and we’re really closer to Sabanilla than we are to Tres Rios. There will be a map and directions on my website but it isn’t ready yet.
Hi Scott,
I still have a lot to do before opening but it’s all coming together. I have all of my permits except the final patente from the municipalidad which I expect to receive later this week.
The restaurant is fairly small and aimed mostly at takeout and home delivery customers but I have seating for 20 to 25 people. Once everything is running smoothly (and profitably), I hope to open a second location with a larger dining room and a liquor license.
[quote=”costaricafinca”]Much wiser, [b]writersam[/b], to rent and check out areas in which you may want to live as it is so easy to buy here…and so difficult to sell.
Presently, so many area are totally waterlogged, and it will take awhile to dry out.[/quote]Good advice! I rented for several years before buying my home and am glad I did. Once I decided I was ready to buy, I spoke fluent Spanish, was certain of the area I wanted to live, had a good idea of property values and knew how to avoid overpaying, etc. Because I wasn’t in a rush, I was able to spend my time looking and finally found the perfect house for my family and bought it well under its market value.
My home is in San Ramon de Tres Rios (not to be confused with San Ramon de Alajuela), about 20 minutes northeast of downtown San Jose, at an altitude of 4,700 feet. Average temperatures range from the low to mid-60’s at night to low to mid-70’s during the day. Costa Rica has a myriad of micro-climates, determined not only by altitude but also by terrain features. My wife is Tica and most of her family live in the San Pedro/Sabanilla area less than 10 minutes from our home. It is at least 5-6 degrees cooler here and we have no mosquitos or houseflies, which can be a serious nuisance at lower elevations during certain times of the year.
Unless you speak Spanish. I wouldn’t recommend that you rent a car and travel independently. One of the guided tours is a possibility. Another excellent possibility is to hire a car and driver for some or all of your time here. Bilingual, experienced professional drivers are readily available and relatively inexpensive, possibly less than you’d pay to rent your own car.
