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[quote=”sprite”]Psychosis: a loss of contact with reality, usually including false beliefs about what is taking place or who one is (delusions)…..know thyself.
Type A personalities must suffer horribly in Costa Rica.
Thank you for the warm welcome to this site. Just call me psychotic Loraine.
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[quote=”maravilla”]mr grumbles has complaining down to a science and i find it almost amusing that after ten years of research that the spot he thought he had chosen so well turned out to be not such a good choice — for him, anyway. i think you get rain all year up there, don’t you?? some of my other gardening friends in that area complain bitterly about how hard it is to keep a garden growing. but hey, if you like it, that’s all that matters, and like you nothing could be as bad as getting 11 feet of snow in 5 days, which we did in 2004. that was it for me. i can handle almost anything after that![/quote]
Oh no, I have never witnessed that much at once. However, an hour north of us, they have gotten that kind of snow over a few days. I can deal with some rain and 80 degrees rather than rain and 35 degrees. Are you in CR all year? I’m so pathetic that I’ve already bought plant/animal books on tropicals of CR.
[quote=”costaricafinca”][b]Loraine[/b], in all fairness, you cannot understand the [b]arenalgrumblers[/b] complaints and concerns until you have actually [i]walked in his potholes…[/i]…or actually resided in Costa Rica, and dealt with the day to day bureaucracy that [i]you will have to deal with[/i].[/quote]
It’s true I have not walked a mile in his potholes but what I noticed is that Mr. Grumbles grumbles about mostly everything. Some people see the glass have empty, some half full and some don’t see the glass at all. Life is not perfect, certainly not in CR, but wouldn’t life be easier if we try to find the good in it rather than the bad? It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the negative. I remember meeting several couples in Dominical a few years back and asked them what they did to keep busy–their answer, most things are a challenge here and it could take a week to accomplish something that could be done in a short time at home. It is what it is, right? I apologize for monopolizing this topic and veering off course–I’m brand new to the site and it’s fun.
SU basketball! We were #1 for many weeks. Actually, they’ve done some nice things with the city in recent years…revitilizing various areas and bringing some life downtown again. And we’re less than an hour from Lake Ontario beaches–which I think are some of the most beautiful around. Other than that, it’s home. Any particular areas that you’re going to be looking at in CR?
[quote=”Camby”]I was born and raised my first 16 yrs in Endicott/Triple Cities area…..
I like your idead-would like a small finca with some fruit trees, veggies,etc..[/quote]Oh, we’re in Syracuse. We really have some of the worst weather in the US. Very hot, humid summers and bitterly cold, snowy winters. Spring and Fall are beautiful but very short. I would love a small finca…we have a 3/4 acre parcel which we are fortunate enough to have fruit trees. Our future plan is to buy the parcel next to us, which would give us another 3/4 acre, but it’s too pricey now. Camby, which area do you live? Are you in CR part time?
thats a lot of snow, where do you live now if you do not mind me asking??[/quote]
Central NY (in lake effect snow area). Buffalo gets all the attention, but we get far more snow ever year–except for this year! This is ‘usually’ the coldest time of year, but the day before it was 55 degrees! I have hostas poking out of the ground. This has been the most bizarre winter ever. I think we had 75 inches of snow in Dec 2010 alone and, this year, we’ve had a total of maybe 25″ through 2/1. It’s crazy and unheard of but I’m not going to complain. This is a ‘once in a century’ gift!
[quote=”maravilla”]there was a guy who posted here for a while who spent ten years researching that area, then he actually moved there and now two years later he can’t wait to get out. he admits he picked the wrong spot. one of his big complaints was the lack of available fresh food. he’s got a blog called grumblesfromarenal — you might want to take a look at it.[/quote]
I just looked up the blog you suggested. All I can say is that he does like to grumble. He doesn’t sound like a very content person, which is sad. That being said, it seems like we have all suggested different areas to research and visit. Different strokes for different folks, right? I’ve read good things and bad things about all different areas…no two people are alike. Fresh food…there are fruit trees on the land and I would love to plant vegs, and maybe get a chicken or two? Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all…
[quote=”costaricafinca”]And Aquacate doesn’t get much rain? 😆
You may want to build a fireplace in your house.You may be in for a few surprises….[/quote]
We plan on putting in a fireplace. We actally know people in the area and have to be mindful of the way the house in situated due to wind/rain. We’re in an area where much of the winds will be blocked due to the hills as well as the forest. The land has fantastic drainage. 10 years? Not bad considering most of the people who move to the beach don’t stay more than a year (several realtors have told me this). We wanted to be on Lake Arenal and didn’t want the SW side due to the wind. I found the farther west we went, the less rain there was. It’s funny how the vegetation changes so much as you leave the El Castillo area and head west. As far as services, I am not too concerned. There is quite a bit of stuff there now, and can always go into Tilaran. But, for me, it’s all a crap shoot right now anyway, since it’s many years til retirement–plus I feel that area is very much up and coming. If I can handle 10-15 feet of snow here, I can handle rain (we won’t be there in the rainy season, tho). I can’t imagine it’ll be as bad as being stranded in Manuel Antonio the year before when we got 4′ of rain in a few days and the roads collapsed. That was a nightmare! When we leave our hometowns, it’s all an adventure regardless of where we go. In the end, I feel if we go in with few expectations, things will be easier. I believe if you have a good support system/friends, are close to a city with services, know the language somewhat and can learn to relax and take things in stride, that’s half the battle. Que sera, sera, right?
[quote=”shelleypeters”]My husband & I are coming to Costa Rica for 3 glorious weeks this March. I’ve been saying for years I’d like to live as permanently as we can in CR. We both still have to work for at least 4 more years (son just about to start college so financial & parental concerns). This trip coming up, we plan to try working while playing. We’re both self-employed US lawyers so I’m thinking we can still conduct business while away; of course court appearances won’t be possible. We’ll be staying in the Playa Naranjo area, as I think we’d enjoy the pacific side best, but am not sure. We don’t want to waste a realtor’s time when we know we are not ready to buy, but need to see & feel the different areas of CR & find out what options are available. We’ve been to CR only twice before (short visits), so we know navigating the country can be challenging. Our Spanish is still being worked on as well. Suggestions?[/quote]
We are in the process of buying land in Aguacate, just outside of Nuevo Arnenal on Lake Arenal. We have been going to CR for 4 years now and, while it will be many years before we can retire, we wanted to buy land while their economy was in the same state as ours.
Prices have come down and I am sure they will go back up as the years go by. We have driven from the north to the tip of the Osa.
I would suggest you rent a car and drive and drive and drive. Stay a couple of nights at each place and get a feel. Something might strike your fancy and then you can go back and stay longer.
Go back a few times to see if you like it as much. Things to consider are proximity to a city, climate, American community, infrastructure, etc.
We originally wanted to be near the beach but decided against it once we heard about the extreme heat as well as the huge expense for a/c year round.
There is much to consider and you’ll get a better feel the more you visit.
And, yes, we are buying land without ever renting in CR first… it just felt so right and we have met many people on our travels.
[quote=”shilo”]Good Morning all,
My wife and I are planning to move to CR in about a year and I hope to pick your knowledge about different area of concern over the coming year. Let me tell you about our plans and see if it makes sense to you. We are both over 65 in good health; I think we would like to live about a half hour to an hour from San Jose. A place with a good clinic or hospital just in case would be good. We have visited CR a few time and really like the country but we realize visiting and living in a place are two distinct items. The first year we plan to use public transportation and I think we would like to live in a mixed Costa Rican expat area. Now for the first of many questions; we are newbie at living abroad and we would like to hear your suggestion about how to transfer monies from the US to CR. Of course maintaining the integrity of the transaction is very important to us. Second questions I am aware that there are several language schools in CR., is there a school that specializes in classes for older language and learning challenge folk?
Thank you for your input’
(If you have location thought I would love to hear them)
John[/quote]I am brand new to this forum…not quite sure how to navigate around it. Anyway, have you looked in the north? We are in the process of buying land in Aguacate, just outside of Nuevo Arenal on Lake Arenal. It is so clean, beautiful and has very temperate weather (no need for heat or a/c). It isn’t far from Tilaran for services not available in Nuevo Arenal. We bought a piece of land with lake and volcano views…and access to the boat launch. It is such a beautiful area with quite a few Americans settling there. We considered the Pacific side but decided against it after we heard about the heat as well as the cost for a/c year round. Someone mentioned La Fortuna, which is very pretty but gets so much rain. We’ve traveled up and down the coast each time we’ve traveled there (all the way to the bottom of the Osa), and found the Lake Arenal area to be the most unique as well as very liveable. It’s the Lake Tahoe of CR. I love all of Costa Rica…
