[rankingee]

If your daughter is really serious about volunteer work and would like to make a difference and has some basic skills and a college degree she may want to check into the Peace Corps. They have a program in Costa Rica. This is not for the faint of heart or for non-serious people as the commitment is for a two year period. Saying that, she will get an experience that will last for a life time, immersion into the culture, become fluent in spanish, and make wonderful friends with the locals and other volunteers. I make this recommendation from personal experience being a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines for two years in an agriculture program (graduating UCLA with a BA in psychology and no agriculture experience!) from 1979 to 1981 (shows my age) but with experiences that you can get no where else.

Let me know if you need anymore info on this.

good luck and keep me posted.

rich

[rankingee]

Dear Denise,

I just went through getting reservations for Christmas week. My original plans were to spend 3 days in Nosara and 4 in Mal Pais. I tried and tried but the problem was that no one wanted to reserve for only 3 to 4 days. So I finally just used VRBO to rent a house in Mal Pais for a week at a fraction of the cost. I used VRBO last year also for a rental. One of the nicer places in Nosara that may suit your needs for a larger party is the Harbor Reef Hotel. Nice place with a great restaurant in a great location just a short walk to the beach.

good luck,
rich

[rankingee]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. It really helps to be able to go to the source for folks who have, or are in, Costa Rica.

[rankingee]

Thanks for the current surf report and feedback on the project. I will be staying in esterillos este from dec 24 to 29th so will get in touch with you Bob a couple weeks prior. Looking forward to the visit. And by the way, I can do fine with 4 to 6 waves. Hold the 10 footers.

rich

[rankingee]

Bob,

Thanks for the clarification on your project. I for one will be down to visit you in December and check out the progress. By the way, how has the surf been?

rich

[rankingee]

Please keep me informed of the situation down there. I have had some correspondence with the sales person at this project and will be visiting in December, but was holding off investment until I got a look at how much progress is actually being made. I don’t know the specifics of your problems with the project, but I certainly have had some concerns regarding the background and experience of the developers. The proof is in the pudding.

[rankingee]

Just want to make sure that this information is accurate and true. Although it doesn’t have alot to do with sharing information regarding Costa Rica, I do believe that those involved in any realestate or financial concerns should be open to sharing their backgrounds as well as any documented legal problems they have been involved in. And just to clear things up and for my own interest, I spoke a number of months ago with a builder in Costa Rica who made the statement that Scott’s Security and Exchange Commision (SEC) licensed was revoked in the US. Is there any truth to this?

[rankingee]

I personally would not be surprised if the Costa Rican market cools down a bit. Being from southern california, we have been waiting for a calming in the real estate market and it is now occuring, not only here but all over the US. The way I see it, many in the US were using appreciation of homes to buy “things”, including second homes, etc. I think this source of income is now slowing as well as the increase in the interest rate which will have a strong negative effect on those who overextended. In addition, the world is now at least somewhat turning into a more global economy which will no doubt have an effect on foreign properties. And lastly, the problem with tracking the trends of the market in Costa Rica is the lack of a MLS (multiple listing service)which makes it quite difficult I would imagine to accurately know what is really happening. I would suggest using caution, do your research, and invest in something that you want to hold onto long term. I would be very careful about pure speculation investments at this time. But hey, thats only my opinion.

[rankingee]

Hi Lotus,

I was refering to a post on this thread by DAVETANS on 6/7 in which he complained about a company named “Rent a 4×4 in Costa Rica”. I am researching car rental agencies for a trip in December and came across a company called “4×4 car rental costa rica” and wondered if this is the company he was talking about. I could not find “rent a 4×4 in costa rica”.

Hope that clears things up.
thanks,
rich

[rankingee]

Would that be “4X4 Car Rental Costa Rica” perhaps? Or as you wrote it?

[rankingee]

While visiting Tambor last month we came upon a traffic stop with red cones manned by a couple of police. It was similar to a DUI type stop in the USA. I was feeling just a bit concerned, not knowing what to expect. When we pulled up, the police officer, with a nice smile on his face, handed us a public service pamphlet in both english and spanish which explained that tourists need to be careful with their passports and keep them in a safe place. Wow! Police out doing public service. What a unique idea! Around where I live in southern california, the police are too busy chasing down all the criminals to perform such a task.

I would worry more about getting bit by an iguana.

Pura vida

[rankingee]

Thanks for the information scott. I seem to be getting a little bit better at checking out the real estate situation as I go. It seems that one should just take one’s time and not rush into anything.
rich

[rankingee]

Thanks Scott. That what it looks like to me also. So how does this work? Does the developer hire a marketing firm to sell their property or can one deal with the developer directly? Any idea.

thanks again,
rich

[rankingee]

Thanks lotus. I will check out Playa Hermosa as a place to stay and just visit Jaco. From all that I have heard, I don’t think that Jaco is a place for me.

[rankingee]

Thanks again Lotus. Checking the airfares, it seems that if you don’t go in and out of the same airport, it really gets expensive. The cheapest for us into Liberia is Continental, but if you only go one way the fair is over $700, but with round trip about $450. Go figure. When we were in Mal Pais last month we took a quad up to Manzanillo and it was really a pretty quick ride for the distance on the map. Looking at the distance up to Nosara, it looks like a few hours would be realistic, plus, I like some adventure. I have a 4X4 where I live in the mountains and drive often on similar roads so it is no suprise to me. We stayed at hotel pachamama which was $50. a night, south of blue jay, and it was a really nice spot also. I dont really expect the prices in nosara to be any cheaper. I think the prices are fairly reasonable. I forgot whether it was you or someone else on this site that said they prefer the central coast.
What is your opinion?

Thanks again,
rich

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