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No offense taken davidcmurray, there are diverse views and opinions on this site and that’s one of the reasons it’s such a wealth of info for anyone considering a move to CR. I was personally immensely shocked at the street value of any used car in CR and not just because of the import duty levied, but many people choose to avoid any hassle of importing their car and buy a used or new car in CR and all goes well. I’m sure these are some of items sensualspirit will look into when she visits CR…Pura Vida and Have a wonderful and blessed Holiday Season…
As far as private schools, furniture and cars:
Again, your choice will depend on the location you choose to live in (although they do bus the children, but this will also add to the cost), bi-lingual or English/other language speaking only, type of curriculum offered, school calendar and budget. I imagine that if you do a google you will get some. Here are the ones I can recall of the top of my head and I got found their websites for you (SJ will mean in the San Jose Province or near not that it’s in the capital city):
Country Day School (Escazu-SJ and Guanacaste)
http://www.cds.ed.cr and http://www.cdsgte.comLincoln School (Moravia-SJ)
http://www.lincoln.ed.crAmerican International School (Heredia)
http://www.aiscr.comBlue Valley School (Escazu-SJ)
http://www.bluevalley.ed.crBritish School (Rohrmoser-SJ)
http://www.bscr.ed.crEuropean Schoo (San Pablo de Heredia)
http://www.europeanschool.comHumboldt (Rohrmoser-SJ)
http://www.humboldt.ed.crInternational Christian School (Santo Domingo de Heredia)
http://www.icscr.netMarian Baker (San Ramon de Tres Rios-SJ)
http://www.marianbakerschool.comPan American School (San Antonio de Belen)
http://www.panam.ed.crMonteverde Friends School (Monteverde)
http://www.mfschool.orgThe Cloud Forest School (Monteverde)
http://www.cloudforestschool.orgPlease note that there are other smaller ones that may offer bi-lingual education such as IPI in Moravia which is very good and you can get contact info here (there are some duplicates, but they also have some smaller or more bilingual schools on this site):
Also, some schools go up to 12th grade and follow US or European curriculum and school calendars while others are only up to 11th and follow CR curriculum & calendar. The schools may offer the National Baccalaureate and the US/Europ equiv diplomas or both.
The WLCR site has info on furniture, unless it’s something you love, probably not worth the cost of taking it to CR. Now the car is another matter (also info on the site). Cars are doubly expensive in CR due to import taxes levied so you’re better off bringing yours especially if you don’t owe anything on it rather than spending double the money to buy a car that might have had trouble in the past in CR.
Foremost, don’t forget to check with the CR consulate in Toronto regarding residency requirements so that you can feel at peace once you’re in CR and don’t have that hanging over your head….
I wish you the best and hope you will let us know how your info trip went and if you move to CR, how you and your son are doing….
Hi there, Reading your post reminded me of how difficult a divorce usually is on a woman with children—It brought back some of the thoughts that also went thru my head while I was going thru my divorce and immediately moved to CR in 1992 with a 3 year old, but I had lived for one year in CR 10 years prior and my sister & friends lived there so I had a bit of a security blanket set in place even before I arrived. I think it’s wonderful that you’re interested in CR and I think you would probably like so much of it, but I also think that you need to visit before you can actually do a little soul searching about picking yourself and your son up from Canada and landing in a country you barely know. What David says is so true, arm yourself with information before ever taking this on. Read Scott Oliver’s book about buying in CR (even if you’re not planning to buy just to get to know about how things work there), find as much info on CR on this site and elsewhere (not only from Travel guides that seem to idealize many issues), and definitely come visit. I don’t think you need to do a structured tour of any kind (even though that probably would be most efficient in terms of time management–I know plenty of people that have moved to CR without them), but you do need to network, get organized and then actually experience the country. CR is very diverse in locations and the amenities you will find available to you in each and the costs will also vary accordingly. You mentioned Limon and that’s one of my favorite places in the world, I will be there later in January (Manzanillo area), but it’s for the very relaxed, easy going type of person who doesn’t mind dirt roads, a mixture of Afro-Caribbean/Indigenous flavor that is dominant there mixed in with Chinese that came to help build the railroads long ago, you will also find European and American expats that also call Limon their home–All of which is very different from the atmosphere in San Jose (capital of CR in the CV area) or surrounding areas of the Central Valley (CV). Not to mention that you will NOT find good schools there for your son. Great people, great food (including the best Tuscan restaurant I have ever dined in), great music, great surfing/snorkeling/etc., great artists, but NOT great high schools…and Internet service, although getting better, probably not that great….Oh, they do speak an interesting form of English there so that would be a plus since it’s very understandable….
You do seem to have a lot on your plate right now and if your 15 year old son is not comfortable with this move, your timing may not be the most appropriate for your family in the long run. He will only be 15-18 once in his lifetime and it’s a crucial age for children making that passage into young adulthood. In Canada you and your son have certain family & friends, a gov’t social support system that may not be available in CR although some (health care) can be thru INS or once you become a resident, thru their nationalized health care system, but it’s a different culture, a different language and although beautiful and filled with very friendly people, teenagers are very peer oriented and this may just be too much for him to maintain his emotional stability. On the other hand, if he visits first, he may just decide he’s up for the challenge…
As far as education, the public school system may not be appropriate for him since he would not know anything about the language and would probably need to go to an English speaking private school…there are all different kinds with budgets that also vary, but I can tell you that I paid more for my daughter’s private school than what I paid for my college education in CR. Also, in CR the kids not only have to pass the 11th or 12th grade (depending on system), they also have to pass this test to go to college in CR so you need to consider his educational needs and the requirements CR imposes on it’s students before schlepping him to live there when he’s almost done with HS because this may put an awful lot of pressure on him….
If you decide that he will stay in Canada and you will relocate, then your considerations will still be around what you are looking for regarding services and you will also still need to consider safety…I never lived in a gated community, both houses I owned were in nice neighborhoods, but today I might be more inclined to find something where I could count on more security regarding possible break-ins and the like…especially if living alone…
I hope some of this helps you sort out some thoughts and do come and visit CR, I have a feeling that you would just love it there…Keep in touch…Pura Vida!
Common names are usually very confusing when referring to particular species as in Costa Rica you can hear people call a crocodile or a caiman a “lagarto” and a caiman an alligator. In Latin America caimans ARE commonly translated as alligators (see: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csp_ccro.htm). The scientific nomenclature explains why the strong association even if they are not from the genus Alligator sp.(sorry, I don’t know to make the scientific names in italics on the Forum site):
Order Crocodilia
Families: 1) Gavialidae, 2) Crocodylidae, 3) Alligatoridae with Genus: Alligators, Caiman and two others
So ALL crocs are Crocodilians, but not all Crocodilians are crocodiles and in CR you do not have the Genus Alligator sp. but you will find the Spectacled Caiman (another common name) Caiman crocodilius and the American Crocodile which is Crocodylus acutus.
Crocs are much bigger once fully grown, but since you may find diverse aged animals in the wild the easiest way to tell a crocodile from a caiman from afar is by the amount of teeth exposed in those not so friendly smiles. The croc has a lot of the teeth exposure and the lower jaw teeth can even penetrate the upper jaw whereas the caiman doesn’t have as much exposure of their teeth and also has a bony ridge between the front of their eyes (like triangles).
Crocodiles tend to be much more aggressive – especially at night when they’re most active and they’ve been known to chase people standing near rivers and the wetland areas they inhabit including some really scared UNA biology students in Caño Negro – they seemed to want to get to know us much more than we wanted to get to know them :),but there have been issues with both species and frankly if either are in Lake Arenal, I will not be learning how to windsurf there…LOL…
They also have great windsurfing and kayaking on Lake Arenal! And the water is quite cold and refreshing…I hope you get a chance to check that out, the lava trails, the river, the waterfall, the hot springs and that the volcano is doing a little rumbling to show off….The view is spectacular on a clear night when there’s some volcanic activity, but even when you don’t have a clear view, you can always listen for a rumble here and there…It’s a great area to explore!
No Simondg, I live in Jersey and my family has a C21 in Parsippany where C21 has one of their headquarters. Here’s the deal, she may be just repeating information that she heard and may actually believe it (highly doubtful, but who knows), but unless she has scientific studies to show that CR’s sea level has risen, then she shouldn’t be saying this because it really makes her, her agency and C21 look bad. As a matter of fact, on the Atlantic side of CR the last major earthquake (92)raised the coral beds near the coastline that were once completely submerged, but it’s not that the sea level fell or rose. The rising sea levels predicted thru global warming models would take a long time and the 50 m high tide line in CR is not going to change within the time it takes to build a few houses–her statements are ridiculous…
Unfortunately, there will be people that are not informed regarding CR laws or environmental changes that may choose to purchase within the 50 m high tide area due to her explanations, spend their hard earned savings and then find themselves in quite a pickle once the government of CR finally decides to enforce the 50 m high time law leaving them without a home–That to me is much more upsetting than for her to be set straight about giving erroneous or misleading statements in order to make a few bucks….I have an aching suspicion she will not be fired, but she will think twice about making such statements…
Here’s the deal, you may have some coverage for international mishaps under your State Farm insurance or any other US/Canadian private insurance company; however, CR currently only has a national insurance system which means that if you had an accident, you would probably have to come up with the monies before being allowed to leave (the lack of private insurance reference makes the typical insurance to insurance dealings a bit troublesome). The cost for car rental insurance is really minimal, and even though I also have State Farm Insurance for my cars and home, I always take out car rental insurance while in CR–just one less thing to worry about and while I’m in CR I really don’t want to worry about much 🙂 If you still feel that this is a viable option, then I suggest you ask your State Farm agent to show you IN WRITING where this coverage is stated, how much coverage it implies and how the process would be in case of a claim–this way you wouldn’t be left with a nasty little surprise once you’re already in CR…Pura Vida!
Hey Maravilla, I will also be in CR in January for a short visit between the 7th to 19th. When will you be there? I would love to see your farm and meet you in person. Maybe we can share our favorite chocolate cake treats? BTW, I’m definitely going to recommend these heating rods to my sister. Pura Vida!
Simondg, When I brought it up to some of the legal staff at headquarters, they said that without the name of the agent and the agency, they will not proceed to investigate because they feel it’s just hearsay and rumors…. 🙁 Any suggestions? We can play a game of fill in the blanks or multiple choice or pin the tail on the rogue broker 🙂 and then I will have more substantial ammunition to work with…Yours truly, Redbaron…
Hi Simon, Did you see this article on AM CR:
http://www.amcostarica.com/morenews2.htm
“The consumer law, No. 7472, said in part that the producer, the provider and the merchant should answer together and independently for the existence of a fault if the consumer is injured by goods or services, or as a result of inadequate or insufficient information about them or their use and risks. “
I wish you and others in this boat the best of luck and I hope people join efforts no matter how small their loss to make the system re-organize their thought processes in these matters. It should have never happened much less have the situation still going unresolved…
Well, it’s good to know that at least something positive may have been gained from the CAFTA approval (some monies were promised IF and only IF the CAFTA/TLC was approved by CR and these may be part of that agreement). However, it’s still not an awful lot of money at today’s land prices, only $10 million is a donation, $30 million are in the form of a loan which will need to be paid back or renegotiated by doing something else the World Bank wants CR to do, and I don’t know where the CR government will carve out the $47.5 million since they’re always telling the Conservation Areas that they have no money for such funding. Also, a lot of the areas already declared protected (to varying degrees) have yet to be paid for and these monies would probably be used first to address these before any further acquisition of lands for protection is made…However, it should help maintain already protected areas and hopefully add at least some environmentally sensitive areas to CR’s system of protected land….In the end, something is better than nothing at all and I’m happy for what this will mean to CR’s incredibly valuable, diverse and sensitive environments…
That sounds great Maravilla, I would just make sure those heating rods have been safety checked–Sometimes they will not have a UL stamp, but if you know that they have been used for a long time and there have been no reported fires–then they should be pretty safe. A good friend of mine asked to borrow my wedding dress a few years ago and it’s been in my sister’s closet after the CR wedding – Frankly, I’m a bit afraid of taking a look these days because closets are notorious places for mold to show up in CR 🙁 Does your friend find that it keeps her closets from smelling musty and keep mold at bay?
Wow, thanks for the info dhsbooker! I just looked them up and according to their site they sound like they would be a viable idea for CR especially for closets and cabinets as long as air circulation is an option (slatted doors, etc.). I guess it would be questionable near perishable food or too close to heat sensitive electronics since it does heat up to 150 degrees, it runs on regular 110 volt and you would probably need to leave them on all the time during the rainy season which may raise your electric bill a bit (unless you have solar panels), and you would need to make sure kids didn’t touch them to avoid any accidents, but otherwise it’s compact enough that it may be very helpful for various residential applications. There are a few testimonials on the site from Floridians that use them specifically to keep mold & mildew at bay…It may not solve all the problems, but it sure seems to be a useful tool in the battle against mold in CR–I wish I had known about them before….Pura Vida and thanks again!
Hey Dahlia, I’m so glad everything is resolved and in place for your upcoming CR visit. You’ve picked a marvelous time to visit there. The only place you may still find quite rainy would be the Atlantic side (Limon area), but the dry season will be in full swing by then and bless your stay with beautiful days. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time and I can’t wait to hear how your CR adventure turned out…Pura Vida!
PRECAUTIONARY NOTE ON OZONE GENERATORS…I hadn’t read the posting on ozone strips until now because yesterday was a bit crazy for me and I know that ozone (O3) has been used to purify water and remove biological contaminants in sterilizations, but I also know that we’re not meant (as biological beings) to be in excessive contact with O3. I hadn’t heard about those home uses for O3 and I would like you all to read the information the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says about ozone:
“If used at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone applied to indoor air does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological pollutants…Some data suggest that low levels of ozone may reduce airborne concentrations and inhibit the growth of some biological organisms while ozone is present, but ozone concentrations would have to be 5 – 10 times higher than public health standards allow before the ozone could decontaminate the air sufficiently to prevent survival and regeneration of the organisms once the ozone is removed (Dyas, et al.,1983; Foarde et al., 1997).”
IN OTHER WORDS, if an ozone strip is working to eliminate fungal spores, then they are working by generating TOXIC LEVELS of O3 for humans and will be HARMFUL to the lung function of humans (especially children, elderly, people w/asthma, etc…). Visit the following sites for more information:
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=static.ozone2#2
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
Please know that airing out your home is one of the safest ways to avoid mold in your home along with following some other simple precautions. Sometimes safety is not the “easiest or fastest” route, but maintaining the health of our family is worth the extra effort…Pura Vida!
