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[quote=”davidmarsden”]We are arriving San Jose in mid November. We have been advised by the owner of the home we are renting to get a 4-wheeler. Is this necessary? Where is the best place to rent a car or 4-wheeler?[/quote]
You don’t say if you’re looking for long or short-term or where in the country you’re headed. If you are looking for long-term, I rented a 4X4 for 2 months (just returned it yesterday) and had good luck with VAMOS in terms of price/value/service. Believe me, I compared them ALL before I signed the contract! They rented me a Daihatsu Terios that was a few years old and it worked out fine. I got a few flat tires due to slow leaks (not uncommon in Guanacaste) and after the repairs didn’t ‘stick’ they came out and replaced both. They picked up and delivered the car at my house (1 hour drive from their depot in Liberia) and their service was friendly and personable. If you rent long-term you have to renew the lease each month for ‘legal’ reasons. Their salesperson came to my house to do the paperwork.
They did charge a ‘lease initiation’ fee though – which you can possibly negotiate depending on the length of time if you’re going long-term.
I didn’t ccompare VAMOS’s short-term rates but they’re worth looking into.
[quote=”cancertomnpdx”][quote=”jtd2″]Newmanincr,
Here is a link for the list of GSM cell phones certified by Grupo ICE.
http://portal.grupoice.com/wps/wcm/connect/Web%20Content/esp/cattelecom/movil/homol/0gsm
I personally use an unlocked Blackberry phone. You can check eBay, Amazon, or pricetrace.com for prices on factory unlocked GSM phones.[/quote]
Do you just buy a SIM card for a month or so from ICE at the airport when you arrive in Costa Rica? I am interested in the fact you are using a blackberry which must give your email and maybe even SKYPE.
Thanks,
Tom in Portland on a Budget[/quote]Tom,
The prepaid ICE SIM cards that you buy at the airport don’t give you data access. You have to buy a ‘plan’ for that. Wish they did, I am using one on my 4 year old I-Phone that I purchased in London. However, if you’re in a public WiFi hot-spot (and your Phone is WiFi enabled) you can get your mail that way. Not too convenient, but…it’s something.
Happy to report that I just received my beautiful new side-table with 4 drawers made by Alfredo from Guanacaste wood. It’s very well constructed and the natural finish is beautiful. We even found some Melina wood on my property and on the neighbors’ lot that Alfredo may take to make other pieces if it’s in good shape.
Thanks for the help Jarryd – that’s what this Forum is all about!
I would add that vacation rentals here are highly location specific, so it’s critical to study the area you are considering purchasing in. Sue is on the right track – you would be well advised to get advice from local property managers in the area(s) you are thinking of buying in – many of whom also sell real estate. If I were buying an existing property as a rental, I’d ask for proof of rental income & expenses on the property you are considering purchasing as a normal due diligence item prior to making an offer.
[quote=”johnr”]I know a great one near San Francisco de Coyote but you have not mentioned where you are located – SFDC is remote. :lol:[/quote]
Oops..Playa Conchal 😀 Prefer to find someone within 1 hour drive or so.
Thanks David. FFOS has little signs posted around here on trees and I’ve seen their website. May give them a test drive due to your recommendation!
Reviving this old thread to see if there are any new recommendations for Guanacaste furniture builders!
I need a few custom pieces made asap for the place I’m renting out and when my house construction gets rolling later this year will need much much more so would be great to test someone out on a few pieces first before going whole hog.
My Spanish is passable – once I get in contact with someone I can get my ideas across (-:
Thanks!
[quote=”artfulgal”]I think there may be some confusion with regard to the word CARGO. Being a retired American Airlines ticket agent, maybe I can offer some clarification. A pet can travel 1 of 3 ways:
1- as “cabin baggage” – where the pet travel in the cabin with you, and must fit in a kennel, under the seat in front of you. Because the number of cabin pets are limited, you must make a reservation for the same flight you are traveling on.
2 – as “checked baggage” – where the pet travels on THE SAME FLIGHT AS YOU, but in the “cargo hold” with the other checked baggage (it is pressurized and temp controlled)
3 – as CARGO – where the pet travels ALONE and not on the same scheduled flight as you are traveling. Pet also travels just like #2 in the “cargo hold” with the baggage.Many airlines have “embargoes” when the temperature gets too hot or too cold outside. If you are planning on traveling with your pet,I would reccomend traveling on non-embargoed time so that the pet can travel on the same flight as you. Otherwise, if you travel on one flight and then send for your pet later, he will travel as CARGO and on international fights, that entail additional fees and often a broker to “clear” the “carg”.
Hope this helps :D[/quote]
This is true for most airlines…EXCEPT Continental. They do not fly pets internationally from the USA as checked baggage, only as Cargo. Whether or not you fly on the same flight makes no difference, and the dog must be cleared as Cargo.
[quote=”doover612″][quote=”sprite”]Aren’t we missing some details here? Are children involved? The judgement may have been legal, but was it just? I love the way people jump the gun and immediately assume a higher moral ground and assume the government is always correct. I would hold back any moral assessment because the story is not complete.[/quote]
This is strictly an alimony issue. I fully supported my son paying his college education and all the other expenses a Dad is happy to pay for. My son now is fully independent with a good paying job. I’m approaching 60 and would like to retire, but it’s impossible to do while still paying the alimony. I’d like to retire in CR for the lifestyle but cannot while still paying the alimony. My ex refuses to work. After working 6 days a week for 35 years, when is my time to relax and enjoy the good life.[/quote]
Sorry Doober…if you’re approaching 60, I assume your wife is about the same age…or am I off base? If she’s anything past 50 and if she stayed home to raise your son while you worked, her chances of getting meaningful sustainable employment that will allow her to enjoy the same living standard you had while together are likely pretty close to nil at this point. Each State has different divorce laws, so who knows what you’re up against, but I’d suggest that trying to run from your legal responsibilities by moving to CR isn’t the answer. Who wants to be a fugitive for the rest of their days? (You may want to ask Ratko Miladic how this feels!)
[quote=”maravilla”]the CR embassy isn’t always a source of accurate info. when i first started bringing my dogs down here, i, too, called them and they told me i had to have all the paperwork notarized and stamped by THEM before i could take my dog to Costa Rica. The stamps were going to cost $80, and the trip to the consulate was 160 miles rountrip. Then i started checking around and found out this was not true and i went with the information that was on the USDA pet importing website where they clearly state that no embassy has to notarized the health certificates. what i am still having troubling understanding is . . . what is the difference between luggage and cargo, especially if the dog is loaded on the same flight? one requires the broker and a fistful of $$, and the other does not, so what difference does it make what the temperature is if the dog is flying cargo or as luggage if it is on the same plane as you.[/quote]
I agree, it’s stupid to have different rules for shipping animals via Cargo vs. checked Baggage but I don’t know why it is that way.
Regarding the temperature, since animals always fly in a pressurized / climate controlled section of the hold, I think the issue is the ground temp. My dog sat around for 3 hours in San Jose waiting to clear customs. If it had been 95 degrees out it would have been awful (and dangerous) for her. Plus, temps on the tarmac can be brutal. That’s why I didn’t risk flying her via Liberia airport and that’s why Continental won’t fly your animal if the weather indicates it’s too hot at any of the points en route.
[quote=”alewis”]Many thanks for all the replies. We chose Delta because they have a direct flight from Atlanta and it is only about 3 and a half hrs. I am concerned we may be turned away the day we are to fly out because the temp has been in the 90’s here in Birmingham and we are about like Atlanta. We at first consulted Continental but they had no direct flight. They did give us the name of a broker whom we have tried to contact in CR. He answers the phone but when I speak in English he hangs up. There was no other name offered. We have no problem with all the vet issues, shots, etc. Our vet is familiar. I just don’t know what to do about the broker issue. The Costa Rican Consulate in ATlanta said we didn’t need a broker if we were bringing in a family pet. Continental said we did. Delta says we don’t. Can anybody offer the name and phone number of a broker who speaks English? There are always lots of different rules when it comes to CR no matter what. And, they are never the same it seems.[/quote]
Was the Broker that Continental referred you to Jorge Villalobos with TCAP? (Here is their web site) http://www.tcapcr.com/tcaping.html If so, I agree, his English isn’t good over the phone (I spoke Spanish to him). I used email with him and he’s OK in English, and in person his English is servicable. I would send him an email. He’s effective and his office is on site at the Terminal so I’d try to use him if possible.
BTW – I don’t think the distinction is whether you are bringing in a ‘family pet’, but rather whether the dog is coming in via Cargo or via checked baggage. If coming via Cargo, you need the broker & import permit, period. If coming through baggage, maybe not, (I can’t say), but I believe you should call Delta’s office in Costa Rica to confirm their procedure Don’t rely on the ‘home office’ people, trust me.
I just arrived 3 weeks ago with my puppy from Minneapolis to San Jose and I did all of my Pet Shipping homework before undertaking this trip.
I chose Continental Airlines because of their PetSafe program (they have a dedicated Pet tracking hotline and some extra pet care services some airlines don’t claim to have if you have a long layover) EVEN THOUGH Continental requires dogs to travel in Cargo if they can’t fit under the seat. I chose to fly into SJO because the weather is cooler so there would be less risk of them not shipping her if the ground temp was too hot which could happen if you go through Liberia.
Here is what I experienced:
1. I booked my puppy on the same flights I was traveling on through the C.A. PetSafe Cargo Desk.
2. I had a health exam from my Vet 6 days before traveling which I got ‘stamped’ by the Minnesota USDA office.
3. I got a rabies certificate – although since she was just 13 weeks old her first rabies shot was not > 30 days – it’s an exception that is allowed for puppies.
4. Continental recommended a Broker in SJO – and YES, you need one to get your dog through Customs and the SJO Health Inspector if they go Cargo. The Broker works for a company that specializes in Pet Transport.
6. I sent my Health Docs to this broker and he sent me back an Import Permit. I then faxed all of my docs to the PetSafe Cargo desk – this must be done 48 hours before travel.
7. When I arrived in Minneapolis at 4am (2.5 hours before my flight) at the ticket desk as instructed, the Ticket Agent told me the MPLS Cargo desk (at another terminal) would not open until 7am and therefore I was ‘stuck’ and couldn’t ship my dog on my flight because she had to go through there directly. I naturally screamed bloody murder and so finally they ‘woke up’ and called the PetSafe desk who instructed them to inspect my documents, (Health Certificate, Rabies Certificate, Import Permit), which they did, and they then put her on my flight.
8. I had to pay about $260 (based on size/weight) to ship her in Cargo. Her crate had to be a bit bigger than normal due to it being an Int’l flight. I’m sure she appreciated the extra leg room!
9. On my Layover in Houston, I was able to log onto the Continental QuickPak web site and track my Puppy’s entrance into their Cargo area to be sure she made the flight and our transfer. I could also have called their tracking desk but I didn’t feel the need to do that once I saw she had arrived in Houston.
10. Upon arrival in SJO, I had to go 1KM to the Cargo Terminal to meet my Broker. I then waited about 3 hours for my puppy to clear Customs and Animal Inspector clearance. There is a little cafeteria there so it’s not so horrible plus you can sit in the air conditioned Continental freight office to wait. When she was ready to go, I paid the Broker the import fee which was $230.
11. I had booked a Tour Bus to drive me to Guanacaste and told them in advance I would have a long wait at the Cargo area. The driver was very patient, I bought him some cold drinks, and when my dog finally cleared, we were on our way. During the trip to Guanacaste he stopped for me a few times to let her walk and go potty. I gave him a big tip at the end.
Note also that someone from Continental was nice enough to realign my dog’s water dish in transit, (I had installed it a bit high up and they lowered it), so they were actually paying attention to her needs. When I asked them about her condition while awaiting her clearance in SJO the broker said they had seen her and she looked calm and fine. She had food taped to her kennel so if she had needed feeding they could have done that.
The whole flight / layover / clearance took about 12 hours. Unbelievably, when we were reunited she was very calm and she had barely soiled her crate at all and had not chewed up her bedding in a panic which I had expected her to do.
We’re now settled in in Guanacaste and she’s very happy. My biggest issue now is keeping her away from poisonous Toads!
Bottom line – Continental’s service may be costly, but except for the hiccup in Minneapolis at check-in, it seems to work as advertised.
Hope this was helpful…good luck!
Well, 7 days in, and new puppy (Rio) encountered her first Bufo. He’s around every evening – I call him ‘Fat Albert’. Little Rio was about to do her business in the grass and started growling and barking like mad. I jumped from my chair and saw the Bufo and immediately screamed, “Leave it!” at her, then grabbed her and went inside.
Tonight, I chased Fat Albert away with the butt of my flashlight before taking Rio out to do her stuff. So, now I’m officially the Toad Police.
Went to the local vet to ask what to do if she grabs one – he said milk+lemon juice is the first line of defense. He hesitated to sell me Atropine due to the possibility of me overdosing (and killing) the dog…but did say that subcutaneous (under skin) is the way to administer it. He assured me he would answer his phone at any hour in the event of an emergency.
Hmmmmm. I still think I want that syringe :lol:…
I’m bringing my new puppy down with me in a week to live in Playa Conchal. I’m VERY nervous about Bufos, and the bigger problem is, how does one recognize one? In my last place in Tamarindo there were Toads that hung out in my swimming pool at night – but I have no idea what variety they were. I’ve looked at Google Images of Bufos and see everything under the sun. Is it best to just assume ALL Toads are bad news?
Also, does anyone have any training tips to discourage dogs from going after Toads?
