Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
“Using aerocasillas to have stuff delivered from Amazon right to my PO box”–could you please provide a few more details as to how this works?[/quote]
You go to aerocasillas, which is also called aeropost. There is an option for English. Fill in all the information, your p.o. box in costa rica, your credit card info. They give you 2 addresses, a mailing address for letters and a p.o. box for packages. Go to your Amazon account and add the package address. Some companies will only let you ship to your billing address but Amazon permits multiple addresses. You create an account, your logon is the sjo-xxxxx number they give you and you create a password. As indicated, print out U.S. postal form 1583, sign it and scan it with 2 forms of i.d., I use my passport and FL drivers license, along with the invoice, to the email address indicated on their website. Their website provides shipping rates and customs duties for a variety of items. There is no monthly fee. You only pay for each individual shipment. You can track the package on their website. Your packages are insured. They will send you an email when package has arrived. I think you can just have the package sent to the nearest post office, but I have a p.o. box so I do not know. The package usually spends a few days in the customs warehouse and their tracking info is a day or so behind, so if you are in a rush, check with your post office. The package may already have arrived. They also have what is called a Prealert to notify them that a package is on its way. Hope this helps.
[quote=”Octavia”][quote=”unacharmed”]I have been living in the southern zone for close to 2 years full time, with trips back to the states every 3 months. We had the house for 6 years prior and came down twice a year for vacation. The house is an old, ugly, small Tico house and needs lots of work and things are breaking down on a weekly basis. It is on an acre of absolutely breathtaking land.
I actually find it comical. To me it is an adventure. Above ground pvc water pipes, going up to the mountain to straighten them out and fix the leaks with hule (bicycle tires) after a lot of rain, monkeys descending in packs jumping from tree to tree, fresh fish from the public dock, excellent chicken, beef bones for my puppy, a great Salvadoran neighbor couple who helps me all the time, a neighborhood gringo/tico bar, close to the Panama border for a modern supermarket and clothing, a great automechanic who delivers my truck back to my house after he makes his repairs, gorgeous natural environment, the chickens who make daily visits and the rooster who crows, a huge gulf where I can take my rowboat and trolling motor in the back of my pickup truck and put put over to an island (with my dog!) where drinks are served, or bring your own, and have smoked pork and fresh lobster (no butter sauce!), lots of kids and families enjoying the beach and the day.
I can download movies and kindle books and have Netflix, Skype, great internet that hardly ever goes out, buses and taxis whizzing by if I need one, no hurricanes, sunny practically every day, internet banking and bill paying.
Using aeorcasillas to have stuff delivered from Amazon right to my p.o. box. I could go on and on.
On the downside, yes, I have to find a solution to all the household defects and appliance problems and the insects eat me alive. And living without a/c.
But even knowing that 99% of Americans would think me crazy, I feel so lucky. The only thing I miss is a library and an occasional good steak.
I still have a modern house in FL and could return. For now, for me this is an adventure of a lifetime. Im loving it!
[/quote]“Using aerocasillas to have stuff delivered from Amazon right to my PO box”–could you please provide a few more details as to how this works?[/quote]
Thank you so much, Janice and Lotus. You just never know what is going to happen. As they say, tomorrow is promised to no one. I have dubbed Golfito as the land of broken dreams. I have seen many a gringo sideswiped by life. We have all worked so hard. Get here soon! All the best to you all.
I am hauling it off to Florida because our lawyer was out of the office when we sent him all our original documents for residency last year. His wife died and he was out for 3 weeks. Someone apparently took off with them. First he said he hadn´t received them and and would keep checking. When confronted with the EMS Correos signature confirmation, he admitted they were gone. Then my husband got sick and died, all within 11 months. At 56. So now I have to start all over with my own residency. That is why I am back and forth to Florida. Paso Canoas is a difficult border crossing. And becoming a recent widow has its challenges. Lots of paperwork and Murphy´s Law situations in addition to grief and a whole lot of other emotions that slow one down. Life will settle down soon I hope.
I have been living in the southern zone for close to 2 years full time, with trips back to the states every 3 months. We had the house for 6 years prior and came down twice a year for vacation. The house is an old, ugly, small Tico house and needs lots of work and things are breaking down on a weekly basis. It is on an acre of absolutely breathtaking land.
I actually find it comical. To me it is an adventure. Above ground pvc water pipes, going up to the mountain to straighten them out and fix the leaks with hule (bicycle tires) after a lot of rain, monkeys descending in packs jumping from tree to tree, fresh fish from the public dock, excellent chicken, beef bones for my puppy, a great Salvadoran neighbor couple who helps me all the time, a neighborhood gringo/tico bar, close to the Panama border for a modern supermarket and clothing, a great automechanic who delivers my truck back to my house after he makes his repairs, gorgeous natural environment, the chickens who make daily visits and the rooster who crows, a huge gulf where I can take my rowboat and trolling motor in the back of my pickup truck and put put over to an island (with my dog!) where drinks are served, or bring your own, and have smoked pork and fresh lobster (no butter sauce!), lots of kids and families enjoying the beach and the day.
I can download movies and kindle books and have Netflix, Skype, great internet that hardly ever goes out, buses and taxis whizzing by if I need one, no hurricanes, sunny practically every day, internet banking and bill paying.
Using aeorcasillas to have stuff delivered from Amazon right to my p.o. box. I could go on and on.
On the downside, yes, I have to find a solution to all the household defects and appliance problems and the insects eat me alive. And living without a/c.
But even knowing that 99% of Americans would think me crazy, I feel so lucky. The only thing I miss is a library and an occasional good steak.
I still have a modern house in FL and could return. For now, for me this is an adventure of a lifetime. Im loving it!
I agree with Sprite. We are the invaders and we went to Iraq and Afghanistan to control and kill the enemy. The U.S. government tells the soldiers who their enemies are – who to point their guns at. I’m not proud of this and I don’t consider them heroes. Stupid and brainwashed to do the bidding of their government. Some just would rather risk their lives for the benefits. How many “heros” were given a choice of going to jail or enlisting in the military?
I have no information but we knew him. We have a house in Golfito (but live in NY) and have brought our laundry to his lavanderia for the last 4 years when we vacation there. The laundromat is upstairs. We ring the bell and call up and he buzzes us in. Maybe he let in some unknown person. It is not an isolated area but almost right in the middle of town. He was the very last person I would ever believe would be murdered. I can’t imagine he even had any enemies. He was soft-spoken and mild-mannered and very nice and like the article said, he rarely went out. Extremely pale and thin. To the family, please accept our condolences. This is a terrible tragedy.
Hi Terry – My husband and I bought a house in Golfito last year – it’s a simple tico house on the main road, approx. an acre of land. We’ve got coconuts, bananas, oranges, carambolas, and other exotic fruits whose names I cannot spell. The monkeys come in the rainy season and swing from tree to tree looking for fruit. We paid $125,000 from a tico. Two years prior it was for sale for about $60,000. We thought it was high at the time, but as a result of some building down the road, we could probably get $250,000. You probably know the website (removed) owned by Dave Corella. Dave showed us that property and we highly recommend him. We had our eyes on another property for $60,000, but it fell through. Development is coming, but slowly- to Golfito – megaprojects with expensive condos and new marina. We won’t be moving down there for 5 years – we just go and visit and stay in the house. We have a young man living there. We love Golfito but we realize that there is a lot of poverty and a lot of crackheads and are concerned about security over time. But so far it is muy tranquilo. We closed on it last June – we still don’t have a phone and cell phones don’t work because there’s a mountain behind us. You can also try Rio Claro (more mainstream it seems) and Ciudad Neilly. I am sure you will find inexpensive properties there.
We bought a house in Golfito last June and we are thrilled. We have a young man living in it – the son of a waitress we met while vacationing there and looking at property. To basically house sit, we pay him around minimum wage plus we pay the caja payments and it comes to around $300 plus a month. It is working out just fine. As you have heard over and over again, it is not good to keep a house vacant. (Dave of Rainforest Properties in Golfito handles the payment to the caja. He is terrific. You might want to talk to him about your plans – he may have some suggestions. I have yet to figure out how to pay the caja on line – the last time i went to the caja in golfito they told me to go to a computer and print out the form – which i couldn’t find on their website) It’s a small house, but there are always repairs to be made, so that costs as well. If you could find a renter, you might not get more than $100 a month and you would have to pray hard that there are not any gaps in tenants. We are very happy and so far it has worked out. We have 5 more years to go. I wish ya all the best. Golfito is certainly not for everyone, but we love it.
