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[quote=”maravilla”]wow, i missed all of that. well, at least you found a better place to land. i’ve only ever done one border run with my girlfriend last year and we took the bus to granada. we had a great time and the trip was pretty painless. i don’t know about other places since i’ve never had to do this.[/quote]
Do you know a good yet inexpensive hotel in Granada, you wouldn’t mind taking family to? I’ve got 4 to worry about, and my Spanish still sux…..I’m TRYING tho…
Sorry to hijack the thread….
[quote=”maravilla”]dan — i thought you were living at the beach somewhere in guanacaste???[/quote]
LOL…Hi Trisha! We WERE at the beach, and I thought you caught my earlier updates…Sorry.
We got there and loved the area, but we found that we had been somewhat misled about the condition of the house and the facilities….The schools didn’t want to take our kids and we found ourselves in a tough spot, but we found this beautiful place and now we’re outside of Puriscal.
We love it here and all is well so far!
The Pizza oven CALLS us BTW…we’ll make the trip when we can, but right now we’re trying to figure out our moves for our first Visa Run later this month, any recommendations?
Dan.
Hi PJ….
Forgive me for butting in, but I live near Puriscal and love where we are….I know there are some rentals available here, that go in the $900/Mo range and are really beautiful homes. We’re high enough that the air is cool and always fresh beyond belief.
I know that ALL of the rentals aren’t on Craig’s list and some of the “We Love Costa Rica” recommended realtors might not even have them all, as great as these guys are.
If proximity to town is a major consideration, Grecia is a good spot, but if you don’t mind some VERY scenic views while driving and friendly small town atmosphere, I would recommend our little slice of Paradise, and with the Forum’s permission, I will give it a plug.
Brian McLane is the developer, and a SUPER good guy. He and his wife are in Canada for the next 10 days for a wedding, but he will be easy to talk to when he’s back in CR. His number is on the site.
I hope Scott and the forum don’t mind this minor plug, because I don’t think Brian is a member or anything….he’s been busy building nice houses and carving a beautiful neighborhood out of these incredible mountainsides.
We moved in here in early May and truly love the place…at the end of the valley, of which we have breathtaking views, lies Manuel Antonio and the Pacific, which we can see all the way from here. (It’s like 30 miles away +)
I hope this is some small help, and I know that if you stick here, you will receive LOTS of good information, besides what I have to recommend.
I wish you all the best, and hope you find that perfect place for you and your feline friend…Feel free to reply or PM me and I will be glad to help if I can, you are in the RIGHT place to find the information you need. Our own journey began about 4 years ago, right here, reading about CR living, and without this site we might never have been able to do it…I’m glad we did.
Best of luck!
Dan.
[quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”vmc”]Hi Dori and everyone….
Dori, the rookie mistake I spoke about was not having a credit card…..Made renting a car a tough proposition, but Mapache took care of us, and tho we had to tie up $900, we got it done……I returned the car yesterday.
Which brings me to the NEXT subject…..We have MOVED. We found that while we LOVED being at the beach, the conditions were just too primitive for us, the inability to escape the heat was a big one. The house, while beautiful by Tico standards had NO WINDOWS…just large openings with a heavy mesh that stopped any air-flow, so the heat was miserable, especially at night. And the places where the mesh was torn made way to a constant flow of BUGS, we had to hide everything in the fridge, that is, until the fridge died on us….we lost a bunch of food and had no way to keep ANYTHING cold.
So what did we do about it? Well, we got lucky there and now we have MOVED. We found a really nice house above Puriscal for less money and one with REAL windows and stuff….no need for A/C, because it just doesn’t get that dang hot….LOL
NEXT came BN (Banco Nacional) and their money-keeping ATM…we lost $500 to it the other day that we just couldn’t afford to lose. Not to worry, others have had this same problem, it seems the ATM’s run out of money and the system isn’t sophisticated enough to NOT deduct from your account if you don’t get money..LOL? Tomorrow (Monday) we’re taking an interpreter and going to the bank and make them review their security tapes and review the ATM accounting…..we’ll probably get our money back tomorrow…..we hope.
It’s a beautiful place with the most incredible views you can imagine. We have a pool and jacuzzi and NOW we have found our home.
I wish I could post pictures here, but if you want, you can find me on Facebook and see what we have been up to so far.
Chapter ONE is still being written….more to follow.
Let me know if you want to find us on Facebook and I will be glad to help and accept any friend requests!
Pura Vida![/quote]
Seems like “Chapter ONE” is over, after roughly 2 weeks on the beach. No more heat, no more bugs, no more LOLA’S! I’ll say this for you – you’re a fast mover, literally!
Did you actually move to the house at Playa Negra without ever seeing it? Or spending time on the beach? Or experiencing the heat – or bugs?
I know it is a slightly different climate there than we have here in Samara, and we are back a few hundred meters and up 150 meters so the breeze (more) and bugs (less) are different, but still, if you are going to live “on or at the beach” in the tropics, you have to expect and accept the heat, humidity, etc. of being close to the ocean.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the cooler weather in the mountains as well, as long as those mountains are in the tropics![/quote]I agree with you, and honestly, we moved in sight un-seen…..the house would have been PERFECT if only we had the option of A/C, but there was none…..I think that killed it for us as much as anything, PLUS the schools didn’t want to take non Spanish speaking students, so we HAD to make a move….Lesson learned, and we’re happy, I just hate moving out without having a tenant to move in so there wasn’t a gap.
We can check that off our list, and TRUST me, we miss the beach and the friends we made there, but it’s not such a big Country…we’ll see them again.
😀
[quote=”CritterHill”]Dan, yes I would like to be Facebook friends and keep up with your adventures. Facebook name?
Dori[/quote]
Dan Coble…..let me know if you have any trouble finding me!
Hi Dori and everyone….
Dori, the rookie mistake I spoke about was not having a credit card…..Made renting a car a tough proposition, but Mapache took care of us, and tho we had to tie up $900, we got it done……I returned the car yesterday.
Which brings me to the NEXT subject…..We have MOVED. We found that while we LOVED being at the beach, the conditions were just too primitive for us, the inability to escape the heat was a big one. The house, while beautiful by Tico standards had NO WINDOWS…just large openings with a heavy mesh that stopped any air-flow, so the heat was miserable, especially at night. And the places where the mesh was torn made way to a constant flow of BUGS, we had to hide everything in the fridge, that is, until the fridge died on us….we lost a bunch of food and had no way to keep ANYTHING cold.
So what did we do about it? Well, we got lucky there and now we have MOVED. We found a really nice house above Puriscal for less money and one with REAL windows and stuff….no need for A/C, because it just doesn’t get that dang hot….LOL
NEXT came BN (Banco Nacional) and their money-keeping ATM…we lost $500 to it the other day that we just couldn’t afford to lose. Not to worry, others have had this same problem, it seems the ATM’s run out of money and the system isn’t sophisticated enough to NOT deduct from your account if you don’t get money..LOL? Tomorrow (Monday) we’re taking an interpreter and going to the bank and make them review their security tapes and review the ATM accounting…..we’ll probably get our money back tomorrow…..we hope.
It’s a beautiful place with the most incredible views you can imagine. We have a pool and jacuzzi and NOW we have found our home.
I wish I could post pictures here, but if you want, you can find me on Facebook and see what we have been up to so far.
Chapter ONE is still being written….more to follow.
Let me know if you want to find us on Facebook and I will be glad to help and accept any friend requests!
Pura Vida!
[quote=”costaricabill”]Dan – I would definitely recommend Santa Cruz for your shopping spree. There are several stores thatere that sell the household appliance items that you mention – and they will be MUCH less than DO IT Center or similar stores in or near Tamarindo.
I’m beginning to wonder how nuch research you did before the move…
did you not know that the house had [i]”no AC or windows”[/i]?
[i]a car for $2,000[/i]?? I suggest that you hire a wrecker to follow you on the test drive!
[i]
“it’s about to cool off here” [/i]- I presume you were talking about getting dark, because May is perhaps the hottest, muggiest month of the year![i]”It doesn’t get as hot there as everywhere else, we never needed the A/C”[/i] – what are friends for if not to give you consistently accurate information? Speaking of consistent, you should be aware that at approximately 10 degrees above the equator, the weather in coastal areas around the globe is pretty much consistent, and it’s hot!
[i]”we may just stay here till our lease is up and seek higher ground.”[/i] – wow – second guessing your decision after only 3 days!
Get your appliances, go to Lola’s, enjoy your new life and chill out. You are living in a little bit of paradise – enjoy it!
[/quote]
Hi Bill! That’s a hoot, thanks, I was kind of making fun of our situation…….We know it’s hot here, and by getting ready to cool off, I mean in relative terms, as in by end of may in terms of cooling off, rainy wet season and all that….I HAVE noticed that our area isn’t as hot as SOME of the surrounding beach areas…..it’s hotter in Tamarindo…… We’re not really second guessing our location, but we know we have options…But what person can come here right off the boat and know how they like a place….we took a big leap and have NO regrets whatsoever.
I’m thinking after hearing MANY different points of view about cars, that it’s all relative, $2000 here isn’t the same as that price in the US, so we’ll keep listening and taking advice till the day comes to make a move.
As for the A/C….no biggie, we aren’t dying here, there is a nice breeze and I need to sweat off two or three metric tons of weight anyhow, so I am glad…..We trust Juliet (The owner, our friend) and tho we really didn’t grasp what she was telling us about the construction here, this house is totally cool (Not frio), our proximity to the beach is great, Lola’s is a nice gringo hangout and all is right with the world….pura vida even.
We’ll make a faux pas or five, but we’re glad we’re here, serious.
Everyone keep roasting me when I need it, I’m just a tenderfoot learning the ropes, I’ve been here, WHAT? four WHOLE days now? LOL. We’ve come a long way in just four, the good people like yourself here will push us through the rest and I can take as much razzing as I need…..LOL
Pura Vida to you all!
Dan.
[quote=”maravilla”]Welcome to puravidaville!
As for the cars, well, i don’t think there is a car you would want to drive that only cost $2000. I just caved in and bought a 1991 Geo Tracker that a friend of mine was selling. That was $5000, plus it took nearly $1000 in repairs to get it to pass Riteve. It did have 4 brand new tires and the body was in good shape. $400 of that $1000 was to put in a new subframe, which had cracked. I went 7 years without a car. I was perfectly happy with the taxi and bus routine, so we’ll see what happens. I guess you would have to go to Liberia (?) to do some serious outfitting for household items? As for the heat? NOT hot??? HAHAHAHAHA Surely your friend was kidding you. You’re in the deep end now. Start paddling![/quote]
LOL…She said “Not as hot”….. It’s cooled down nicely this morning….We’re probably going to Santa Cruz for supplies today, Liberia if we can’t find what we need, or maybe even Santa Rosa.
As for a vehicle, I guess everyone’s experience is different…..I may even look in the US for something in our price range and end up spending $6 or $7K. after all is said and done. Trisha, we’d love to see your place one of these days…..I bet the pizza around your neighborhood is awesome, huh?In PuraVidaVille…..
Dan.
HEY Everybody! We’re here, safe and sound…we have taken a few days to try to get our bearings…..We LOVE it here, but YES, the heat here is a bit much without A/C or WINDOWS for that matter…..It’s about to cool off here and we’re looking forward to that I can tell you.
The language barrier sux, but we’re learning and the people are gracious and patient. We made our first rookie mistakes and can’t rent a car, so we’re going to grit our teeth and consider BUYING one here….
Lola’s is a great spot, and just a short walk up the beach. We didn’t get out today because of the Holiday, but tomorrow comes the expedition for the few gringo supplies we need (Fans, Shower Heads, Coffee maker, etc….) I was actually hoping that there was something akin to Walmart, tho I hate them, because that’s where a lot of stuff can be found that we need, we’ll see what the day and our new friend Willy with the taxi brings tomorrow.
We chose this location because our friend who OWNS this house told us – “It doesn’t get as hot there as everywhere else, we never needed the A/C” but we may just stay here till our lease is up and seek higher ground.
All-in-all, so far, so good, we appreciate all of the kind words and wishes….. Let me know if anyone has a seriously RELIABLE, Non-Frankenstein car in the $2000.00 (US) range, for sale….we really think we’d be better off with a car.
Manana!
Dan.
One week from TODAY (Saturday the 28th.)we’ll be on the ground and headed for our new home…….We’re all pretty pumped…..can’t wait to got on that beach!
[quote=”kwaltersx3″][quote=”vmc”]Hola everyone!
I know some of you with whom we’ve communicated over the last about 4 years of trying to get our act together doubted we would ever make it, and frankly, we had our own doubts from time-to-time.
Well, NO MORE…..LOL
We have a house just north of Playa Negra, and South of Lola’s, and will be sitting on the beach by April 26th!
We’ll get settled and once we are comfortable with getting around and all the fun associated with it, we hope to meet some of the fantastic people who have fielded our questions with glee and encouraged us along the way!
Keep a candle in the window….hold on to your hats………..We’re on our way!
Pura Vida!
Dan.[/quote]
Wow go you! I have decided as a single mom of 2 (14 & 10) to do the dame. We have no ties here in the US and I want out of the rat race.
I am visiting for the first time in June….I have kind of mapped out where I want to visit that I am considering where we will settle. I am traveling the Ncoya Penn which seems to speak to me. maybe while I am passing through our families could meet and you can share any info that you may have with me.
I plan to come home and sell everything we own and only come back with our suit cases packed.
Can’t wait for this adventure….anything you can share with me would be great. I will be traveling in June by myself!
Congrats on your move![/quote]As long as you’re good to go, like David wrote, you’ll probably be glad you got out when you did……David has been around quite a while and his advice is always good.
We’re coming to Playa Avellanas just north of Playa Negra…..We love the beach, but hate perpetual heat, so for now, this looks ideal for us. Keep in touch…we’d love to meet and share any of our limited information, but then, by the time you get there, we may be up to speed ourselves.
[quote=”maravilla”]just in time for rainy season!!![/quote]
Here’s to hoping the rainy season is gentle in Nicoya.
Just an update…..We got tickets through http://www.costaricabustuckets.com “A Safe Passage” is the company name…they were excellent and got everything done for us, they can operate on the fly if you are in a pinch at the airport or wherever.
So far so good!
Pura Vida!
