If you do an online search for Costa Rica, you will find all the information you desire about the country, from A to Z. There are literally thousands of articles from people singing the praises of the ‘Switzerland’ of Central America.

Everything you read about Costa Rica being a tropical paradise is true. I wake up every morning, look out my window, and know I am blessed to be living in a country of such stunning beauty.

[custom_script adID=149]

However, depending on your state of mind, the country can have an ugly side, too! Time and time again, we have seen clients come to Costa Rica with nothing but warm, positive feelings toward the country and, in less than six months, leave bitter and jaded.

You may ask, how can somewhere with such natural beauty, a place that is full of warm, smiling faces, have an ugly side? How could one feel bitter and jaded about living in paradise, you ask? Well, in my opinion, the ugly, bitter and jaded emotions have to do with one’s own state of mind at any given time.

Inevitably, clients always ask us, “What are the things you don’t like about living in Costa Rica?”.

[custom_script adID=155]

Honestly, this is a difficult question for me to answer, because I always try to live my life ‘downstream’ and not focus on things that are unwanted in life. I have found that life is much more joyous when you’re not fighting the ‘current’.

Having said that, I give the client my little speech, explaining that one never has BIG issues in Costa Rica, only small annoyances. However, it has been my experience when these little things build up that they are what cause people to throw in the towel and retreat.

After having lived in Atenas for almost 10 years, I look at my top 5 list of annoyances and laugh. It almost seems irrelevant to give lip service to such small details, but these seem important to most people.

  1. Banking in Costa Rica

    Banking in Costa Rica has always seemed complicated. For example, the requirements to open a bank account seem to include everything from an arm and a leg, to a hair from your first born child. This has become even more complicated with Costa Rica having to change their banking regulations to comply with CAFTA (the free trade agreement with the United States of America).

    [custom_script adID=151]

    In addition, going into the bank to do something as simple as exchange currency can often take an hour or longer! Signatures are another cause of my banking stress. I almost never sign my name the same way, but in Costa Rica duplicating your signature is a MUST. When I went to pick up my new credit card a few months back, I had to sign for it to be released to me.

    Even though I presented my I.D. and signed for my credit card, my signature did not match exactly. I spent the next 10 minutes, signing over 20 times, to get a close enough match to my signature that was ‘on file’.

    I have overcome most of my banking stresses by using online banking from home as often as possible. If it is necessary for me to actually go to the bank, I get myself into a calm state of mind first and take a good book to read to pass the time.


  2. The value of time – In Costa Rica

    Time does not seem to be measured in the same way as in the rest of the world. Of course, clocks exist in Costa Rica, but they serve merely as adornments in homes and businesses. ‘Tico time’ is a phrase that was coined due to the lack of importance Costa Ricans put on time.

    For example, when you invite someone over for dinner or to go out for an evening of fun, expect them to be late. This also is true of many professionals. Frequently workers will show up anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours late to work! On the bright side, they do show up and many people still do show up on time.

  3. Drivers’ Education – What drivers’ education?

    If I were to describe driving in Costa Rica as an art genre, I would say it is abstract, with a little bit of cubism thrown in for good measure! Do you get the picture? Your canvas includes heavy traffic, motor cycles weaving in and out of traffic, pedestrians, buses and taxis, and they’re all trying to nail you, Frogger style!

    [custom_script adID=150]

    All of this energy is coming from a people who are very laid back and docile under normal circumstances. In the countryside you have slow drivers, tractors, oxen pulling ox carts, cowboys on horses, cattle drives, or those who just choose to stop in the middle of the road and talk to the neighbors. It’s very different from driving styles in the U.S.

  4. Road Conditions

    Once you have elevated your driving skills to an art form, you will need to begin a military style training for the obstacle course that the country’s roadways provide. In the city you can expect overcrowded streets that are antiquated and small. Often on major highways, entrances and exits exist in the very same spot, causing nightmare traffic jams! Potholes are common throughout the country.

    In the countryside, rough roads that will shake the fillings right out of your teeth are par for the course. I have a Costa Rican friend who is an civil engineer and he laughs as he tells me, “When the road system was created in Costa Rica, all we did was pave over our oxcart trails and call them highways!”

  5. No standardized way of doing things

    Nothing ever seems to happen exactly the same way in Costa Rica. For example, when helping clients open a bank account at any of the national or international banks, the required documents seem to change depending on the bank itself, the bank branch, the person helping you open the account, the moon phase, your astrological sign, and the results of a Rorschach test.

    When making a doctor’s appointment or picking up your medicine at the CAJA, sometimes proof of payment is required and sometimes it’s not. In fact, occasionally the government passes laws and creates new taxes, but then forgets to include instructions and provide a way to charge these taxes.

So, there you have it, my top 5 list of things that drive me a little loco in paradise. Looking back, at one point or another in the past 10 years, all these things have really irritated me and, on occasion, still do.

But, when something gets my dander up, I try to put myself into a different state of mind and just go with the flow. Also, I take a moment to remember that it was my choice to live in Costa Rica and that I must abide by the rules and customs of their country, not the other way around.

[custom_script adID=153]

At the end of the day, most everything on my list is due to the ‘pura vida lifestyle’ that Costa Ricans live in, which is one of the things I most admire about this beautiful country. So, if any of these things are irritants for you, keep in mind it’s not life or death. In fact, it’s an opportunity to grow as a person.

As the author, Richard Carlson once famously said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”. In other words, at the end of the day, don’t let such little, insignificant things ruin your new life in paradise!

Going Crazy In Paradise! My top five pet peeves about living in Costa Rica.

Article/Property ID Number 4723

[custom_script adID=187]

Are you into beautiful Costa Rica?

All interesting things you want to know about Costa Rica are right here in our newsletter! Enter your email and press "subscribe" button.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *