Negative, Lazy Gringos Blame Everyone Except Themselves!

“There seems to me to be so much negativity among certain “gringos” that are uninformed and expect Costa Rica to be like the US. When they find it is not like the US, they choose to gripe and complain.

They don’t do research, which is their fault; but then they turn it around so that Costa Rica is the problem. Costa Rica is not the problem, it is the lazy “gringo” who does not want to learn to speak Spanish or embrace the people, country or culture. Our property is far from where most of the negativity collects, and I am happy to be here.

There is no question that Costa Rica has a higher cost of living than some of the surrounding countries. I chose Costa Rica because of the stable government, high education of it’s people, no military, it’s neutrality and the friendly Tico people. They are improving infrastructure every day.




I have been here a little over one and one-half years and I am seeing improvements in internet, wireless, satellite, etc. The heavy rains this year and last year has taken a toll on the roads and they are doing repairs not rather than improvements. This is not the US and I am amazed with what they accomplish on the miles and miles of mountain roads.









I see many companies moving branches to San Jose and the level of construction is great right now. One would not know about the recession in Europe or USA unless you visit the tourist spots, which are seeing a reduction of tourists. The country is moving along quite well in my opinion. I am impressed that we now have two international airports and a new marina opened near the old port town of Quepos.




I cannot speak for Guatemala, or Panama or the other countries. I have visited these countries, but not researched living there. I can tell you that the climate in Panama is not good unless you live in the mountains.

I like the Costa Rican health care system quite well. Now, if your are a snob about physical condition of the clinic near us, then you are missing the point; the country is poor and it is not the U.S.A. The contrast can be quite dramatic. While we have a new state of the art hospital near us, the clinics are run down due to lack of money.




The difference is that the medical staff go to great lengths to provide exemplary health care including preventive care. I visit the clinic and the doctor is never in a rush to push me out and go to the next patient.

There is only one examining room where the doctor works and she gives full attention to every detail and question no matter how many people are in the clinic. No skipping from room to room. A male nurse administers the injections, treatments, etc; and the pharmacy is there also. There are no co-pays and no office charges.




The cost is $82 per month for the two of us. The cost in the USA was $168 per week!! I like the health care and I don’t care about the look of the building.




Another thing to consider is that the banks here allow accounts in dollars and in clones. I get my pension direct deposited right to a dollar account. When someone visits, there is no need to convert cash because US currency is universally accepted. The electricity is 120 volt just like in the US, so all appliances work here like they did in the USA.




As for property taxes, on our house it is about $450 per year as compared to $6,900 in Dallas Texas. Sales tax is 13%.

In Costa Rica you can choose your climate based upon where you choose to live. The temperature varies with the elevation and there are microclimates where it is wetter or drier than other areas.




I cannot believe the difference you will feel from breathing the clean, pollution free, air and drinking the mountain spring water here. I buy most of the fruits and vegetables from local farmers who I have gotten to know. I get better prices and when there is a shortage of a crop, they usually will put some things aside for me.

I do not want to see the pollution cloud darkening the skies or to drink the water that is collected in surface reservoirs with the associated runoff from the roads, fields, and effluent from the sewer plants.




It is nice that the cattle roam up and down the mountains and are not full of hormones and the chickens are not so cramped that they need antibiotics to keep disease down. I like that 90% of the electricity is from hydroelectric not polluting coal or other fuels.

With regard to immigration. Costa Rica is no more difficult than immigration to the USA unless you happen to be a Mexican; and I do not get why they are exempt. My wife immigrated from Europe, she got a green card and later a citizenship. Costa Rica is very careful about who they let in and I am pleased that they are. It keeps the country safe from undesirables.




We had to get all certified documents and they could not be older than six months. We had to write a short paragraph explaining why we wanted residency. All papers had to be checked and certified by the Costa Rican embassy in the US. Then the papers are sent to San Jose.




I had to get a letter from the US Embassy here to certify my pension. This proves that I will not be a burden to the country… not a bad idea.

We had photos taken and fingerprints that were sent to Interpol to see that we were not criminals… so what is wrong with that? It takes from one to two years to get it all done depending upon the efficiency of your attorney and the “system”. It took more than two years for my wife to get her “green card” from INS. I do not see the difference. She waited an additional five years for citizenship because the time starts when the “green card” is issued.




Before we received our cedula, we had to post a bond to the bank to pay for a return ticket if we are deported. Why do US taxpayers have to foot the bill to send the illegals and criminals out of the country? Costa Rica is doing quite well with immigration, in my opinion!

You do not have to start the residency papers over in Costa Rica after three months. You get a 90 day visa when you enter Costa Rica. If you want to stay in good standing while waiting for you papers, you simply need to take a short vacation out of the country and then re-enter to get a new 90 day visa. You do not have leave once you receive a case number for you “green card” application.




This case number can be issued from three to six months after all of the proper papers have been submitted to Migracion. With this letter stating a case number and your US passport, you are pretty much good to go until you are called to get your cedula (a Costa Rica “green card”) and to pay your bond.




I am disturbed that some people write negatively about Costa Rica. Many people expect Costa Rica to be like the USA. It is not and if you take a attitude with the kind folks here in Costa Rica, they will smile at you; but I can assure you that your paperwork will go to the bottom of the pile or will get “lost”.




Many times things do not make sense to us. Politely asking generally will get a response. Sometimes it is simply that they are following rules. This is a Latin culture and things move at a different speed here…and if you give it a chance you will find it refreshing.







One of my friends here said to me one day that if you go to town and accomplish one thing, it is a success. Many times I go to town and get everything done, and I am very happy. Other times it will take two or three trips to get the question or problem resolved. But if you give the people a chance, without exception; the Ticos in the government offices have been very polite and have tried very much to help.




Attitude is everything and research is vital. There are a lot of very happy and content people who have moved here from Canada and the USA. I have found that we all have some commonality. Most have traveled and have an understanding of different cultures, they embrace their new country and do not try to make it like from where they came, and they are flexible. The complainers don’t stay here, they move back.




So, that is two cents worth from me.”




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Written by a VIP Member from the U.S. who is now retired and living very happily in Costa Rica and who prefers to remain anonymous.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.