Friday the 7th was a big day for our local village, Rivas – when the attaché to the President of Costa Rica Rodrigo Arias paid a visit.

In May last year, tropical storm Alma wreaked havoc when the river draining the huge mountains above us dammed up with landslides and falling timber, burst out and flooded the village with a raging torrent of mud, trees and boulders.

Standing on the hillside watching homes, lands and livelihoods being swept away was horrendous.

The bridge into the village was destroyed, roads were inaccessible and whole communities isolated in their distress. At the time, we marveled at how national and local agencies swung into action, ferrying essential supplies up the valleys by helicopter, and working in very tough conditions to get the roads opened.

Since the flood gouged out the roadway, new piers had to be built, the bridge was extended and raised higher – a huge job but a better investment than the ‘temporary repairs’ tradition of the past.

So the Vice President came to inaugurate the new bridge, accompanied by Rosibel Ramos, the much respected Alcadesa (mayor) of Perez Zeledon municipality.

After the speeches, a lovely touch – the Vice President cut the ribbon and presented a souvenir piece to the two children who had held it with such pride.

My lovely house cleaner – a lone Mum with three teenagers – lost her rented home and can truly be described as a ‘victim’ – not only of the storm but of the bureaucracy that has taken all these months to get her grant for a new home from the Government coffers to a bank in town.

She is allowed 9 million colones (less than US$16,000) for the plot and construction – and anyone who knows anything about real estate here, will know how impossibly limiting that is.

See what she’s getting for her money!

The grant has been channeled through a cooperative agency, ostensibly set up to support housing development, but therein lie more men of power – who decide this chunk of field is big enough for three homes, and it might be if they hadn’t decided that Cecilia’s plot size would include a 3m wide roadway up the left side, whereas the two to be built in front would have their road up the right side – just how crazy is that?

We went to check progress last week – very simple pre-cast concrete wall construction, a tin roof and internal dividing partitions. The living area – for cooking, eating and sitting, is about 24′ by 10′. The two teenage lads will share this little bedroom…

I think bunk beds are on the shopping list!

Tiny, yes, but compared to the ‘rustic’ earth floored cabina they are living in at the moment, Cecilia is excited – she will own this home, make it work, and be content – that’s the Tico way.

Its so humbling to realize this little home would fit inside our sitting room/dining area – yet again, we reflect on how lucky we are.




Written by VIP Member Sheelagh Richards. Sheelagh is originally from Scotland and her husband John who is from Wales are two inveterate British travellers who fell in love with Costa Rica, the beauty of the Talamanca mountain range and the perfect climate of the Rio General valley where they have established a small Bed & Breakfast called Casa de Los Celtas. You can see a free online video interview with John & Sheelagh Richards here.

You can see more about John and Sheelagh’s very affordable B&B outside San Isidro here and photographs and prices here.

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