Living in Costa Rica - "Sunsets are magnificent."

Living in Costa Rica's South Pacific: Paradise not perfection.

Enaid Savage

'Why Costa Rica?' was the first question posed by most people. It seemed the perfect place to retire and live with a majestic, coastal white water ocean view, on 17 acres. Try buying that in the States without a veritable fortune!

Served with numerous delights, the Costa Rican experience is flavored with some disappointments. Mine are seasoned with 8 years of perspective.

Building a 4,600 square foot high-tech house with a gym, sauna, pool and media room was guaranteed to provide everything I wanted right at my fingertips. The rural area of Dominical wasn't an issue since I had tired of black tie events and malls. The simple life would be fine with me.

Costa Rica South Pacific - Growing rapidly.

We thought we were bringing the technology that would provide high speed internet - it didn't work however. We are just receiving the internet service we'd initially anticipated. We did master the U.S. feed of DirecTV - a secret I shouldn't admit.

A few basics of living in Costa Rica:

This is primarily a cash economy. Credit cards were not always useful even in one of the largest hardware stores. Employees were paid in cash. They worked a 5½ day week and banks were closed by the time their shift ended on Saturday. Most didn't have bank accounts. Imagine paying as many as 30 people in cash! A statement of security - we were never robbed.

Living in Costa Rica - "Come with an expectation of things being different..."

Planning was not part of the lexicon. No matter how many times you expressed your need to be advised in advance, invariably the announcement that a critical material needed to be re-ordered was noted on the day it was needed.

It's not just the magnitude of the construction process. Getting a housekeeper who works with you daily to let you know in advance before the detergent container is empty is nearly impossible.

Who would think to ask?

1. Electricity was not routinely grounded.
2. The manufacturer of magnificent hardwood doors came prepared for installation without knobs or hinges.
3. The paint contractor arrived with his crew prepared to work with nary a brush, roller or any supplies whatsoever.

A horror story? Quite the contrary... A lesson in cultural differences - you bet. Culture is much deeper than language, costumes and foods. Consider this a functional culture. If one stair has a riser of 9" while the others have risers of 7" what's the problem?

Enaid lives in Dominical, Costa Rica.

The functional reason for stairs is to enable you to climb from one level to the next. Never mind that in expectation of steps being the same 'WE' trip. Locals have no such expectation and they never trip either.

Imagine workers who see a job to be done and just do it. If the electricity fails the welder will push a wheelbarrow of rocks without being asked. I can't imagine men who work harder, consistently without absence and still have the energy for a game of soccer at the end of a hard day of labor that begins at 6am and ends at 5pm.

In living in Costa Rica Enaid built a 4,600 square foot high-tech house with a gym, sauna, pool and media room.

There are amazing mountain and valley views along with breathtaking ocean vistas in abundance along the southern Pacific coast. People are friendly and supportive. Sunsets are magnificent. What else does the setting really need to provide?

Come with an expectation of things being different, tons of flexibility and interview extensively those who have preceded you. If you plan in minute detail as we did, the task will be easier.

As for regrets I have only one. The infrastructure. Internet and telephone service continue to be vexing but the price curve of land and housing is accelerating as the service is improving.

Get on board before Paradise is Perfection!

Enaid Savage lives in Dominical, Costa Rica.

Written by Enaid Savage who is a professional Costa Rica Realtor working for Coldwell Banker Vesta Group in Costa Rica. If you would like to arrange to see real estate for sale on the South Pacific, then please help us to help you by giving us your your email address and answer the three little questions in the form below: