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Sad but true;
Grecia, San Ramon even Heredia where COW towns 40 years ago, not anymore. Even in Desamparados next to “La Guacima” in San Jose, (Parque de La Paz area) houses where (past tense) in the $20,000 ball park they are now in the $90,000 range and in just 30 years. You spend more on security expenses than on Utilities.
[quote=”maravilla”]there is also a growing drug problem in costa rica. gangs are vying for territory in the area where i live. and yes, cost of living has gone up here — many items have doubled in price in the last 3 years — eggs are one of those items. even fresh milk and butter from the local lecheria have gone up significantly. fresh fruits and vegetables are still a good deal, and a lot cheaper than the US. but if you want to live a gringo lifestyle you will pay for it. taking a local bus (which is free if you are over 65) and taxis are still a cheap alternative to owning a car. any place that has been hyped as much as costa rica has is bound to see these changes. the same thing happened in the yucatan and the baja peninsula. both places were ideal spots to retire until the developers moved in and started building luxury homes for the very wealthy. i still live quite well on less than a thousand dollars a month, and i could never do that in the States.[Free bus transportation for over 65? Sign me up immediately! My honor citizens pass in Portland Oregon is $328 for the whole year, but free is better! I am thinking of following Vicki Skinner’s advice about becoming friends with one or two younger cab drivers in my town so I can have a private driver to Cartago or San Jose when I need one. But free bus service, I am now really excited.]
i have two or three taxi drivers and they are a resource for all kinds of things — they pick me up at my house, deliver wine when i’ve run out, brought me groceries in an emergency . . . yes, life is good when you know taxistas!
TAXI drivers;
some of the most AMAZING people, we use the same company and the drivers know us by name, very simple when 25 people in the family use the same 3 taxi drivers.
you don’t know CR until you find out about those taxi drivers and I mean the same one that picked me up yesterday, today and tomorrow, same one all week long
and the best part is that you will hear the beating of the drums on the street, not the watered-down news from the online rags. i hear about things that never make it to the news for one reason or another, but you have to speak spanish because most of the drivers do not speak any english. but that’s part of the fun — i’ve got one taxista who only speaks pachuco and the ride home with him is hysterical as he teaches me the local slang. it’s why i don’t have a car — the taxis are so much more fun, not to mention cheaper, too.
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