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Well, by all appearances – barring any last minute changes, today is the day that Dan & family arrive in Costa Rica.
He is probably on the plane as I write this. If so, I am sure that flight will take on the character of a “party bus”.
In his enthusiasm I just hope he remembers to stop at immigration and get checked in! Playa Negra will never be the same!!!
WELCOME DAN – TAKE TIME TO ENJOY ALL THAT YOUR NEW COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER!
[quote=”costaricabill”]Well, by all appearances – barring any last minute changes, today is the day that Dan & family arrive in Costa Rica.
He is probably on the plane as I write this. If so, I am sure that flight will take on the character of a “party bus”.
In his enthusiasm I just hope he remembers to stop at immigration and get checked in! Playa Negra will never be the same!!!
WELCOME DAN – TAKE TIME TO ENJOY ALL THAT YOUR NEW COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER![/quote]They should get a warm welcome on the Guanacaste coast today (temp. about 92F, 33C; thunderstorms); http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=CSXX0011
…and perhaps enjoy a welcome swim on the incoming tide (late afternoon at nearby Samara, http://samarabeach.com/tides/april.htm)Congratulations:D for having the guts to get out of dodge. My husband and I would love to leave but do not have the bravery that you have nor the financial stability at this time.
We visited CR last year (Tortugero, Arenal, and Manual Antonio) and fell in love with the people and the country. While my husband would love to buy property in Arenal, my 10 yr old and myself prefer the beach areas.
We would love to hear why the people on this board chose the area that they did. How is the health care? Colleges?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
We chose the Beach area for its pristine beauty. We find
the neighbors friendly. We bought one hectare about 800 meters from the Beach to offer safety from the mighty Pacific. We were also withing a growth corridor that would lead to San Dominical. Unfortunately plans did not pan out and would consider selling with our plans. Could anyone suggest a realtor in the area?
Bandera
Wisconsin[quote=”knrdodd”]Congratulations:D for having the guts to get out of dodge. My husband and I would love to leave but do not have the bravery that you have nor the financial stability at this time.We visited CR last year (Tortugero, Arenal, and Manual Antonio) and fell in love with the people and the country. While my husband would love to buy property in Arenal, my 10 yr old and myself prefer the beach areas.
We would love to hear why the people on this board chose the area that they did. How is the health care? Colleges?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
[/quote]
HEY Everybody! We’re here, safe and sound…we have taken a few days to try to get our bearings…..We LOVE it here, but YES, the heat here is a bit much without A/C or WINDOWS for that matter…..It’s about to cool off here and we’re looking forward to that I can tell you.
The language barrier sux, but we’re learning and the people are gracious and patient. We made our first rookie mistakes and can’t rent a car, so we’re going to grit our teeth and consider BUYING one here….
Lola’s is a great spot, and just a short walk up the beach. We didn’t get out today because of the Holiday, but tomorrow comes the expedition for the few gringo supplies we need (Fans, Shower Heads, Coffee maker, etc….) I was actually hoping that there was something akin to Walmart, tho I hate them, because that’s where a lot of stuff can be found that we need, we’ll see what the day and our new friend Willy with the taxi brings tomorrow.
We chose this location because our friend who OWNS this house told us – “It doesn’t get as hot there as everywhere else, we never needed the A/C” but we may just stay here till our lease is up and seek higher ground.
All-in-all, so far, so good, we appreciate all of the kind words and wishes….. Let me know if anyone has a seriously RELIABLE, Non-Frankenstein car in the $2000.00 (US) range, for sale….we really think we’d be better off with a car.
Manana!
Dan.
Welcome to puravidaville!
As for the cars, well, i don’t think there is a car you would want to drive that only cost $2000. I just caved in and bought a 1991 Geo Tracker that a friend of mine was selling. That was $5000, plus it took nearly $1000 in repairs to get it to pass Riteve. It did have 4 brand new tires and the body was in good shape. $400 of that $1000 was to put in a new subframe, which had cracked. I went 7 years without a car. I was perfectly happy with the taxi and bus routine, so we’ll see what happens. I guess you would have to go to Liberia (?) to do some serious outfitting for household items? As for the heat? NOT hot??? HAHAHAHAHA Surely your friend was kidding you. You’re in the deep end now. Start paddling!
[quote=”maravilla”]Welcome to puravidaville!
As for the cars, well, i don’t think there is a car you would want to drive that only cost $2000. I just caved in and bought a 1991 Geo Tracker that a friend of mine was selling. That was $5000, plus it took nearly $1000 in repairs to get it to pass Riteve. It did have 4 brand new tires and the body was in good shape. $400 of that $1000 was to put in a new subframe, which had cracked. I went 7 years without a car. I was perfectly happy with the taxi and bus routine, so we’ll see what happens. I guess you would have to go to Liberia (?) to do some serious outfitting for household items? As for the heat? NOT hot??? HAHAHAHAHA Surely your friend was kidding you. You’re in the deep end now. Start paddling![/quote]
LOL…She said “Not as hot”….. It’s cooled down nicely this morning….We’re probably going to Santa Cruz for supplies today, Liberia if we can’t find what we need, or maybe even Santa Rosa.
As for a vehicle, I guess everyone’s experience is different…..I may even look in the US for something in our price range and end up spending $6 or $7K. after all is said and done. Trisha, we’d love to see your place one of these days…..I bet the pizza around your neighborhood is awesome, huh?In PuraVidaVille…..
Dan.
i would look around here first for a car — if you don’t want a big honking SUV you should be able to get something in the 4-5 grand price range. it’s easier than shipping, paying import duties, etc.
yes, hubby is busy covering the dome of the pizza oven with bougainvillea done in mosaic tile. it looks like something Gaudi would’ve done, but it’s spectacular! And improves the taste of the pizza — which we are making this weekend. come on by when you get settled.
Dan – I would definitely recommend Santa Cruz for your shopping spree. There are several stores thatere that sell the household appliance items that you mention – and they will be MUCH less than DO IT Center or similar stores in or near Tamarindo.
I’m beginning to wonder how nuch research you did before the move…
did you not know that the house had [i]”no AC or windows”[/i]?
[i]a car for $2,000[/i]?? I suggest that you hire a wrecker to follow you on the test drive!
[i]
“it’s about to cool off here” [/i]- I presume you were talking about getting dark, because May is perhaps the hottest, muggiest month of the year![i]”It doesn’t get as hot there as everywhere else, we never needed the A/C”[/i] – what are friends for if not to give you consistently accurate information? Speaking of consistent, you should be aware that at approximately 10 degrees above the equator, the weather in coastal areas around the globe is pretty much consistent, and it’s hot!
[i]”we may just stay here till our lease is up and seek higher ground.”[/i] – wow – second guessing your decision after only 3 days!
Get your appliances, go to Lola’s, enjoy your new life and chill out. You are living in a little bit of paradise – enjoy it!
[quote=”costaricabill”]Dan – I would definitely recommend Santa Cruz for your shopping spree. There are several stores thatere that sell the household appliance items that you mention – and they will be MUCH less than DO IT Center or similar stores in or near Tamarindo.
I’m beginning to wonder how nuch research you did before the move…
did you not know that the house had [i]”no AC or windows”[/i]?
[i]a car for $2,000[/i]?? I suggest that you hire a wrecker to follow you on the test drive!
[i]
“it’s about to cool off here” [/i]- I presume you were talking about getting dark, because May is perhaps the hottest, muggiest month of the year![i]”It doesn’t get as hot there as everywhere else, we never needed the A/C”[/i] – what are friends for if not to give you consistently accurate information? Speaking of consistent, you should be aware that at approximately 10 degrees above the equator, the weather in coastal areas around the globe is pretty much consistent, and it’s hot!
[i]”we may just stay here till our lease is up and seek higher ground.”[/i] – wow – second guessing your decision after only 3 days!
Get your appliances, go to Lola’s, enjoy your new life and chill out. You are living in a little bit of paradise – enjoy it!
[/quote]
Hi Bill! That’s a hoot, thanks, I was kind of making fun of our situation…….We know it’s hot here, and by getting ready to cool off, I mean in relative terms, as in by end of may in terms of cooling off, rainy wet season and all that….I HAVE noticed that our area isn’t as hot as SOME of the surrounding beach areas…..it’s hotter in Tamarindo…… We’re not really second guessing our location, but we know we have options…But what person can come here right off the boat and know how they like a place….we took a big leap and have NO regrets whatsoever.
I’m thinking after hearing MANY different points of view about cars, that it’s all relative, $2000 here isn’t the same as that price in the US, so we’ll keep listening and taking advice till the day comes to make a move.
As for the A/C….no biggie, we aren’t dying here, there is a nice breeze and I need to sweat off two or three metric tons of weight anyhow, so I am glad…..We trust Juliet (The owner, our friend) and tho we really didn’t grasp what she was telling us about the construction here, this house is totally cool (Not frio), our proximity to the beach is great, Lola’s is a nice gringo hangout and all is right with the world….pura vida even.
We’ll make a faux pas or five, but we’re glad we’re here, serious.
Everyone keep roasting me when I need it, I’m just a tenderfoot learning the ropes, I’ve been here, WHAT? four WHOLE days now? LOL. We’ve come a long way in just four, the good people like yourself here will push us through the rest and I can take as much razzing as I need…..LOL
Pura Vida to you all!
Dan.
the car thing is a real trip — the Geo i paid $5000 for would’ve cost me $1000 in the States. but that’s just the way it is.
location is everything here — on my first trip i went to the beach. it took me all of about 4 seconds to know i could never live there. so for 7+ years i have been in the highlands and now i wouldn’t live anywhere else. to each his own.
glad you are settling in. it’s a learning curve, and the best thing you can do is learn spanish! you will be amazed at how easier your life will get! pura vida!
Dan,
Keep updating us as I’m enjoying hearing your thoughts and day to day concerns. AS we are planning on moving to CR, it’s important we understand the small frustrations/set backs/differences that can make one’s life miserable. I’ve always believe the small details can make or brake a situation.
So PLEASE keep sharing. One questions…..what was the deal about making a rookie mistake an not being able to rent a car. What was that about?
Dori
TexasHi Dori and everyone….
Dori, the rookie mistake I spoke about was not having a credit card…..Made renting a car a tough proposition, but Mapache took care of us, and tho we had to tie up $900, we got it done……I returned the car yesterday.
Which brings me to the NEXT subject…..We have MOVED. We found that while we LOVED being at the beach, the conditions were just too primitive for us, the inability to escape the heat was a big one. The house, while beautiful by Tico standards had NO WINDOWS…just large openings with a heavy mesh that stopped any air-flow, so the heat was miserable, especially at night. And the places where the mesh was torn made way to a constant flow of BUGS, we had to hide everything in the fridge, that is, until the fridge died on us….we lost a bunch of food and had no way to keep ANYTHING cold.
So what did we do about it? Well, we got lucky there and now we have MOVED. We found a really nice house above Puriscal for less money and one with REAL windows and stuff….no need for A/C, because it just doesn’t get that dang hot….LOL
NEXT came BN (Banco Nacional) and their money-keeping ATM…we lost $500 to it the other day that we just couldn’t afford to lose. Not to worry, others have had this same problem, it seems the ATM’s run out of money and the system isn’t sophisticated enough to NOT deduct from your account if you don’t get money..LOL? Tomorrow (Monday) we’re taking an interpreter and going to the bank and make them review their security tapes and review the ATM accounting…..we’ll probably get our money back tomorrow…..we hope.
It’s a beautiful place with the most incredible views you can imagine. We have a pool and jacuzzi and NOW we have found our home.
I wish I could post pictures here, but if you want, you can find me on Facebook and see what we have been up to so far.
Chapter ONE is still being written….more to follow.
Let me know if you want to find us on Facebook and I will be glad to help and accept any friend requests!
Pura Vida!
I suggest you read Vicki’s suggestions on using taxis in Costa Rica instead of owning a car. I started this process with Luis in Orosi last October on my visit. The upside is that if you know two or three taxi drivers in your local area, then you become in the perfect spot to be friends and get invited to neighborhood events that you may not be aware of.
Thanks,
Tom
[url=http://livinglifeincostarica.blogspot.com/2010/05/owning-car-vs-taking-taxis-in-costa.html]
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