¡ Pura Vida! Our Last Post for 2020 !

This is the close of our Finding Pura Vida blog for 2020. It has been a great year … and a terrible year. It has not been what we expected when we left Florida and moved to Costa Rica, but not counting the pandemic it has been good.  I am reminded of the old Chinese Proverb; may you live in interesting times. 

Sometime in 2021 we will resume our story about retiring and living in a foreign country as Expats. But for now, ¡Pura Vida!

Literally it means “simple life” or “pure life”, but in Costa Rica, it is more than just a saying ... it is a way of life. Costa Ricans (Ticos and Ticas) use this phrase for about everything; to say hello or say goodbye, to say everything's great or its cool, and a whole lot more.

¡Pura Vida! can be a greeting and a farewell; you can use it for “I'm doing well” or “Everything's cool”; you can use it for “Oh well!” or “That's life!” It also can be used for “You're welcome” or “No worries”–or just about any exclamation like “That's great!” Its a lot like Aloha in Hawaii or c'est la vie in French.

¡Pura Vida!  (pronounced poo-rah vee-duh) represents Costa Ricans' relaxed attitude towards life, no matter the circumstance. It's used to say hello, goodbye, to say everything is okay, and to brush off any negativity. It's a way of life and an attitude, and using it can help you fit in with the locals.

And Yes, Costa Ricans really do say Pura Vida and they live the ¡Pura Vida! life.  Which is what we came looking for, a laid back care-free life style where we could live in retirement with less stress or  worry. 

Did we find it? Well more about that in the coming year. 

Costa Rica is “pura vida”! The most commonly used phrase in Costa Rica literally means “Pure life”, but the saying goes beyond its simple translation: it's a way of life which symbolizes the idea of simply enjoying life and being happy. But can an Expat live the Pura Vida life? We will see!

So, until we post again, remember, ¡Pura Vida!

Mark & Dallas

Costa Rica Opens Its Borders to All of the Estados Unidos

It was sometime in March 2019 that travel restrictions were imposed on all people entering Costa Rica—citizens, tourists, and residents.  No big deal, we were already here, living in our personal paradise. Why should we worry?

The reason we had to worry is that our tourist Visas required that we leave the country after ninety-days to return later and start a new ninety-day Visa period. With the land and air borders closed, there was no way to leave and return unless you were an official resident, which we were not.

We were stuck in this paradise unable to return to visit our family in Jacksonville and unable to entertain visitors to Costa Rica. We could leave, but we could not return. Thankfully, the Costa Rican foreign ministry extended tourist Visas allowing tourists to stay past their original visa date. In fact they extended this several times. Eventually the date was extended until March 2021.

Everything changed in October. Tourists from select international locations were allowed to enter Costa Rica subject to a negative Covid-19 test and the purchase of travel insurance to cover the cost of treatment of the virus if a tourist contracted it and needed medical care while in Costa Rica and in November travel restrictions were lifted for all travelers entering from the United States and several other countries and there would be no requirement to present a negative Covid test at Customs (insurance was still required.) 

With this good news we quickly booked a flight, car rental, and accommodations in Jacksonville for ten days starting November 2nd.  One day into the implementation of the new travel policy.

If you were ever stressed by air travel before Covid-19, you were certain to be stressed flying during the pandemic. Leaving San Jose was a breeze. There were lots of agents representing the airlines and security moved quickly. We expected the airways to be less crowded and the planes to have empty seats galore--but we were WRONG.

Miami Immigration

Our flight to Miami was full and our connecting flight to Jacksonville was also full. Most people were wearing face coverings properly and there was no problem entering the US, except for the two-and-a-half-hour line at immigration. But a “Welcome home” greeted us when we were cleared and thankfully the connection to our Jacksonville flight was three hours and we were home before mid-night.

Knowing we were arriving at such a late hour, we had already decided to spend the night at the airport Marriot. The next morning, like true traveling expats, we drove across I-95 for a traditional, hearty breakfast at Cracker Barrell! Welcome home indeed.

In Costa Rica we were bombarded with news about the pandemic including Florida’s reaction to closures and the lack of adherence to mask-wearing. We were pleasantly surprised to see facial coverings in most places with the most notable exception being Cracker Barrell. I watched a patron leave the dining room, line up at the cashier’s station to pay his check and remove his mask to talk to the clerk. When he finished his business, he replaced his mask and walked to the exit only to meet a patron he recognized. There he again removed his mask to greet the acquaintance. When the conversation was concluded he replaced his mask and walked to his car. 

Someone obviously needed remedial instruction in the art of mask-wearing.

Grandpa and Dane

For all the challenges and concerns about traveling in a pandemic there is a glorious Brightside and that is seeing our family and holding our newest grandson, Dane. He is almost cute enough to get us to move back to the states. 

The Land of Monkeys | Our Getaway to Puntarenas

Even though we are tourists in a foreign land we promised ourselves that we were not going to live like tourists. As retirees the touristy things which cost visitors so much of their vacation budgets are off limits for us: no deep-sea fishing, zip lining, or dining at five-star restaurants (at least not very often.) This does not mean we are not enjoying ourselves. We travel around our host country and enjoy the sights and culture, but our retirement budget requires restraint and adjusting our expectations and cash outlays.

The Covid-19 restrictions require periodic getaways and, following guidelines, so we decided to return to the southern zone of the costal Pacific—the Puntarenas Providence; Jacό, Playa Hermosa, Quepos, Dominical, and Uvita. All were beach destinations and we struggled to choose between staying on or near the beach or places in the mountains overlooking the beaches. After browsing the listings on the Airbnb and VRBO websites we settled on the tiny Buena Vista Beach Resort in Quepos near Manual Antonio National Park.  Buena Vista has eight guest quarters right on the beach with a Tiki Hut style thatched-roof bar and restaurant and sand—lots of sand.

Since we were still in the age of social distancing and restrictions during the Coronavirus, we were only one of two or three families staying at the Resort during the week of our visit. Rates were deeply discounted because it was still the “green season” (a phrase the hotel brochure used instead of the ubiquitous “rainy season”) so another feature of our stay was rain—everyday rain but not all day—the early mornings were glorious—custom made for walks on the beach—the afternoons and evenings were usually wet.

In the evenings there was a strong breeze off the Pacific, so the staff spent mornings raking the palm leaves and other debris off the sand and into piles outlining the Buena Vista property boundaries. Each night we sat on our terrace and enjoyed the wine we brought from home and watched the white-faced Capuchin monkeys moving from tree to tree along the beach front.

Beaches were open from 5:00 am – 9:00 am which is not as bad as it sounds since we were staying on the beach. There was plenty of time for beachcombing in the golden hour of the day, before breakfast was served out of the Tiki Hut bar.

We planned our days between those spent on the beach and those driving. Costa Rica has country-wide “circulation” restrictions based on even-odd and last digit license tag rules. Even numbered plates can drive on Sunday but not Saturday. The ending digit of your plate determines the one weekday you are restricted from “circulating”. 

Rental cars have no restrictions and can drive seven days a week; everyone else can drive Saturday or Sunday and four weekdays. It is a way the government holds down the flow of traffic and keeps people social distancing at stores and markets. To enforce the restrictions Transito Policia issue citations and can remove the license plates from the cars of violators. What a buzz kill!

On one of our drive days we took a day trip south, down the coast to the beach towns of Dominical and Uvita (pronounced U-vee-tah), then over the costal mountains to San Isidro El General. San Isidro is a large Central Valley city (35,000) midway between the capital city of San Jose and the Panamanian border town of Paso Canoas.

Both Dominical and Uvita have expat communities. Uvita is a tiny village of 1,000 residents and maybe 500 students. It has a two-mile long beach of pure white sand and is a noted area for sighting humpback whales in the wild. (Rumor has it Humphry, of San Francisco Bay area fame, retired to this area of Costa Rica.) Dominical is noted for its large, year-round waves. It was a quiet fishing village and now has become a destination for tourists and surfers.

Because of their sea-level locations, the climates of Uvita and Dominical are much hotter than those in the Central Valley. In Costa Rica, altitude makes all the difference if you are looking for temperate weather. We may have to pass on these beachfront areas to get the climate we want.

As we were returning to Quepos from our southern tour we stopped at the iconic landmark, El Avion restaurant and bar, featuring a rescued C-123 Fairchild perched high on the hilltop above the Pacific Ocean. For those who do not remember the story of the Iran—Contra Affair, it is detailed on the website of El Avion.

“Our Fairchild C-123 was a part of one of the biggest scandals in the 1980’s. The Reagan Administration set up a bizarre network of arms sales to Iran designed to win the release of US hostages held in Lebanon and raise money to fund the Nicaraguan, counter-revolutionary guerrilla fighters, commonly referred to as the “Contras.” 

The scheme came to an ugly end in 1986 when this plane was shot down in Nicaragua. Years later the owner of El Avion, Allan Templeton, purchased the remains of the C-123 and transported it by ocean ferry to its final resting place where it was transformed into its current role as a bar in Quepos, Costa Rica where the view is awesome, the margaritas are cold, and the food can't be beat. 

Unlike the Iran Contra Affair, El Avion lives on in the mountains of Costa Rica. Try it out. Everyone in town knowns where it is so it shouldn’t be hard to find.

I Thought Blue Cross/Blue Shield Would Be a Wise Choice . . . WRONG!

 

We had been in the country for a few months and had not really addressed the burning question of health insurance. There was so much advice from expats who had gone before us and we knew that once we were official residents of Costa Rica we would be eligible (and required) to participate in the official healthcare system the government provides to its citizens and residents; even temporary residents like us. Not only that, there was also a private system which we could buy into that would provide the North American type of healthcare with which we were familiar; cover anything, at any time, regardless.

We had met expats who were perfectly happy with the government system of healthcare and we had met those who were not happy with the government plan. One couple from the States had been in Costa Rica for more than ten years. I am sure they were hippies in the sixties though we didn’t confirm that. They bought a house after living for a few years in a rental property and set about remodeling the home to suit their needs. They were happy to use the government system and raved about the great care they had received and its low cost.

We met another couple from the States the same day who had also been in the country about the same amount of time. They had a vile opinion about the “socialized medicine” Costa Rica was offering and even though it was required that they pay into that system, they said they never used it preferring supplemental, private insurance so they would be able to have the kind of healthcare they were used to in the States.

Neither couple mentioned any special needs; they were just two couples with two choices and two diametrically different opinions.

We found another option called MediSmart. It is kind of a “healthcare club.”  You pay a fee which guarantees healthcare from highly qualified doctors at a discounted rate. Need bypass surgery? They provide it at a discount. Orthopedics, oncology, gynecology, pharmacy, lab work, a network of doctors and hospitals throughout the country. even veterinary medicine. Our cost—$162.71 per year!

Then we made a call to an insurance agent who advertises policies from several global providers. We bought our auto coverage through him, even though we also carried the mandatory coverage required through the National Insurance Agency.  

Dallas was happy with the coverage he offered her from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. They were our provider for years so we thought our experience with BC/BS might be advantageous. The agent also quoted a policy for me but since I was over sixty-five, I would be subject to pre-conditions and would need a "simple" health check. No problem, I thought. We scheduled the check-up for the following week.

I expected a checkup like the one given by my doctor when I turned sixty-five. BP, blood work, check box, easy-peasy.

Boy was I wrong. I was seen by a urologist, a cardiologist, a neurologist, and a GP.  I was stuck, prodded, poked, and stressed for much of the day. The result? Sure, they would cover me—with exclusions for everything for which I had been treated in the past! All for the full premium price—no discounts.

Thanks, but no thanks!

I rejected the coverage that was offered to me in favor of the one year out of country coverage my church pension plan provided and the MediSmart plan we purchased.

Once our application for residency is approved, we will both be eligible for the “socialized medicine” the government offers. When that rolls around, we will have a new episode to report. Until them we feel well protected by plans which we can afford.

You may be wondering about Medicare. Dallas does not yet qualify but I continue to pay into Medicare on a monthly basis even though I cannot receive any benefits unless those benefits are rendered Stateside. If I have a serious condition, I will be transported to the States for treatment if none is available in Costa Rice. I am counting on the fact that our life here is medically better than our life at home and we each will reap the benefits of clean pura vida living until the time comes for serious medical issues.

This may not have been your choice but we are both reasonably comfortable with our choices for the time being. Once Covid is in our memories and our residency in Costa Rica is established qualifying us for the Costa Rican form of "socialized medicine" our life will be better covered than it is now, but for the time-being we are fine.

In the meantime, we'll "take two aspirin."

We wrecked our car!

 

It promised to be a fun day.

Any day in which we get to leave our community development during a pandemic lockdown is a fun day. It was just going to be a provision run to WalMart in Escazu, a suburb of San Jose in the Central Valley. We also planned to pick-up the gas grill we had ordered from Aeropost. (That is another sad story I need to tell later.)

We were traveling with our friends Bradley and Ali. We had enjoyed a traditional Tico breakfast in Santa Marta where we found the best chorizo sausage; our rounds were complete and were heading home, passing through Puriscal when Bradley asked if we could stop at the veterinarian so he could get the travel papers for his dog Coco; Bradley is going back to the States and Coco needs her vaccination record.  We had taken our animals to the same vet so I knew where it was located.

After a quick detour from our regular route through town we were at the doctor’s corner office. I stopped in front of several parked cars in the curb lane and waited for Bradley to jump out. He adjusted is facemask, opened the door, and BANG, someone hit the door of our car just as Bradley was stepping out.

From the sound of crashing metal and broken glass, I expected the crunched rear passenger door to be lying in the street but when I turned to look everything on our car was fine—not a scratch!  The car that hit us had contacted the trailing edge of my door with his passenger-side rearview mirror. Glass littered the street and the mirror was flattened against the side of the blue Toyota Yaris.

The driver of the Yaris was already out of his vehicle, pacing the street, doing his best imitation of a righteously indignant macho Tico whose car had just been totaled by an old gringo hombre.

Seeing that there was minimal damage to his car, and no damage to ours, I maintained my composure as Ali (our native Spanish speaker) talked to the young driver. It was clear he thought he had the right-of-way to turn in front of me, and everything was my fault.

Ali took me aside and whispered, “he knows you are a gringo estadounidense (American) and wants you to give him some money.”  By now every car that passed through the 4-way stop was looking to see what was causing such a “massive” backup in the middle of town.

When we had rented cars in Costa Rica I had been told that you should never move your vehicle if there was an accident so I was ready to wait the couple hours I expected it would take for the Policia de Transito to come and sort this out. My adversary, a young man in his twenties with girlfriend in tow, was not anxious to wait around for the traffic cops. He saw an opportunity to score some dinero and take his car to some shade tree mechanic for cut rate under-the-table repairs.

Armed with Ali’s explanation of the situation I went into my act. I produced my insurance papers and indicated that he was to show me his. He had none. Then I shouted that he had in fact hit our car and I was not going to give him a dime. I knew he could not understand my inglés so I talked louder and waved my hands higher and looked to Ali for a suitably angry interpretation. Then I leaned on the hood of our car with arms crossed and told everyone that I was not moving and would wait all day for the Policia because he had hit me!

Seeing the opportunity to get cash from this gringo slipping away, the kid continued to pace the street and examine his broken mirror. In the midst of his anguish, I guess he decided it would be best to start negotiations with the Tico chick Ali, who could speak Spanish and might be more sympathetic with his situation. He could not have been more wrong.

After several “no, no, no’s” Ali told me he wanted 50,000 Colones to fix his damaged car. I told Ali, “tell him I will give him ten-thousand.” After several furtive glances our way I could see the kid was losing hope of a big payday. About that time, a friend of his arrived on the scene to check out the situation. Bradley and I decided now was the time to seal this deal and get out of town. Bradley gave me a ₡10,000 note, I added another for a total of ₡20,000 and I held it out to the kid. He looked at me, and then at his friend who emphatically said, “toma el dinero.” He took the money and everyone got in their cars and left. I figured he bought some mirrored glass and a tube of super-glue to replace the broken one and pocketed about half the money. 

That’s the way it is living in a foreign country. Sometimes you must be willing to play the game and stand up for yourself. But I must admit we felt a little like Butch and Sundance in a Bolivian Bank.

Do I need to know Spanish?

¿Necesito saber español?

The easy answer would be, “No!”  There are many English-speaking people in Costa Rica and if you stay close to the larger metropolitan areas finding an English speaker is rarely a problem. Taxi and Uber drivers, waiters,  store clerks, and guides all seem to have at least a little knowledge and vocabulary of the English language. An Airbnb host told me that anyone who looks less that fifty years old probably has learned the language in school. And with universal primary education most Costa Ricans study English. Which means, even if you’re not fluent in any foreign languages, you will probably be fine in Costa Rica.

That said, knowing the language of your host country is a good way to ingratiate yourself to the locals. We were Española illiterate. Neither of us had studied Spanish in high school or college though I had taken French (which was worthless while living in Texas, as I did at the time.)  But Babel and Duolingo came to the rescue.  We both started a six-month course of each language app, hoping to gain at least a little Spanish competency before we made the transition to Central America.

While our motives were good, six-months is not nearly enough time to learn a new language. We could have studied for a year or two and still we would have been unprepared. Immersion in the culture is the only way to gain proficiency.

Our efforts have not been for naught though—we are getting better.  The expat community where we live has a variety of native Spanish speakers, or second language speakers, and most of the workers speak little or no English.  So there is an immersion affect which though not total, is a good way to ease into the language gently. Mucho gusto!

I realize that I am a language person. I need to be able to express myself—to communicate with others, and to understand what they are verbally trying to convey to me—to be comfortable and happy. There are apps for my Smartphone that help beside Babel.  One is Google Translate.  It allows you to type or verbally dictate into the app and receive a translation either written or spoken from your phone instantly.

While Google Translate can handle sentences, conversations, or paragraphs, I mostly use it to look up words and phrases that I can say to a store clerk, waiter, or cashier. People are pleased to help you if they see that you are trying to help yourself.  If my pronunciation is too bad to be understood, I will show the person my phone app or play the spoken translation for them. 

Works great—almost one hundred percent of the time.

Our Mini Getaway to Samara, Nosara, and Nocoya

The government of Costa Rica is wisely worried about the continued shutdown of the country and its borders due to the Coronavirus. The closure of land borders with Nicaragua and Panama and the two international airports in San Jose and Liberia have resulted in a massive loss of jobs and revenue in the tourist industry from which Costa Rica derives about 9% of its revenue.

The current strategy of the government, referred to as "Hammer and Dance" has been to gradually open the country to inner border travel.  To gradually open the country up they are allowing (even encouraging) tourist traffic by local citizens and expats within its borders. When we heard this, we didn’t have to be told twice. After months of quarantine we quickly planned a getaway to the Nicoya Peninsula about one-hundred-fifty miles north of our home in Puriscal.

Finca Continga Azul 

Our destination was the Finca Continga Azul (https://www.fincacotinga.com/die-villa) and the Nosara Beach Hotel (https://www.nosarabeachhotel.com/) . We had stayed with Michael and Irena’s wonderful finca, (farm and ranch) on a previous trip. Midway between Nicoya and Samara Beach near the tiny village of Cuesta Grande, the finca occupies 150 acres of beautiful, undeveloped land which Michael and Irena have crafted three beautifully made casitas, complete with an infinity pool and everything necessary to set up house for a weekend, a week, or month.

The main house accommodates the outdoor dining area where we were served a hearty breakfast of locally prepared Gallo Pinto, chorizo sausage, fruits from the farm, and breads from local bakers. The ranch has a stable with five horses and miles of hiking through fields of orange trees, coffee plants, and howler monkeys. Unusual and interesting sites along with ocean and mountain vistas are around every corner.

Finca Continga Azul 

Michael and Irena relocated to Costa Rica a few years ago from Germany. They developed the finca for guests and offer building lots for sale for building  your own casita in paradise. We enjoyed catching up with our hosts and hearing about and sharing stories of grandchildren, children, and of course of the impact the Coronavirus has had on their enterprise.

After two days at the finca we drove thirty kilometers to Nosara. What a trip! To say that it was a challenge is certainly an understatement. From Cuesta Grande to Samara is fifteen kilometers of scenic beauty on good roads through the Nicoya countryside. Then the excitement begins. 

On a perfect sunny day we drove through absolutely the worst roads we have been on in Costa Rica—potholes large enough to swallow our car, filled with muddy water which concealed the craters within. At times we were forced to drive ninety degrees laterally to avoid complete washouts in the roadway ahead of us. Since there is only one way into Nosara there was more traffic than we expected. Certainly not a lot, but cars and trucks of all makes and ages, delivery vans, flatbed trucks and trailers; everything imaginable. Most drove reasonably slowly as you would expect given the conditions, but some flew past us at twice our speed.

Several times we said to each other that we would go home by another way—but the only other way was through a mountain crossing that involved impassable rivers and creeks that our car would not handle.

Lunch on the beach at La Luna

After a thirty mile, two-hour cruise, our first stop in Nosara was La Luna restaurant located on Playa Pelada. We were served a lovely lunch of margaritas (surprise), ceviche, and pizza served on the beach. When a light rain shower started we retreated to the porch where we finished before driving a few meters to the most unusual hotel we had ever seen. 

Its website says it all . . . “The Nosara Beach Hotel is the most recognizable landmark perched on a naturally exquisite point between the world-class beaches of Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada on the Pacific Ocean since 1977. Part of the local history as the very first hotel in Nosara, now restored to its original grandiose with whimsical architectural lines and eclectic flavors.” 

Local tourists were just venturing out from the Coronavirus lockdown and few had found their way to Nosara. We were among a very few guests. In the morning we were early beachcombers along both Playas Guiones and Pelada. What a splendid morning it was with gentle, warm waves and a couple dozen guests spread along ten or fifteen kilometers of beautiful pristine beach.

Playa Pelada

After our morning stroll we had café and a traditional Tico breakfast (Gallo Pinto, chorizo sausage, huevos, fruits and bread with preserves.) It was a perfect morning and a perfect ending to a perfect getaway.

One thing you must remember is that travel by car in Costa Rica always takes longer than you would expect because you are never driving as fast as you think. Sometimes it’s because of road conditions, other times it’s because of traffic, but mostly it’s because you are never driving more than 80 kilometers per hour or about 50 MPH. 

On the mountain roads you can expect speeds of no more than 30 MPH.  Google maps listed our trip from Pusical to Nosara as 160 miles with travel time of 5 ½  hours. 

It was close.

Playa Guinoes

Should We Nationalize Our Car?

We were in the final stages of packing, selling, and leaving Jacksonville. Things were progressing well but one problem, we still had two cars in our garage: a Jeep and a Subaru.  We needed to sell at least one of the cars and prepare to ship the other to Costa Rica.  Or sell both and buy another in Costa Rica.

We would have preferred to take the Jeep, even though it was not a 4x4 it was newer with lower mileage than my beloved Subaru.  The Jeep had 60,000 miles, the Subaru 225,000!  But the way car importing works in Costa Rica, an incoming vehicle is subject to HUGE import fees (depending on the model, age, mileage, and the attitude of the Customs official.)  Taxes on the Jeep might be 40 – 50% of the assessed value of the vehicle.  I guessed we might be assessed $15,000 or more (much more).  Fees on the Subaru would be more than the sales price but much lower than the Jeep and I was very familiar with the car and felt okay driving a car with so many miles.

Shipping agent arranges for
pickup in Jacksonville

I was not interested in buying a car once we arrived.  I was warned that many used cars on the international market were hurricane cars—survivors of storms in the States and elsewhere that had been overseas to be “refurbished” by shady dealers.  The import fees would be built into the cost of whatever we bought, wherever we bought it.  So, I lobbied the family (really just Dallas) to ship the Subaru to Costa Rica and take our chances.  So we did.

Everything I read before we left told us that cars are an expensive luxury and if you can live on the public transportation system that is the smart decision.  But we are not public transit people and we wanted the freedom to travel and experience the country.  We wanted to see the sights.  The smart money said that car parts were expensive, but labor and insurance were cheap.  They said that Ticos can fix anything, that Japanese or Korean cars were ubiquitous and stick with one or those.  So, we did.  We brought our AWD Outback with 225,000 and have kept our fingers crossed.

Subaru heads to Miami for the voyage
to its new life in Costa Rica

We contracted with a shipper who arranged for our car to be transported to Miami where it would be containerized and shipped to Costa Rica  The shipper would take care of nationalizing the car and deliver it to us. 

This seemed like a good plan.  Then along came COVID-19. The car was picked up in Jacksonville on January 16^th.  We picked it up in San Jose on May 24^th! 

Total cost to bring our car to Costa Rica in a container, inspections, licensing, import taxes, title transfer, insurance, and mechanical work was approximately $10,800 USD. 

Honestly, this was about what I expected except the delay in arrival meant we needed a rental car to a much longer time in Costa Rica, and since we containerized the car for shipping, we packed the back with tools, household goods, books, a TV, golf clubs, and other miscellaneous items we didn’t want to check or ship separately.  Our shipper told us they would have to clear customs in Costa Rica and there would be import fees. They also could not insure these things but they had never had a problem doing this. 

Until this time.  When the car arrived at our home in Puriscal and we started to unpack we noticed things were amiss.  We were missing the TV, a box of power tools, and other small items including things that were in my glove box in the car.  The shipper reminded me that the items were not insured, they had never had anything like this happen, and he would "look into it.”

If you are looking for recommendations for shipping agents, drop me an email.  I would be more than happy to share his information and our experience.

Acquiring Temporary Residency

When you visit Costa Rica you are automatically given a visa which allows you to visit and drive in the country using your passport and out-of-country driver's license.  But lots of people who travel to Costa Rica to stay and never become legal residents.  After all, it is a time consuming and tedious process taking anywhere from one to two years to complete.  They chose instead to remain in a state of “permanent tourism,” constantly renewing their 90-day Visas by making border runs out of the country, as if they were tourists.

 

Cows of Puriscal Canton

A tourist visiting the country in normal non-Covid-19 times is given an automatic 90-day Visa at Immigration upon entering the country.  These tourist Visas are renewable for another 90-days by exiting the country, getting stamped out on your passport, and then returning to be stamped in for another 90-day stay. Permanent tourists call these brief exits into other countries “border runs.”  Costa Rica shares a northern border with Nicaragua and a southern border with Panama.  The travel time to either crossing is about five hours by car, so a border run can be a one-day adventure.

Border runs are technically legal but not encouraged and stories abound of people getting stuck during a border run by an inquisitive immigration official and not getting a full 90-day Visa extension upon re-entry.  

Wise expats apply for temporary residency, which is good for 2 or 3-years, at which time you can apply for permanent residency.  This is the path we have chosen.  As US nationals who have retired and receive lifetime retirement income of at least $1,000, we filed for residency as a Pensionado or retired person.  

The Temporary Residence under the Pensionado Category is valid for two years and can be renewed for additional two-year periods. After three years the person is eligible for Permanent Residence.  Other categories (Rentista and Investor) have different income requirements for which to qualify.

Playa Guiones near Nosara, Guanacaste

Advice on how to obtain resident status is plentiful from other expats but we decided that we would use an immigration attorney due to the large amount of documentation required.

 

Documents Required:

Application Form and cover letter with information about us. (Ours was prepared by our attorney.)

 

An FBI background check.  (Our attorney ordered this from the FBI.)

 

A new or current copy of our birth certificates.  (Ordered by our attorney.)

 

Certified Copy of our passports. (Obtained by our attorney.)

 

Fingerprints (normally obtained at a Police Department, but we had ours taken electronically at our attorney’s office.) 

 

We had to register with the US Consulate.

 

Six additional passport size photographs. (These were also taken at the attorney’s office.)

 

Government Application Fees. ($500 for both of us.)

Each of these documents must be translated into Spanish. All documents are authenticated for use in Costa Rica. The birth certificates and the background checks must be issued within six months prior to filing the application. 

Additional documents may apply if any of the applicants have changed names. Immigration needs documentation to prove that the person on the passport is the same person on the birth certificate. If you have changed names, documents explaining such name changes are needed. These documents need to be apostilled / legalized and translated into Spanish. (We needed to supply our Marriage License.)

Much of this was done in the attorney’s office or online which was a huge relief!  I was not looking forward to having to go to the police station to be fingerprinted.

Altos de Antigua

Why go through all of this just to be considered a resident of Costa Rica?  One Big reason was financial and to participate in the Costa Rican health care system, CAJA.  However you feel about your health care; whether it's through Medicare, private insurance, or self-insure, unless you have some very rare and costly medical condition Costa Rica’s system may be better than yours, be less costly, and as good as you can find.  

Once you become a Temporary or Permanent Resident you are automatically enrolled in CAJA. Your cost is a percentage of your income reported on the Residency Application. I expect the amount to be $120 – 150 per month for both of us.  This amount is subject to an interview with the CAJA officials when legal residency established.

The Visa process is just one more example of how an attitude of Pura Vida is helpful when visiting Costa Rica.  Pura Vida means don't be stressed by the obligations of life, accept things as they come. 

Good advice!

Ramblings

Questions, questions, questions.

Do I have an answer to all our questions and problems? Nada! 

The equation which describes the answers we are all looking for is way too complicated for one person. But I continue to point—point toward the questions and help us think about what solutions might look like.  And encourage us to work on this calculus with love and compassion for all.

Our great American colonial patriot Thomas Paine wrote in his pamphlet The American Crisis.

These are the times that try men’s souls.  The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Freedom yes. We all cry out for our freedoms—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Then we fuss over whether Your freedoms infringe upon My freedoms and how do we reconcile these infringements.

It is our SHARED values which hold us together—yes, even the values of universal man and woman. They are the values for which we fight and the values about which we hold common agreement which we hold in common with our nation, church and community; dignity, thoughtfulness, fairness, commitment, diversity, teamwork, harmony, flexibility, patriotism, leadership, and cooperation. But of course, the devil is in the details. One person’s fairness is another’s injustice; one’s patriotism is another’s betrayal.

To say that America is a country divided is a enormous understatement. Even where our values agree there is little common agreement on what those values mean to us. I think we have carried our libertarian interpretation too far and allowed our frontier heritage to overpower our clear thinking.

We seem to have abandoned the rule in favor of shouting fire in a crowded theater when no fire is burning. We seem to first claim our right to free and unfettered individual expression guaranteed by Jefferson as the sole purpose of life. The pursuit of happiness is no longer seen as our gold standard, to be practiced by society because we have the license to do and say what we want, where we want, when we want, and to whom we want. And if we offend or disagree—we will just agree to disagree—even where facts prove otherwise.

We are eroding our own world by failing to recognize and agree upon basic principles and values—human values.  If the United States of America is to survive as a nation we must show a willingness to overcome our selfish desires to place our wants and desires ahead of the wants and desires of all other people. We need to engage each other where we disagree to rediscover the real meaning of these basic human rights, which are the basis of our common life together.,

Our values are the common principles that constitute our moral union as a people, as a nation, and as a world.  If these things which we hold to be self evident are to be so for us, why not for ALL?

 

Essential Jobs

Not a lot has happened since my last post five weeks ago. More than sixty-five days of quarantine have passed and no one seems to have a clear understanding of how we exit this condition and “reopen” the world’s economy and move toward normalcy.

It is easy to deal with the lockdown when you are retired and your pension and social security income continues to arrive at the bank on a regular basis; when you are sequestered in one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes and where days can pass without seeing another human being.

Do I worry that this might change—that our retirement income will one day stop—that we will be without food and shelter?  Do I worry that “online learning” and “social distancing” will become the new norm for us, our children, and our children’s children?

Honestly, no. I think we are smart enough to see this trouble through to a successful conclusion. People will learn how to protect themselves from the risk of infection from the Coronavirus. A vaccine will be developed that we will take each year to protect us from future pandemics. Our businesses will rebound just as they have throughout history and absent the interference of some bad actors around the globe there will be a recovery which will set us on a path to new and greater development and that Golden Ring for which all Capitalists salivate—PROFITS.

I am not a big—or even a small—conspiracy theorist. I do not believe the Coronavirus was created by some unknown group for the nefarious purpose of achieving a radical, new world order. I do not foresee our government defaulting on pensioners and retirees. Any politician who stopped making the social security payments that retirees see as a New Deal-type promise made to them years ago—that politician would be quickly and unceremoniously dumped in the next election.

But there is work to be done and a big mess to clean-up.

Our society and our world have not prepared themselves to answer questions of the value of human life, of an assembly-line of silicon-chip makers or service industry workers who toil long, underpaid hours to serve meals and cut hair and clean our teeth.

How to weigh the value of human capital against the value of financial capital. Some can perform their jobs online; accessing their work remotely, submitting their material from far off locations, answering customer questions while in their pajamas and shushing the dog as they feed the baby in her highchair.

Others must show-up to do their work; emptying our trash, mowing our lawns, or fixing our cars. Others are not so easy—like cooking or serving our meals, cashiering at our grocery stores, driving ambulances to our hospitals, or providing necessary medical attention.

What is an essential job, anyway?

Getting Back to Normal

While I am using other people’s words, I came along this “memo” written by Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital, which is his judgement on “Getting Back To Normal.” You can read it here if you are interested and you can hear the words of a capitalist talking about why and how the world needs to be working to re-start the economies of the globe.

I don’t agree with all of Marks’ opinions, but he makes solid points about the conundrum the our leaders face over Coronavirus.

We Are Not in the Same Boat

Here is a thought—not an original thought of mine—but it’s worth sharing. Hope you get some satisfaction out of it. I think it makes an important point.

This comes from a fellow traveler on the Coronavirus Quarantine Wagon, Bradley Rath. We meet in Costa Rica and share the acreage in our community in Las Palmas. I offer this with his full knowledge that I am stealing it from him—probably just like he did from some unknown author.

WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT

…I have heard we are in the same boat...But it's not like that...
We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat.
Your ship can be shipwrecked and mine might not be.
Or vice versa.

For some, quarantine is optimal: a moment of reflection, of re-connection. Easy, in flip flops, with a whiskey or tea.
For others, this is a desperate crisis.
For others, it is facing loneliness.
For some, a peace, rest time, vacation.
Yet for others, Torture: How am I going to pay my bills?

Some were concerned about a brand of chocolate for Easter (this year there were no rich chocolates).
Others were concerned about the bread for the weekend, or if the noodles would last for a few more days.Some were in their "home office".

Others are looking through trash to survive.
Some want to go back to work because they are running out of money.
Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.
Some need to break the quarantine to stand in line at the banks.
Others to escape.
Others criticize the government for the lines.

Some have experienced the near-death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it, some are not sure their loved ones are going to make it, and some don't even believe this is a big deal.
Some of us who are well now may end up experiencing it, and some believe they are infallible and will be blown away if or when this hits someone they know
Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020.
Others say the worse is yet to come.

So, friends, we are not in the same boat.
We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.
And each one will emerge, in his own way, from that storm.
Some with a tan from their pool. Others with scars on the soul (for invisible reasons).
It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, more than looking, seeing.

See beyond the political party, beyond religion, beyond the nose on your face.
Do not underestimate the pain of others if you do not feel it.
Do not judge the good life of the other, do not condemn the bad life of the other.
Don't be a judge.
Let us not judge the one who lacks, as well as the one who exceeds him.
We are on different ships looking to survive.
Let everyone navigate their route with respect, empathy, and responsibility.

--Author unknown

Coronavirus Quarantine | Week Five

I really don't want to write about Social Distancing again, but that is what seems to be on everyone's minds.

It was very strange to be totally locked down during Semana Santa, or Holy Week. We were rather surprised to hear just how big that week is in Costa Rica. Travelers and vacationers descend on the beaches much like spring-breakers descend on Daytona and the beaches of Florida.

This year law enforcement was ready all along Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. Warning shots were fired, groups of surfers were disbanded and sent packing. Reports from those who were close to the action reported that Holy Week was remarkably quiet. Store closures and driving restrictions by license plate number kept the road traffic to a noticeable minimum.

Masked banditos

Early in this pandemic Costa Rica declared a medical emergency. It might seem strange for a country of about 5 million people to close the borders and tell its population to stay home so early in the virus’s presence. But Costa Rica relies heavily on the tourist revenue their beautiful country generates from those wishing to visit such an environmentally protected area.

The result of this early intervention is—today there are 626 cases of COVID-19 and 4 deaths from the virus. New cases have dropped to below ten per day. Rarely during the quarantine was the daily new case number above 30.

Does this mean the plague is over—does it mean Costa Rica has dodged the bullet? Too early to tell. Most flights in and out have been cancelled through at least May. Vacation cancellations are through the roof. But I would be willing to guess that protecting its main economic engine—tourism—will pay early dividends that will last long into the future.

Costa Rica seems to be following the Swedish model by gradually re-opening its economy by allowing those who can return to work, while they concentrate medical protection around those most at risk from the virus.

Only time will tell if they were right.

The Coronavirus Quarantine | Week 3

There is so much to be learned from the successes and failures of other countries. That is why travel is so important. The number of people who have never traveled outside of their city or state is staggering but when you consider the number of people who have never traveled outside of their country--its mind-blowing.

It is easy to see how someone who has never traveled can have a myopic view of the world and its people. It is also easy to understand the difficulty many people have understanding that we are all children of God and all objects of God’s creation.

The division of the world into many nations exacerbates the situation. We are led to believe that we are the best—the greatest—and if you do not believe this you are a traitor and conspirator, undeserving of the benefits of citizenship. One doesn’t have to love their country by saying “we are the biggest and best in the world.” Not everyone or everything can be the biggest or the best or number one or even number twenty-seven. But everyone can learn and improve. We can all do our best. We can all glean wisdom and expertise from others who have gone where we haven't gone and are dominate in areas were we are not. We should learn from them and adapt.

Costa Rica decided they would abolish their military nearly seventy years ago and redeploy their military budget on healthcare and education. They would fight the true enemies of humanity—hunger, poverty, ignorance, and disease. As a result, Costa Rica was well prepared for the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

Farmers, truckers, and grocers have worked together to put fresh produce on the shelves of local stores and markets. Medical services are available to those who are in need—even foreign travelers stuck within the Country’s borders because of travel bans and social distancing are afforded free medical care and testing.

At the outbreak of the first case of coronavirus, schools of learning within the University of Costa Rica came together to begin producing ventilators for the medical community. They recognized there was going to be a global need and ascertained they had a part to help meet that global need.

I pray that my country and homeland learn the hard lessons of Coronavirus and changes it’s ways and priorities to be better prepared for the next attack on our precious soil, now that we know our true vulnerabilities.

May God Bless Us All!

"Social Distancing" and the Coronavirus

We are ending our second week of “social distancing” in an attempt to isolate and slow down the spread of the Coronavirus which has suddenly consumed everyone’s attention for most of the month. By now it is obvious this is a serious pandemic which we have no vaccine and no defenses against except isolation and tracking our exposure patterns.

The measures taken by Costa Rica and governments around the world have left expats in a curious dilemma; should we leave the country and return to the home country and face the virus in our homeland, or should we hunker down here and hope for a quick resolution for the virus? The borders are closed, both coming and going. People are facing mandatory quarantines from wherever they arrive.

We had a trip to Florida planned this month however the flights are cancelled to and from. We couldn’t return home if we decided that travel was safe and smart and, being cooped up in a commercial jet with fifty or a hundred other people doesn’t seem safe or smart. The US State Department has advised all travelling Americans to return to the states if possible. They also said to stay isolated and not make any unnecessary trips. We decided to stay put and ride this out in Costa Rica.

Our daily routine is very simple—early morning coffee, tidy up the house, walk the dog, feed the cats, breakfast and a lite lunch, most days we swim a few laps at the pool (usually by ourselves but rarely with more than three others), about once a week we drive to Puriscal to shop for groceries and supplies, then dinner and early retirement. Throughout the day we spend time reading (Kindle or the news) or checking social media. Its probably not much different that what our friends are doing at home except we are having no shortages to deal with—like toilet paper.

As of today, there were 231 cases in Costa Rica with two deaths. There have been no cases reported in or near Puriscal, so we feel very sheltered.

I hope that feeling continues. Pura Vida friends and be safe.

How Hard is it Really?

Visiting and traveling in Costa Rica requires some preparation, patience, and the ability to roll with the punches. No, we never actually came to blows, but there is a slower pace to the lifestyle here and you always need to be ready for a change of plans. What’s new—isn’t that the nature of travel in a foreign land?

It usually boils down to a different way of doing things. Fewer computers mean different procedures that feel more like living in the fifties or sixties. Modern architecture is intermixed with traditional Tico style and addresses sound more like directions that evoke landmarks and “1,000 meters past . . . “. Consequently, nothing is simple, most things are more complicated than you think they need be.

We were warned and prepared for the rain so it was not a disappointment when we found the weather to be very similar to what we experienced in Florida—just not as hot. It rained a portion of almost every day—but hey, we’re in the tropics. Usually it was nice and cool in the early day and the rains rolled in by afternoon—just like home. Even in the rain the roads were fine unless you had to traverse a dirt or gravel road in which case you had to be careful. But most of the places we drove on were paved.

In the Nicoya Peninsula we certainly felt more isolated. There were fewer towns and houses. The road through the mountains was dotted with small villages of five or ten houses. Dogs slept in the roads and cattle and livestock could graze, tethered by the side of the road.

Everywhere we went we saw people on their motorcycles—usually Japanese dirt bikes—because car ownership is very expensive and though there is public transportation in areas where you would never expect it, people like the mobility a motorcycle offers.

At no time while we were traveling has language been a problem. Ever though we speak very little Spanish—less than the distant memory of high school Spanish—we were able to communicate by stumbling through our limited vocabulary and waving our hands. If you are willing to learn, Google Translate, Babbel, Duolingo, and “The Spanish Guy” were our learning tools. (It will be months or years until we are remotely fluent.)

The need for Spanish is related directly to the population size of where you settle. Urban cities have many English speakers while smaller towns and villages have fewer. But we are always surprised by the outlier English speaker who comes to our rescue in our time of need. 

For those who wonder or worry, don’t let your lack of foreign language skills deter you from an adventure in a foreign land.  And don’t depend on the skills of others—give it a try, you’ll feel better and that is its own reward.

Did We Visit Costa RIca and Fall in Love?

We first visited Costa Rica in August of 2019, for a vacation to someplace different. It was out of the country and required that we apply for passports which we something we had never done. Our vacation destinations were California—Squaw Valley, Sacramento, Napa Valley, Sonoma and other wine country spots, and of course Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. Never before had we ventured out of the states, and except for a few recent trips to the Florida Keys, California was our go-to vacation stop.

It made perfect sense. California was where family was. Dallas’ brothers and sister, my sister (until recently), and Dallas’ mom and dad had located in California. Strangely we were the east coast contingent.

Jacksonville Co. Courthouse

Earlier in the year Dallas and I attended a Passport Expo on a Saturday in the Courthouse where we applied for and ultimately received our travel documents. I remember there being a discount available (which was funny what people will do for a $15 dollar discount on a $150 purchase). The line for passport applications made the discount seem pretty paltry.

It was actually a good thing that we applied in advance of needing them because the required documents meant we had to do some groundwork to get everything together—and it came in handy that everything was together when we needed it all again for my pension application.

Our first trip in August was smack in the middle of the rainy season. Which meant that while it rains most every day, it doesn’t rain all day. Being from Florida we are used to the summer rainy season—we call it the Florida monsoon season. It rains almost everyday at about four pm and while it cools the temperatures it increases the humidity. Think sticky and hot.

But we found the rainy season in Costa Rica to be pleasant, depending on your location and elevation. If you’re close to a beach it is at least ten degrees (Fahrenheit) more than it is at a higher elevation away from the sea. We visited the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste Province which was near the beach and rose to about 400 ft. in elevation inland. The temperatures range from 71⁰ F to 95⁰ F and the weather was nice; humid and rainy, but with air conditioning quite pleasant. (Remember this is a Floridian’s view.)

But for a retirement destination, running air conditioning adds to your budget in ways that are not welcomed. Still, Guanacaste remains on our list of Costa Rican locations that are very attractive.

We also visited, in the rainy season, the beaches between Jaco and Quepos in Puntarenas Province.  This is an area of beautiful beaches, great surf, rain forests, and exotic animals to see. Near Quepos is Manual Antonio National Park where it is easy to spot monkeys, iguanas, morpho butterflies, and sloths. Truly an incredible place to see. And to dabble your toes in the Pacific Ocean.

The weather in Jaco and the South Pacific area is hot most of the year. 75⁰ F to 92⁰ F is the norm. Again, air conditioning is required if you want to be comfortable.

Did we visit Costa Rica and fall in love with the country and its people? This was our first trip and we both knew this was a place with serious potential to meet our needs for a retirement destination. There would still be lots of investigation and fact checking needed, but we were sold on Costa Rica and its potential for us.