A Dull Roar - Moving to, Retiring in, Living with Costa Rica

Shuffle Up and Deal in Costa Rican Casinos

2013-05-09T08:50:00.000-06:00

Your Own Wheel of Fortune (via Wikimedia)

When thinking about casino destinations, Costa Rica doesn't exactly rank up there with Las Vegas, Macau, and other gambling meccas, but the country does boast around 40 small gambling establishments. With that said, the gambling scene in Costa Rica is not what you would expect in Las Vegas or major casino towns.

Boutique Casinos

While there are 40 different legal places to gamble in Costa Rica, you would be hard pressed to find even one that would be equal to even the smallest casinos in Atlantic City, Vegas, or Macau. Many of these establishments are offshoots of hotels. In a town like Vegas, you have casinos that also serve as hotels, whereas Costa Rica has hotels that happen to have small casinos.

Most of these casinos have around 2 to 5 table games and about a dozen or so slot and video poker machines. In addition, many of these establishments are somewhat sparsely populated, meaning that you will be playing without much interruption whatsoever. The largest casino in Costa Rica is the Del Rey Hotel and Casino in San José. In this case, largest mean that there are 60 slot machines and 10 table games.

Earlier I said that there were 40 legal establishments in Costa Rica. There are also numerous "underground" or illegal casinos in the country. You want to be certain that the establishment you are playing at is a legal one. Sticking with those attached to a hotel will be your safest bet while playing in Costa Rica.

What You Can Play

While casinos in Costa Rica are smaller, they still offer many of the same casino games that you would expect in larger establishments. Slot machines, keno, sports betting, craps, roulette, Pai Gow Poker and much more is available. The Casino Del Rey hosts Texas Hold'em poker games as well.

One big difference between Costa Rica and other destinations is that most casinos there consider blackjack to be illegal. Instead, they play a variant called Rummy. Many of the same rules of blackjack apply except that if you draw either three of a kind in three cards or a straight (ex. 4-5-6), then you have a "Rummy" and are paid three to one. Also, there is no bonus for being dealt a blackjack.

While there are numerous casinos in Costa Rica, they are more a touch of luxury and extracurricalr form of entertainment for hotel guests and tourists. They are a great way to pass some time or unwind after a long day but, like Vegas, you probably are not going to strike it rich there.

The Cost of Owning and Driving a Car in Costa Rica Can Be Daunting

2013-04-30T11:41:00.000-06:00

We purchased our first Costa Rican car, a 2006 Mitsubishi Montero Sport (diesel, 4x4) when we first arrived here back in November, 2008. Those were the days when we were more flush with cash than we are now. It didn't seem a great luxury at the time even though the cost was nearly twice what you'd pay in the States, if you could find a diesel version. That's basically the rule of thumb here for cars, new or used. Purchase prices are double that in the States.

Oh, this can't be good!

That fact of life here is mostly due to import duties, sales tax, and property transfer tax, but also because the number of drivers in Costa Rica has been growing rapidly for years. Strong demand and weak supply play a big role in driving up asking prices.

If only the madness would stop there, it wouldn't be so bad.

Maintenance Costs

Maintaining a car in this country is greatly mitigated by an abundance of inexpensive, and talented, mechanics. Sure, there are plenty of shade-tree mechanics, but there are also a lot of them who actually have training from the manufacturers and others who have many years of experience, some of it in the States.

The problems with maintenance, however, are 1) parts are often very expensive or hard to find, and 2) you need so much of it! The latter is mostly the fault of the poor roads, but also because it's such a mountainous region. Our total annual mileage is about 60% of what it was in the States. Our local trips are typically about 70% paved road, 30% on rock roads, but that portion takes its toll.

Our 8 year old Montero is getting an engine overhaul

You're often driving in low gear, four-wheel drive, and the suspension (and all that's attached) takes a pounding even at low speeds. Tires have it especially bad. We've gone through several sets of new tires and they are never discarded because the tread is gone. It's the cord that wears out such that you can no longer patch the air leaks. The whole tire is leaking.

Fuel Costs

Costa Rica doesn't have any oil wells, so they import crude oil and refine it here. That's all under one government monopoly, called RECOPE (ray-KO-pay). Fuel prices are fixed, so gas stations compete on service, which is nice. The price of gas and diesel is the highest here of any Latin American nation. Last I checked, diesel is about $4.80/gallon and gas over $5 per gallon, per the Colone/USD exchange rate. That, along with mountain driving, means a big fuel bill each month.

Insurance

Up until recently, auto insurance was also handled by a government monopoly, called INS. Compared to what we paid in Oregon, the premiums quoted were twice as much and provided about half the coverage. That's not a totally fair assessment, since health care costs are so much lower here, but it seems a bit much overall. Every car is required to carry a minimum of coverage for the driver and passengers, but not for third-parties. That's included in your Marchamo (we're coming to that).

An alternative, which we've chosen, is that in addition to the mandatory insurance coverage (which is very low cost), we keep our cars in inactive corporations. Thus, if, god forbid, we were ever in an accident for which we were at fault, the most someone could sue us for would be the car itself, the only asset in the corporation. Neither option for protection is appealing, so I drive very carefully.

Taxes

Besides a transfer tax and lawyer fee when you buy or sell a car, the main tax is what's called Marchamo. It's an annual set of fees that you need to pay at the end of each year in order to maintain your car's registration, the proof of which is a new windshield sticker. Any unpaid traffic or parking fines will also show up on your Marchamo. You have the option of purchasing more insurance, too, when you pay your Marchamo.

The cost of Marchamo varies greatly depending on the car, because the bulk of it is based on their value of your car. Until last year, those values were not at all in line with what you may have paid for your vehicle. The value was typically about half what you could sell it for. You could also expect your Marchamo to be slightly less each year as it depreciated. Now, however, they are upping their appraisal values, so our Marchamo actually went up this time.

Just from our personal experience, we pay about $100 per year for a 1988 small diesel pickup, and $450 for the Mitsubishi Montero. A very new car could pay a couple of thousand a year. I know that many states in the U.S. pay value-based fees for registration, but in Oregon it was, and probably still is, about $35 per year for any car as long as you didn't get fancy plates.

Other Options for Car Ownership

Toyota Land Cruiser Hardtop 3.0 Diesel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Right now, our Montero is in the shop for a complete overhaul of the motor and suspension, and recently it needed a transmission rebuild, also. So, we're feeling rather down on cars here after a bad run of luck. It's almost enough to make you want to move to the city where taxis and buses are ubiquitous. Well, not really. It's just a cost of country life we have to put up with for now.

Besides going without a car, a frugal car-owning strategy would be to buy an older 4WD car, preferably diesel, that is not so expensive to maintain. That means a model that is very common in Costa Rica, such as a Toyota Hilux pickup. They're not as complex, used parts are all over, and it will get good mileage. If you have a gasoline version, then, long-term, you could mitigate fuel costs by converting it to burn propane, which is about 40% cheaper than gasoline. The die-hards will buy an older (pre-83) Toyota Land Cruiser, which is tough to beat for ruggedness, but a bit uncomfortable as a daily driver. Even more frugal would be to get an ATV or a horse, or mooch rides from neighbors.

Despite the challenges, we feel a car is a necessity where we live, though I wouldn't mind extracting some of the capital from the Montero by trading it for something older and less expensive. We do tend to think harder about eliminating extra trips, more so than we did when living in the States, and I've learned to drive more slowly on the worst roads. In the end, the overall lowered costs of retirement here, the climate and the beauty of the place more than make up for increased transportation costs.

Don't Let the Big Bugs Block Your View of the Little Ones in Costa Rica

2013-03-11T13:53:00.003-06:00

Assassin bug (Photo credit: Gerry Dincher)

Big bugs! That's what often sticks in the minds of people who have been to the tropics for their 2-week vacation. They can be impressive, that's for sure, and Costa Rica certainly has its share of big bugs, and maybe then some. We usually view them with wonder, not fear, and that goes double for some of the smallest residents of the insect family here. The ones that often get overlooked, or are just too fuzzy for these tired eyes to see the details.

Miniature Praying Mantis, 1" long

Actually, most of the tiniest bugs, we don't want to see, as they bite or poke us with their dull needles, or in the worst cases, plant something into our bodies. Yikes! The mosquitoes, biting flies, chiggers, fleas, etc. probably don't get their due, but ... too bad! I say, die you miserable blood suckers, die!

There are many mini-bugs, however, that I can enjoy watching. Take a look at this mini-Mantis to the left, no more than an inch long. To a fellow insect, smaller than he is, I'm sure he's just as terrifying a sight as his big green brothers. I hope he's grabbing a few skeeters for lunch today.

Transparent wasp

Then, there's this little yellow wasp I found on the screen of the bathroom window. So tiny, which doesn't mean he couldn't give you a wallop of a sting. I've had Costa Rican wasps smaller than this put a big hurt on me. Its most interesting facet is that its body is transparent. Look closely.

Fly from the Pleistocene

That gruesome black fly won't win any beauty contests, unless your thing is flies, I guess. He's half an inch long, and sporting a couple of bright red flaps or "leaves" off its tail end. My wild guess is that they are probably there not for camouflage, but instead for attracting and perhaps interacting with a fly of the opposite sexual persuasion.

If looks could kill, they wouldn't have to sting

Finally, these guys you've seen before, those sinister looking black wasps with their own evil blue-black beauty. They may actually qualify as "big bugs" I suppose. The prospect of being swarmed by these guys when they are not in a good mood, certainly can make them seem bigger than they are.

Every year, a bit before rainy season starts, they send out the "engineers" to scout out a place on the north side of our house for their massive nest, usually on the roof fascia. This year they decided to lower their sights, literally, and make the nest on one of our patio posts. Sorry, guys, but that plan was doomed from the start.

They are docile enough, while they are building their nest. I took that photo standing less than a foot away from them, no worries. Once the nest is done, they guard it ferociously. A fact true of many wasps or bees in Costa Rica. I admit to a good deal of admiration for their skill and dedication. If there is only one survivor, it will continue to work on the nest. My admiration generates some guilt when I have to off them, but it's got to be done. If I could suck them up and relocate them I would. May they enjoy their time in wasp heaven.

Five Years After Cyclone Alma Community Rebuilds Bridge

2013-03-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

Cyclone Alma slamming into C.A.

May 29-30, 2008, Costa Rica and Nicaragua were hit by a rare Pacific cyclone, Alma. It was the most eastern reach of any Pacific cyclone in history. The storm was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm as it hit the shore, but left up to 15 inches of rain, carried winds of 55 knots, damaged over a thousand homes in Costa Rica, and took out over one hundred roads and bridges, including several in our immediate area.


The salvaged foot bridge

One of those bridges, crossing the San Ramón River, just a couple of kilometers below us, was completely destroyed. It was a small suspension bridge that could hold just one car - with its side mirrors folded in - but it was a vital link in our neighborhood. It saved several kilometers of driving for residents on both banks of the river.

What was left of that bridge was salvaged to make a foot bridge, so the neighbors could at least reach the bus line on the highway on the other side, which runs from higher communities into central Pérez Zeledón. Since the storm five years ago, our neighbor, Luis, has been doggedly working with the municipality and other government officials to replace it. Designs and money promises came and went, expectations ebbed and flowed until, finally, after 5 years, a new bridge is in progress.

Alban Valverde and helper forming the piers

Recent readers recognize that smiling young man standing on the pier, Alban, as the groom at the recent wedding in San Andrés. His expertise in construction projects is crucial, since these projects are manned by community members who need daily guidance to keep things moving smoothly. The government supplies materials, and the crew's wages are paid out of pocket by the community weekly.

Pier hole on the opposite bank

The holes for the bridge piers were made with a power shovel. The piers will be both larger, further apart, and set deeper than compared to the original bridge. At this stage, it's all about building forms and pouring the concrete, which is mixed at the site using a power mixer (batidora). The new bridge will also be of a suspension design, and only one lane, but wider than the previous one, so trucks can pass.

Completion of the bridge is expected to take another couple of months, maybe longer. It's going to be a real time-saver to have this alternate route from our place when we travel into San Ramón Sur. It also provides us with a second way out, in case our usual route is closed due to a slide or some other obstacle. We're kicking in our weekly community contribution as well, of course, and looking forward to the ribbon-cutting!

Base of pier form

Bridge site from north bank

Costa Rican Wedding in Los Santos

2013-03-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

Floral bouquet for the bride

Our closest neighbor's oldest son, Alban, was married in the bride's town of San Andrés last Saturday. San Andrés is deeper into the valley where one finds Santa Maria de Dota, San Marcos, San Pablo, ... well, you get the idea as to why the area is called "Los Santos". We took "Casey's Big Truck" up, so that we could give a lift to a couple of the groom's sisters, and to haul back a few pieces of heavy furniture for the newlywed's new abode in their temporary quarter's at Alban's parents' house. We were ready for an exciting, but relaxing day.

The "big truck" loaded with furniture

The first excitement came after the final grade down to the bride's parents' house. It is so steep that by the time we reached the bottom, I had zero brakes due to overheating. I managed to gracefully coast to a stop, however, assisted by the emergency foot brake. Everyone was smiling and asking me how my brakes were as I climbed out of the truck, parked about 50 meters further down the road than I'd aimed for. They all assured me that it was "normal" for the brakes to fail on that road. An everyday occurrence, pura vida!

We then made it through a round of introductions with the bride's family, and sat down for some coffee and rolls while everyone (mostly the women, that is) made their preparations for the wedding, which was still a couple of hours away.

Patiently waiting

The bride's preparation begins

The younger girls sat patiently while their older sisters and aunts prepared their hair into complicated, beautiful braids. The older girls painted their nails, changed into their best dresses, and maneuvered the uneven ground and pavement outside in the highest of high heels. For some, it looked like it might have been their first time walking on stilts. Fortunately, there were plenty of men to take their arm and keep them from tipping over.

Naturally, the bride, Ledi, received the greatest amount of preparation. Her hair was expertly braided and woven around her tiara. Nails, makeup, fitting her dress, and so on, took at least an hour while we cooled our heels outside with the families sipping drinks.

Father of the groom, Luis

Check out the crackle finish on the nails!

Luis had a bit of trouble with his tie. First my sister, Tandra, then I tried to get his corbata on straight and of the proper length, but it wasn't happening. So, I tied it on myself, then pulled open the loop and placed it around his neck. After that, I was dubbed as the tie expert and was taken around to inspect the cut and jib of every guest's tie. I didn't let on that I wasn't the expert they thought I was. Someone selling clip-ons could have done good business that day.

Square peg in a round hole

Ledi was ready in plenty of time, but she stayed back in the house until the appointed hour of two o'clock. The rest of us meandered down to the church about a block away, awaiting her arrival. Alban, naturally, was feeling like a square peg in a round hole. Being the center of attention and having to wear a suit is not his usual element. It wasn't hard to see that he was beaming from the inside out, though.

At last, Ledi arrived by car, and was escorted by her parents into the church where Alban and his parents waited. The flower girl spread rose petals in the bride's path.

The wedding party dining table

The musicians belted out some lengthy down-home religion songs accompanied by the congregation. The sermon followed, a lengthy parable whose moral was the virtue of patience, strength, and devotion. Hopefully, it was inspirational to the soon-to-be-wed couple. Then came the formalities of the wedding vows. Up to this point, the couple was standing in rapt attention for perhaps an hour.

During the sermon

Finally, came the exchange of their personal vows to one another and the wedding rings, and they were hitched, espoused, and conjoined.

The reception line looked more like a rugby scrum to me, with family members in tight, tearful bear hugs. I don't think I've ever quite seen such a sincerely emotional outpouring at a wedding before.

The Wedding Kiss!

Afterwards, food was served to the hundred or so guests, and we milled about, taking some more photos of the couple and their families outside. We didn't stay until the very end as we wanted to reach the Interamericana highway before dark as we knew the drive home over the Cerro de La Muerte could be treacherous.

The happy couple looking forward to a life together

In fact, it was a painstaking drive home once we were on top of the mountain and darkness and a fog you could eat with a spoon settled over the road. We passed three accidents on the way and there were times we had to proceed at walking speed just to keep the edge of the road in sight.

I delivered the furniture the next morning. Alban and Ledi started settling in the next day. When the "bono" is approved by the government, they'll be building a small house up the hill closer to us. We're looking forward to the new neighbors and watching their family grow.

First Trip to Panama - Part III - Volcán, then Home to Costa Rica

2013-02-26T11:34:00.002-06:00

Her friend the King - Barriles Pre-Colombian site

On the map, it looks like Volcán should be a short drive from Boquete, since they are only about 20 kilometers apart as the Sarjento flies. However, there is no drivable road between them, though one has been "in the works" for several years. So, from Boquete, it's back to Davíd, drive a little west on the Interamericana, then take a right to reach Volcán. It's probably a drive of about 90 minutes, but we didn't keep track, since we took the opportunity stop and do some more shopping in Davíd before heading back to the cooler mountains.

Restaurante Il Forno, Volcán, Panama

Don't take my word for it, since we were in Volcán less than 24 hours, but it didn't seem like there was much to it, and I'm sure the locals like it that way. To our delight, there was a very decent restaurant there, dubbed Il Forno, which specializes in Italian food, but has a more general menu. Prices and service were just right, as was the food. If they have a lunch rush, we missed it, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Dos Rios Hotel - Volcán Panama

After satiating our hunger, we drove further down the road in pursuit of a hotel. If we'd done any research before we left home, we probably wouldn't have landed at Dos Rios Hotel. Trip Advisor doesn't give it a top rating, which looks about right to me. The eating area and the grounds are lovely, but the rooms are cheap and cramped. Since it was also the most expensive of the three hotels we stayed at, we won't be returning. Next time, I think we'd choose Mount Totumas Cloud Forest hotel.

A personal highlight of Volcán, for me, was meeting Jay Mills, callsign HP3AK, a fellow ex-pat radio operator and blogger. We chatted over a beer at Dos Rios as he related to me most of his experiences as an ex-pat in that locale. Perhaps he'll stop by our place for a visit the next time he's through Costa Rica.

Sitio Barriles, Volcán, Panamá

The most interesting thing we discovered in Volcán during our short visit was the Barriles Pre-Colombian archeological site several kilometers out of town. The entrance takes you into a private homesite, which has many artifacts placed around the yard. The official guide was not there, but the housekeeper let us walk around the site on our own, charging just three dollars for parking the car.

A pot in the wall

Very close to the house, is a spiral staircase that passes through an eight foot deep excavation from which various discarded pots protrude out of the walls. The entire area had been populated by indigenous people for thousands of years. The evidence suggests the population peaked at over a thousand inhabitants around 1000-1200 A.D. By the time the Spanish arrived, no one was living there. No one knows why they vanished, but perhaps it was due to a volcanic eruption around 1400 A.D.

Note the prominent sign at Panamanian Customs

After Barriles, we headed again for Río Sereno, hoping the border guard would be there this time. We followed an extremely serpentine road for about an hour. Once in Río Sereno there are no signs telling you where the border station is, and in fact, you could drive right into Costa Rica without ever seeing a gate. We found the official entrance, the guard was there, and the line was short. We arrived at the guard's desk just before his noon-time lunch break. Passports in order, we made a short stop at the Customs (Aduana) shack another 50 meters down the street to register the exit of the car. From there, it's a hundred meters to the Costa Rican Migración station.

Our gracious host, Tony, at the border soda

Since we gained an hour upon entry to Costa Rica, it was now 11 AM, so we'd have plenty of time to catch the officials on this side of the frontier. We thought.

Turns out the guards on each side of the border synchronize their lunch hours, so we had an hour to kill. It was just as well, since we could take lunch at the nearby soda, which turned out to be a gem. The manager, Tony, who is only visiting from Florida for a few months, knows the meaning of friendly customer service and the fried chicken was some of the best I've had down here. After lunch, we wandered amongst the street shops on a street that straddles the border. Literally, you can step in, step out, step in, step out of Costa Rica into Panama.

Then, it was time to head home. From Río Sereno, you can't miss the 100 foot ceibol tree showing you the turn into Sabalito. From there, via San Vito, it's about 2 to 3 hours drive home through the pineapple fields south of Buenos Aires.

Huge Ceibol tree near Sabalito

I didn't even mind the bumpier roads, and getting stuck for half an hour behind an overloaded sugar cane truck, which is a common sight in Costa Rica during the summer months. It was good to be back to the "home" country, and better yet to sleep in our own beds again that night.

At Last, The Costa Rica School Mosaic is Complete

2013-02-19T17:42:00.004-06:00

If you've been following Tamara's progress on the CAIRA school mosaic, you know that's she's been at it for quite some time. Planning started last October, and work began the first part of December. There were a couple of weeks hiatus when the staff were on vacation during the Christmas holidays, and then Tamara and helpers were back at it in January.

Last Friday, the project was finally finished. Monday was the official unveiling.

The entire mosaic, about 6 meters wide by 3 meters high

The final week may have been the most difficult, as by that time Tamara just wanted it to be done at last. She's now able to enjoy a little down time, though she's tinkering with another, smaller mosaic commission this week.

The pictures don't do it justice actually. It's more mind-blowing when you're standing right in front of it, twenty feet away. Savoring all the details takes time, but the students and faculty will be able to admire it for many years to come.

Oblique view from the school entrance side

The opening ceremony was simple and charming. The director made a very gracious speech thanking Tamara for her artistic addition to the school ambience, and especially one that is congruous with the school's environmental charter. Tamara was equally gracious in thanking everyone who pitched in directly or indirectly. Some of the students put together a photographic mosaic for her with a small plaque on the back acknowledging her accomplishment.

Though it was an ambitious project that perhaps wore on a bit too long, Tamara is thinking ahead of how she can do others of this proportion. She's hoping to put together some formal classes for people who want to visit Costa Rica, and learn the artistic tricks of creating broken tile mosaics.

First Trip to Panama - Part II - Boquete

2013-02-15T14:59:00.001-06:00

Boquete View (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we meandered through the detours along the new 4-lane stretch of highway on our way from Davíd to Boquete, we remarked on how dry the valley was. The sparseness of the stubby plants hinted that perhaps this area didn't enjoy much rain even in the wet season. On both sides of the highway, spaced by miles and far from Davíd were clustered houses that looked like mini-versions of suburbs in New Mexico or Arizona. Small lots, faux adobe, all painted in desert pastels.

Until nearly in Boquete, the road climbs gradually, but noticeably. Though I'd heard many times of this Panamanian gringo oasis, I don't think I'd ever seen a photo of it. My first view of the town was plainly not congruent with my brain's contrived image. Somehow, I'd pictured it larger and spread out across a mountain top. In reality, it's laid out lengthwise in a narrow, rising valley, steep peaks on all three sides. My first thought was of a "theme town", such as Park City, Utah, or Ashland, Oregon, though I'd be surprised if the founders planned it that way. There's a queer uniqueness and hazy similarity between each building and block along the two main thoroughfares that merge into one further up the valley.

A church that looks like a fold-up from the back of a cereal box

Just as the northern end of the town seemed to peter out, we spotted a coffee shop; a gringo at every table. Thank goodness, some real coffee, espresso no less! The cool wind and my cappuccino put me in a relaxed mood as we pondered our next move, which was to take a long stroll through town.

The former railroad station, elevation 1085 meters

The central point of interest seemed to be the former train station cum city hall and its companion, a shaded park with fountain. How I wished the train was still in operation! The sign on the side of the old station announced that we were at an elevation of 1085 meters, about 200 meters lower than our finca back home.

A rock-hugging frog

There are a lot of nice shops and restaurants, especially for a town this small, but not a lot else to do if you're a stranger in town. There were sidewalk boards on most blocks advertising various out-of-town excursions, but we had neither the time nor money this trip to take advantage of them.

View upriver along the children's park

Eventually, we exhausted the in-town sights and turned our efforts to finding shelter. We stayed in a very tranquil, roomy hotel with fast Internet, just across the street from the children's park by the river. Sorry, I've totally forgotten the name of it and Travel Advisor is no help at all. Of the three places we stayed on this trip, it was assuredly the best.

Our delightful breakfast café

Strawberry smoothie

Dinner was at The Monkey Bar. The food was quite good and reasonably priced. They advertise that they also serve breakfast, but the next morning it was shut up tight. This was doubly unlucky as we'd hoped to get a picture of the vintage mural covering one wall inside, now that we had the camera.

After a bit of wandering we came across a tidy café, set 20 meters off a side street. We met a congenial couple at the next table from our home state of Oregon and had a nice chat. The cook/waitress brought us a couple of stylish smoothies, along with brewed coffee, pancakes, french toast and sides of fruit. Breakfast over, we took our time re-packing and checking e-mail back at the hotel before loading up and heading out for our next stop, Volcán.

First Trip to Panama - Part I - David

2013-02-11T10:47:00.001-06:00

Panamanian Coins - One Balboa = One U$D

We'd vowed to go somewhere, anywhere, during Sean's two and a half month summer vacation. Finally, we settled on Panama because 1) it's close, 2) nearly all our friends and acquaintances had been there and more or less gave it a thumbs up.

Cerveza Balboa (Photo credit: Erik Cleves Kristensen)

Much more briefly, I pondered flying down, but when I checked (and re-checked) the air fares from San José to Panama City, I was aghast. $500 each, round-trip!

Holy monopolistic airlines, Batman! I could fly to the States for less than that. The bus was out of the question because we were time limited and wanted to haul home a lot of loot besides. Each passport can bring back $500 of stuff duty-free every six months and prices there are about 25-40% cheaper.

Even though it's only about a 3 hour drive to the border from our house, taking a car is not exactly a no-brainer, either. Besides your regular car title, you have to visit Registro to get an additional, special title that is good in another country. If your car is in a corporation, as ours is, then you also need a Personeria Juridica, which makes the link between the corporation and you personally, plus, unique to Panamá, you need a notarized statement that the corporation (your corporation) gives you permission to take the car out of the country. Typically, I shun lawyers and accountants for tasks dealing with this kind of paperwork, but this time I paid our abogado 80 bucks to get it done. A few days later, we were on our way.

My initial over-enthusiasm to visit the Panama Canal had to be put aside given our time constraints, so we decided to make a circuit through Volcán, David, and Boquete, crossing at Río Sereno and coming back through Paso Canoas. The former is an out-of-the-way, sleepy border crossing, whereas the latter handles the bulk of the international traffic. Río Sereno turned out to be a little too sleepy as the Panamanian border guard had decided to call it a short day and left no word on when he would return. We'd missed him by just half an hour.

The only practical option was to take the back road down to Paso Canoas, about another hour and a half drive. It was dark by the time we got there. Passenger buses blocked our way and the lines were long. The Costa Rican officials were friendly and helpful, the Panamanian officials glum and plodding. Between passport control and customs, we made two stops on the C.R. side and five on the Panama side of the border. In total, it took about two hours to pass and about twenty or thirty bucks in fees. Next time, we take the bus!

We headed for David to spend the night. The highway was wide, well-lit, as we'd been told. However, much to my surprise and chagrin, we found that the signage in Panama is even worse than in Costa Rica! Not only were the signs fewer, they were mostly smaller and enigmatic. We totally missed the 24" x 24" sign directing us to the David urban center, driving past large car dealerships and malls, thinking we were entering the city. In five minutes we were swallowed up by darkness again.

It was nearly midnight before we found our way back, picked out a hotel, almost at random, and crawled into bed. The hotel was more than adequate, clean and plush, though the rooms are small. For $55, though, it was all we needed.

Rising late the next day, in part because entering Panama from C.R. is a one hour time change, we went to an adjoining café for breakfast. Here's where we got our second surprise. "Dos cafes, negro, por favor", I asked, and in return received two cups of Nescafé. Yes, they do grow coffee in Panama, yes you can actually find brewed coffee there, but instant is the norm, just like in México. I was no longer taking for granted the good brews back home.

The rest of the morning, we toured the local area on foot, shopping for fabrics and new shoes for Sean. Prices were obviously cheaper than in Costa Rica, though they don't include their 7% sales tax in the price as Costa Rica does for their 13% tax. By noon, we were worn out by the heat and decided to head to Boquete. The two-lane highway between the two burgs is being widened to four-lanes, so there were a few detours, but the drive up into the mountains was no more than 40 minutes.

End, Part I.

Penultimate Update on Tamara's School Wall Mosaic Project

2013-02-05T09:38:00.002-06:00

With about a week before school here in Costa Rica resumes, Tamara and her small crew are trying to finish the big wall mosaic at Sean's school. Most of the details are done now, so it's a matter of filling in the spaces and then grouting it all. Easy to say, time-consuming to do.

A neighbor girl, Marilyn, and fellow ex-pats, Steve Bok, and Patti Lawrence have been helping out every day

They'd probably all be done by now if we hadn't take several days off last week to make our first visit to Panama, but we wanted to squeeze in one trip while Sean is still on school break.

This project, as all projects are wont to do, is taking longer than expected, but it's certainly coming out beautifully. I have been pushing Tamara to get some local media involved for publicity for her and the P.Z. International Women's Club, who helped sponsor this project. Anyone local who has contacts with journalists, please let them know.

Once this school mosaic project is done, Tamara would like to start classes for people interested in making such mosaics themselves. She's trying to arrange a format so that people from other countries can visit Costa Rica and squeeze in a week-long class while they are here. When she gets the details worked out on that, I will of course post about it here.

Detail of Toucan

Patti Lawrence working on lower foliage detail

One section of three is finished as far as placing the tile pieces

An Unexpected Visit From A Screech Owl

2013-02-03T10:11:00.002-06:00

While still enjoying a few REM cycles just as the night was turning to day, I heard a humungous thump that sounded like it came from the kitchen. Sometimes birds hit the house, but never had I heard one hit at that time of day or with such force. Fearing the worst, I went outside in my skivvies, seeking evidence on the east sidewalk.

He's not particularly happy about the camera flash

In the gloom, I made out a large lump that first looked to me like a large bat. As I came closer I realized it was an owl, on its back, out cold, curled wings limp at its sides.

I tried to scoop him up in a dust pan to put him out of reach of the cat, when he suddenly woke up and righted himself. I woke up Tamara so that she could see him and assist me. She retrieved some heavy gloves so that I could pick him up off the ground. He barely struggled as I carefuly placed him on a nearby bird feeder roof well out of the reach of our cat who has big ideas of being a mighty predator.

As I tried to place him on the roof of the feeder, he grabbed onto a nearby branch of Reina de la Noche, and sat up straight.

There he rested for a good 30 minutes. We came to visit him a few times within a couple of feet to see how he was recovering. We endured his heavy, brooding stare as I tried to match his markings to the illustrations of various Costa Rican owls in my guide book. I decided, of the owls depicted, that he is a Vermiculated Screech Owl, sometimes referred to as a Middle American Screech Owl.

Eventually, he tired of our gawking and flew off. His flight seemed normal, so we're hoping he makes a full recovery.

A Small Sample of Costa Rican Orchids in our Yard

2013-01-28T12:05:00.001-06:00

Lluvia de Oro (Rain of Gold) - one of my favorites

Since summer started here in Costa Rica, some of Tamara's many orchids have started blooming. The "Rain of Gold" is my personal favorite.

Some of them are from friends; some she's found on the side of the road up in the mountains. I'm sorry that I don't know the names of most of them, but each one's beauty speaks well on its own.

Laura Chinchilla Thinks Marijuana Legalization Threatens Costa Rican Security

2013-01-24T08:51:00.003-06:00

Laura Chinchilla Miranda (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Costa Rica's President, Laura Chinchilla, is attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. There is a story on the wire that she is "concerned" about the trend toward legalization of marijuana in the U.S., Colorado and Washington State having just legalized possession of it. The article also cites the growing number of U.S. states with medical marijuana laws. The article implies that somehow this trend is a threat to the security of Costa Rica.

With all due respect to La Presidente, I think she has it exactly backwards. People in CO and WA states will be growing their own plants or obtaining the bud from state licensed outlets.

I have serious doubts that doctors and states will be buying baggies or bricks of marijuana from Mexican cartels. It's the cartels who should start to worry, methinks. The demand for their illegal product will be impacted negatively.

If I was a severely cynical person, I might surmise that the real concern of the C.R. government is a reduction in the flow of bribes to them from the Colombian cartels passing their drugs through Costa Rica. But, let's not go there!

Costa Rican Hummingbirds on Holiday at the Finca

2013-01-21T08:27:00.001-06:00

Grey-tailed Mt. Gem

Pity the Old World, which has no hummingbirds (called colibrí or guirrión here). One of our year 'round delights is to watch the hummers enjoying the purple-flowered hedge below, while we enjoy our daily holiday sipping our coffee on the balcony.

The hedge is Stachytarpheta frantzii (aka Snakeweed, Porterweed, Mouse-tail, etc.), which is one of two native varieties in Costa Rica. It's planted all over the finca and draws in hummingbirds of many types. Though we don't have the hummer pileups like they do at La Georgina up on Cerro de La Muerte, we usually see 5 or 6 species regularly throughout the year. The Rufous-tailed hummers are more or less permanent residents, but the others come and go.

In the last week, however, two (maybe three) new holiday visitors have shown up; hummers we've never seen here before. The first, the Grey-tailed Mountain Gem, was spotted in the Porterweed down by the workshop. They are tiny, four inches from beak tip to tail tip, but seem completely non-plussed by the larger Rufous-tailed hummers that claim patches of the hedge as their own and defend their rights vigorously.

The second bird, just as tiny, now visits the purple flowers below the balcony several times a day. It's the more fascinating of the two due to its unusual appearance. It is the White-crested Coquette, an apt name for a creature so delicate and enticing.

White-crested Coquette

Sean refers to its unusual bouffant as its mohawk, though they are actually feathers that grow from the sides of its head. Note, also, the tiny white cap feather on top of the head.

Since this bird frequents the shady side of the house and is in constant motion, it's rather difficult to get a clear photograph. At first, he reminded us of the Sphinx Moth, the insect world's hummingbird impersonator, but the larger size and the "spikes" dispel that notion quickly. Like the Mountain Gem, this gurrión is not impressed much by the Rufous-tailed hummer's brusque attacks to drive it out. It comes back immediately or positions itself deeper in the foliage where the larger bird can't reach it.

A variant of a Mountain Gem?

The final newcomer is the one pictured at right. Again, similar in size and habits, but I can't quite place the markings in the only book on birds that I have, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book) . It has the eye-stripe and grey tail of the Mountain Gem, but the white gorget that nearly encircles the throat is what throws me off. Perhaps it's a Grey-tailed Mountain Gem or some other closely related variety, but it's still a puzzle. It stops by infrequently, so that's the only photograph I have of it.

I theorize that it's not a coincidence that these three small hummingbirds decided to make their holiday visits during the same week. Perhaps all three frequent similar habitats and move about together across Costa Rica, like a tour group. Perhaps they will decide to make our farm a permanent home or at least stay the summer. In any case, we feel lucky that they decided to visit and let us add to our list of distinct colibrí up here on the mountain.

Costa Rica's "Blue Zone" and How to Make Your Own

2013-01-15T12:15:00.003-06:00

Nicoya Peninsula seen from space (false color) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently, the International Business Times posted an article about the extraordinary lifespan of residents of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula. The Nicoya is Costa Rica's northern peninsula, a place hosting fabulous white sand beaches and the driest climate in the country. It's home to about 75,000 residents.

According to Dan Buettner, who has studied so-called "blue zones", which are areas where it's common to find people over 100 years of age, "A 60-year-old in Costa Rica has more than a four-fold better chance of making it to 90 than a 60-year-old in America".

Other places that have been dubbed blue zones include Okinawa, Armenia, Sardinia, Loma Linda, CA and a handful of other locales. One could easily draw the conclusion that the remarkable longevity of residents in these areas can be attributed to genetic factors, but Mr. Buettner's research in this area, worldwide, concludes that a population's health is determined almost 90% by lifestyle, and only 10% to genetic factors.

Some of the most important factors leading to a long life are probably familiar to most of us:

A plant-based diet
Exercise
Strong sense of purpose
Strong community ties

These ingredients all apply to the residents of Nicoya where, as in most blue zones, the residents burn about five times the calories in physical activity than the average U.S. resident. Their diet is mostly based on beans, rice, nuts, vegetables and fruits. Families are extended and often comprise whole communities. They have a strong religious faith.

The key here, however, is that these things are a part of daily life, they are not single-purpose "add-ons" to life such as a gym membership (which rarely gets used after about a year). So, to duplicate a blue zone takes a community effort, which Mr. Buettner has also studied in subsequent research with notable success.

That's not to say that individuals can't effect the necessary changes in their own lives or those of their children, but it's more difficult to do so and to make changes that last. The U.S. is one place that could surely learn something from the blue zone phenomenon evident in the Nicoya Peninsula. The U.S. is dealing with 68% obesity, a declining longevity rate for children and seeing 80% of health care dollars spent treating diabetes, heart disease and cancer, whereas relatively little is spent on prevention of these leading causes of death. Let's hope lessons can be learned and applied from places like Costa Rica so that more people can enjoy a longer and healthier lifespan.

How The Move to Costa Rica All Began

2013-01-14T09:40:00.002-06:00

Bridge in MonteVerde

This blog started over five years. It was always my intent that our experiences would benefit others starting their expatriate journeys as well as provide an ongoing "letter home" to friends and family.

After the first couple of years of preparing for our move to Costa Rica, moving, building, and settling in, the posts tend toward daily life, plus coverage of the minor crises and triumphs along the way. Readers of A Dull Roar who are not in Costa Rica, and may be contemplating a move here or some other ex-pat destination might be looking for something a bit more relevant to their own cliff-jumping experience.

Costa Rican Beach (Photo credit: oenvoyage)

Frankly, due to selective (defensive) memory, I've forgotten a lot of the travails of starting this new phase in our life. I've naturally, but unintentionally, neglected those readers who are making those first steps toward their own ex-pat dreams. Except in old blog posts, there's not much reference on how we overcame, and even relished, the challenges as they came along.

Towards that end, I offer up this article on Hubpages, entitled "Pulling Up Roots and Moving to Costa Rica", that summarizes how we did it, though it is a hindsight perspective. Perhaps one day I will pop the balloon stretched full of my good intentions to write more such "reference" articles in the near future. I'm always open to suggestions, of course!

Pura vida!

New Year's Tomatoes Are Ripening

2013-01-04T16:54:00.002-06:00

We usually have one or more "volunteer" cherry tomato plants near the compost barrel that get an ample supply of nutrients from the "tea" that drips from the brew within the barrel. These tomatoes grow pretty much all year, providing a handy snack or some extra color and zing to our salads.

Tomatoes here on the Pacific side of Costa Rica really start to come into their own during the final month of the rainy season and throughout our summer season. Summer is here to bring in the new year, scant rain, plenty of sun, perfect conditions for many vegetables that would love the long, dry summers in Oregon. Using a vivero, tomatoes and many other veggies thrive all year here, however. A vivero is simply an open-sided structure with a clear roof, used to shed the rain mostly, though it does raise the ambient growing temperature a bit, also.

In October, we found a surprise volunteer tomato plant that had rooted itself within a large brush pile. Whatever is under that pile, this plant loves. It's trellised itself on the dead branches and is nearly six feet tall now with scads of big, sweet tomatoes that started ripening a couple of weeks ago.

We're not sure where the seeds came from, but apparently it's an open-pollination variety so we'll be saving the seeds to plant elsewhere. The brush pile, meanwhile, gets an extended stay from the match.

Our own hastily constructed vivero collapsed after three years of service, so building a new and better model is one of this summer's projects. As long as I get it done by May we'll be in good shape for starting a new raised garden.

Update on Tamara's School Mosaic Project

2012-12-18T12:39:00.000-06:00

Tamara's big mosaic project is now into its third week. Students and others come and go as the mosaic grows. The last few days she's recruited some of the kids in our neighborhood and even Sean to help out.

Today was a bust, however, as the person who has the key to the classroom where the tools and materials are stored called in sick today. Why the school doesn't have a spare key ... well, that's Costa Rica for you.

Even though at this stage it looks like it has a long way to go, most of the detail work is just about done. After that, the work is all about filling in the spaces between with white tile and then applying the grout. When the grout is applied the features of the mosaic will really jump out from the wall.

Steve working on the background fill

Please, Lend Some Love to A Dull Roar

2012-12-11T08:40:00.001-06:00

FINAL UPDATE Tuesday the 18th: Sincerely, I am extremely grateful to everyone who left a review of this blog on Expatsblog.com. I won Gold for highest ranked blog from Costa Rica, and quite handily! You can see the new badge at the upper right of this page.

You can see all the winners at: http://www.expatsblog.com/expat-blog-awards-2012/17#Costa%20Rica

My Travel Affairs had their review featured on Expatsblog:

One fan says: A Dull Roar is an amazing and very informative blog about Costa Rica. I simply love it. He writes about everything from politics, travel to art projects. I know that when I will go to Costa Rica, and I will one day, I can leave my Lonely Planet book at home. Vote up for Casey!

Tamara's Mural Mosaic in Local Costa Rican Colegio

2012-12-10T12:42:00.001-06:00

Two women's club members and a colegio teacher helping Tamara

Last week Tamara started a new project, which she's been planning for a couple of months. She's conducting a hands-on ceramic mosaic class, which is producing a wall-size mural for Sean's school (CAIRA). She pitched the idea to the principal first and then gained support from the local Perez Zeledon International Women's Club of which she is a member. The club raised money for ceramic tiles of specific colors, tools, cement, and to sponsor the fee for participating children. A few of the club members are also enrolled in the class.

A couple of the kids participating in the class

So far, about 15 kids have helped out with the mural in between taking exams. This week Tamara expects more children to help out as exams are over.

The response from teachers, kids, and parents has been over-the-top positive. Before the pieces were actually applied to the wall she sensed a bit of unspoken skepticism from the staff, but now that it's coming together, the compliments are flowing.

As of Friday the 7th

Tamara loves to do big projects such as this one. She's also a patient instructor, so she's really in her element right now.

As of last Friday, the picture on the right shows the state of the mural. She's going to put in longer hours this week to try and finish it. I'll have an update on the team's progress by the weekend.

Taming Our "Wild" Costa Rican Coffee

2012-12-05T06:06:00.001-06:00

About two-thirds of our finca is secondary forest. The one or two acres in the southeast corner had gone unexplored until a few weeks ago when I decided to clear the brush along the lower boundary. As I chopped saplings and vines with the "cuchillo" (machete) between the forest on our side and the living fence of caña on the other, I noticed several healthy looking coffee plants in the gloom, some as tall as four feet.

Tamara and Lily clearing saplings

Looking more closely, I could discern terraced rows of plants running across the slope of the hill. These dark green bushes looked robust. Some even had ripening coffee cherries in their branches. These plants were probably sown at least 20 years ago when most of the finca was producing coffee, but their growth had been stunted in the last decade due to the thick overgrowth blocking out the sun. Fallow and fed by nitrogen-rich leaves of the large Poró trees, which have grown to heights of 30 or 40 feet, it's quietly and happily survived on the forest floor.

A week or so after my discovery, Tamara and I went in with machetes and pruners to start clearing the overgrowth with the hope that we can get these plants producing again next year. Coffee plants can live at least several decades, so they should revive with more light and some additional fertilizer at the start of the next rainy season.

"Wild" coffee receiving much needed extra sunlight

As we fell the saplings and brush, we lay the trunks, branches, and leaves parallel to the terraces where they will break down and provide some nutrition to the plants during the next several months.

We haven't counted the number of plants yet, but a rough guess is at least 200, probably more. There are twice that many seedlings sprouting on the forest floor around the bushes, which we can use to fill in any gaps in the rows or add to our recently planted coffee outside the forest.

When the farmers here terrace their coffee fields they typically put the plants on the flat part of the terrace. This forest coffee, however, is planted on the slope between the flats. I find this latter method makes it much easier to navigate through the plants and it should make picking easier as well. If we plant any new coffee, we'll adopt this alternate method.

This initial clearing is hard work, but when all three of us tackle it together, it goes quickly. So far, we're putting in just a few hours a week on the project, which means we'll should have it cleaned up in a month or so, depending on how far up the slope the coffee goes. We're very curious to know what variety of Arabica these plants are. The original owner is still around, living down in the village below us, so we'll stop sometime and ask him about that. Meanwhile, we've harvested a couple of large handfuls of cherries already, which we're processing by hand. In about a week we'll be able to roast it and brew a couple of cups of "wild" coffee to see what it tastes like. Not likely we can get seven bucks a cup, but I'm sure the first taste will be precious just the same.

Costa Rica's New Traffic Laws - Will They Work?

2012-11-13T20:11:00.001-06:00

Supposedly, things are going to get tougher on the practice of careless driving that is so embedded in Tico culture. After the first pass at an overhaul of the traffic code about a year ago, most of which was thrown out by Sala IV (Supreme Court), the Costa Rican legislature made another try. This time it's stuck and went into effect October 26th.

Here's a link to a PDF of the new infractions, fines, and points. The table is sorted by the points column, values zero to six.

Points? The first run at a new code gave everyone 50 points on their license from which points were taken for the more serious infractions. Now they've reversed that notion. All licenses start off with zero points and infractions add points. When it reaches 12 points the driver's license is suspended for 12 months, and he or she must take a driver's education course to reinstate it.

Minor things, such as a burned out tail light, have a fine, but zero points. The maximum you can get for a single infraction is 6 points, for, say, driving over 120 Km/h anywhere, or driving without headlights between 6 PM and 6 AM. Most of the 6-pointers have a fine nearing $600. By the way, the first six months of the law, the fines will be in force, but not the point system.

Crashed Toyota Matrix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All this is going to be quite interesting to watch play out over the next year or so. Most of the fines are sky-high for the average Tico, which could bring back an increase in bribery, though there have been efforts to reduce that recently.

Things such as obeying stop signs (ignore one and it's $380 plus four points), talking on the cell while driving ($560 plus four points), or crossing the double yellow line to pass (also $560 plus six points), are just how everyone drives here. Everyone expects it, including pedestrians, and the adjustment period, if there is one, will probably result in tempers flaring. I just wonder if it's all a bit too much all at once.

On the other hand, I also wonder if there is going to really be much difference. The problem with enforcing the traffic laws seems not to have been addressed in the new law. I have yet to see anyone pulled over by a cop in a car or on a motorcycle. Seriously, they do not chase anyone down. Their usual M.O. is to park on the shoulder and one or two officers stand along the road to flag down drivers with a hand wave or a radar gun. You rarely see traffic cops on the highways and if you do, half the time they are violating some traffic law themselves.

In the end, I hope some of the careless driving habits of Ticos (some of which I've now adopted myself, unfortunately) are changed for the better and no one goes without food on the table due to a fine equal to a month's pay. I won't miss seeing parents carrying their infant or 2-year-old on the handlebars of their motorcycle, for on thing.

There is one infraction that I found amusing in a gallows humor sort of way:

Motorcycles (includes mopeds) that weave through traffic (in between vehicles) at more than 25 km/h ¢189.000 ($380) plus 4 points

The way motorcycles nonchalantly drive between lanes and weave and dart about is enough to give you a heart attack here. That the authorities didn't deem it necessary to ban this practice entirely may be a hint at the level of confidence they have that any of these laws are going to change ingrained bad habits any time soon.

Four Years On, We're Thriving in Costa Rica

2012-11-05T22:11:00.001-06:00

On the eve of another U.S. Presidential election, I'm reminded that we are beginning our fifth year of residing in Costa Rica. We arrived permanently on November 2nd, 2008, the day Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. Our departure from the U.S. on that particular date was coincidence, by the way, but it certainly made it memorable. I watched the election results late into the evening as Sean and Tamara slept in the hotel in Cartago, just a couple hours after landing in our adopted country.

Just a few days past four years, here we are again awaiting the results of another national election. Seems like as good a time as any for a reflection over the last four years. A cursory review of my previous 202 blog posts does more than jog the memory, however. It's not a great deal of time, but still I feel a very different perspective today than I had at the start of this adventure. Simply put, it feels like home now, though distinctly foreign at the same time.

So, I thought I'd present a "best hits" list of posts grouped by events and activities. These weren't selected because of either popularity or by virtue of good writing (some are just bloody awful), but they seemed like a decent sampling that captures the highlights and low-lights of our experiences here.

Preparing to Leave

I'd forgotten that we had considered other residency options besides pensionado (retired).

I'll always be grateful that we were able to sell our house before the housing market hit bottom.

What a long, and sometimes frustrating, time it was preparing for residency, then getting our first cedulas, not to mention the bewildering, long time it took to renew them this last year.

The moving process was several months of garage sales and packing the semi-trailer, followed by a several month wait for the trailer to arrive, with plenty of problems in between. But, finally, arrive it did.

Arrival and Homesteading

Chicharrones (Photo credit: Manuel W.)

For the first six months, we lived in a rental house near our property while the new house was being built. During that stay, our first chance to act like members of the neighborhood instead of interlopers came when we helped out with some road repairs. Another memorable opportunity was the party we threw for everyone who worked on the house or helped us move. Home-made chicharrones, yum!

Of course, you have to get used to some unexpected local cultural practices along the way.

Building the house was its own adventure. As most house building goes, it starts out fast, then slows to a crawl when you reach the finish work. With few exceptions, the project mostly finished on time and on budget and has been quite comfortable.

Within a year we were building a second house for my sister. That one I mostly built by my own hand.

Figuring Out the Rules

Moving anywhere far from your last home always entails getting used to the new rules and regulations. Moving to another country and language takes that amount of change to the second power. It seemed the first year I was weekly running some maze with acquiring services or dealing with government entities. Getting our driver's licenses, for instance. You get used to it, that's all I can say. If you can't find the humor in the circus at least some to the time, you'll go crazy. At least it never got quite this bad.

La Fortuna (Photo credit: psychopompous9)

Sean had his own hoops to jump through, too. Starting 4th grade with very little Spanish was a challenge. But he soon started fitting in due to his outgoing personality and wits. One highlight was when he was one of two kids to represent the school at a regional chess match. Now, he's in a public high school (colegio) and doing quite well.

Traveling Around

Besides trips to the beach or the nearby mountains, we've made several longer trips to just a few of the sights in Costa Rica. Our overnighter to Monteverde with Sean's school class and parents was a great getaway. Then there's the trips to Lake Arenal, and the Caribbean coast. Both relaxing and refreshing. Via Sean's friendship with ex-pat classmates, we made friends with their parents, which led to several fun trips to visit them in San Gerardo de Dota, high up in the Talamanca Range.

Flora and Fauna

Orchids, Coffee Plantation, Costa Rica (Photo credit: ali eminov)

It hardly goes without saying that the country abounds with a wide variety of animals and plants, many of which we'd never even heard of. From the benignness of hummingbirds to the threats of the Fer d'Lance snake, the most delicate orchids to the rough páramo of the highest elevations, Costa Rica is teeming with life. Like to collect moths? Just leave the outside light on overnight. Bird-watchers come from all over the world to see new species. We are blessed to be at a stopping point for a mass migration of Black-Chested Hawks each mid-March. Then there's the nuisance critters, and the odd water buffalo here and there.

Challenges and Opportunities

Besides re-learning defensive driving here, you must adapt to regular road outages, locally, and nationally.

Tamara is always one to keep busy and turn challenges into opportunities. Before she came to Costa Rica, she'd maybe done a few square feet of mosaics. She made up for lost time, and has even made some money at it, not to mention some great artwork. Besides that activity, she's been able to utilize her architectural skills with six different projects, so far.

Tamara faced her greatest challenge, however, when she was diagnosed with cancer this past year. That was a long 4 months of worry and medical processes, including our first test of the universal health care here, called Caja. That didn't turn out so well. Fortunately, there's a quality private healthcare system here to fall back on, at about 20% of the cost in the States. After an operation to remove the tumor, she's cancer-free, thank goodness.

And just when are those flying cars going to be here?

Looking Forward to the Next Four Years

Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's election, we'll still be here tending the coffee, bananas, and fruit trees. There are always plenty of projects for all of us, my radio hobby, and I'm busier than ever writing, for the blogs, Hubpages, and now content writing. The adventure continues, there's plenty more of this country, and neighboring countries, to visit, and I'm sure unforeseen changes over the horizon. It feels like we've only just begun.

Parakeet Puzzle And YASB (Yet Another Strange Bug)

2012-10-07T06:31:00.000-06:00

How many parakeets do you see in the photo?

Flocks of Crimson-fronted Green Parakeets (Arantinga finschi) have been frequenting our finca for the last month or so. They typically arrive in groups of 20 to 100 birds, all flying in sweeping formation, their almost fluorescent green plumage dazzling in the sunlight. When we're lucky they land on trees or bushes close to the house where I can get a shot of them. They screech in unison while flying, but once they settle into some trees or bushes for feeding they're remarkably lackadaisical, calm, and in no hurry to eat. Sometimes it seems as if they just want to get together and chat.

By the way, how many Pacific Parakeets can you spot in my picture above? Look carefully. My answer is below the fold.

Answer: I count seven birds in that photo

Just when I think I've seen it all in the bug world down here, a new one pops up.

This strange fellow was on the living room floor when Tamara grabbed a shot of it. I count 14 legs on each side plus that one on the left-rear that could be a trailing antennae and looks as if it's lost its symmetrical mate.

So, anyone know what it would be classified as? Too many legs for an insect, too few for a centipede. Or so I thought. Turns out it is a House Centipede, is nocturnal and helps keep down other pests in the house such as cockroaches. Good for it!

Rev Up For a Costa Rica Motorcycle Tour

2012-10-03T18:59:00.000-06:00

Welcome Guest Writer Evelyn Robinson and her post about options for touring Costa Rica by motorcycle!

The blue color of Río Celeste in Tenorio National Park

Tourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the Costa Rican economy. Currently around 2.2 million people visit the nation annually with its national parks and protected areas being the main attractions. This includes the magnificent Cocos Islands, which are a World Heritage Site and its numerous volcanoes. It is also, like Madagascar, one of the most biodiverse nations on this planet. Now many people take tours to see these sites or to hike or to go bird watching, but with Costa Rica being one of the safest countries in the region, it is the prime Central American country for motorcycle touring.

Sunset at the Beach in Manuel Antonio National Park

Now, a motorcycle tour will not take you to the Cocos Island because it is around 500 miles off the coast of the country and is about halfway to the Galapagos Islands, but there are a huge number of parks for such a small country. These include top parks like Manuel Antonio, Tortugero, Paos, Arenal and Cahuita. There are volcanoes like Irazu, Arenal, Turialba and Tenorio, plus world famous beaches such as the one in Manuel Antonio National Park, also Tramarindo beach in Guanacaste and Jaco Beach in Puntarenas. Six of the Seven Natural Wonders of Costa Rica are accessible by motorbike and these are Arenal Volcano, Chirripo Mountain, the Celeste River, the Tortuguero Canals, Poas Volcano and the Monteverde Reserve.

Guided Tours

Arenal Volcano Night Eruption

The easiest means of doing a motorcycle tour of Costa Rica is to do a guided tour. These are great for first time motorcycle tourists or first timers to Costa Rica. It helps with the lingo, finding accommodation and you have tour guides who know where they are going and what needs to be seen or done. These range from short one week tours to full on 14 day trips. There are also a range of educational tours. Companies offering tours include Costa Rican Trails, Wild Rider and Moto Tours Costa Rica. Typically these tours supply the bike, the guide and your general itinerary. There are different types of tours and they might be group tours with other strangers from around America or even the world.

Have Map Will Travel

Stone sphere made by Pre-Colombian natives

Once you have done the official guided tours, perhaps it is time to get to know the country a bit more. It is said that no country is ever truly known until it has been travelled independently with no map or fancy hotels. There are several advantages here. First, you get to pick where you go and how long you stay there. Second, there is more of a chance of meeting locals and getting locked into the local culture - though brush up on your Spanish first. It also allows you to tailor your tour to your interests, be they biodiversity or Hispanic churches. When considering this kind of tour plan carefully first.

Getting To And From Costa Rica

It is possible to do a grand tour and drive down to Costa Rica from America. It will take a long time and would be a trip of a lifetime, but it is also possible to bring your own bikes with you. Like any modern country, Costa Rica is quite easy to get to. From America there are two other basic routes. Firstly, by air and secondly by sea. There are several airlines who fly to San Jose and a number of Caribbean cruise companies who make anchor in Costa Rica’s eastern ports plus a few Pacific ones who stop off on the west coast too. This kind of traveling can add an extra dimension to your tour.

Bike Hire

San José, capital of Costa Rica

If you do not wish to bring your own bike, then the next best idea is to hire one. There are a wide range of bikes available from KTM motorcycles to Harley Davidson bikes. The best place to start is the capital, San Jose, but most deals can be done online well in advance, so when you get there, you know what to expect. Before hiring a motorbike be sure to check certain aspects such as the contract, the conditions of use, and penalties payable. Before taking the bike off the hiring company, check the bike is in good working repair. When doing a motorcycle tour of any place, it is always best to get insurance, even the cheapest motorcycle insurance can be quality and it is going to give you coverage should something happen during the vacation. Now you have planned ahead, it is time to enjoy the ride.

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