Veterans considering Costa Rica for a move

@F_VC....Disabled ? Work part time ?.Are you going to start a school here ?...One thing you have is an abundance of energy to exit the U.S...? (America that made it all happen for you).....Think again if you think you will be able to work/manipulate Costa Rica,like you did the U.S.

@edwinemora

If you're not familiar with military disability it's something most veterans get after their service is up. It takes a real toll out of you and you get compensated accordingly. So it's not manipulation...more like a medical pension.

Most vets still work while they receive it.

And yea, we'd still like to contribute to wherever we end up. Starting a school probably isn't out of the question and CR has a lot of economic incentives for starting a business.

I don't think the US "made it all happen" for us. It's more like we're managing in spite of the situation. I'm not interested in working as much as I do for the next however many years.

I'd like to be able to slow down and spend more time with my family and work on keeping myself healthy. Shouldn't be too much of an ask.

@F_VC....Starting a business in Costa Rica and coming here to slow down,that is a oxymoron...You will be working harder than you ever have only to lose money..You will see !

@F_VC  thank you for that

@F_VC Don’t worry about Edwin’s comments - he is “Mr Negativity” here on the forum. His condescending comments generally are not helpful at all but we put up with him for laughs !

If you are retired vets and have Tricare … hang on to it as one can use it at some of the private hospitals here.

CR is a wonderful country, I have been here 14 yeras and love it more each day, but come with an open mind and  be flexible. You’ll do fine !

Cheers ….

jwboozeriii is bang on with his thoughts.  Been here for almost 11 years and have no intention of going back north.  As for edwinemora, keep in mind that he is from Costa Rica, went north, returned, and remains here in Costa Rica while dissing the country. So sad!!!

@jwboozeriii.....I just give facts like nobody can.....While you and others cheer on these 'want to bees' on off a cliff with your " be flexible and come with an open mind "........It is with your type of simplistic garbage that many wake up to their financial ruination, like, many expats did in recent days with 'Coopeservidores'........The banking institution that just cleaned  out a bunch a gringos of all their finances.....

@edwinemora - Eddie, facts, mae - you offer no facts  - just general opinions and statements - absolutely no facts.

Maybe you can enlighten us about which banks “cleaned out a bunch of gringos” (more specifics and more details, please) - maybe you can give us some specifics about ”many waking up to financial ruination” - something, please, but specific.

Step up, mae, the floor is yours - for specifics - not your narcissistic rants !

Cheers ….

Hello everyone,

Please note that this new thread has been created from your posts on the Costa Rica forum.

I would request members not to go into a debate otherwise the OP will not be able to retrieve any useful information from this thread.

Regards

Bhavna

@jwboozeeiii @TerrynViv

Either of you have any suggestions for towns? I'm pretty sure we'll be looking for something in the Central Valley but I'm not against anywhere that might be a good fit. Mostly what we're looking for is community. Not just expats or anything. I'd like to integrate as much as possible. My wife has a head start on me with the Spanish but I'm catching up.

I hesitate to recommend any towns, it is a highly personal choice.  We first thought that we wanted a view of the ocean on the west coast.  We spent three hours freeing our rental SUV from property just above Dominical.  It was in the cooler month of November and it was three hours in a climate that was too hot and humid for us.  We had a list of priorities which we amended after the above excursion.  Our new priority list read something like;

• An elevation of 2500 to 3000 feet above sea level
• An acceptable distance to good medical care
• An hour to an hour and a half from an International airport
• An established community with good rain water management
• Decent grocery shopping nearby
• A small acreage for some privacy

We went to Costa Rica in November of 2010 for three weeks; there were three of us, my wife, a co-worker from work, and myself.  We started out by renting a 4x4 SUV equipped with a GPS, now WAZE, (a must!!!).  We started out by looking in the Lake Arenal area then moved to the central valley (Alejuela, Heredia, Atenas, Grecia, Sarchi, etc.) Next we moved to the Santiago de Puriscal area and from there we looked all down the pacific coast as far south as Palmar Norte.  We had no interest in the Nicoya peninsula or the Caribbean coast.  I don’t know if you have been to Costa Rica yet but there are numerous micro climates and they change drastically within a thirty minute drive.  Finding the right climate was high on our list and it took some time.  Just a couple of examples:

Monteverde - yearly mean temperature is a low of 61 and a high of 64 degrees Fahrenheit (16-18 Celsius)

Samara - January mean temperature is a low of 65 and a high of 83 degrees Fahrenheit (18-28) Celsius.  These are two extremes but it gives you an idea considering there are twelve micro climates in Costa Rica.  We found the Puriscal area best suited for us, it is about 3000 feet above sea level and is in the type of climate that we won’t need air conditioning or heating.

edwinsamoron, you wrote above, "I just give facts like nobody can.....". Well, that's almost right. What I'm sure you meant is that you make up facts like nobody can. Of all the participants here, you are the single one least likely to be taken seriously, and for good reason. You paint the darkest picture of matters Costa Rican without providing any substantiation. It's all in your addled brain.

Fortunately, you've been found out.

@jwboozeeiii @TerrynViv, above, you wrote ". . . Mostly what we're looking for is community. Not just expats or anything. I'd like to integrate as much as possible. . ."

I'm convinced that two things contribute to selecting a good place to settle -- community and amenities. Above, TerrynViv listed the amenities that are important to all of us and which a number of locations will provide. That list is a good start.

What I think will be more difficult is your desire to integrate. Two things will stand in your way. First, if your Spanish is not good, the language barrier will make things difficult. And becoming conversant in Spanish may be harder than you'd guess. Second, Costa Rican families are pretty tight and there's just so close you can get. Were it mine to do, I'd be hoping to find a place where there are enough expats living that you can make new friends and find the support and advice you'll need to make your relocation a success.

@F_VC

Hello.  I think you'll do just fine here!!

Do know that it is illegal to work in CR without Permanent Residency (takes 5+ years to acheive) and official permission to work from Migration.  Hard to do unless you have special skills that are in short supply here... like medical specialties, etc.

But your into sems positive and as veterans you've been tested... so start your planning and of course... your Spanish!!

Pura Vida

@TerrynViv

That's great info, thank you! Micro climate is going to be important and your other requirements are a great starting point for must haves. That'll definently help narrow things down some.

@daveandmarcia

My idea of integration might be a little ambitious I guess. My mother's side is Puerto Rican and they're like that. Should've put two and two together. But community in general is the overall goal. My life right now is a grind. It's comfortable but I'm not happy, just not miserable if that makes sense. I know everyone says you bring yourself with you but my wife and I feel like we're fundamentally at odds with our situation. We've spent the last ten years trying to find our place in the US and we're at the point where we want to explore other options.

@rainagain

Thanks for the positive vibes. I'll probably still pick up some remote work in the US, hopefully not too much, but I'll have to look I to that. From what I can tell, our combined VA compensation should be enough to cover things. I do a lot of systems engineering for tech companies, not sure how in demand that is in CR. Either way, we'll be making a trip down there within the year.

Just a quick note about "microclimates": In general, altitude determines temperature. The higher the cooler and the lower the warmer. One or more areas may be referred to as "cloud forests" for good reason.

The rainy season typically runs from about late April to late November and that's pretty much countrywide. The temperatures remain largely the same year 'round.

@F_VC

Never too early to start a 'needs' list... and try your best to keep it separate, at first, from your 'wants list. 

The needs list must consider the realities of your ages, health, and don't assume that some of the changes you'll encounter here in the Tropics will be easy to overcome... mud is mud' ... only fun once or twice... but if you encounter it daily; not fun!   So, consider things that you may take for granted in your current life... like paved roads, LOL!   Proximity to amenities... whether they are grocery options, banks, med. offices, hospital, public transport routes and hubs, etc.. can literally almost disappear once you get too far away from population centers... not just big giant cities... but 'towns'   If you are near a town of at least 3,000 people... you should be OK for most things... although limited; but health care is something to Put On your list and make sure it's on the Map...   Cost Rica has less than 35 hospitals for around 5 million people... and over half of those hospitals are concentrated in the San Jose Area.  Compare that to West Virginia; about the same size as Costa Rica but has over 60 hospitals for less than 2 million people.  Something to consider.

Before my 'hunting' trip here...I made a 'needs' list and a 'wants' list... but only concentrated on the needs list when looking at places to 'live'.  Sure, I saw places where I would have loved to live (Nicoya, Osa, Puerto Viejo)... but when too many items from the needs list weren't checked off.. I had to say, "nice place for a long weekend or a small 'in-country' vacation" and moved on.  I literally googled the names of towns and cities that I saw on the map and did some on-line investigating... otherwise they weren't 'listed' in the tourist blogs and u-tuber "look at us" videos; and thus, I had never heard of them nor would have considered them.  That helped me to start concentrating on 'regions' and then the process of elimination.  But the possibilities were still seemingly endless so no regrets.  I perhaps am a little less hell-bent on being at a higher elevation for cooler temps than others; but I didn't come to a tropical country to 'cool off'.   I wanted the real thing and I'm experiencing it!!  But.. it's not unrealistic to think that someday, I may decide that I've 'done' this humid, wet, tropical thing... and look for something higher up for my 'count down' years.  Or even another country.   I'm loving what nature delivers to me daily so I'm staying put for now... especially watching the birds which I had not anticipated at all.  From eagles to water fowl, vultures to hummingbirds, and of course... the Toucans, Giant Macaws, Green Parrots and countless others.

After 5-1/2 years... I'm still thankful for the things at the top of my 'needs' list ...   

1) Paved road ... cleaner, quieter, etc.

2) Public transportation... I have no car, and I am a 5 minute walk to a bus stop; multiple daily buses to La Fortuna (50 mins); Quesada (70 mins) and San Ramon (90 mins)... of course, all are 'closer' by car... basically cut off 40% of travel time.

3) Emergency travel:  Less than 45 minute drive time (on my list) to nearest hospital.. which currently is less than 30 minutes.

4)  Proximity to amenities... I have a tiny grocer next to that 'bus' stop... the neighboring villages have Hardware, Pharmacy, Bakery, Vet, and more food options... and the cities listed in #2 provide everything else.  The only need for going to San Jose is holiday shopping; or for 'better' options when it comes to furniture or building supplies and finishes. The airport means nothing to me.  If I need it... its there.  Multiple 'vendadores' come to my house weekly, who sell fresh eggs, chicken, produce, and baked goods.  Even more during the Holidays.

5) Concrete house.  It just makes sense that it is less upkeep and cooler.  I didn't come here to do constant upkeep/maintenance; nor to chase bugs from making 'homes' in the wood;  or to run AC all day.

Climate, incidentally, wasn't on my list... I knew that being down here meant year-round summer and growing season, and of course that it would rain A LOT!!  But now that I know about the comfort 'options' that higher elevations promise... it's a future option if needed; and I wouldn't have to give up living 'tropical'.   I have noticed that the few foreigners living anywhere near me (Canada, Holland, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, France, Iran) are more the 'off the land' types and are doing their own thing independent of expat community 'support'... so I'm sort of glad that I'm not commiserating with the other expat 'Joneses' in my 'hood' (I am the only gringo in my village) and have immersed myself into the culture for a faster conversion...  especially when it comes to the language.  I'm already 'thinking' in Spanish.  No way that would have happened if I was living behind a landscaped 'gate' leading to a community that could be 'anywhere'.

food for thought..  I wrote too much but it's raining really hard for the 18th straight day!!

Pura Vida

@F_VC What do you make of real estate purchase prices compared to other destinations, such as Belize or El Salvador (if you know)?

@rainagain Solid post there dude. 

@daveandmarcia In aviation, you are taught that you generally lose 2 degrees for every 1K feet above MSL.

@RootBeer-GMT

It's the heat and humidity.  There'll be novel, if i don't die first.

@rainagain

They should sticky your response in the forum somewhere. It was extremely helpful. What has been like being the sole gringo? 😀

Serious question because I wouldn't mind expat company obviously but I'd like to get a better idea of the culture from the people that make it, if that makes sense?

Hey F_VC   (you couldn't come up with a moniker better than that??????)

LOL.

Let's see... 'sole gringo' ???   Well, I didn't even think about it at first.  I was so busy figuring out 'things'... you know (maybe not?) . like bus schedules, food, where and how to pay the utilities on my un-livable house (i was in an apt. about 150 yards away... but tried to do some work before the 'big' construction/addition project that happened 6 months later; so I needed water and power)  A man who owned a property here had lived in Montreal for 15 years, so he spoke English mixed with French and of course, his native Spanish... so I occasionally leaned on him for a few things.   He wasn't around much and we eventually had a somewhat 'civil' fight.  My first ever.  LOL!!

But 'Duolingo' became my Bestie... and I worked my ass off to get the Spanish basics so that I could ask questions at the bank, pharmacy, etc.   I still use Duolingo 3-4 times a week and I also learn Spanish from teaching English classes in my pueblo.  It's a great trade-off and fun too. We drink.

The construction at my house became my Spanish classroom; I learned every nasty cuss word known to the Spanish speaking world.  But I learned a lot of construction terms as well and none of that was a waste of time.  The workers were all locals...literally... less than 300 yards from my house; so I met not only them, but their families and the 'town' in general... everybody is related.

Only occasionally would I bump into another expat... but not in my village... but from the area.  Some were Americans and we never were 'friends' and others for the most part were Canadian or from Europe.  We all do our own thing.  The most English I spoke, at first, was in the bigger towns or nearby cities where a lot of people speak English... either because they want to, have good educations, or lived abroad.  This is weird... but the only Walmart' in the area tends to draw gringos like ants to a picnic.  So sometimes I find myself in a conversation with somebody there... but never see them again.

I have since met a few Ticos in the area who work as digital nomads... so they have excellent English skills and we see each other occasionally... but they are 'young' and they work and i don't.  So schedules are hard; but I get language questions from them at times.

I maybe would have liked having another English speaking person as a regular beer / coffee 'person' to hang with... but it never happened.  My village only has 150 people.  We just got a family from Houston that has built a vacation house in the village; and perhaps they'll retire here... but their kids are still young.  His English is of course, perfect, but he introduces himself as being Mexican.  Maybe I'll start introducing myself as being Swiss ??

To conclude... i don't think I would be as 'in' ... for lack of better phrasing, if I had been living in an expat enclave only to struggle with idiot Spanish at the mini-super, or when speaking to the landscape 'guy'. 

At this age... there really isn't a lot of time to do it all here... but the almost total immersion has jettisoned me light years into the culture and I'm generally quite accepted; but most importantly, comfortable.  It was a fun journey, thus far.  I would hate to be 'afraid' of everything and everybody around me... and worst ... unable to understand 90% of everything being said and going on around me!!   ...would make me want to hang myself. 

Really... i never never never NEVER saw myself coming here to live with other old gringos. 

It just never, quite honestly, crossed my mind.  Maybe I missed that video. ??

@daveandmarcia......Coopeservidores,no FDIC for banks and the rampant femicide,that is not made up but the most recent facts/news, anyone can find about Costa Rica........It is understood you have a lot at stake by what you are involved in,so,any real life news puts you into the 'psych ward without walls' that many North American expats find themselves in,just by looking at their reality in Costa Rica....

@edwinemora  That makes it sound pretty bleak.

@rainagain Worse than S. Florida?

    @edwinemora  That makes it sound pretty bleak.
   

    -@RootBeer-GMT

Consider the source.

@edwinemora

The vast majority of us are retired, so what are you talking about? We're all older people who retired there -- we are not taking your resources, we are not taking your jobs. we are helping the economy by spending a lot of American dollars. Get a grip.

@RootBeer-GMT....I do not understand those who believe they are escaping 'the evil of the world',for Costa Rica....

@dappleswhat04...We are all older people retired there ? You haven't even been here as a tourist yet !.......First of all,you are in dire need of a reality check-.....Those retired Americans  have the resources to retire in Costa Rica and to recover financially from losses......Let it be known of the financial chunk Costa Rica is going to to get off you,for any long term plans of permanence......This is the type of common sense Costa Rica has that the rest of the world can learn from, especially the U.S. !....Can they not ?......The mother-lode that you have created for yourself in what Costa Rica is suppose to do for you,is fantasy.......

@edwinemora

I don't know why you think you know me but I have been there as a tourist, I have multiple Costa Rican friends who live there half the year, and I am well acquainted with people who have lived there for 30 or more years who came from other countries besides the United States. Since you are so eager to try to drive us all away with your lies and BS, I suggest you move to the United States because that's where you belong. In a fascist dictatorship. Don't be trying to tell us that things are much better somewhere else you're just full of crap and nobody wants to hear from you. you have no idea what conditions are in United States you have no idea about anything except you don't want white North Americans  moving to your country well too bad we take nothing from you but we pour millions of dollars into your economy and I don't understand why you complain about that. You must be very ignorant of economics and politics to be saying the silly things you're saying. Personally nobody wants to hear from you.

@RootBeer-GMT

Worse than south Florida...  What???   forgive my ignorance...

I'm not connecting...  maybe it's the weather... we got Walloped yesterday... over 11 inches of insane, deafening, rain.  No power for hours.  Spent a good few hours with my friend, maryjane, late last night just listening to trees falling in the mountains behind my village.  We are so saturated up here in Western San Carlos... that the trees are just falling over... roots and all.  Only thing I'm hearing today is chainsaws.   Paradise

@dappleswhat04......You don't have jack and those Tico friends are not even in Costa Rica, those other so called acquaintances that you have fabricated that you know here, have rendered useless for you.That is why you joined this group to find out about the spotty wifi.....Another rabid gringa that expresses her ungratefulness about her origins and her life.....That aspect about you will manifest in Costa Rica and lead you back where you came from in less than 2 years,along with your other America haters,that have a problem being caucasian......The magnified lack of education you have about Costa Rica is sterling,as most of us are of European decent like Americans and nobody has a problem with it !  The global capital that has been pouring into Costa Rica has stripped away  many beaches from Costa Ricans,along with the essence of our culture.......$300 a NIGHT average at our beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.The only reason we can live here is we were here pre-gringo because of the obvious.......I know you real good ,your script, gnashing of teeth while clawing at the ethers is so generic...

edwinsamoron, I'd be fascinated to learn how you've come to know so very much about dappleswhat04's history and current situation. The foregoing diatribe sounds like it grew out of Mad Libs or some similar random word generator. Really, you should reconsider embarrassing yourself in public like this.

There is a remote possibility that you have something useful to contribute in this forum but so far we've seen none of it.

@daveandmarcia.....How hard is it to spot a red-neck trying to use the race card on other whites (dappleswhat04),in her previous reply to me ?........ An embarrassment Is you davemarcia and your types here.....Those who claim they have an affinity for Costa Rica and  Ticos but have been here for almost 20 years and still do not speak Spanish.....That becomes some expensive hand holding to function here.....It is understood about your PHD lineage in only trying to make a buck in our country.....

Edwin...  sorry to bud in... but I lived in the USA for 57 years and it is very common there, for people from other countries to live in the USA for almost their entire lives and never speak English.  They can live in a 'neighborhood' or small town where everybody speaks, for example, Spanish, or Chinese, or Italian, or Greek or Russian or Polish... or other... very very normal. 

So... if people choose to live here in CR for 20+ years and don't really learn good Spanish, or any Spanish...  then it really shouldn't be your problem or anyone's.  It's their choice and i'm guessing they don't care what 'edwinemora' thinks about their language skills.

I think your cone of vision is backwards.  You need to look  'out' not 'in'.

Why don't you send us some good Gardening hints and other good, valuable, Tico advice, or how to deal with this humidity, rain, and the 'hormigas'...  I think you can actually help some of us.

Pura Vida hombre... looking forward to hearing something positive.   

@rainagain.......You are mistaken,Costa Rica is not the effen U.S......The U.S. rolls out the red carpet,gives a drum roll,government subsidies and a condo to anything coming in and accommodated not to learn English,with that kind of benefit fund, why learn English, what for ? Along with Ignoring the rights and needs as a whole of the American working people,by empting out the prisons and insane asylums from around the world on them......Americans in Costa Rica love to confuse their own brethren of the similarities with the U.S,to screw them big time,in business dealings.....As you know my favorite thing to say about our Costa Rica "The world can learn from Costa Rica's common sense because they can pick and choose who can stay,for anyone with long term plans".......This being evident how costly it is for foreigners to be able to function,with just needing an attorney to get out of bed......We only have an open border with Nicaragua for Nicaraguenses for the obvious....The rest of you contribute big time to be able to stay.......Now that is a positive declaration for the world that goes beyond gardening and cooking 'Gallo Pinto'  !

@edwinemora

Ok.  Great.  I didn't know all of that.  You seem to speak highly of a place that you often refer to as a  "Dark Hole"...  but whatever.

I won't waste any more of your time.

Mucha Paz

Good plan, rainagain. To that, I would add that you and I would be well advised to ignore anything else that edwinsamoron writes. Question is, does this forum software system give us a way to ignore certain of its registrants? Anybody know?