Hola from Idaho

Welcome back!  I totally understsnd your desire to return to this awesome country.  My daughter lived in Heredia for three years...it is truly a beautiful area.  The traffic in that area has gone from bad to worse...I would take that into consideration when deciding where to live when you return.

Best wishes,

Sallyrose
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I have been living in the Philippines for 16 years and have reached my limit of tolerance and would like to find out some things in comparison with Costa Rica.  I have grown tired of insane traffic congestion and drivers who constantly break the law.  The roads have about reached what should be called parking lots.  I am tired of graft and corruption and the lack of law and order.  The people don’t care and throw garbage and trash everywhere.  No one seems to care about pollution and destruction of the surrounding ocean. The population continues to grow in leaps and bounds and everything, day or night, week days and weekends are over packed with wall to wall people.  Is there anywhere else to retire where people take care of where they live?  Is Costa Rica as bad?  Oh yeah, I almost forgot the Chinese are taking over and these people are like they were when the Japanese swarmed in some years ago, well OK!  Just asking - Thanks

Thank you for that information Sally.  Traffic would be a concern.  Do you have any recommendations for areas to live?  I’d like to be up the mountain a little ways but still close enough to town .

I do not have a lot of knowledge about places to live; I found mine 14 years ago and just settled in.  I live in Alajuelita which maybe isn't the most beautiful and the area has its challenges.  But, I feel like I was sent here for one main purpose which is to help with a church which is in this town.  I spend lots of time with women who are in a rehab center which the church provides for the community.  I often leave the area and head for the mountains (like Heredia, where my daughter, her husband and my grandson lived for three years) to see more of the beauty.  So, all that to say that I can't offer any advice on the best places to live. Lo siento.

Lopakalolo wrote:

I have been living in the Philippines for 16 years and have reached my limit of tolerance and would like to find out some things in comparison with Costa Rica.  I have grown tired of insane traffic congestion and drivers who constantly break the law.  The roads have about reached what should be called parking lots.  I am tired of graft and corruption and the lack of law and order.  The people don’t care and throw garbage and trash everywhere.  No one seems to care about pollution and destruction of the surrounding ocean. The population continues to grow in leaps and bounds and everything, day or night, week days and weekends are over packed with wall to wall people.  Is there anywhere else to retire where people take care of where they live?  Is Costa Rica as bad?  Oh yeah, I almost forgot the Chinese are taking over and these people are like they were when the Japanese swarmed in some years ago, well OK!  Just asking - Thanks

Suggest you open your own thread so we don't end up hijacking this one.

If you want to be in the cooler mountains like I think Heredia is, but with less traffic, try San Ramon and areas surrounding it. Some are higher, some are lower, just a few miles from San Ramon. Traffic here isn't too bad at all except in town on busy days like Friday, but it's not terrible.

You don't have to drive anywhere else to get what you need, they have it all in San Ramon.

About the only traffic problem is if and when you have to go to San Jose. To the airport usually isn't too bad except during peak hours. Normally about 45 min to an hour to the SJO airport.

It's high enough where I live that we don't have the sweltering heat of the lowlands, and in San Ramon it is a little cooler than here (higher altitude). It's all about altitude pretty much, here in Costa Rica. Higher equals cooler, lower equals hotter. Generally speaking.

Another area you might like is Puriscal which is in the mountains. I haven't been there for years though. Problem there is the winding mountain road getting to and from San Jose.

If money is no object you could consider San Isidro de El General but again there is a long winding road to get to San Jose. From San Ramon it's a straight shot on a 2 lane (sometimes more) highway.