Our "adventure" with CR Home , and our desire to help people avoid many of the same problems we encountered has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.   We are looked at by some as "pioneers" and looked "up to" by others who say "I wish I could do what you did."

We have been asked, more and more, to try to give an accurate picture of what life is like here in Costa Rica...to summarize what life is like here ...without writing a book.

So...here goes.

Costa Rica is a land of almost infinite variety...two oceans , each as different as black and white;  volcanoes are around every corner, some still active and spewing lava;  there are tropical rainforests which contain an almost overwhelming number of species of flora and fauna ;  there are several mountain ranges which are almost miniature versions of the Colorado Rockies ( minus the snow, of course )...there are almost as many types of beach and oceanview as the imagination can conjure...and certainly almost one for everyone who revels in the thought of ocean life;  there are vast expanses of land which comprise the country's "breadbaskets", ( fruits, vegetables and animals);  there are large and small cities, and "tourist"towns which contain more crime than its inhabitants want;  and there are small villages where inhabitants are counted on two hands..

Costa Rica is a land which combines the past, the present and the future.   Certainly I could never drive in Minnesota and see two oxen pulling a cart or tractors hauling sugar cane mixed in with the normal flow of traffic.   All Costa Ricans ( at least 95% of them ) know how to read and write...the life expectancy is higher than almost all other "civilized" countries...the system of healthcare is better ( at least by my yardstick) as doctors here practice medicine instead of treating patients as numbers...and Costa Rica is Latin America's longest running democracy with a record of stability unmatched almost anywhere else. 

Costa Ricans are proud of their country...over 25% of Costa Rica is set aside for national parks.  "Ticos" ( Costa Ricans ) will spend their holidays showing their children the scarlet macaws or crocodiles rather than basking in the sun .   The poorest home in Costa Rica is often the one which has the most beautiful garden and flowers.   Ticos will visit the Tarcoles area and point out the birds, flora and fauna..."gringos" will visit the area and comment on the latest publishing that shows how polluted the area is... ( another subject )... a typical case of seeing the beauty of the country as a glass half full OR half empty.. 

Ticos do not live in poverty...it is difficult to starve to death in a land where everyone shares.  In Costa Rica , the family is the most important institution and everything revolves around it.   Go to the central park on Sunday and you will see fathers buying their children ice cream and spending time together.   Go to the neighborhood elementary school when the final bell rings...and you will almost always find a relative waiting for a child...not because of fear of safety but because time with

children is precious.  Sunday will always find families together...to talk, for dinner...simply to spend time together.   It is tradition.

Christmas time will bring presents for children but they are typically small in colones spent...the most important thing is the time together.

Every Saturday morning , our town of Grecia has its outdoor market...nearly every town does at one time or day or another.   You can find huge selections of almost everything in season including ( at least in Grecia ) coffee and meats.    A week's worth of fruits and vegetables, typically pineapple, lettuce, spinach, garlic, papaya, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes or yucca, and a kilo of coffee...will typically run less than $10.   Honest.

Other expenses that everyone should be aware of:   gasoline is expensive ( figure $5 per gallon for regular and a dollar less per gallon for diesel fuel ....and this country , at least in Grecia , is hard on cars );  utilities in an average home including internet will probably cost an average of $50-75 per month;  buses are inexpensive here and run ON TIME and everywhere in the country...it is a great way to save money and headache ( Ticos are terrible drivers );  obviously the television stations are in Spanish...but satellite TV can be rented for a relatively small amount...If you are relatively careful you really can live on Social Security here...it is not easy but consider that the average Tico makes less than $2 per hour.

So...how much does it cost to build an average house?  On perhaps two acres of property with a view ( Central Valley or oceanview )?   The short version...all inclusive...is that it is possible ( if you are careful! ) to build and buy for $100,000 or less.   And...it can be done for a lot less.  Compare to what prices are in Canada or the States!     Rentals can be had for as little as $200 per month...but please keep in mind that all inclusive rentals complete with furniture are definitely not the norm.   They are difficult to find.

Now...onto the negatives ...

It is common here among gringos to bash Costa Rica and to complain about everything that is different here .     Whether it is the roads, the inefficiency, the long lines, the archaic system of bill paying...or whether it is just the fact that Costa Ricans speak nothing but Spanish...it is all fair game.    It is what many gringos do ...those that have too much time on their hands.   To those of you that whine:  GET A LIFE!...and if you cannot accept the negatives of Costa Rica with all of its positives...go home.  Remember...you live here...you partake of what the country has to offer...AND you pay no taxes!

It is commonplace for Ticos to "take advantage" or as many Gringos put it "cheat Americans or Canadians!"  This used to make me furious until I realized that this is a simple fact of doing business and, it is here more than anywhere else,where "let the buyer beware" really applies.  There are really no government entities that protect foreigners buying or building here  The attitude of the government is simple:  " you are smart enough and have the resources enough to protect yourselves.  Just do it."   It reminds me of the attitude that Canada and the States USED TO HAVE.   If you buy land, be careful, get a good attorney, compare prices and talk to potential neighbors and do not be swayed by emotion.   If you build, maybe you should get 3 or 4 bids before making a decision and talk to referrals and locals about reputation.    This is not rocket science here, folks.   It is a simple matter of realizing that "we are not in Kansas anymore."

There is a lot of talk about a two tier price system...one for gringos and one for Ticos.   Is this discrimination?.... probably , but remember in 99% of instances we DO have more money than most locals here.   Be careful and be generous if you can.    People do genuinely ( at least for the most part ) like "gringos"...but there will always be an undercurrent of jealousy and in some cases even hatred.   Remember how much the Gringo is hated in France and overseas?   Think about that when you think how "bad" attitudes are here.

Are roads bad here?  sure, but they are bad in rural Minnesota or Vermont or almost anywhere.   Is the infrastructure worse?   In many places, yes ...because there are not enough funds to have equivalent infrastructures.   Is the internet as good?...of course it isn't , but hey, five years ago I didnt have high speed in the States either.  Are there long lines in government and municipal offices?   yes, and they are a pain....but you either adapt or go crazy.    Should the Costa Rican government try to become more efficient and "modernize"?....This has been a hot topic of conversation for past months here , especially with the vote on the Free Trade Agreement coming up ( CAFTA ),   I am convinced that if Costa Rica "modernizes and becomes more efficient...it will lose something...something indefinable that the Ticos call "pura vida".

Peoples' attitudes are different here.... people "put up" with and accept more than most "gringos" would.  It takes a tremendous amount to get a Tico upset.    I have seen Ticos stand in line for 4-5 hours with no seeming irritation and I have seen Ticos accept a faulty repair with seeming indifference...something that most Gringos would be furious with barely rates a raised eyebrow with a Tico.    Sometimes I wonder why Ticos can accept shoddy workmanship and poor service with equanimity and still.... it makes you think and wonder who really has the right attitude and who has the wrong attitude.

I am often asked too "what do you miss from Home?".   In all honesty, the only things I miss are my parents and my daughter.   I do not miss my "old life" at all.   I do not miss the 70 hour work weeks and the constant frustration with the current government and the constant fear that "the other shoe will fall".   I do not miss the overtaxation and commercialism that had come to dominate my life "before" Costa Rica.   I do not miss paying $5 for a large latte at Starbucks nor do I mind not having to make the monthly payment on my BMW.   Or the mortgage on my house that was not even half paid for.   Or the constant feeling of being forever on a treadmill which will never stop until I die.

Costa Rica is about beauty and simplicity.    It is about family and enjoying life.  Costa Rica is NOT a panacea...but it is the answer for many of you who have the courage to want to find a better world and a better life.