暗网禁区

@kbtracy

Best way to get around if you aren't the backpacker 'type'... is to rent a car and drive.聽 Using WAZE to navigate, I hear, is quite good.

You really need to make a list of places that you want to go according to climate, community, price, etc...聽 CR has many micro-climates; from HOT, to wet, to semi-arid, to cooler (higher elevations) and of course, do you want Urban, suburban, beach, small town, small city, rural, Pricey, affordable, dirt cheap, other gringos nearby, etc.聽 It all depends on your needs and wants and of course, THINGS YOU HAVE NOW THAT YOU CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT... like, proximity to Healthcare, hospital, shopping, public transit, etc.

These are things you can investigate before you leave home for your visit to CR... and thus, make the time you are here productive in considering if CR is for you or not...聽 I hope you know it is humid here.

Get out a map and start making some inquiries... most 'places' if you google them, will show up on the internet with photos, etc.聽 Once you zero in on a few places... come back onto this forum and ask more particular questions... maybe somebody here can help you out.

Good Luck

Check your passports and make sure that you have at least three months left before your exit date on the date of your return to the US (a Costa Rican requirement).

If not, immediately go up on the Department of State website, backfill and download the DS-82 renewal form, pay the extra processing and expending fees, and mail it out.

I did so this year and got mine back in 2 weeks.

(Instead of $130.00 to renew, it cost me about $250.00 for the expedited processing and USPS Priority Mail Express both ways).

I got the canceled passport in the mail three weeks later.

Register with the (free) STEM program on the US State Department Website, which will enable the embassy in Pavas to track you and notify you of such things as a spike in criminal activity or natural disasters (hurricanes, volcano eruptions, flooding...).

Lay out what you think you need and cut it in half.

Airline fees for suitcases over 50## are exorbitant.

Local rental car companies (except one) will rip you off and stick you with many extra fees.

You will pass through passport control on your way past the duty free shops and to the luggage carousels.

Use the bathroom here.

If necessary, change a small amount of money upstairs at the booth or at a bank ATM here.

(The exchange rate is better at a bank, but you will need to show a hard copy of your passport each time).

The "red caps" will try to con you into going into duty-free to buy them cigarettes.

Just ignore them and tell them that you are in a hurry and if they want to tip not to waste your time ("una propina").

Go the correct carousel and keep an eye out for your bags.

Anything oversized (like a guitar, golf bag, or surfboard) will automatically go to Carousel One.

Rent from a reputable, US-based company [or the one owned by the blogger of a Sunday night show cohosted by someone else].

Do not go for the cheapest economy car.

You can drive for up to three months with your US licenses,

Make sure what your credit card or US car insurance will cover and consider getting an add-on insurance rider.

Get your rental car (unless you have arranged for a private service to take you to the coast or into San Jos茅), especially if you want to rest for a night before continuing your journey.

Bring good sunglasses, but not something so attractive that it will invite theft.

Beware of pickpockets and don't wear flashy jewelry, expensive watches, or be careless about where you place your backpacks, fanny packs, purse, or cell phones.

Roads are full of potholes and narrow, so if you have a breakdown due to a flat tire, pull over in a safe place.

Drivers are aggressive and will dangerously pass while going uphill or around bends.

They are aggressive, but not prone to "road rage."

Since many of the roads outside the Cenrtral Valley are unpaved, so gX4,

Make sure you have a WAZE app and if your phone won't work here, get a SIM card for CLARO, KOLBI, and LIBERTY.

Load up on snacks and get some beverages along the way to stay hydrated.

Take pictures of the car when you take possession of it, and make sure that you report and dings, dents, or scratches and document them before you pull out of the rental car lot.

Maps are next-to-worthless, so make sure your cell phone or tablet can handle WAZE or GOOGLE maps

Make sure you have some local currency/cash [= Colones] on hand for cash or food as many places in the company will not accept debit cards or credit cards.

GOOGLE often routes people along roundabout routes or into dead ends.

Stick with WAZE.

Avoid driving at night or when fatigued, and watch out for animals on the road, downed trees or mudslides, or vehicles approaching around a curve who do not "stay in their lane" on the narrow, often unlighted roads (even in urban areas).

Sometimes, a corrupt traffic copy may pull you over.

Estimate by linear distance how much time it will take for you to get from "Point A" to "Point B," and double that time (e.g., depending upon traffic, it may take 4-6 hours to get from Jos茅 Santa Maria (SJO) Airport to Jaco or Samara or Fortuna.

You might have to part with $10.00 or $20.00 to save the hassle of time and not having to got to the precinct of have your car impounded (it really does happen).

If you have a car accident or horseback riding or boating or power sailing accident and have to be evacuated to the capital by helicopter from Guanacaste Province, it could cost you $30,000.00.

Make sure that you do not travel without travel insurance.

You can often get it when booking your airline reservations (though NOT if you are traveling with frequent flyer points).

The availability and price will depend upon age and prior conditions.

Some plans will cover pets, although it is inadvisable to take a domestic animal with you on a scouting mission unless it is a "service animal."

You would do a serious disservice to yourself to forego travel insurance (which is not cheap, but cheaper than paying out-of-pocket for an uncovered hospital stay, emergency evacuation to the US, or even repatriation of remains.

TICO TIMES (the English language, online paper) and the US Embassy in Pavas have warned about gangs stoning rental cars on the way out of the airport.

DO NOT STOP.

The thieves are attempting to rob people of valuables and to carjack the vehicle.

It's not an everyday occurrence, but it does happen.

Have an escape plan in mind for your own "quick reaction force."

Check with your cell phone company about international options which will cost about $12.00/day for a short visit).

As the US Embassy (in Pavas) points out on its blog, if you are accosted, do not resist.

Even your military training will not help if someone is wielding a knife or a gun.

You can always replace your credit cards or other documents, however much of a hassle it might be.

In an emergency, dial 9--1-1 and most operators speak some English.

Some GPS and GOOGLE maps often route drivers incorrectly are in very off-the-gridt routes.

WAZE works best in CR, and locals use it all the time (you will never see a Tom-Tom, Garmin, or Magellan device here).

You will find four or five video bloggers who offer good suggestions, in terms of relocation scouting: especially at popular beach communities where you might be most inclined for relocation (mostly on the Pacific Coast), though some 暗网禁区s choose the mountains, the Central Valley, or the Caribbean coast.

Some ground transportation companies will offer you a car and driver.

Bring comfortable clothing, umbrellas, hiking shoes, sunscreen, insect repellent, floppy hats, and keep your prescription meds in the original containers showing your prescriptions

Do not take any weapons with you packed in your luggage.

Brush up on some Spanish or learn some key phrases.

But in the capital and in the heavily populated 暗网禁区 communities, English is widely spoken.

"Thank you for your service."

Or, as I prefer to say, "Thank you for our freedom."

PS--

1). In addition to JACO and SAMARA, you might wish to scope out:

Here are some of the best places to live in Costa Rica as an 暗网禁区:

I International Living

The Central Valley: Living in the Central Valley means you鈥檒l have easy access to the amenities of the capital, San Jos茅 [with its hospitals, other health care facilities, cultural attractions, gastronomic treats...)

The Southern Zone

The Caribbean Coast

Arenal

Nicoya Peninsula

Guanacaste Region: situated on the Pacific Ocean in the northwestern part of Costa Rica.

Tamarindo: a very nice beach with many restaurants close to the beach.

Dominical

Uvita

Ojochal

Escazue

2). Re.: Passport Renewal

Get a good photo from a drug store or post office

Do not wear a hat, glasses or smile in the picture (it will cause your application to be rejected)

If the form prints out front-and--back after you fill it, photocopy each page individually to submit it,

Sign and date it in black ink.

Staple the photo carefully to the DS-82 form.

Make the check, postal money order, or bank check payable to: "US DEPARTMENT OF STATE."

Make sure that you calculate the fees correctly.

In the memo block, make sure that you write: DOB: MO.__DAY__/Year ____

I strongly recommend that you mail it USPS Priority Mail Express to the specified PO Box,

Write on the outside of the shipping envelope, in large block letters: EXPEDITED PASSPORT APPLICATION

-0-

Do not forget to bring your phone charger.

Costa Rica is on 110 Volt/5 0 Cycleelectrical system, so you will not need a travel converter.

Leave any valuable or sentimental items home for this scouting mission.

Have the GOOGLE Translate app upoloaded on your phone.

Don't expect menus to be in English or to have prices in dollars (at least outside of San Jos茅).

Avoid eating in American franchises (KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Popeyes;s, Smash Burger...

Get a taste of local cuisine at breakfast counters, "Sodas" (= small mom-and-pop diners) or local restaurants that feature Tico typical cuisine.

As they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do..."

CR is only 10潞 North of the Equator, and the rays of the sun are fierce.

Reapply sunscreen every four hours, especially after going in the water or perspiring heavily.

If you use a high SPF sunblock, bring it with you in 3 OZ tubes, since it's very expensive in CR, and hard to find in SPF factors above 30聽 or 50.

Inquire of the locals about rip currents and coral at the local beaches and take the necessary precautions.

Ticos are friendly and laid back.

They want you to experience their "Pura Vida," literally "pure life," but more like the meaning of "Aloha" in Hawaiian.

If you are lost or in trouble, ask for assistance or directions.

Many Ticos speak some English, and some are completely fluent,, since the economy is so dependent on tourism, and depending upon estimates, between 70,000--140,000 US 暗网禁区s alone live full-time or half-time in Costa Rica.

The only place outside the USA that has a VA Hospital is the Philippines, but many veterans receive health care in Costa Rica.

GOOGLE health care options, but you may eventually wish to enroll in the pay-as-you-go Medi-Smart program which will give you access to a large network of skilled practitioners, many of whom speak English well, with discounts for a variety of specializations.

Good luck with your trip.

80% of US Citizens who relocate to Costa Rica leave within two years.

Those who do their homework, settle in the right place, and connect with the Tico and 暗网禁区 communities are most likely to stay and enjoy this paradise on earth.

@kbtracy.....Please do tell because it is a very important question....What is the purpose of the consideration of moving to Costa Rica...??......Because it will determine the direction of the rest of your life...

Hi, our names are Kevin and Bonnie Tracy. We currently live in Mesa AZ. We are both retired military. We are considering relocated to Costa Rica. We will be visiting Costa Rica in August and will need some help with getting around and also looking at the best places to rent. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Kevin and Bonnie Tracy - @kbtracy

Hi guys,

Welcome - I am also retired military and have been living here 15 years 鈥�. And love it !

One thing 鈥� you didn鈥檛 mention your age but if you are eligible for聽 Medicare part B-聽 take it. While Medicare will not cover you here 鈥�. Tricare for Life will and Medicare part B is required for Tricare for Life. You have to pay 25% of any medical issues up to an annual maximum of $3,000 each. After that Tricare covers 100%. This includes pharmacies, doctor visits, emergency room and pretty much everything medical. You can see any doctor here but you may have to pay up front and then file with Tricare for reimbursement. They are good at paying directly into my USA bank account and normally pay within about 3 weeks.

I am running errands this morning but I鈥檒l try to get you more info later today.

Your combined military pensions should be more than enough to live comfortable here. If you are also getting social security that is an added plus.

More later 鈥�.

John

GOOGLE and consider MediSmart for up-front payment with very good doctors, many of whom are English-speaking (my three are).

You can choose add-on options, such as "Onco Care."

They even have a pet option.

It's a pay-as-you-go, discounted medical plan, NOT insurance, but can save you a lot of money, especially if you have to lay out cash.

I have been very satisfied with my experiences,

If you don't have a local phone number (e.g., +506 ---- ----), you will need to sign up telephonically, and their English-speaking service representatives are knowledgeable and speak English well.

If you relocate here, it helps to get a SIM card with a Costa Rican phone number to make appointments, via one of the national telecommunications carriers: Kolbi, Liberty, or Claro.

I have excellent coverage from Claro and use the phone for all calls within C.R.

Also, to hail an inexpensive taxi or for Uber.

Everyone in C.R. has WhatsApp and uses the app for free and often to make calls.

For instance, all of my medical appointments are scheduled through WhatsApp and the confirmations are made the same way.

If you don't have the app, you should consider getting it.

Over two billion people throughout the world use this free app.

Good luck.

For clarity, you would need to SIGN UP (with MediSmart) telephonically and CANNOT do so online without a local phone number.

This can be done easily (though you may be on hold for a while during the onboarding process).

They will even set up appointments for you, but make sure you have an international plan for your phone, or you will incur large roaming rates (e.g., for T-Mobile, texting is free in C.R., but the roaming rates are $0.25/minute, which add up quickly, and instead of spending a lot of money in a short amount of time, like a week, you would be better off purchasing a plan from your US-based cell carrier (generally @12.00/day).

They have a pharmacy that will deliver (at a very modest discount), and an arrangement with a pharmacy chain located in a major supermarket chain around the country (= Fischel).

They also have a relationship with a large hospital in San Jos茅, Hospedal Metrop贸litano, or the Metropolitan Hospital, where one can go for things like an MRI or a body scan at a very reasonable price (cheap by US standards)

I've found the staff at Medismart to be very helpful and attentive.

Once you are at the office of the provider, a CODE is sent to your local phone number (or email address) to certify active membership and to receive the authorization for the provider to proceed.

Good luck and thank you for your service.

Hi, our names are Kevin and Bonnie Tracy. We currently live in Mesa AZ. We are both retired military. We are considering relocated to Costa Rica. We will be visiting Costa Rica in August and will need some help with getting around and also looking at the best places to rent. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Kevin and Bonnie Tracy - @kbtracy

Hi again,

There has been lots of good advice here so I really don鈥檛 have much more to add.

The one thing I would do is consider using a driver while looking around San Jose and the central valley for different places. The reason is that if you are driving it is hard to really look at the different areas plus traffic can be a 鈥渂ear鈥�.聽 I know a driver that I have used in the past when friends were considering a move to CR. She is bi-lingual and has a nice new SUV. She knows the central area and can let you know some pros and cons of each area. She does the driving while you look at what different areas offer (or don鈥檛 offer). Let me know if you are interested and I can send her contact details (privately). By the way, she also does airport transfers and San Jose / beach transfers if you have an interest.

One thing it will come down to is what type area you want - beach, mountains, more remote or more amenities. Not saying one is better than the other but that each person must decide what they want. For example, I have lived in Escazu for over 15 years and love it - it offers more upscale dining options plus other things that I prefer. In 15 years I have been to the beach twice because I hate it but others absolutely love it. To each his own. That鈥檚 one reason CR is such a great relocation option is that there are so many different places to choose from and so much variety.

I mentioned Tricare for Life - if you are eligible, it will cover you here even if you are just visiting so other health insurance may not be necessary.

By the way, I鈥檓 gonna guess that because you are retired military that you have lived overseas before. That is a major plus when deciding to live abroad. The one thing that is different is that you will not have the 鈥淯SA umbrella鈥� (ie, military hospital, US products at exchanges and other USA-type services) - you will be basically 鈥渙n your own鈥� but that can also be a plus - an adventure.

Before closing, I will echo one of the other forum members recommendation for MediSmart. It is hands down one of the best options for significant discounts on most any medical issue聽 to include meds and imaging tests. One does not need to be a resident for membership. Actually one can make appointments online using the HuliHealth or MediSmart website. The doctor鈥檚 availability is often聽 shown and one can make the appointment right there.

Please let me know if you have any specific questions!聽 Good luck in your new adventure. (Guess I did get a little long winded - sorry !

Saludos,

John

@jwboozeriii

I'll 'second that' to John's post above, even though I initially wrote that driving is the best way to get around CR... having a Driver means that you can SEE the countryside and not have to watch the rode or GPS.聽 And not just in the central Valley, but everywhere. I hired one for 11 days... he was a cab driver who I made an offer to... ???聽 聽I had an itinerary, and we basically circumnavigated the country.聽 I was able to look out the windows to examine and 'take in' all that I could.聽 It also freed me up to make calls to realtors to look at properties... find overnight accommodations, etc., ... not that I was really 'house shopping' in most of the places, but because I wanted to 'snoop'... as in, see what Tico houses are like, compare prices between areas, and study 'how' people live... which is very different than my East Coast USA origin.聽 聽Also... being able to see a lot of different areas provided me with the needed information to either Leave areas on my LIST, or... cross them off.And... believe me when I say I fell in love at first sight with many places; but I stayed focussed on my NEEDS list and usually had to wave goodbye to places simply because of being too REMOTE; lack of practical amenities (I'm easy... but 'nothing' here, really does mean nothing), paved roads, access to Public Transit; and unreasonable distance to any sort of hospital.聽 I wasn't going to let a minor emergency turn into a tragedy... I'm not Robinson Caruso.

Also... having a Tico Driver meant having a translator... as my Spanish wasn't ready for that kind of 'work' yet.聽 Plus... a Tico knows Costa Rican 'ways'... so he could tell me that the REAL price on a house that we walked through would be HALF of what was being 'listed' to a Gringo; when somebody was 'lying' (a whole other subject down here) as well as many other things.聽 We even found the house I now own during the last few 'hours' of our final day... because he KNEW that asking locals about properties for sale would reveal way more than relying on a Realtor Site that is set up for foreigners... which isn't something that most sellers do here unless the HOUSE was built FOR Gringos... and sometimes even BY gringos... and thus, priced FOR gringos.

聽 He used his own car, we stayed in crappy Hospedajes (local inns), ate in Sodas only, and had a GREAT time. I paid all expenses (cheap to travel with a Tico... they don't have Champagne Taste) and gave him $100/day which was STILL less than me renting a car.聽 Win Win

聽 聽I had dreamed of a tiki hut with a pet monkey and hammock near the beach and being barefoot for the rest of my life... was I ever wrong!!聽 聽I am inland because I am not, and never will be, a beach guy (but because I live in CR... I can visit many different beaches without getting on a plane)... plus it was HOT as you-know- what on the beaches.

I have a dog, my immediate neighbors are cows, I grow stuff to eat, and I take the bus just like the locals.聽 Bird life is never not Wonderful... and my dog and I see monkeys and other critters' on our daily walks.聽 I bought a Tico house that needed a ton of work for $40K.. it was listed for $85K.聽 It was on a good-sized lot, on a paved, dead-end road; in a town of 150 nice persons. I purchased the lot immediately behind to preserve my privacy.聽 I used locals to do the work... and thus, I know everybody in my village and they know me. The 'neighbor' will be my ambulance some day... that is what neighbors are for.

So do your homework and make the 'trip' worth it.聽 聽Pura Vida

As usual, an excellent and informative post, of great benefit to inquirers. Thank you.