Comments on: Road to Paradise, or Path to Hell? http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/ Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:48:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Sergio http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-263614 Sergio Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:40:12 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-263614 Erin: as a Costa Rican living in the US (DC), I'm with you 100%. If someone thinks that packing and moving to a diferent country doesn't require hard work, then big surprises await. The desilusion comes when the expat thinks that moving to CR will be prety much like the time of their exploratory visit, when they went to the all inclusive hotel and stayed at the beach. if the expat that moves in wants to be part of the Costa Rican society, they will have to work WITH the rest of us. The same goes here. saludos Erin:

as a Costa Rican living in the US (DC), I’m with you 100%. If someone thinks that packing and moving to a diferent country doesn’t require hard work, then big surprises await. The desilusion comes when the expat thinks that moving to CR will be prety much like the time of their exploratory visit, when they went to the all inclusive hotel and stayed at the beach. if the expat that moves in wants to be part of the Costa Rican society, they will have to work WITH the rest of us. The same goes here.

saludos

]]> By: Traci http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-261935 Traci Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:17:00 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-261935 I loved this latest post. We have a home in Mal Pais that we visit for 3 months every year beginning in Jan. We have 2 small kids and being able to show them a different culture, if only for a few months, is priceless. We own a restaurant in NC and are trying to figure out how to sell it & move to CR permanently. Maybe one day... until then I'll just keep following expat blogs & learning more & more. Best of luck to you, Pura Vida :) I loved this latest post. We have a home in Mal Pais that we visit for 3 months every year beginning in Jan. We have 2 small kids and being able to show them a different culture, if only for a few months, is priceless.
We own a restaurant in NC and are trying to figure out how to sell it & move to CR permanently. Maybe one day… until then I’ll just keep following expat blogs & learning more & more.
Best of luck to you, Pura Vida :)

]]> By: genna http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-259812 genna Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:03:13 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-259812 haha! I love the 'de nada' comment. I totally think that!! haha! I love the ‘de nada’ comment. I totally think that!!

]]> By: Becki http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-256424 Becki Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:30:06 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-256424 I am writing from Oregon in the US. My husband and I are just beginning to explore the idea of Costa Rica at retirement. My husband traveled a lot in his younger years and is ready for another adventure. I have lived in Oregon all my life and traveled to British Columbia a couple of times and Hawaii once. Mostly a home body but realizing if I don't do something adventurous now I never will. My greatest concern about leaving is not seeing my family and grandchildren frequently but all of our lives are so busy we don' get to see much of them anyway. I love nature, gardening, art (I am a painter and graphic designer) and bugs don't bother me. I put them outside whenever I can. I was fascinated to see there is a serpentarium in Grecia or Alajuela. I find snakes very interesting. Not in the house though. Please continue your blog. I love reading about all this. Feel free to forward advice too. Thanks Becki Trachsel-Hesedahl I am writing from Oregon in the US. My husband and I are just beginning to explore the idea of Costa Rica at retirement. My husband traveled a lot in his younger years and is ready for another adventure. I have lived in Oregon all my life and traveled to British Columbia a couple of times and Hawaii once. Mostly a home body but realizing if I don’t do something adventurous now I never will.

My greatest concern about leaving is not seeing my family and grandchildren frequently but all of our lives are so busy we don’ get to see much of them anyway.

I love nature, gardening, art (I am a painter and graphic designer) and bugs don’t bother me. I put them outside whenever I can. I was fascinated to see there is a serpentarium in Grecia or Alajuela. I find snakes very interesting. Not in the house though.

Please continue your blog. I love reading about all this. Feel free to forward advice too.

Thanks
Becki Trachsel-Hesedahl

]]> By: Carol http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-254552 Carol Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:25:29 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-254552 I had a good friend who moved to Costa Rica about 10 years ago. He didn't stay in touch with anyone. Supposedly he bought a house on the beach and rented it out in the busy season and lived off the income from the house. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do. He was a lawyer and had some money when he moved. Now I have heard that he lost the house and is living on the streets and begging for rice' that the Costa Rica government wants all expats to pay $65,000 to stay (which he clearly does not have,) and that like many destitute expats he is going to be sent home. I tried to find something about this online but could largely find glowing reports of expatdome from websites that were possibly trying to lure foreign $$$. Is there any truth to that? I had a good friend who moved to Costa Rica about 10 years ago. He didn’t stay in touch with anyone. Supposedly he bought a house on the beach and rented it out in the busy season and lived off the income from the house. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do. He was a lawyer and had some money when he moved.

Now I have heard that he lost the house and is living on the streets and begging for rice’ that the Costa Rica government wants all expats to pay $65,000 to stay (which he clearly does not have,) and that like many destitute expats he is going to be sent home.

I tried to find something about this online but could largely find glowing reports of expatdome from websites that were possibly trying to lure foreign $$$.

Is there any truth to that?

]]> By: jrnutpaul http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-253945 jrnutpaul Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:11:35 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-253945 So, I had appreciated your renewed commitment in writing...Last April. I faithfully checked back once a week for an update and have now come to the conclusion you really didn't commit to anything. I'm sorry that we won't be hearing from you anymore, you really do have a talent. It was in fact, some of that writing talent that brought me to CR for the first time last March. Since then, my wife and I have sold ou home in the states, bought a new on in San Ramon sur and begin our new adventure with a sense of "Mucho gusto" Paul So, I had appreciated your renewed commitment in writing…Last April. I faithfully checked back once a week for an update and have now come to the conclusion you really didn’t commit to anything. I’m sorry that we won’t be hearing from you anymore, you really do have a talent. It was in fact, some of that writing talent that brought me to CR for the first time last March. Since then, my wife and I have sold ou home in the states, bought a new on in San Ramon sur and begin our new adventure with a sense of “Mucho gusto”

Paul

]]> By: Deb http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-245895 Deb Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:07:59 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-245895 So. Where are you? You talk of Costa Rica... but what about YOU? How are you? So. Where are you? You talk of Costa Rica… but what about YOU? How are you?

]]> By: Fabián Pacheco (costa rican) http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-241598 Fabián Pacheco (costa rican) Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:08:48 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-241598 I read this article by accident. I was spending some minutes in front of the computer and I was thinking about my teacher (a polish lady who doesn't like being called “gringa”) and Google led me to this website. I know almost nothing about expats, but in my opinion, racism shouldn't be such a big problem for foreigners, eventhough they should take some care about that. Much of us don't grow that kind of feelings. It is easy to get scared in a situation when you know nothing about what is happening around you and any comment you hear you may think is a threat for you! I suggest to any foreigner who comes to Costa Rica that make a Costa Rican friend, so he/she advice him/her about risks in this country and what is not necessary to get scared about. Fabián Pacheco (Costa Rican, 24year-old) I read this article by accident. I was spending some minutes in front of the computer and I was thinking about my teacher (a polish lady who doesn’t like being called “gringa”) and Google led me to this website.

I know almost nothing about expats, but in my opinion, racism shouldn’t be such a big problem for foreigners, eventhough they should take some care about that. Much of us don’t grow that kind of feelings.

It is easy to get scared in a situation when you know nothing about what is happening around you and any comment you hear you may think is a threat for you! I suggest to any foreigner who comes to Costa Rica that make a Costa Rican friend, so he/she advice him/her about risks in this country and what is not necessary to get scared about.

Fabián Pacheco
(Costa Rican, 24year-old)

]]> By: Valerie http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-240450 Valerie Fri, 29 May 2009 23:57:26 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-240450 I absolutely love living in Costa Rica... but unfortunately I may end up being one of the statistics. I love sharing this country with my children. I love that my kids are learning Spanish. I love that we don't have a television. Unfortunately, raising a family in Costa Rica is not much less expensive than raising our family in the U.S. Living here, it is easy to see how a single person can live on a small budget. It is very different providing for children. Medical care, nutritious meals, and school supplies are much more expensive than we bargained for. Our family is working to accelerate our plan to find ways to earn a living in Costa Rica to supplement the funds that we thought would last several years. I am hopeful that we will remain ex-pats for many years to come. If not, I will go home to suburbia thankful that my children were able to experience this wonderful country(with all its culture shocks and pitfalls, but more importantly with immense natural and cultural beauty. I absolutely love living in Costa Rica… but unfortunately I may end up being one of the statistics. I love sharing this country with my children. I love that my kids are learning Spanish. I love that we don’t have a television. Unfortunately, raising a family in Costa Rica is not much less expensive than raising our family in the U.S. Living here, it is easy to see how a single person can live on a small budget. It is very different providing for children. Medical care, nutritious meals, and school supplies are much more expensive than we bargained for. Our family is working to accelerate our plan to find ways to earn a living in Costa Rica to supplement the funds that we thought would last several years. I am hopeful that we will remain ex-pats for many years to come. If not, I will go home to suburbia thankful that my children were able to experience this wonderful country(with all its culture shocks and pitfalls, but more importantly with immense natural and cultural beauty.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-234962 Laurie Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:45:52 +0000 http://www.gringuitica.com/2009/04/road-to-paradise-or-path-to-hell/#comment-234962 I'm unconvinced that for those who leave, "Costa Rica is so bad, so absolutely intolerable, that they have no choice but to flee." I believe that many leave because they've enjoyed Costa Rica and it's now time for a new adventure. When I leave, it won't be because it's intolerable here. It won't be because I have no choice but to flee. It will be because there's somewhere else I want to be. I suspect that if you look at many places in this world, perhaps even including your hometown, a substantial portion of the residents eventually leave to go somewhere else. For many, it's an indication of their desire to experience new things, rather than a failure to adjust to their current surroundings. I’m unconvinced that for those who leave, “Costa Rica is so bad, so absolutely intolerable, that they have no choice but to flee.” I believe that many leave because they’ve enjoyed Costa Rica and it’s now time for a new adventure. When I leave, it won’t be because it’s intolerable here. It won’t be because I have no choice but to flee. It will be because there’s somewhere else I want to be. I suspect that if you look at many places in this world, perhaps even including your hometown, a substantial portion of the residents eventually leave to go somewhere else. For many, it’s an indication of their desire to experience new things, rather than a failure to adjust to their current surroundings.

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