rainagain
American expat in Costa Rica
Forum posts
299
Contacts
1
About me
American
Speaks some Spanish. I'm here 5 years and it gets better every day... hard during Covid because of masks and such... but I use Duolingo every day, and I volunteer to teach English to various classes in my village... that really helps my Spanish a lot. Plus, no other gringos here... so I'm immersed and th
Registration: 24 March 2024
Activity
COVINTEC construction experience by costaricahomebuilder
The Covintec system sounds great and makes sense on paper but here in Costa Rica all the input I have received from contractors who have used the system over the last 10 years has been negative. I am looking for some positive input as this product ...
@gst1212 The people here almost never complain about the rain... somewhat refreshing. However, even after WEEKS of relentless downpours... some that can last 40+ hours; and include power outages and inundations of roads and frogs and snakes... ... Read More
COVINTEC construction experience by costaricahomebuilder
The Covintec system sounds great and makes sense on paper but here in Costa Rica all the input I have received from contractors who have used the system over the last 10 years has been negative. I am looking for some positive input as this product ...
@wri57 Yep... sometimes, after about a month of nothing but rain, I'll sit behind my house at night facing the mountains; when there's no traffic nor other human noises ... and just wait to hear trees fall up in the nearby foothills... it is eerie, ... Read More
COVINTEC construction experience by costaricahomebuilder
The Covintec system sounds great and makes sense on paper but here in Costa Rica all the input I have received from contractors who have used the system over the last 10 years has been negative. I am looking for some positive input as this product ...
@wri57 I love that!!! Wow!! Like Bermuda. Plus, you don't have to worry about controlling the run-off from your rain gutters onto your yard because it all gets used. That is one of my biggest 'projects' down here in CR... engineering the ... Read More
COVINTEC construction experience by costaricahomebuilder
The Covintec system sounds great and makes sense on paper but here in Costa Rica all the input I have received from contractors who have used the system over the last 10 years has been negative. I am looking for some positive input as this product ...
@wri57 Well... good for you. I'm guessing that the kind my friend used was the cheapest that money could buy... people are like that down here.Can I ask why you have cisterns??? Is it to conserve water?? Read More
COVINTEC construction experience by costaricahomebuilder
The Covintec system sounds great and makes sense on paper but here in Costa Rica all the input I have received from contractors who have used the system over the last 10 years has been negative. I am looking for some positive input as this product ...
@Bamalam999 I wouldn't use the product anywhere that has Seismic Activity. My neighbor here in Costa Rica has two structures on his property (duplex apartments that are built from PanelCo... a very similar product). We have small tremors here ... Read More
Process to Put CAjA membership on hold by patorisrl
I am trying to get reliable information on the process to put your CAjA membership on hold, if out of CR for an extended amount of time, at least 3 months. A couple of unreliable sources told me there is a process by providing advance notice to the ...
@marcel550 When you join Caja, it is a good idea to subscribe to the official CCSS Website. It works like any other website... you have to have a User Number and a Contrasena (password). The site lists normally available 'free' medications from ... Read More
Process to Put CAjA membership on hold by patorisrl
I am trying to get reliable information on the process to put your CAjA membership on hold, if out of CR for an extended amount of time, at least 3 months. A couple of unreliable sources told me there is a process by providing advance notice to the ...
@patorisrl @patorisrl Go to a CCSS administrative office BEFORE you go; fill out the form, show your airline tickets, and WRITE DOWN the name of the person you spoke with... and the date and time you were there. YOU MUST be your own Advocate. It ... Read More
Information required on CAJA payment by marcel550
Hi to you all,We've been coming to Costa Rica a few times and have now received our CR pensionado residency, have paid my CAJA a few months now. We're going back to Canada for 6 months and have read that we can avoid, not pay the CAJA ...
You need to go to a CCSS Administrative Office (not a clinic) to get the right information/document etc. Maybe even take a Tico friend with you that speaks Spanish if yours isn't too good. Even then, things can fall through the cracks... But do ... Read More
HOW (step-by-step instructions) to apply for a pensionado visa by dwilhelms1
Hello all,I cannot find any information on a goverment or otherwise reliable-appearing site on how to apply for a pensionado visa. And the consulate in Denver is evidently closed. Any ideas on where to find such a place? Or is that not even ...
@TerrynViv Wow... three years. I think I'm going to give up on 'chasing after' my $200 deposit for Permanent Residency... which wasn't applied to the final fees. I don't want to jinx my current status with Caja as somebody who doesn't pay ... Read More
HOW (step-by-step instructions) to apply for a pensionado visa by dwilhelms1
Hello all,I cannot find any information on a goverment or otherwise reliable-appearing site on how to apply for a pensionado visa. And the consulate in Denver is evidently closed. Any ideas on where to find such a place? Or is that not even ...
@Anneski Hello. i'm not sure what the 'document' was... but my service took me to a lawyer here in CR where he looked at all of my identification docs... Passport, Birth Certificate, and any other ID that I have, to verify that I am me.I didn't ... Read More
HOW (step-by-step instructions) to apply for a pensionado visa by dwilhelms1
Hello all,I cannot find any information on a goverment or otherwise reliable-appearing site on how to apply for a pensionado visa. And the consulate in Denver is evidently closed. Any ideas on where to find such a place? Or is that not even ...
@daveandmarcia Stop Cherry picking. What I meant, and hate to have to actually write this, is that an Individual can be their own 'service' and compile their own documents, and take them to the consulate and 'deal' with the translations, as ... Read More
San José: walkable areas to live by zencorgi
We have been researching various countries to move to for some time and Costa Rica is near the top of the list. The San José area is attractive because of the availability of health care and we are planning a trip there in the early summer to ...
@zencorgi Hmmm... not really... I happen to love my Walmart here!!! The bakery has excellent breads (my experience), they have a good selection of 'ethnic' foods, the Liquor and beer section is far better than what I expected, and it's clean and ... Read More
San José: walkable areas to live by zencorgi
We have been researching various countries to move to for some time and Costa Rica is near the top of the list. The San José area is attractive because of the availability of health care and we are planning a trip there in the early summer to ...
@edwinemora I hear you Edwin. I consider the faultlessness aspect of the culture here as a great Reminder, or even, a Guiding Light to always be careful... even more so than I ever was in the states. Even a cop here told me that it wasn't the ... Read More
HOW (step-by-step instructions) to apply for a pensionado visa by dwilhelms1
Hello all,I cannot find any information on a goverment or otherwise reliable-appearing site on how to apply for a pensionado visa. And the consulate in Denver is evidently closed. Any ideas on where to find such a place? Or is that not even ...
@daveandmarciaFolks... Tons of Residency Services exist that aren't law firms. There is only ONE item required for the initial Residency application (Pensionista, Rentista, Digital Nomad) that requires a Lawyer, and that lawyer doesn't have to be ... Read More
HOW (step-by-step instructions) to apply for a pensionado visa by dwilhelms1
Hello all,I cannot find any information on a goverment or otherwise reliable-appearing site on how to apply for a pensionado visa. And the consulate in Denver is evidently closed. Any ideas on where to find such a place? Or is that not even ...
@daveandmarcia You go deep, Prof. Dave.Gracias . For those 'in' process or thinking about it...Probably good 'fodder' for hiring a Residency Service or Migration Attorney. Read More