del12k
American expat in Costa Rica
Forum posts
17
Contacts
1
About me
American
Lives in Santiago de Puriscal
Speaks English, and very little Spanish
Registration: 04 February 2010
Activity
Is Costa Rica targeting gringos to make more money via fees, etc.? by samramon
At another forum I was told that the gringo immigrants in Costa Rica are a very small percentage of immigrants and so the idea that they are trying to make a lot of money off us is erroneous. It does seem to me that they target gringos, like with ...
The obvious answer is YES and Yes and again YES! Even the US Embassy targets Americans to make more money. Renew a passport and pay over $100 for the damn thing? Also, buy something outside this country and have it shipped here and the Ticos will ... Read More
Do the stores there have a good supply of frozen food items? by tereso5
I'm wondering about the grocery shopping in Costa Rica. I've never really learned how to cook & have relied on Marie Calendar & other brands for my meals. Do the stores there have a good supply of frozen food items? Thanks
Oh boy! You have a big problem. Yes, the super market where I live has a lot of frozen food available, but you won't like them much if you have gotten used to Marie's stuff. If you want to enjoy life here you better learn to cook because ... Read More
Working as a freelancer in Costa Rica by Kenjee
Hi, A lot of expats dream of becoming self-employed: we would like to help you to make that dream come true. Can foreigners work as self-employed in Costa Rica? What are the formalities to work as a freelancer? What are the pros and cons ...
Hello again! Your first post was asking about the music here, and now you are asking about starting a business here! Unless your business is selling a product strictly to gringos you will not be able to earn a suitable living here. The gringos will ... Read More
Your experience of culture shock in Costa Rica by Christine
Hi, Living in a foreign country implies to discover its culture, to learn and master the cultural codes. How did you deal with that? Share with us your culture shock stories where you experienced a funny or awkward moment in Costa ...
You Roberto, are incoherent. You say that you are "compelled" to ask that question, why don't you ask an intelligent question. If you are asking me or someone else "Why am I still here if I have so many criticisms of this ... Read More
Music in Costa Rica by Kenjee
Hi, Music is said to be a universal language. Indeed it helps to discover and better understand the culture of a country. What are the most popular music genres in Costa Rica? How about traditional music and instruments? Who are the local ...
I love many, many forms of music, but this is not the country for you if you really want to hear good music. Costa Rica does not have their own music. Costa Rica has adopted the Mexican style of music as their preferred music. Costa Rica does not ... Read More
Your experience of culture shock in Costa Rica by Christine
Hi, Living in a foreign country implies to discover its culture, to learn and master the cultural codes. How did you deal with that? Share with us your culture shock stories where you experienced a funny or awkward moment in Costa ...
Oh Boy, are you really asking such a question? Are you expecting an honest and candid response, or are you looking for more of those "feel good" stories about how great this country is? If you are really asking about my experiences here, ... Read More
Costa Rican cuisine by Priscilla
Hi, When living abroad, tasting the local cuisine is part of discovering the country. What is your favorite food in Costa Rica? What is the local speciality? Share with us the local tastes of Costa Rica and why not your best ...
ONE good comment on Costa Rica food???? Just ONE???? That should set off alarm bells in your head and surely you must see many red flags pop up. I know that I had to take a deep breath at the flowing compliments about the food in one small town in ... Read More
Costa Rican cuisine by Priscilla
Hi, When living abroad, tasting the local cuisine is part of discovering the country. What is your favorite food in Costa Rica? What is the local speciality? Share with us the local tastes of Costa Rica and why not your best ...
Cuisine is all about the ingredients, techniques and dishes. The only thing in Costa Rica that is included in that word is "Ingredients". This country has some good ingredients, like vegetables. Other than that the use of the word Cuisine ... Read More
Safety in Costa Rica by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Costa Rica? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think ...
Costa Rica is as safe as walking through any ghetto late at night. Without a knife or gun hidden on your body you are not safe, The police are stupid and unable to protect you anywhere! The culture here allows thief's to feel as though stealing ... Read More
Anyone have experience or opinions on prefab construction of homes? by samramon
We are looking to build a home for under $30k. We are finding that to build anything of decent size for that price it pretty much limits us to prefab deals. So far we have looked at Concrepal and MaderasKodiak. Concrepal is very Tico in the sense ...
You are correct. I had to make many assumptions because you failed to explain yourself. When you ask a question, be prepared for an answer that matches the level of your question. Don't get angry with me because you don't explain yourself. ... Read More
Anyone have experience or opinions on prefab construction of homes? by samramon
We are looking to build a home for under $30k. We are finding that to build anything of decent size for that price it pretty much limits us to prefab deals. So far we have looked at Concrepal and MaderasKodiak. Concrepal is very Tico in the sense ...
Oh Boy! You seemed to have a BIG hangup about the size of a bedroom. Basically, a bedroom is a place to sleep so therefore Tico homes are designed for a functional use rather than to boost the egos of the owners. Building an American size house is ... Read More
living in paradise by vgutie
Is it really true that you can live in paradise for a fraction of the cost here in the US? Also, wondering about healthcare. I heard it is affordable AND good.
Dear Sir; perhaps you better define paradise in order to compare it with this place (Costa Rica)! If you are looking for a "cheap" place to live then maybe this place will do for you. However, along with the term "cheap" comes a ... Read More
Is Costa Rica targeting gringos to make more money via fees, etc.? by samramon
At another forum I was told that the gringo immigrants in Costa Rica are a very small percentage of immigrants and so the idea that they are trying to make a lot of money off us is erroneous. It does seem to me that they target gringos, like with ...
Yes! There are two prices for almost everything in Costa Rica. One price is for Ticos. The other price is for Gringo's! It has always been this way. I have lived here for 10 years and that's the way it is! :( Read More
What's your favourite Costa Rican food ? by Julie
Hi, Let's talk about food! I indeed love to discover (and taste!) new recipes and I would be interested to know the traditional dishes you would recommend. What is your favourite food of Costa Rica? What are the main differences between the local ...
Ok, but what do the food critics say about the place? Has any food critic ever eaten there? You pointed out one restaurant that serves Costa Rica style food. I found one (off the internet) in the Northeast of the U.S. that is a Mediterranean ... Read More
What's your favourite Costa Rican food ? by Julie
Hi, Let's talk about food! I indeed love to discover (and taste!) new recipes and I would be interested to know the traditional dishes you would recommend. What is your favourite food of Costa Rica? What are the main differences between the local ...
If you are moving here, bring a crock pot so you can cook the beef for eight hours. If you like tasteless rubbery beef, then come on down and bring some good teeth with you. Read More