In our continued series of who loves what about Costa Rica, we’re hearing from a Brit that’s settled in quite well in his Costa Rica. Scott Oliver runs a website called welovecostarica.com. He specializes in informing those who are considering a move to Costa Rica with references in real estate, attorneys, laws, and even tips in Spanish. Scott has published several books including: How to Buy Real Estate without Loosing Your Shirt in Costa Rica.

As a bonus, Scott added a few things that “bug” him about Costa Rica. He’s told me, as I also know, that though Costa Rica can be a paradise if you make it one, but we’re all bound to hit a few potholes along the way.

1. Affordable Cost of Living. In the USA or the UK where I lived for decades, I would need to earn at least three times as much money to have the same “live-like-a-king” standard of living that I enjoy in Costa Rica.

2. Costa Rica’s “Perfect Weather.” The weather in the Central Valley is the most perfect and comfortable weather for the human body. No air-conditioning or heating is required at any time of the year and not only does that make living here very comfortable, it makes it affordable!

3.  Parrots Soaring Overhead. The thrill that I never seem to get tired of when is I come out of the supermarket and see a flock of 50 colorful parrots flying overhead. Hearing them chattering and screeching to each other as they fly off into yet another gorgeous, blue sunny sky…

4.  Health Care Quality and Affordability. Many Costa Rican doctors and surgeons have received their training in the best medical schools in the U.S. they use “state of the art” equipment, yet it costs are about 50 percent of what you would be accustomed to and the attitude is also so much more caring.

5.  The Costa Rican People. The Ticos are, after you’ve been hear for a short time and I think you’ll agree, amongst the nicest, most sincere and caring people you could meet.

6. No Housework, Cleaning, and Ironing. I simply cannot imagine doing housework again. For two hours every day, my wonderful maid does everything that I do not want to do for U.S. $20 per week…

7.  Breathtaking Views. When living in Costa Rica, always add 25 percent on top of the “normal” traveling time so you can take another photograph or yet another “you-must-see-this” view! With all those spectacular views Costa rica is called the “Little Switzerland” of Central America because there certainly isn’t any snow!

8.  Fascinating Discoveries. Every time you spot a new bird of prey hovering over a field looking for it’s breakfast or find a weird and wonderful insect, it will remind you how lucky you are to be alive…in Costa Rica.

9. Freedoom, Privacy, No Income Taxes and No Capital Gains Taxes. I’ve never felt more free and content and since I am British and most of income comes from outside of Costa Rica, the only taxes I pay inside Costa Rica are on such things as the sale of the book How to Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Shirt or other similar ventures.*

10. Simply Stunning Women! The Ticas (Costa Rica women) are probably the sexiest, most attractive women I have ever come across. (Hey, I was single when I wrote this and was allowed to talk about these things…)

Top Ten Things That Bug Me About Costa Rica

1. General Noise Level. Ticos have a much higher tolerance for noise than we do. We do have “spring-like” weather all year round and when you have your windows open all day and night, you will hear more noise from outside that you would normlly do “back home” with all your windows shut tight.

2. Dogs Barking. Although many dogs are the much loved family pet, a big percentage of dogs are the home “security” system and as such, may be left on a short chin to bark away the day and night in conditions that some of us animal lovers do not like…

3. Firecrackers and Fireworks. It’s much better than it used to be, but on religious holidays and other holidays, it can get quite noisy. On New Year’s Eve, the fireworks and firecrackers started at one nanosecond past midnight and continued for two hours.

4. Music from Houses, Bars, and Restaurants. Since it rarely gets below 65 degrees at night…if someone is partying hard with their music blaring and all their doors and windows are left open - You can hear the music from a LONG distance away! Odds are they probably won’t be playing your favorite music either.

5.  Car Horns. Car horns are a form a communication in Costa Rica and are used to convey a variety of complex messages that you and I will never understand. If in doubt - HONK!

6. Driving Habits. Ticos do not like to use their indicators when they are turning, so one should be careful. A Tico driver will often hold a limp left hand out of the window and do a strange, lazy circular wave which means they plan to turn, you just don’t know which way!

7. Burning Garden Refuse and Garbage. It is common even in suburban areas. This may be acceptable in the middle of nowhere, but when you have guests with asthma and the next door neighbor’s gardener starts burning, it can create quite a panicky situation.

8. Trucks. I am not sure exactly what happens when these enormous trucks are barreling downhill and they use their air brakes, but there is a thunderous and deafening noise that really, really disturbs me.

9. Confrontation. The Costa Rica people are very polite and non-confrontational. But, there are occasions when you would like them to be a bit more confrontational and forthright with their opinions.

10. Sex Tourists. It’s amazing how ridiculous a fat, 60 “something” tourist looks when he takes a 20 “something” prostitute to the mall to buy her a “gift.”

Welovecostarica.com was designed to help inform and protect those who are seeking expert information in Costa Rica real estate, living, and retirement. By joining welovecostarica.com Scott offers access to thousands of informative articles, Costa Rica video clips, and a very popular discussion forum. You can also find the book How to Buy Real Estate in Costa Rica Without Loosing Your Shirt at Amazon or his website.

*Reminder that tax issues, money issues, and rates change all the time.
Check latest information for updates.

Take a good look at this list. Jaleh Ruhe, one of my favorite free-lance writers in Costa Rica, gives a very individual spin to some of the pleasures others would not have thought of or found. Have you ever considered potholes as a plus? Or grandmas? How about Dober-bunnies?! Here are some of the most interesting and diverse to make the list yet.

Jale is pura Tica in one sense, yet brings an international perspective as she’s known it’s good to get out once and awhile (that includes the country!).

1.  Bus Rides - Everyone wants a car, that private, immediate means to get wherever at any time. That’s what most people sitting on a bus would agree on. That seething, silent agreement gives each bus ride an edgy sense of purpose to the poor and the average. It’s the only time I ever see Costa Ricans read. Everything in Costa Rica has been elaborated to please a foreign market. Passengers on buses work their asses off to make that elaborated reality possible.

2.  Simple and Satisfying - Beans are to rice what yin is to yang. Beans make you smart. Rice stretches the possibilities. In Costa Rica, when these two meet on dishes, they’re called “spotted cock” or “marriage.” Both sexy and responsible, this staple combination present in all school and worker lunches, comforts and sustains an entire country indiscriminately.

3.  Grandmas - They remember when everyone had too many siblings, when Jaco was remote and Limon segregated. They’ve talked the mustache down since they can remember and bask in defeating the bane of machinsmo, for the most part. They can scare you to death with the darkest stories of ghosts and devils born of madness and cruelty, just to hug you back to your senses when the story is over. Television still amazes them.

4.  Fat Fashion - Soft folds over the tops of tight jeans, broad backs squeeze into tiny tees, the more to love, the more to show, baby’s got back and front and everywhere in between. She’s hot and scandalous and can cut those skinny bitches. Bell-bottomed, hip-huggin, how-you-like-me-now, fashion fits fat here. It’s not always pretty, but it beats hiding in over-sized attire and crying over calories.

5.  Mutts - Tico-weilers, Dober-bunnies, Chihuahua-terriers, the proud runts who evolved despite their tarnished pedigrees, lurking in markets, humping next to churches, scrappy as scrappy does, barking at nothing, driving neighbors crazy, whimpering behind walls, owning the streets, scaring most average Ticos, chasing after my bike )do they really thing they can get their teeth into my peddling feet?), they all smelled like puppies once.

6.   Saprissa - I used to be a Liguista, red, black and proud. Then one day, on a bus of course, I figured I never go to Alajuela, I’m pretty fond of the color purple, I like the way goalkeeper Jose Francisco Porra’s eyes seem to always be crossed, and San Jose collects my garbage. I”d committed the ultimate act of football treason when I switched. It felt liberating, almost like playing the game myself.

7.  Potholes -  My car hates them. They send a shudder up my spine and a curse to my breath every time I hit them, but they remind me to slow down, lighten up, take it easy. When tough-guy asphalt made of tar and gravel succumbs to the gentle patter of raindrops, opens it’s pores, creases and collapses, it’s a leisurely, consistent and encouraging proof that nature can and will beat mankind’s control-freak ass every time.

8.  Topes - Before Costa Rica became a haven for outsourcing and tourists, it was one big farm country. Rich soils from active volcanoes had to be tilled and seeded and the terrain has never been flat or easy. Horses and men, not soldiers and guns, will keep this country from ever becoming another American enclave. TLC or not, when the real Costa Ricans converge on capital cities riding dancing horses and drinking their fill, I feel safe.

9.  NIcaraguans - Guanacaste was NIcaragua. Some say up to 40% of all Costa Ricas are Paisa. The don’t “take” Costa Rican jobs, they accept the hard work and low pay that nobody else wants . But they’re defeatists, ashamed of their history and too scared to challenge their national “immigrant” status. Like Costa Ricans, they need to quit blaming their government and start building on private enterprise.

10.  Castros - 600 mts. north of the Coca-Cola bus terminal, Castros nightclub gets going around midnight. Costa  Rica’s premier dance experience, Castros is both popular and elegant, the way salsa should be. Club goers swing to cumbias, slide to disco and shimmy to meringue. Nobody’s left out. Expert dancers guide the shyest and the stiffest to the jam-packed dance floor and make them feel like Fred and Ginger. Trainers and casual wear are not allowed.

Movies in the jungle? On a big screen? With popcorn and a crowd? Imagine watching a 180 degree of the sunset while nibbling on some popcorn; checking out some howler monkeys in the trees over yonder; and waiting for the show to start. That’s exactly what happens on Friday and Saturday night in Dominical, Costa Rica, a gorgeous beach town with a movie theater tucked in the side of the mountains.

Toby and Kim Toberman offer their expertise and movie library to the public. And it’s no small stock. You’re sure to catch the out-of-the ordinary if you make the five hour trek south of San José. Besides movies, Toby composes and writes music, some of which can be heard on SunStruck radio (thanks Toby!) Kim and Toby have a handle on life in paradise and the things that value about Costa Rica are ones we all would love to be surrounded with.

10. No need to dress up- I usually get hives when I put on a coat or a tie. Down here I put on a pair of shorts and I’m dressed for the day.

9. No Winter - Coming from Minnesota, I always prefer to sweat rather than freeze. We sweat a lot here.

8. No Traffic - Maybe it’s the roads, but there sure isn’t a lot of traffic down here.

7. No television - Being a TV news junkie, we never got around to getting Direct TV and most of the programming is in Spanish, which you know, is a foreign language. (so time to discover other things…)

6. It’s Always Dark by 6 o’clock - That makes it easier to get to bed at a descent hour because the howler monkeys always wake us up at 5 a.m.

5. The Ambiance of the Outdoors - The nature sounds are so loud that they mask the ringing in my ears.

4. The Internet - Today my Internet connection actually works!

3. The Restaurants - The restaurants are all outdoors and the food is excellent and reasonably priced.

2. The Lines - A lot of one’s time is spent waiting in lines. This is a good time to reflect on all the things you won’t be getting done that day.

1. The Land - No matter what, you just can’t beat the rain forests, the sunsets, and living in the middle of the jungle. It’s a breathtaking experience that I never want to end.

This list stopped at the positives, and I suspect this couple might not be able to dig too many up. So if you ever want to say “I’ve watched a movie in the middle of the jungle” this is just your ticket. (As a note, MoviesintheJungle are closed for the rainy season due to loud raindrops that make it very hard to hear. They open again in December.)

Awhile ago, I wrote an article called: The Top Ten Things I Love about Costa Rica. The response was so fun, wild, and exciting that I opened the idea up to others.

I wanted to know those “different things” we all come to love in our small corner of paradise. So Join in and tell us the TOP TEN THINGS you love about Costa Rica. Dig deep! Be original! Each item should begin with a sentence no longer than 15 words supported by not much more than 50 words or less of exactly why you love that thing. (#10 ranks the least to #1 be the highest.) At the end, you get a chance for ten “one-liners” on a few things you don’t like. And in addition, please write something about you and/or your website, business/non-profit/thing you would like to share.

Kathy, our first submission, lives in a western suburb of San José. She’s no stranger to Costa Rica. Though now divorced from her Costa Rican husband, she raised her children both in the United States and Costa Rica. She told me she found it so hard to raise children on her own in the States, she decided to come back to Costa Rica. She too found the culture and society warm and affordable for kids. Plus, once you have help inside the home, it’s something worth really appreciating and enough to make many stay while their kids are young.

Her kids now on their own, Kathy, still makes her home in Costa Rica. In fact, she’s so loves it here, she didn’t want to submit the ten things that bothered her. She said she just kept coming up with Top Ten Lists, she didn’t know when to stop. Since Kathy had a hard time putting a stop to the list, we’ve included a few extras for fun. She also couldn’t place a number value on them as their all equally endearing to her.

1. Store Clerks

I love how store clerks remember my name, even a year later! I love the personal service in stores and I really love “discounts for cash.”

2.  Earthquakes

I love temblores - earthquakes - it’s like an amusement park ride when you least expect it).

3.  Ticos

I love how Ticos are so graciously polite and nice

4.  The Central Market

The Central Market in downtow San José is a maze of pathways that make me feel happily lost. It’s ensalada frutas; it’s tamales navidenos at Christmas; and it’s a vast array of medicinal herbs  and     berries all year round.

5.  Lights of the Central Valley

I love seeing the lights of the Central Valley looming up at me as I fly into Juan Santamaria airport after a vacationing outside of the country.

6.  Mountain roads

I love the twisting roads through the moutains, noisy with locusts, on the way to the beach.

7.  Rain storms

I love the aguaceros - rainstorms.

8.  Orchids and Bromeliads

I love the orchids and bromeliads that grow on the trees.

9.  Bilingualism

I love hearing my kids speaking fluent Spanish and English.

10. Costa Rica Karma

The Costa Rican concept of karma changed my philosophy about people who do me wrong.

(and a few extra…..)

11.  Old Churches

I love the old churches, particularily the Catholic churches in Santa Ana and Heredia Centro.

12.  Places I travel to

I love the trip to Irazu Volcano - climbing the mountains and going through different climates. I love how the mists rise about a meter or so above the potato fields. The chalets of Heredia; the  thatched roofed ranchos on the beach; the old mansions in Barrio Amon; the vibrant painted homes in Limon; and the life in San Jose.

13.  The restaurant La Esquina de Buenas Aires

In the heart of San José, I love this restaurant’s old world charm and superb food.

14. Another food I love

The Italian sodas at Te Con Te are fabulous.

15.  Beverages in a plastic bag

I lvoe buying sodas and fruit drinks in plastic bags with straws sticking out of the knotted up necks. And I also love when small pulperias and librerias still wrap up merchandise in a square of paper with a piece of tape to keep it closed.