www.CostaRicaTicas.com

+1 on a new best friend Tico, that's always a time for a little paranoia.

+1 on getting him to the states asap. St John's, from what I read, is the best burn trauma center in CR and as far as we know as of now, to their credit, they have kept the man alive.

Don't know if this poor guy was a tourist or lived here, but as discussed on this board, a tourist has to buy the med evac insurance for your trip. It's cheap. Without it, when you are hurt that bad, you're not getting back to the US in critical condition or as soon as possible unless you are very wealthy.

Today's AM Costa Rica:

Victim of arson attempt identified by investigators

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Investigators have identified the U.S. citizen who was kidnapped in his own car, stabbed numerous times and locked in the truck as the vehicle was torched early Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Judicial Investigating Organization said that the man is 41-year-old Mark Lester Metz.

The spokesperson said that some of Metz’ relatives are now in Costa Rica. Metz was treated for several days at Hospital San Juan De Dios without his doctors knowing his name or medical history.

Metz was abducted in his own car by several people early Wednesday morning in the parking lot of a casino near Juan Santamaría airport in Alajuela. Eventually the crooks had him pull over, at which point they stabbed him at least three times in the chest, locked him in the trunk of his car and set the vehicle on fire.

Firefighters were called to the scene quickly enough to rescue Metz, but he still went to the hospital with 48 percent of his body burned, attendants said.

Medical staffers confirmed for several days that he was in very delicate condition, but did not know anything about him.

Two french tourists dissapear on the road between Quepos and Dominical, car found abandoned, passport found in a dumpster in Jaco, credit card maxed out in San Jose. French tourist has arm almost severed in machete robbery in Puerto Viejo. A model and her guatemalan driver/boyfriend? die in a hail of 30 bullets on the Caldera highway. Female canadian activist shot dead in her home in Osa for opposing the poachers on her land. Canadian female riding a bicycle in Santa Theresa dissapears. Read the spanish language newspapers, especiallly La Teja, they love the guts and gore of daily life in Pura Vida land. The gringo news websites, am and inside don't report this because they are run and get revenue by and from real estate agents (tinman) etc. You're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy. Lots of real estate with nice homes for sale at unrealistic prices here on Nicoya peninsuila because gringos are just tired of having to be so alert and on guard. I talked to one couple who when they drive through the rural slum to leave their finca the wife lays down on the seat so the thieves think she's still home guarding the house. If you leave for more than a day or two you should find a gringo to stay at your place or you'll come back to nothing. Ticos say "This is not your country". I say this country is a $20 puta, been for rent or sale forever. Phuck it up the ass, come in it's mouth and keep your eye on your wallet cause she wants to steal it. And I'm no newbie, been here full time for 10 years and the locals don't rob me they fear me. What say you greengo?

swampfire you are very true (not all is reported)... I am from chicago(not costa rica)..but you need to have street smarts when you travel!!! never walk alone at night,don't make friends with strange tico"s and never look like you have a ton of money on you and many other things.. the american economy has made the price of house's here and in costa rica drop there is everyday crime in san jose and then there is this attack (which I hope he recovers from).. If you play it safe costa rica still is a great place for any tourist I would have more fear on the south side of chicago then in the gulch of san jose

I have tried getting La Teja on line, no luck. But, I did read all of the stories you mentioned above in either AM or Inside with an occasional update on the French couple and the Osa murder, as they have with the poor man who got stabbed and then set afire in his trunk. El Diario, La Prensa Libre, laNacion which I can get on line gives some stuff . Still I believe you that the e-papers are not or cannot report alot of stuff for whatever reason. But, the number of seemingly extraordinarily high # of home invasions reported, owned by Ticos or us, all over the country, has not gone unnoticed.

Your information is very disturbing but not news to alot of this board, a bubble burster for others. I hope alot of the dreamers read your post. It should be a sticky on the other gringo boards.

Ain't no way to live so I can believe gringo pensionados are bailing in Nicoya peninsula, probably at a big $$$ loss to alot of them.

There's a gringo residential development I am very familiar with outside of Naranjito, 15 km east of Quepos. A magnificent equestrian estate type of deal. Big common barn for the horses, big club house with bar and huge pool. Acres and acres, or I should say hectares. Beautiful views, perfectly laid out, beautifully landscaped common areas, very private area. Gringo's started buying up the lots 10-12 years, building absolutely magnificent million dollar mansions. Places to die for like you'd see in Architecural Digest with indoor outdoor pools, some houses with glass wall construction, all of that. Maybe 25 built, some lots left but no takers in 3-4 years. Now about 25% of the ones built are on the market. My novias father works there so I kind of keep track via the on-line realtors listings. They're asking half now and I'll bet they'd take less.

You're right. It ain't Kansas.

What is the name of this place? Sounds like some good deals... There is a buyer for everything at the right price.

In the on-line listings ( I look at Latitude 9 Real Estate in Quepos and Century 21 Quepos) they are not always mentioning the development name, Tranquilla, but you'll be able to tell when you see the photo's and individual listing description. Others are listed by brokers down there who I can't find on line, or FSBO, or American brokers. Just saw one with "reduced by one million" in the listing.

My original response perhaps oversimplified a complex problem affecting all of central america. An editorial last week in La Nacion called for the government to build more prisons and for the judiciary to lock up the bad guys. It pointed out the judicial abuse of preventative detention where the bad guys (and maybe the innocent too) are locked up for three months in inhumane conditions and then released , basically sentenced to time served, hit the streets again. Maybe that's an oversimplification too. There's a 1% conviction rate for murder in Costa Rica. Lots of violent and nonviolent crime goes unreported because the pollice are apathetic and corrupt. Narcotrifficantes of the Mexican and Colombian cartels use this country as a transhipment and money laundering hub. Crack cocaine use among the uneducated, impoverished and unemployed youth is growing exponentially. Crack makes them more reckless and prone to violent crime.
Social stratification where 3% hold all the power and wealth is increasing and these are the people who live in guarded mansions and fincas. They are the padrones and they are obviously supercorrupt and greedy. Last week they used a militarized police force to suppress a protest against corruption in the caja. They passed a law calling for restricted freedom of the press which was so harsh it provoked criticism and censure from many governments and ngos.
The middle class is disgusted, overtaxed and being underserved by the socialist kleptocracy. Victimized by criminals and hiding in their little jails they fortify relentlessly.
Infrastructure is falling apart due to corruption.
Small business is overregulated and overtaxed just like in the US
Several other countries in this region have basically repudiated democracy and "elected" de-facto dictators who promised to reduce social inequality.
Colombia recently made a pact with the devil and gave control of half of its territory to a paramilitary group financed by narcoterrorists. Interesting times, enjoy the show. Remember what they say "This is not your country." Xenophobia is rampant, they blame their problems on the gringos, nicas and colombians. In rural areas the padrones who inherited land put the proceeds of their land sales into big pickup trucks and fancy tope horses. These are the fancy cowboy dressed guys in their dodge ram 2500s with third grade educations and tons of attitude. You can always retreat to the USA, but it's not looking too good there either.

I see. Some nice houses there. There are fire sales everywhere though, nearly every country in the world.

"I say this country is a $20 puta, been for rent or sale forever. Phuck it up the ass, come in it's mouth and keep your eye on your wallet cause she wants to steal it. And I'm no newbie, been here full time for 10 years and the locals don't rob me they fear me."

+3 true. true, true

"The middle class is disgusted, overtaxed and being underserved by the socialist kleptocracy. Victimized by criminals and hiding in their little jails they fortify relentlessly.
Infrastructure is falling apart due to corruption.
Small business is overregulated and overtaxed just like in the US"

Yes. Sorry but will happen U.S. also. California a more closer case study of what is to become of U.S. with CR conditions not that far away.

Small world. I have made contact with his brother who posted via pm, turns out we're from the same city.

Says his bro had martial arts training.

Embassy not talking or helping. They're getting different stories from sources. Offered my help. Sister is running the show. She's going to call me.

Now thats just ridiculous to say that. Its 1.3%.

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Yet they can sniff out any violation where money should be coming their way. Have always found it interesting they can always find a way to not punish criminals that do these heinous things, but if some business doesn't have every t crossed and i dotted they can find out an shut a business down or fine them. They are good at enforcing traffic violations too. If they do convict I read all the time of someone murdering someone in a horrible way and they get 20 years. Don't let a gringo ever kill someone in self defense or robbing their house. Troublle for the gringo unless there is a video tape and 10 witnesses proving his innocence.

poor guy. sorry to hear that.
Hope he gets well soon.

( crosses out CR from retirement wish list. ) .