www.CostaRicaTicas.com

On another thread in the trip reports section, we got into a discussion about whether or not it was better to live in CR all the time....or go down as often as possible, but maintain the normal life in the states. I go down about once every two months which seems to satisfy my cravings, although I admit at times my heart and head is THERE, not in the US.

I just wanted to hear what both sides have to say....both the guys that have made the leap to live there and those that have decided not to, or can't right now. I have always feared that too much of a great thing can ruin it. If I deprive myself of what I crave, then when I finally get there I really appreciate it more. Abscence makes the heart grow fonder. If I had it every night it would soon become routine.

Someday, maybe I will join Vegas Bob and the gang sitting at the Blue Marlin night after night, waiting for that one elusive hottie I have not yet screwed. But for now I am content to use Costa Rica as my safety valve for my pressure packed life in the states. With my high profile, high stress job, I seem to need a chance to get away and say "Phuck it" in more ways than one. I never dreamed I would be able to pull this off so many times...but here I am getting ready for another Costa Rica love run and this one could be the best yet.

I am afraid that if I was there all the time, the newness and uniqueness of it would wear off. If I could screw two or three a night, I probably would. But after a time I am afraid that would become routine. Right now, I can go like a house on fire for my 4-5 day trips....and return satisfied and exhausted....ready to rest up for the next run. I usually immediately book another trip down, just so I can shake the blues. It works every time. I also stay in touch with a chica (or two) almost everyday while I am gone. Before THIS trip I already have my next one booked in another 6 weeks, thanks to some really cheap air fare, so I am set.

To me, it is like dining at your favorite restaurant. If I did that every night of the week, it would soon become boring to me. So what is the real take on this? Is it better to consume Costa Rica and the Chicas in short but frequent bite size helpings? Or is it better to dive head long into the buffet table and wallow around every night until you are satisfied.

Enquiring minds want to know. (there is no right or wrong answer here, since I realize each one of us is different.)

_________________
ASTROGLIDE

Astro,

Interesting poll but the margin of error has to be about 98%



The only people who can respond to that answer are those who live here and they constitute a very small percentage of the members here. Think you need to rethink the choices.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Fun topic Astro, as it is one that I have been thinking about a lot myself. I'm not going to vote though because I don't think I have enough perspective on it yet.

I have been thinking a lot about living outside of the US for a long time. This trip to CR gave me a destination I could be excited about and not just because one of my favorite pastimes is legal and no hassle.

I have pretty much decided that come November next year I'll be on that one way journey, only time will tell if it was the 'right' thing to do.

_________________
Beauty is truth, truth beauty.
That is all ye know on earth,
and all ye need to know.

deleted

I'm a young guy and if I can get an american paying job living in central/south america then I will live and work there for a six months to a year and give it a try.

I only have one chica a day when I'm vacationing in costa rica and I suppose I probably would NOT have one everyday while living there. I would only session with a girl only when I felt the urge. I suppose I would try to get some non-pro action too while living there.

For some reason or another, I've been reading up on Colombia a lot and looking at pictures on internet...

Here is another point of view. Some guys on this board are able to take lots of time off from work and spend lots of time in central/south america.
I actually envy these guys. Why you ask ? They can spend as much time as they want living like a rock star in costa rica and still live in the first world country that we call the United States.

I have been living here in Costa Rica now for 14 months after vacationing here frequently for a period of 3 years.It is quite different but also very much the same. I love the chicas as much now as I did 4 years ago.However I no longer feel the tourist "hurry up and have a good time" feeling. My stress level have been reduced here by probably 90%.I figure that lack of stress will let me live longer and enjoy the chicas longer. I invited my brother here to visit knowing he would love the whole lifestyle. He was here for 3 days and started looking for real estate.He now owns a home here and feels like I do. They will have to force me out of CR. I also strongly recommend that you NOT move here if you need to make a living here.It is much more difficult than in the States. Doing business with Ticos is very frustrating. T-man can give you more on that. It is important to find ways to spend you time other than "just" chicas. Mexpat and I moved here the same time and he has since left. I guess it's not for everyone. I had become frustrated with the whole U.S. thing. The government interference in my life had become bothersome. Lawyers,doctors,dentists, and the general attitude of people in the service sector had made living there less desirable than years back. Here there is far less interference in your day to day activities and the people actually say hello. You can say hello to a pretty chica and not get in trouble.She actually smiles back. The downside to the extra liberties here is that you get little or no help from the police. The roads are full of potholes.The last two President are now in jail and the third is on his way. (Oh well the US has a little graft also). Lastly the whole way of life here if much cheaper. You can certainly live a better lifestyle here than the US for far less money. I am not a millionaire (once was but two ex-wives took care of that) but I live like one because it is possible here.

Ok, this is going to be a long post but it will help explain how I ended up moving to CR and how I feel about it.

I first came to CR in February 2001. I was 27 at the time. Never even knew where the country was until my friend suggested that we come here after a bad night of gambling. His uncle who lives in CR on and off suggested the DR. Thus we ended up in CR for the first time. We were scheduled to stay for 7 days and ended up staying for 10. Needless to say, it was a memorable experience.

Back in the US, I was going thru DR withdrawal. Don’t’ want to get into it but let’s just say that I went thru the GFE thing. At the time, the company I was working for was going thru cutbacks and day-to-day I didn’t know if I was going to be laid off or not. That’s when I said, what the heck, I’m moving to CR. I was somehow able to convince a buddy of mine to go with me and next thing you know, we are driving from Atlanta, GA to CR.

The drive there was in adventure in itself and we actually videotape the whole thing. Just imagine 2 gringos with an SUV full of crap not knowing any Spanish drive all of the way to CR. It took us a total of 8 days. We were in such a hurry to get to CR that we never stopped anywhere to enjoy the scenery of Central America. If I could go back and do it over again, I would have taken my driving to CR.

Anyway, I’m here in CR, and I end up living from place to place for my first 4 months in CR. And one of those places were in Vista Linda, some farm in Atenas, San Francisco 2 Rios an a few more places until I settled down in Los Yoses.

My first 3-4 months here, I was a mongering machine. That is the period of time that I discovered all of the BM, local places tico mongering places and so on. At first I was in heaven but then the money began to run out and I had to find a job.

Finding a job was a lot easier then I thought for a gringo that has no working papers. Thus I ended up working in a sportsbook. The pay I get there compared to the US is pitiful but for Costa Rican wages, I am in the upper middle class. Life was good but after another 3 months of partying every night and going to work the next I got burned out, I was tired of going thru the same routine with pros and wanted to experience real people. So I more or less stopped going to mongering places and started meeting non-pros. It was okay I suppose but to be honest, it felt just like going on a date in the states. Thus, I balanced myself between the both of them. Now, I do have a tica girlfriend and I will go to these places to hang out once in a while and meet new people.

Now that you know a bit about me, here is what I think about living in Costa Rica after being here for 3 years. In general, I do enjoy living here but at times, I do think about going back to the US. I miss certain restaurants, my friends and family, driving a car on a safe road, common courtesy, current movies, cultural things, and security.

Right now though, the pros outweigh the cons. I love how easy it is to pick up girls. I work a lot but I never feel any stress. I love being able to party at night, go to work the next day smelling like booze with a terrible hung-over and not have anyone care. I love being able to speak Spanish almost fluently after 3 years. Going to local bars is great and I always have fun. The weather is awesome and everyone that I have met has been very nice. Food is cheap, booze is cheap and it is easy to find a good time. I live in a great neighborhood and everyone knows who I am and everyone is very friendly. Most of what I need, I can get here and if not, it is pretty easy to get since buddies from the US come down and visit all of the time. The main thins I think though is the pace of life. I have no stress here and not any real worries. This stress free no worries life has added 10 more years to my life which evened out the partying that has taken away 10 years of my life.

So far, I am happy here even after many disappointment and horror stories but it was all worth it. Hope this condensed part of my living in CR story helps.

I look at going to Costa Rica kind of like I look at going to Vegas.

It has to be special. It has to be a goal. It has to be something I have to work hard at to get the money, then be rewarded.

If I lived, at either place, the reward would not be there. Instead of being special and a goal to reach, the Blue Marlin in Costa Rica or Bellagio in Vegas would just be another casino. I know after 4-5 days there, I long for my home, my car, the crappy air and traffic of Houston, the job, and yes, even the ole lady.

I guess one could get jaded and I deeply admire those who have made the move and have made everything work out OK. I was born and raised in the Houston area, and have never lived elsewhere, so that probably has something to do with this.

As with any question, there are always two sides. I want to live here but there are many things that frustrate me. Simple things like traffic, wet floors in the bathroom, toilets with no room for your elbows and knees which don´t dispose of anything for the first four times you flush them, suicide showers that only have hot water at the trickle level and give you tingly fingers if you touch them, bathrooms with no counters and no hangers for your towel or clothes, closets with no wardrobes or hangers, electricity that only works sometimes, women that need the same crap you bought the last visit a month ago, but somehow it has disappeared, family problems that defy Klinger on Mash if you have a novia, lawyers who never produce anything but excuses and still want the money up front-- a word of advice, treat them just like hookers, they are worse when it comes to delivery as promised. But you have an ecosystem to die for, a fairly stable and modern third world economy, endless gorgeous and willing chicas to harvest if you keep your head, a relaxed life style, and even though expensive by third world standards, still a bargain overall compared to the US. Having had a steady novia for more than a year, and experienced all of the above problems, I still love it here. When I am ready to leave, it is not Costa Rica I want to leave, it is the relationship trap I want to escape. As soon as I walk down the ramp to the plane, I am ready to turn around and come back, I just need more time alone in the gulch. Yes, I am a monger and in spite of all the good things of a relationship, I need to monger.

Goetz

_________________
In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here!

I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO VEGAS BOB AND GOETZ. LIVING HERE IN NOT WITHOUT PROBLEMS, IE: POTHOLES, LAWYERS, POLICE NOT CARING, SERVICE ISSUES, COMPLICATED RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS.

BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE;

COST OF LIVING IS HALF OF WHAT IT WAS IN THE STATES. I AM WITH WOMEN HERE THAT WOULDN'T GIVE ME THE TIME OF DAY IN THE STATES. I HAVE LESS STRESS (EXCEPT WHEN I SET UP A THANKSGIVING DINNER ). I ENJOY THE RESTURANTS. I ENJOY THE COMRADARIE OF FELLOW EX-PATS. I AM LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. THE MEDICAL CARE IS EXCELLENT AND MUCH CHEAPER. THE WEATHER IS GREAT. ALL IN ALL, YES ITS BETTER BUT I'M RETIRED AND DON'T HAVE TO WORK. IF I HAD TO WORK HERE, MAYBE I'D FEEL DIFFERENT.

JUST MY 2 COLONES,

LV

_________________
Just an old horney, fat gambler.

As others have said living here is not without it's problems and agree with what has been posted as far as problems. An exception is "complicated residency requirements" I applied in late Nov 2003 and had my residency in March 2004. The procedure was easy and relatively cheap. Imagine the costs and hoops a Tico would have to jump thru trying to get residency in the US?

The advantages are as already said, low cost, lack of stress, happy people,availability of women, good medical care, etc. However residing in a foreign country is not for everyone. You have to adapt to the culture of your hosts. There are gringos who try to have the Ticos accept the ways of the US and off course they fail and then bad mouth the Ticos. If you are unwilling to accept another culture then you will not enjoy living here. Then there are those who have lived abroad in another country succesfully (Mexpat) who still find CR not to there liking.

The biggest concern I have for a lot of those who post here is that they want to live in CR for the availability of sex. That reminds me of new employees in a cookie or candy plant. They are told eat all you want, no problem its all free take as much as you like. For a few weeks they gorge themselves and then rarely ever eat anymore. Well thats what will happen to you in CR so you better have more of a game plan then the "candy" to fall back on. Just my dos colones, YMMV.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I dunno

not everyone can make the adjustment to living offshore. Statistically, 70% of Americans move back within 2 years of moving to Costa Rica. Most reasons are to take care of family situations back home, feelings of isolation culturally, and language barrier. It tends to be harder on women than men (thanks to the Delrey ).

To live here successfully, it is highly recommended to speak the language...and either leave the wife at home...or never go near the Delrey .

Goetz says:

Didn't I see him/her walking through Parque Morazon recently?

I wanted to thank all the guys that made so many great contributions to this thread. I was off line for a few days and came back to find some great opinions expressed. Thanks Vegas Bob for an excellent primer on how to get started. Kotigre's story of how he chucked it all and DROVE down was fascinating. I think we ALL have been there at one point in our lives and wondered what it would be like to do that. Now we know.

Thanks to all the others also. I think Easy is right, to each his own. But every one of us that has become addicted to CR has thought about it....if not now, someday. Goetz makes an excellent point, which I had not really thought about. If you develop a novia and want to live in CR....the temptation to wander back to the Del Rey has to be gigantic. The availablity of hot young latinas for Novia material is great....but so is the temptation to stray.

I know we sometimes criticize the Tico mentality....but maybe they have it all RIGHT. Maybe we could learn something from their lifestyle. Most of them I meet see pretty content. Why wouldn't they be? They may not make that much money, but they have all the pu*sy they can handle it...and a novia at home to cook dinner. Now THAT's livin!

[/code]

_________________
ASTROGLIDE