Going to School

Follow me as we walk to the kid's school

Turn right

 

 

Go down the hill

 

 

Part of the school building

 

 

The campus is huge!!!

 

 

The parking lot

 

 

 

In paradise with sharks circling

Trust nobody. Sean said it best when he said, "This is jungle paradise with human sharks." People are friendly but you can feel the distance and there is always an old soul lurking in the corner whispering of the same mistakes newcomers make every year. Everything is a contractual agreement that comes with extensive complications and no guarantees. We looked at a truck today but the owner doesn't have the title right now. The explanation he gives seems viable.  I crossed it with some mutual friends who said it was fine.

Then, I knocked on some random neighbors' doors and just gave them the scenario and they all adamantly said, "No Way!"

You can anticipate the next line:

Get a lawyer!

The lawyer runs the tags to get the history of the vehicle. They make sure there are no outstanding payments or damages.

Take the vehicle to a mechanic.

The thing is that the title story may be fine but you have to go through a lawyer to ensure that all is legal and trackable. The mechanic check only protects you.

For all of my excitement over accessible and affordable help, I am learning the complexities of hiring help here in Costa Rica. My understanding is that hiring somebody in the capacity of a nanny / cook / cleaner entails paying their social security, holidays etc. You are taking on the responsibilities of employing somebody. It is important to understand the responsibilities before taking on help that one would assume is under the table.

There is this prevailing feeling that some people are trying to pawn off their past mistakes on the newcomers and we have quickly grown wary of friendly business. This is where I think we are pretty resilient: old games, different country. I am proud of Sean's skepticism and of my boldness to knock on anybody's door and ask advice from random passersby.

 

Day 5: Robbery & Bats

Yesterday afternoon we took the kids to the beach. After 30 minutes a woman came running towards me saying that our cars were broken into. Sean sprinted back to the car and we discovered - by some miracle (for us) - that our car was fine but her window was broken and they stole all of her stuff under the seats and in the clove compartment. We have heard about rampant petty crime but that is pretty intense to see it in the first few days we are here. We are supposed to carry our passports everywhere but I'm not taking anything but our keys when we go to the beach.

After a refreshing, cool shower this morning, I had a mutual scare with a poor little BAT who came in the screen door that the kids had left open. Sean took the kids to look and explained that they had to keep the doors shut so the monkeys and bats don't come in to bite them. Maya turned around and said, "Leo, you better not let a howler monkey into our room!"

Kibbutz, yet not

In many ways this area is like Kibbutz. Everybody knows everybody in the small town sense but even more so everybody seems to be in business with one another and most people in the same joining businesses: tourism, real estate, rentals, construction, housing management, surfing and yoga. All of the businesses are so inter-linked that I call them everybody’s honey pots. I wonder if the expats’ “businesses” are related to the need to be incorporated in order to do many things here. I'll have to ask the lawyer about that, hehe.

This area is pretty isolated and so the supplies that are here are more expensive. Many people use a sort of currier system that is similar to “Nahag Bait” on kibbutz. There are “shoppers” in San Jose who will get the items you need for the cheapest price and send them to us either by bus, van or flight. There is a small fee for their time and we can more or less get what we need affordably.

This area is very Western though and with that comes the disconnect and strong sense of independence that is the pride of North Americans. I thought of Israelis on Kibbutz who offer to help new comers in any way. An example: we are trying to orient ourselves and focus our resources. The neighbors are friendly and offer information about how far the closest city is (almost 2 hours) and how difficult it is to get some supplies and negotiate certain concerns. They are giving us good tips but we must navigate the issues alone.  On Kibbutz, everybody offers rides, offers to bring something from the big city, offers to help resolve any issues to make the transition smoother. I feel much more on my own here and I am hoping that will change some when we meet the community of parents connected to the school. When I seek more support, Sean keeps telling me, “this is not Kibbutz; we have to figure it out.”

Humidity

We are moist, constantly sticky. Even our papers and passports curl with moisture -  and this is not even the most humid time. Maya draws a picture and I think it will fall apart before I can put it on the fridge. I’m getting used to it and somehow it is not so bothersome because there is so much beauty around us. My clothes have become an outer layer of skin that I peel of. Going to the bathroom is like taking off a wet bathing suit and putting it back on again. But... we haven’t turned on our air condition yet.

Driving

We tried to drive to the next town 27 K south of here. I read it was an hour away. Distance is not the factor as much as terrain. After an hour+ of muddy roads we were dead in our tracks. The roads here are not smooth, lots of potholes, ditches and washouts. This is the place for a serious all terrain vehicle. Sean walked in the road “puddle” and it went up to his waist.

 

 

This is not a river, this was the road that we were supposed to cross. I have a feeling this is nothing to the people who have been here a while. Most vehicles are 4 wheel drive and have snorkels.

 

 

Cars and pics

Guidelines for getting a car

Renting:  Too expensive

Purchasing new:  Too expensive

Purchasing used:

Never buy locally because the cars in this area are trashed by the road. People are desperate to unload junkers that are not worth the trouble. Many people here get cars with a long and troubled history of missed insurance payments and if you are the current owner, you have to pay all of the back neglected fees.

Make sure the car is recently inspected.

Buy from San Jose where the wear and tear is less.

…And of course, consult a lawyer.

 

Pictures

The neighborhood

 

Stairwell view from inside house

 

 

Local homes

 

 

More random thoughts and warnings

 

We are arriving here at the lowest of the low season. The rain will get so bad that no tourists come and the long term expats even leave for a while. We will be here because the kids’ school is in session. The long term expats hand down their wisdom with caution that makes me wonder what is to come. It seems this place is not for everyone and the culture shock learning curve is steep. I’m hoping my transient history has only set me up to be resilient or more prepared than most.

 

(Oh my, I am writing this at 4 am because I’m still jet lagged. I just heard a ferocious roar and defensive meow, lot of banging near our front door... poor kitty.)

So the car issue is unfolding with expected complications (which is why I did not want a car!) A random expat in a cafe in town told us never to use Bank Popular. Only use Bank of Costa Rica. It doesn’t matter anyway though because tourists can’t open bank accounts unless they are incorporated. This enormous concept led the expat to offer his most valuable advice: “Never do anything without a lawyer!” I asked, “like what, open a bank account, get a car...?” He returned a haunting “Anything!” With perfect timing Maya said, “Can we still go to the beach?”

Maya’s and Oliver’s fearless spirit of adventure and exploration is both delightful and alarming. They will walk into the wild, off the cliff and into the strongest wave.  These moments are when I feel bad that Sean will not be here with us. He facilitates pushing the limits better than me and he can also save the day when that has gone too far.  I have given the kids opportunities to be limitlessly exploring and then I have too much fear to let them do it.  Ah, the irony of motherhood.

Initial Impressions

On a scale from 1-10 with 1 being “Oh No” and 10 being “Amazing” I would say we are 8. It is more sunny than I expected but nobody stops short of telling us the down pours are soon to come... and with that comes a whole new world of growth, lush, furry and sticky. Beauty and uchy seemed closely linked here in the flora and fauna world down to the excessive mold and 4 inch roaches.

As funny as it sounds we think Costa Rica is like the southern Appalachians meets the jungles of Tanzania, misty, steep hills, phenomenal green, fenced plantation looking homes and land.

Our neighborhood is gorgeous, secure and friendly. We did not get the house I was expecting/hoping for but the one we got is bigger. We are directly across from the pool and away from the main gate. The people we’ve met around town say this is a great choice for a neighborhood in terms of safety, young families and comfort.

The greatest disappointment is that it is necessary to get a car here. The beach is further than expected and the roads are traveled by quickly moving vehicles so I don’t feel safe walking with the family down the road. The neighbors say that the dust gets so bad in the dry season that it will not be good for the kids to inhale all of the dust from passing vehicles.

A neighbor filled us in on the luxuries of living here in terms of help. He has a nanny who cooks, cleans and babysits for 3-4 US$/Hour. I have already seen how gracious the Costa Rican people are toward families and young children. We always get pushed to the front of the line with our babies.

The kids lost themselves into crazy happiness when they saw the Pacific Ocean. The beach stretched for miles, few people and NO buildings. You would almost think they had never seen a beach before but that may be compounded by endless hours of airplane travel.  No wonder the great wide open nature made them loopy. The kids woke up at 4am to the screams of the Howler Monkeys. Oliver stands at the end of our side walk and howls back at them.  He is so fearless.