Quote:
Originally Posted by Evil E
Is CR as dirty as Mexico? Like leaving garbage and shit all over the place and not caring about it?
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No - by far not as bad - though of course not as clean as most of Europe...
Two things which annoy me about Costa Rica:
1. the terrible roads, particularly the constant change between smooth (almost new) surface and deep pothole craters...
Joke:
In Europe or the US you get pulled over for zig-zagging along the road, because most likely you're a drunk driver. In Costa Rica only the drunks drive in straight lines. (All others zig-zag to avoid the worst potholes.)
2. the very long rain season, which can last up to 7-8 months per year, so you'll get only 4-5 months worth of any unspoilt outdoor-activities...
I'm currently in CR, love the people in general, despite their lazyness (compared with lets-say Mexico), but to move here permanently:
NO!
To me the prices are too high, and I'm not only talking real estate, also daily shopping at a supermarket, vehicles, utilities like power & water, etc.
O.k. - prices are not high compared with the US or Europe (other than $s for cars), but if you look at the infrastructure (or lack of it) and what you have to pay for a decent plot of land. And I'm not talking about the inflated prices some expat-owned developers or agencies are asking, I'm talking about the "local" market... [expats often ask around $40-100 p.squaremeter of land, the local rate might be $3-15/sqm]
Then you buy in some out-of-the-way tranquil setting and ruin on those terrible roads your expensive car every 2 years just to reach the next decently stocked supermarket - and 5 years down the track (or only 3 yrs) a big corporation moves in and develops the block next to you. O.k. - you can then sell with a good profit, but you'll have to move again...
Pura Vida!