COSTA RICA

[ironmike67]

I just got back from living in Costa Rica!!! I think it is the greatest country in the world and by far the most beautiful! I will be buying land there soon...If anyone has questions about an upcoming trip, feel free to ask away! I'll be right here!

[nutsflopper]

What's the best way to get around the country, are domestic flights worth it?

What do ticos generally think of Americans visiting?

I have 3 weeks in Sept, what would you shedule to do and see if you were me?

[delta k]

If I wanted to go live in a nice apartment there by myself for a month, how much would I expect to pay? Where should I go?

[T50_Omaha8]

Where did you live?

Should one get one's own car?

[kiddcheckers]

moving there in October, where's the best place to call home?

[roblin]

Do you know any homepage listing houses for rent with internet, close to beach, close to nightlife?

[goodgrief]

I didn't live there so can't help with much practical advice but I have visited Guanacaste state or province -- not sure what these regions are called in Costa Rica. It is very safe and very welcoming. There are a lot of Canadians as well as U.S. and other ex-pats. Mountains, volcanoes, beach. Good birds. Friendly people. Many speak at least some English or you can get by with your "tourist" Spanish. Amazingly terrible roads. You will want to rent (or buy, if you're living there) your own vehicle, but be sure it's a 4WD so you can explore all the places you will want to go. Nuisance factor: You have to pay a small fee to leave the country, which leads to unnecessary lines at the airport.

I would personally give the nod to Panama if I were moving to Central America. Panama gave the impression of having a better infrastructure, certainly its roads in the Canal Zone were of high quality, it is a little further south and is pretty much out of the hurricane zone, and it uses the U.S. dollar which saves on nuisance conversion fees. Plus either there is no fee to leave the country or it can be included in your air ticket so you never notice it, not sure which.

However, Costa Rica has a very well-regarded public health care system. I know Panama has well-regarded doctors/hospitals also, but I don't know if it's public. If you're working as a card player and can't buy health insurance, you might need to look into this.

I look forward to the person who started this thread coming back and answering some of these many questions.

[chopchoi]

Where do they have live poker? how soft are the games? How tough is the rake at low stakes?

[goodgrief]

Yeah, I think he's forgotten us, blueman!