Paradise Is Not Always Paradise

I thought I would take a break from my building blogs to comment on a couple of not so pleasant things.

First of all, signing up for, paying bills for phone, electricity and internet at ICE is a "career." When you go there you need to allow for at the very least one hour. Sometimes longer. The system is so slow and inefficient. First of all the doors are locked and a guard lets you in and waves a detection wand around you. Next you sit in a long line of chairs. It's like musical chairs. One person gets up and goes to the desk where the one and only person checking through the 15-30 people is seated. The people move down starting with the chair the man was in to be next in line. Next, if you are only paying your bills you may pay there and leave. If you are needing to do any further business he then gives you a number, and you get into another row of chairs and wait for your number to be called. There are never more then three people in that area to help you. When one or two go on break, which of course they have to do, you just wait. Have I mentioned you need patience to live in this country?

FIRST LINE OF CHAIRS

SECOND WAITING AREA AND AS YOU CAN SEE 2 PEOPLE ARE ON BREAK, SO YOU HAVE ONE PERSON FOR ALL THE PEOPLE

The second thing is the government, starting July 1st, placed a 13% tax on services. I was told they were going to tax the food you buy at the grocery store also, but I did not think that would be right since it is a service tax. Well, I was wrong. I did a weeks worth of shopping today. My bill was 46,344.22 colones ($80.82) They added the 13% running my bill up 4,261. more colones ( $7.43) tax on food!!!! It's a lot for me to pay extra just because some past President and his cronies were career thieves. Of course, now the people of the country have to come up with it. I do not know how many of the population will be able to deal with an increase like this in their food bills. They simply do not have it. This is not a wealthy nation.

This tax is also on all services now. So, when my windows on my house are installed, cabinet installed, etc. I will be charged 13% for that service. This is going to cause me to have to cut back on some of the things I wanted to do in my home. Which at the same time takes the money I would have spent out of the pockets of those that would have made the money. I also believe this is going to stop a lot of growth in Costa Rica. 13% is not just a large percentage it is a huge jump from zero to 13% on food.

With all this said, I am still of the Pura Vida belief...

Pura Vida!

My First Doctor's Appointment At The Caja

I had my first appointment with a Caja doctor, and everything went swimmingly. I had heard horror stories of having an eight o'clock appointment and not getting in until eleven or later. Everything with my appointment went off like clock work. My appointment was for 8:00 AM. I weighed in, had my blood pressure taken, saw the doctor and was out at 8:45.

My new doctor's name is Dr. Carolina. She looks like she might be 25 years old but, of course, she is older and so sweet. She is a general practitioner but wants to go into internal medicine when she can. She has to work in the Caja for at least a year first. She asked me a little about my history, but told me she would talk more in-depth after she got my blood tests and mammogram back. We went over the medicines that I take on a regular basis. She was able to prescribe everything except medicines for menopause until she gets back the mammogram. In the mean time, she told me to just go to an outside pharmacy and purchase my Estradiol. No prescription needed! After our visit was over I went to a check out window where they stamped all the prescriptions she had written for me three times with dates and other information. I took these to the pharmacy in the CAJA, and they were all filled for three months for FREE! When they handed me the bag full of my medications I had the urge to run just in case they made a mistake in giving them to me at no charge!

Dr. Carolina also gave me prescriptions for blood tests and the mammogram which I was to take to another building called CISA and make my appointments. It also turned out to be a very easy process. Luckily I ran into my friend, George Lundquist, who speaks Spanish. I would have been in a little trouble with this part of the process if he had not been there. In the end, I now have appointments in November for all my free blood tests and mammogram. In January I return to my doctor to go over all the results and finish my physical.

Yesterday I ran into my new doctor in the grocery store. It made me so happy. It was such a warm feeling like being back in my small home town of Greenville.

Doctor's Office and Free Pharmacy

Pura Vida!

How To Make A Doctor's Appointment In Costa Rica

I did it! I guess it is silly to always be amazed when I accomplish things here, but I always am. It is a different country with a language I understand very little of. It has different customs and the medical system is Social. It is the opposite from what I am familiar with. So, today I walked into the Ebias, found the window for Ebias number One which is the area I live in, and made my first doctors appointment.

I thought I could just walk into any doctor's office, hand them my Seguro Social (Caja) card and make an appointment. Wrong. First I had to find out what area I was actually in. I called my neighbor, Manuel, and he told me I was in Ebias number one. From there I found out I had to go to the Seguro Social office, find the number one area, and make an appointment with a doctor. Then there's the problem of trying to ask if there is a doctor that speaks English. The guard at the front door did not speak English, so through my terrible broken Spanish he finally understood I was needing area one to make an appointment. The girl at the window for my area did not speak English, and I could not get internet service on my phone for Google Translate. Somehow, again with my words not sentences in Spanish, she figured out what I wanted and started making the appointment for me. As she was almost finished she called a very pretty and very young girl over. She was asking her something, so I asked the girl if she spoke any English. She said yes, some. I told her what I was trying to accomplish, and she said it had been understood and my appointment would be on Thursday with her. She was the doctor! I would have guessed her at 18 years old. Seriously, the Ticos really age well here.

I am not sick. I need to first see a doctor so I can start getting my medications through the Caja for free. It has not been the smartest thing on my part having not taken care of this 5 months ago when I first got on the country's insurance program. I think I was just exhausted from all the other legal things that have to be accomplished when you first move here. I've spent money I did not need to on meds. I am really excited to start getting them FREE!

If you did not read any of my past blog posts my full coverage medical insurance with free medicines and free doctors appointments is $44.00 a month. That's correct, $44.00 a month! I may not get in to see the doctor as fast as I want, or may not get into a surgery right away if it is not an emergency, but it's free when I do. If there is an emergency, and you cannot wait to make a doctor's appointment, you just go to the emergency room and are taken great care of. I can live with this!

I will let you know how my first appointment goes and the thrill of receiving free prescriptions.

Pura Vida!

The Rainy Season in Costa Rica Is Here

We are now heavy into the rainy season. Costa Rica really has no seasons like the US. Our rainy season runs from May-November and the dry season December-April. Of course this is not precise. The rainy season this year started early in April.

Last year it almost never started raining until 2:30 and only lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. I could almost set my clock by it. The skies were always clear by 9:00 at night when the Central Valley lights came back into view. This season has been different. The last few days have been very gloomy with little sunlight. The only time I remember it being like this last year was when hurricane Nate left us with a tropical storm for two continuous days.

The vegetation growth in one month has been startling. Things had begun to get a little brown through the dry season, and I discovered I had a pond of water in the pasture right behind my house. It had been hidden by all the growth. In just a few weeks of rain it is hidden again. Living in the tropics is amazing. You really see Mother Nature at work and quickly!

I have been told we are supposed to have a much wetter season this year. I loved it last year, but there was much more sunlight. I do hope it does not continue like this. Otherwise, it's going to be a long six months. It is a good thing I have a lot of friends here that like to get out and do things, rain or shine. That will help!

Pura Vida!

Life Style Changes

So many things in my life have changed since my move to Costa Rica starting with my diet. When I was working 9 hours a day and the 1+ hour drive to and from work the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was cook. I mostly lived on cereal. I have not bought a box of cereal in 5 months. I did buy two out of habit when I first moved here, but they went stale before I ate them. When you go to the grocery store here so many things are unrecognizable. I have learned to try new things. Luckily, I also have friends here that have been eating fresh for many years. They have been a big help to me. So, instead of cereal I am eating "fresh" eggs (fresh eggs here do not require refrigeration for up to 3 weeks), fruit, real oatmeal, fresh fruit smoothies, fresh shrimp, lots for fresh vegetables I get from the markets and almost no bread. My favorite is raw cucumber slices, raw asparagus, raw red bell pepper, boiled eggs, and yogurt sauce. I have learned to combine flavors I would never have thought of in the past. Mostly because I just did not have time to.

Driving! First I have never owned a 13 year old car with about 150 miles on it. Cars in Costa Rica are very expensive. My Hyundai Accent I had in Texas was $16,000 new. It is $30,000 new here. My 2005 Suzuki Ignis is in great shape with no marks on the outside. Runs well for a little engine up and down the mountains, but I do have to do a lot of shifting. I had not driven a manual in probably 30 years! Not to mention a license plate that says "Costa Rica" on it. There are no straight roads around me. Every single road is a curve up or down the mountain. When I get near San Jose going into the city on the highway it finally gets straight. I think it is good for me! I am getting strong upper arms and shoulders and a muscle in my left calf from clutching!

The biggest problem for me is keeping up with what day of the week it is. I seriously have missed going to things simply because I did not know it was Monday or whatever day. I have been on such a schedule for so many years to suddenly not have one I get lost in time. Not complaining! But some of my friends here might.

I am still dealing with guilt. I am so accustomed to going at 100 MPH every day and getting lots of projects accomplished. When I have sat at home now and taken care of absolutely nothing I feel guilty when the sun starts to go down! I am doing better with it, but am having to adjust my thinking.

The people in Costa Rica are so laid back and nothing seems to bother them. I am still dealing with those issues myself. I am an OCD punctual person. No one here cares about time. They are all happy that they get there when they get there. They don't even get upset with each other if they are an hour or more late. It's just fine. They are there now. Me? I'm trying to run cars off the road to get to where I am going on time! This is a really hard and good habit to get over.

No screen doors or windows. That will become a problem when we get to Junebug season!

No air or heat. No problem. It was never cold enough for heat during the winter. I just put on a robe in the AM, and I wore my jean jacket maybe 2 times. It is summer here now, and as long as I have a fan on it has been really comfortable. If there is a breeze outside I don't need the fans.

Language barrier? Not really. In todays world there are Apps. This has helped, and I am learning more and more Spanish daily. I am also very good at miming! Many people here speak some English, too. It is a required subject in school.

So, overall I'm adjusting very well.

Pura Vida!

My Heart Break

My friend in Puriscal, Tressa Hofos, sent me these pictures that were taken of the inside of the Catholic Church years after the earthquake. I cannot believe they let this magnificent heart of Puriscal just go to ruin.

I have been haunted by this building ever since the first time I saw it six years ago. It is in my heart that this should never be taken down, but it is in such disrepair I can't imagine what it would cost to save it. To me it is worth it, but this is not a wealthy nation. Because of the building having a historical designation it is also very hard for the Catholic church to have any control over it. Makes no sense to me, but that seems to be the way it is.

I still have not found one single photo of the church before the earthquake. It's like the Twilight Zone! I will continue to search. I think it will completely break my heart when I do.

Pura Vida!

The Earthquakes of 1990

It has been a while since my last post. Between going home to Texas for Thanksgiving and searching for pictures of the wonderful Catholic Church here in Santiago de Puriscal that was ruined in the earthquake of 1990, it's just been too long.

I have been unsuccessful in finding pictures of the church before the earthquake. It's the strangest thing I've every run into. I searched Google and I joined several pages on Facebook in Costa Rica that post old pictures, and not one single one. If this church had been built in the mid 1800's I would understand it, but it was only about 10 years old when the earthquake hit. My post will just have to be a little information on the earthquake and picture of the way the church is today.

March 25, 1990 a 6.5 earthquake with an epicenter 11 miles southwest of Cobano on the Nicoya Peninsula damaged buildings in San José, Puntarenas and Puriscal. The good news was there was some damage in Santiago de Puriscal where I live now but nothing substantial. The bad news was geologists and siesmologists of the National University of Costa Rica said that a shift of two land masses activated certain faults in the area of Puriscal. This quake triggered a swarm of quakes lasting for six straight weeks. The National Emergency Center in Costa Rica tried to calm the public reminding them that quakes had always occurred frequently since the forming of the territory. This did nothing to calm anyone. 3,000 residents of Puriscal abandoned their homes looking for some place to feel safer. I can tell you right now I would have been out of here, too. Six weeks is a long time for trimmers and small earthquakes to continue.

On Dec. 22, 1990 a 5.7 quake with an epicenter less than 3 miles north of Santiago de Puriscal injured 70 people and damaged hundreds of houses in Puriscal, Alajuela and Atenas. This quake damaged the Catholic Church here in Santiago beyond repair.

It breaks my heart every day I go into town and see this amazing building being allowed to just crumble to ruin. I don't understand why nothing has ever been done. I've heard several stories. One being the Church walked away from it because Puriscal declared it a historical monument, so the Church could not do anything. I also heard of groups that tried to raise money to restore it or parts of it and failed. At one point the City was going to have it torn down, but the people of Puriscal raised their voices and it still stands.

I would love to see at least the front façade and bell towers saved. From all over Puriscal you can see the towers standing. It will be a terrible loss if they let it go.

I am still holding out hope that someone will figure a way to either save the whole structure or at the very least the towers.

Pura Vida!

Do Not Stand In You Own Way

I read a cute blog today by Becca Martin.  I loved many of the things she had to say about taking your life in your own hands. 

"No one will believe you can do it until you do, so you have to want your own dreams.  Others can want your dreams for you, but you are the only one that can make them happen and you are the only one that can succeed or fail in reaching them."  This is so true!  If you have a dream, as I have, you have to act and start now.  I want to retire.  I do not want to work until the day I die.  This was my first motivation to look at options.  I went to Costa Rica on vacation 5 years ago with the idea of also looking at it as a possible place to retire.  My friend, George Lundquist, has a tour company that is for people considering retirement in Costa Rica.  He took us to an attorney, hospital, dentist, housing, and different towns at different sea levels for temperature differences. We ended the tour with the opportunity to visit with others who have made the move.  http://costaricaretireonss.com  I found through this that not only is the country beautiful and the people kind and helpful; I can do it and mainly on my social security.

"There is no way to sugar coat it.  You are your own worst enemy; you are the only one standing in the way of your goals and your successes."  Again, no way around this!  Do you want to retire?  Do you want to find a place to retire where you can afford to live comfortably?  Be realistic.  If you want to live the high life you better have the money to do it.  If you want a comfortable life without spending 9 hours a day working to have only a few hours of daylight left to enjoy, then this is a GREAT option!

Do your due diligence.  You cannot reach your dreams without first doing your homework to make sure it will be a dream and not a nightmare!  But the moral of the story is DO IT!  Make a plan and work it.  Don't be one of thousands who, when it's too late, look back and say, "I wish I had."  Be the one sitting on the beach sipping your drink of choice saying, " YES, I DID IT!"

Pura Vida!