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Published: August 16th 2013
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Hola amigos and amigas!
Well I made it through my second week and then some in Costa Rica. I’ve noticed, not unexpectedly, that as before it still takes some time to get things done. I’m fortunate however that since coming here in 2005 I learned that if you expect things to happen on your schedule, it’s doubtful it will happen. Finding a car was one of those items. I’m living about five miles outside of town just north of San Ramon and a car, at least for me, is a must. I like the freedom to be able to take off whenever I want, and I need a car to show real estate and tour clients around the Central Valley. This time around I was smarter about my car purchase than I was for the last two cars I owned here. Previously, I owned a very old Izusu Trooper—my first car here—and that was a tank. It was a massive beast and while great getting around on dirt roads and getting through small streams, it loved gasoline. It also broke down more times than I can remember. I recall one time my former colleague at the B&B said in response
Atenas church
Met and old friend in Atenas recently. I love the church there. to the car feeling sluggish: “It’s tired, let it rest a while...” My second car here was a 1997 Mitsubishi Montero with room for seven people in three rows of seats. That was a great car—nice to look and newer, but it also liked gasoline.
I decided this time I wanted a somewhat smaller car but one that can handle dirt roads and still be able to transport clients around. My friend Geovanni was instrumental in helping me find a car within my budget. He looked all over the Central Valley over about 10 days and we visited about 4 dealers and 4 private owners. After what seemed like an eternity I end up with a 1997 Toyota Rav 4 (see photo). So far I’m very happy with it. It’s clean, runs well, is very fuel efficient and most importantly, the AC works quite well. We’ll see what happens in the coming days and months as no car will remain free of some fixes for long, but so far I think I made the smart choice.
Getting in the swing of things…fun and work…
Since I’m still getting set up here I don’t have a set routine
Los Angeles Sur
Love this view from my house! yet though I’m anxious to get into one. The first few weeks have mostly been about the “list,” the long list of things to do related to our various companies including CR Communities, Boomers in Costa Rica, and World Makers, all of which require a lot of time to manage, and grow. I’ll be re-launching the CR Communities and Boomers in Costa Rica websites soon but I didn’t realize when I took this on how much time it would take updating and getting new photos, etc. Once it’s all done though, I can get into more typical routine which I gather will be a lot of marketing and sales activities, and time at the beach in between (more about the beaches next time).
I am enjoying some social time. Besides my recent trip to Jacó, there are a few local pubs in San Ramon that I like to visit (occasionally!). One is Indiscretos, a music, food and drink place just off the main park downtown. I feel like a regular there because even after only three or so visits, the staff treats me as an old friend. The also offer a free appetizer or boca
Pacific Hills
Looking in CR Communities' first community, "Pacific Hills." Nice to see homes going up and people starting to live there. with every drink. You seriously could eat dinner there on about three beers. One thing I’ve noticed is that the very same bums troll streets near the bar just as they have since I first moved here in 2005.
Another is La Taberna (downstairs) with its disco Night Fever, upstairs. I don’t visit the disco as the crowd is much too young for me. I do like the downstairs bar though. It’s spacious, the people are friendly, and the food is quite good and offers a huge menu of choices. This bar is at the Mall de Occidente, just off the highway at the entrance to San Ramon. It’s in its own building across from the Scotia Bank. It’s worth a visit, particularly for dinner.
Small road trip…
I’m excited for the coming weekend as on Sunday (and into Monday) I’m going to visit a friend in Hojancha, who runs a volunteer/travel organization over on the Nicoya Peninsula called Tropical Adventures. You can learn more about it here:
https://www.facebook.com/tropadvent or
http://www.tropicaladventures.com. It'll be fun to see my friend Scott's operation and catch up!
That’s all for now…
Pura Vida!
Smoothie shop
Characters I saw at a smoothie shop in Harrisonburg, VA before returning to CR. Was doing market research for the opening of World Makers Cafe in Playa Coco in about 4 weeks. Yes, we won't be using any characters like these! Andrew
andrew4cr@gmail.com www.CRCommunities.com (real estate and more!)
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boomers-in-Costa-Rica-RetirementRelocation-Tours/269456459560 (<--new website coming soon!)
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