Our Life in Costa Rica

bioTD Is At It Again, BIG TIME

2012-01-12T14:29:00.000-06:00

January 11, 2012

And my second chance to see my new special friend - Laura Chinchilla, but this time, Stef was with me to see that I was not joking.

It has been absolutely unbelievable the progress that Robin and the bioTD group has done in such a short period of time. After they won the innovation award that I told you about - Laura asked Robin how they were doing with the National Healthcare System - After he answered, she immediately set up a meeting with the necessary people involved and made sure bioTD was on top of the list.

Then, Laura decides that bioTD should have the elite status of a Nationally Recognized Company and made it a point to do the official inauguration and sign the papers to put bioTD at that status. That happened today, and it was very exciting. There were over 200 people in attendance, news people and you name it. Somehow, Stef and I were asked to sit in the front row by the podium - now, this was pretty cool because we would only be less than 10 ft away from the speaker at the time.

Robin was the first speaker and his job was to welcome everyone and thank the people who have supported bioTD. His thank you's took quite awhile.

The first Government speaker was Mayi Antillon Guerrero - the Minister of Economy, Industry and Commercial - Now, I have got to tell you that this woman came on very strong with her praise of bioTD and how the government will support their efforts. Then, she told the bankers and everyone else in the audience to do the same.

Now, it is time for my new special friend and soon to be neighbor to speak. Dona Laura Chinchilla Miranda , Sra. Presidenta del la Republica de Costa Rica - One thing that surprised me about Laura is how short she really is. Every time I saw her on the news or in the paper, I would have sworn that she was about as tall as Stef, but I was wrong - However when she starts talking, you can see a great sense of determination and strength that this woman has within her.

Laura was very kind to Robin and backed up everything that Ms Guerrero had said. Then she added much more in words of support for Robin and bioTD. That she was very proud that a company with so much to offer was born in Costa Rica and will become known on a world-wide basis as a Nationally Recognized Company of Costa Rica.

Here she is signing the documents making bioTD an Officially Recognized Company of Costa Rica.

Now, we have the ribbon cutting ceremony - Robin's cutters were a little dull and Laura had to help him finally get the ribbon cut.

I need to take a minute and show you pictures of some of the people who have supported bioTD from the beginning.

Don & Elaine Butland from Canada who are friends and neighbors who have a vested interest in bioTD

Peter & Nim Parsons - who now live in Atenas and are friends and neighbors. Peter is an attorney was very instrumental in helping Robin get the legal side of things all set up.

Dennis and Karolyn Matthews more friends and neighbors who are strong supporters of

bioTD.

And, sitting in the front row - my lovely wife Stephanie and your's truly.

Do you notice the empty chair sitting next to me? Check this out :-)

That is about it for this stage of the game. Robin and the boys at bioTD are now working with a group to place their products in India and the United States - This is going to be big, and I will keep you posted.

New Year's Eve 2011 & Our Anniversary

2012-01-01T14:40:00.000-06:00

December 31, 2011

Tonight is New Year's Eve and as some of you know - the anniversary of the night Stef and I wed 28 years ago

Happy Anniversary Stef!!!

Based on what I have been seeing and hearing in the news, there are many who are going to say good bye and good riddance to 2011 and bring in 2012 with a hearty welcome hoping for much better things to come. Fortunately for us, we were not really affected bad with all that happened in 2011, but do like the idea of a new year and a new start.

Anyway, we got a small group together to go to a great restaurant that I found one night. It is called Fogo Brasil Rodizio located just as you go into downtown San Jose. Now, this place is pretty cool. This is a Brazilian Steak House that has the largest salad bar that I have ever seen with everything from green salads to sushi and all kinds of breads and deserts. I could exist just on the salad bar alone! Then, they bring you so many different kinds of meat on a stick hot off the grill where they carve it right off for you. Mmmmmm it is so good!

The group consisted of our new neighbors Gary and Sherri Brown who just bought a house here in Atenas and are from Mass. Then, we have our other neighbors who we have become friend with - Alan & Debbie Green, and Debbie's mother Billie. Alan is the yacht broker who I helped build him a website - remember? Don't forget if you are in the market for a nice yacht just contact Alan at: Family Yacht Sales

Left to Right are: Debbie's mother Billie, Debbie Green, Stef, Your's Truly, Sherri Brown,

Gary Brown, and Alan Green

The napkins - I think - were set up to look like birds in the glass - I think

This gives you an idea of what the meat looked like when it is cut right off the skewer and these guys were running around all over the restaurant with different types of meat - I loved it

This is our waiter Antonio who was always there to make sure we had everything we wanted.

All in All - everyone had a great time, great companionship, and great food - what else could you ask for.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Season's Greetings

2011-12-24T13:08:00.001-06:00

Please click the link below to see our Holiday Wish to You.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=3237178738683&source=jlfb&cont=2

Enjoy,
Pete & Stef

Costa Rica's Judicial System - A Great Disappointment

2011-12-16T09:56:00.000-06:00

After being here for 4 years, the one great disappointment that I have had is from what my experiences have been with the judicial system that exists here. Because this site is seen all over the world, it would be difficult to give you specifics without getting into trouble with the government. All that I can tell you is to be very careful in who you are dealing with and do some research on the subject before you move here. However, the one thing I can tell you is that you will need to learn to be very patient because the system is very slow and a case may take as long as 5 years to settle, and forget about anything getting accomplished around Christmas time.

New Garden For Stef

2011-11-07T13:27:00.000-06:00

Remember the garden Stef had? It was made of bamboo and regular wood. It didn't last long because some types of bamboo rot after two years and termites ate up the wood used for the beds. By the time it was done, it only took less than 1/2 hr to tear the entire thing down. We also had to set the wood on fire to get rid of the termites. If we didn't do that, then the termites were going to head for the house, and that would not have been a good thing.

Every time I looked that way and didn't see the garden, something felt like it was missing because I knew how much Stef enjoyed it. - I decided that while she was gone, that it was going to be re-built, and made in such a way that it would last for at least 20 years.

I got my man Biron, who is an outstanding welder to make the frame out of steel and weld it together on site. Then, I had him also make the platforms for the tables out out steel. We used Cedar for the boxes that set on the platforms.

It was finished just in time before Stef returned and the results were well worth the effort. Take a look..

With the construction phase of the project completed, Noel found some real good black dirt to put in the boxes. He also added charcoal, coffee shells and rice shells to the mix. Using all this, things are going to grow very good.

The green cover on the roof area is specifically made for this purpose and will allow 50% sunlight to enter the area.

This cost me a little more than expected because Biron got a little fancy with his welding artwork. Now, my friends who come to visit are asking me not to let their wives see it because they are going to want one.

Stef has the seedlings ordered and they will arrive tomorrow...

Stef leaves Costa Rica

2011-11-04T09:42:00.002-06:00

September 27, 2011

Stef was pretty anxious to head to Tennessee. You can see how excited she was. When we usually go there, we take an aftenoon flight and arrive in Nashville around 10:00 PM. However, her flight was scheduled for 7:00 AM, which meant that I had to have her at the airport at 5:00 AM, which meant that I had to be up at 3:30 AM - Oh Well so much for getting a good night's sleep.

I got her to the airport on time and went with her to the check-in desk to see if her bags were not too much over-weight, and they were. One thing that our friend Johanna told her is that she takes a shopping bag with her and put the excess in that because a shopping bag is not counted for a bag or weight. This is something we should all remember for future airline travel.

She gave me a hug and kiss goodbye and headed for the gate.

There she goes

After she took off - I headed home and went back to bed for a couple of hours. She was scheduled to land in Nashville early afternoon and my friend Bob would be there to pick her up.

The Ya Ya' Girls Invade Tennessee

2011-11-03T14:50:00.003-06:00

Stef has been away from Tennessee for several years now, and had a desire to go back and see her friends and relatives. When she told me this, she said that she had planned a month's stay there I was a little shocked. Now, little did I know that the plans she made involved several real cool events - AND - included the Costa Rica Ya' Ya' girls meeting her there for some fun times. Oh God, do you know what that means? An invasion on Tennessee that those town-folk in Nashville are not used to. I immediately emailed my friends there and told them to batten down the hatches because they didn't know what they were in for. (in the picture) Karolyn - CR, Guess who - CR, Kathy - CR, and Carol from TN who is going to have to put up with these girls.

I had no interest in going back to the States because with all that is going on there, I get depressed. In addition, someone had to stay here and take care of things while she was gone. Besides, it would give me a chance to relax a bit, but that never happened. Because I do not have any idea of how to cook, Stef took several days and made me about a month's worth of food, which she put in the freezer for me. I do know how to microwave things :-).

The itinerary that she put together was pretty intensive:

Meet with her twin sister Denise whom she hasn't seen in a few years.
Get together with some of our friends in Nashville.
Meet the Ya' Ya's and go to Gatlenburg for a few days at Charlie's mountain resort
Go on the annual Fall Cruise at Center Hill Lake near Nashville and raise hell. (we were the founders of this event in 1993 - there were 3 boats involved - She said there were over 100 boats this year)
Back to Nashville and see some more friends.

To put this all into one post would make it a book, so I decided to break it up into events on several posts. - Stage 1 is about to come - Stay with us, or her should I say.

bioTD Is On the Move

2011-08-25T14:14:00.003-06:00

August 17, 2011 - A very exciting and special day!

Remember my friend Robin who started the pharmaceutical company? If not, go back to my post dated June 11, 2011.

This is Robin and his lovely wife Ursula

Robin's team has won about 5 awards since that posing. However, today they were awarded the big one. This was for Award Winning Medical Ideas sponsored by XXI Century Strategy headed by Franklin Chang.
They won the award for the development of a replacement for the Pap Smear test - Citofem. When you go back and read my post, I stated that this was going to be the big one of all the products they have developed.

"This award is for an outstanding contribution to science and technology. It also allows us to assess the Costa Rican efforts to develop projects based on the development of a better Costa Rica" said Costa Rican astronaut and physicist Franklin Chang Dias, president of XXI Century Strategy.

This is a picture of Dr. Roy Mora accepting the award from guess who? Laura Chinchilla - the President of Costa Rica! Dr Roy is Robin's right hand man and has done a lot of work in the development of Citofem
It also just so happens that Dr Roy has more than gone out of his way to help me with a medical condition that I had.

Robin asked me to come along for this presentation, which forced me to get dressed up in a coat and tie for the first time in years - but it was well worth it. The presentation was given at the Presidential Palace in San Jose, and there were a lot of special people in attendance. It also gave me the opportunity to meet and chat with:

US Ambassador

Anne Slaughter Andrew

The first woman ambassador to Costa Rica

Franklin Chang

Astronaut
Holds the record for the most flights (8) into space

President
XXI Century Strategy

Franklin is considered a Nation Hero in Costa Rica

And last, but not least

My new special friend :-) Also, soon to be my neighbor

Laura Chinchilla

President

Republica de Costa Rica

As you can see, Robin and his team at bioTD are really making some inroads in the field of medicine. To get the details regarding Citofem, just click below to go to their website:

CITOFEM

US Debt, Debt Ceiling, FFA and Politics

2011-08-03T22:05:00.003-06:00

I am not one who likes to discuss Politics and refuse to be in any discussion related to it. However, after what I have seen in the past several weeks, I have got to say something.

This is the building where some people work when they want to. After several weeks of intense political bickering where the future of the US was in question and they were more worried about their political motives, I don't think that they accomplished anything but to delay an eventual bankruptcy when interest payments account for 40% of total expenditures. Then when this was over with, they decided to go on an extended recess with no decision on the outstanding FFA bill leaving thousands of people unemployed and lost revenues that amounts to billions of dollars. I really don't know what to think about all this, but it is truly disheartening how these people can actually get away with things like this. The only public response to this is that they will vote these people out of office. - With the way I see it, it really won't change things.

I am truly embarrassed to say that these people are the leaders of our country. God help us!

One Solution to this crap is what one very successful businessman said:

Subject: "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,"

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes I've heard in all this drama about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."

One thing that I would like to add to this is "And, without retirement benefits"

This will be the first and only post regarding subjects like this, but this thing has really eaten me up mentally - And so, that is it.

Our New Neighbor That Lives in Trees

2011-08-03T10:41:00.000-06:00

Josette and Vincent are staying in our apartment until their container arrives so they can move into their new home here in Hacienda Atenas. One day last week as they were driving back, they ran across this mangy animal that was no further than 20' to the entrance of our property. It is a Costa Rican Two-Toed Sloth that they were able to get a couple of pictures of him - again, right by my driveway.

According to what I have read, these critters are supposed to live in the tropical rain forest areas. It is a long way from home, but must have heard about the great weather in Atenas. Fortunately, they eat leaves and are not dangerous, so I guess he can stay around here because from the looks of his claws I really don't want to force it to leave.

For more information on the Two-Toed Sloth of Costa Rica - Just go to this link:

http://www.calnative.com/stories/n_sloth.htm

AEROCASILLAS - Beware

2011-06-25T10:17:00.004-06:00

This is an update on the "H" truck situation, or should I say dilemma. No, let's just say -The final straw

This post got to be very long because I just got carried away with it. Because of that, I dedicated a separate page for it because it contains some very important facts. If you have any intentions of using this company, it would be in your best interest to read that page. The tab is located under the title picture.

7/10/2011 - see update on page

Not Sure About This

2011-06-21T08:51:00.001-06:00

Do you remember this vehicle? Well, it has been since the day after Christmas that we have been able to use it. I'm starting to forget what the interior actually looks like. It all started about a year ago now since I got it stuck and destroyed the rear-end. That had a very negative affect on the transfer case, which leads us to today's situation.

First.. A little background This is a transfer case. It's purpose is to enable the vehicle to have the 4x4 function. Pictured, is my old transfer case. It was also damaged when I messed up the rear-end. Now, I need to make one thing clear here - The vehicle has about 65,000 miles on it. I purchased it from the second owner who was the CFO of HP here in Costa Rica - my stupidity was that I was so anxious to get the truck, I didn't completely check the vehicle history. I later found that it was purchased by a diving equipment company who ran the ever-loving hell out of it along the Pacific Coast. - I have had over 50 vehicles in my life, and never, never had problems like I have had with this one. Now, on with story of the transfer case. Our mechanic Luis tried and tried to fix the old one with any part he could find, but it finally gave out completely the day after Christmas when I was on the way to drop some gifts off to some friends.

Time to find a replacement - no such luck in Costa Rica in spite of all the Terracans running around throughout the country. The Hyundai dealer here is a complete waste of time when looking for parts. I even went to their Regional Office, but to get all the parts needed to rebuild the case, they wanted $3,800 - Are you kidding me!!

I finally found a remanufactured unit in Oakland, California - these guys were great and got me one shipped out to our CR Courier in Miami. (There will be a special post on these guys soon) - Then the courier brought it into Costa Rica. You are not going to believe this, but I get an email yesterday saying the part is damaged. I think what happened was that someone in Customs when they took it out of the box for inspection dropped it on the concrete floor and broke a piece of it off from the case. Check out the picture of it below. SOMEONE IS OUT TO GET ME!!

Luis thinks the part can be welded back onto the unit, so we are going to go to Customs to check it out. God, do I hope everything works out. In addition, the courier company has said that they will pay for all the repairs. Wish me Luck, because I need it!!

One thing that I need to mention at this time - This truck has gained a reputation in town - My friends no longer call it the Hyundai, or the Terracan

They call it the "H" truck

What I am going to do if everything turns out good is

Paint it Black so No One Will Recognize It

New and Exciting News in the Medical Field

2011-06-11T21:23:00.001-06:00

I have this dear friend who is also a neighbor of mine. At the time, we had known each other for about 6 months before we talked about the careers in our previous lives. Well, I would have never believed it, but he told me he was a retired bio-chemist. During his last stay in Costa Rica, he taught chemistry at the University of Costa Rica so he wouldn't get bored. This is just the beginning - read on...

Well, during this stay in Costa Rica, (which I sincerely feel he has now made the decision to stay this time for good) this guy tells me that he recently decided to start a pharmaceutical company. I was shocked. It appears that he got a team of scientists together who were medical professions and had developed some very interesting new products and wanted to introduce them to the world. I asked him "why would you want to do something of this magnitude when you are retired?" His response was, which was very interesting was:

"The products that we have developed are very innovative and will help the medical industry world-wide and I want to make sure that the world knows that they were developed in Costa Rica because this has never happened before - I want to help the people of Costa Rica be recognized for their ability"

Well, that was good enough for me. My friend started working on his business plan and did so for about 2 months non-stop. Because of my background and knowledge of writing business plans, he sometimes asked me to review his progress. In doing this, I really learned a lot, and saw that he was putting together one of the best business plans I had ever seen.

During all this, I discovered that his team had come up with some amazing products. I don't know the names of all of them but this is basically what they are:

There is one that he claims is better than the well-known and probably most used skin care medication on the market. I have used this product for years and swear by it. He gave me a sample of his product to try, and yes - it is better. It seems to act quicker and much more effective.
I didn't know it, but using latex gloves can cause a rash. His team developed a spray that one who is going to use latex gloves, sprays it on their hands, the hands become protected. In fact, the spray will make any rash from latex gloves go away. Knowing the number of people who need latex gloves, this innovation is significant. Another thing that came out of this was that one of Costa Rica's major banks became interested in the product because the spray protected the teller's hands from the germs that came from handling money. The bank calls it the "Invisible Gloves."
They also developed a medication to treat acne. I haven't had a need to test this one, but I'm sure it works pretty good.
Now the big one - The current pap smear test has been around for decades. These guys have come up with a new test that will detect cancer sooner and is less invasive to the patient. According to what I have been told, if they add something to the solution, if the woman is pregnant, it will also determine the sex of the baby. - This one really amazes me.
They have developed some other products, but the ones above are really going to help his company grow.

I had to tell you about this because his team has really come up with some great products, and I am proud to be his friend.

Oh yes, I need to tell you about this. I have learned that my friend is very well-connected in Costa Rica. One day, he tells me that the company won some sort of award for innovation and the President of Costa Rica was going to present it to them. Well she did, and invited them over to her house for coffee and discussion after the presentation. Now, it appears that the President is going to go to their facility and tape a news program honoring them for being the first facility of its kind in Costa Rica and how proud the country was of them - My God, the President now.. oh well

If you want some more information on this company, they have a website that you can go to. The link is below

http://www.biotd.net/

I want you to know that this is not an advertisement. Just wanted to let you know about a cool friend I have.

National Health Program vs Private Insurance

2011-06-11T20:10:00.001-06:00

In a recent post, I said that I would provide some information regarding the differences in the two healthcare programs in Costa Rica. Now, I can tell you that I am not anywhere near an expert on this subject. Below, is what I know and have experienced.Please see below..

National Healthcare Insurance of Costa Rica

The National Insurance of Costa Rica is called the CAJA. As far as I know, you must have a residency in order to join. This is the program that all citizens of Costa Rica are covered under. The rates vary based on income, but the best place to get it is through the ARCR (an expat organization based in San Jose) Through the ARCR, our monthly premiums are about $50 per month. This includes complete coverage on medical, dental, hospital care and prescriptions. There is no co-pay, and my pre-existing conditions were not a factor.

This program has its pro’s and con’s as any other National Healthcare Program would have. Some of the cons are that sometimes it takes a very long time to get some necessary testing and procedures done, and all of the prescriptions are generic. The pros are that: If you have an emergency need, there is no one better qualified to help you. Once you start going to the local clinic and seeing a doctor, they will test you every 6 months and make sure you have the drugs that are necessary to maintain your health. From my last test, they found that I had diverticulitis and made sure that I was put on a daily fiber supplement program.

The CAJA hospitals are very good, and you don’t have to wait forever to get in for your appointment. The one I usually go to is the Hospital of Mexico located close to San Jose. My last trip was to get a bone scan. I was in and out in about ½ hour and the equipment was identical to that of my bone doctor’s in Nashville, TN. According to what I have heard, this hospital is also considered one of the best for cancer treatment.

Private Insurance

The main company for private insurance is INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros.) There are other companies around, but this is the main one. The private insurance companies are very similar to those in the US, but much less expensive. They have a very good program to supplement the CAJA. Here you have a choice of doctors and hospitals to choose from. Their coverage is very good, and if you want to use a private hospital like CIMA, then this may be a program to do some more research on. The costs vary depending on your medical records. Stef opted for this additional insurance and her annual cost is around $1,200. I would expect mine to be somewhere just under $2,000. The way her program works is that she pays for the prescriptions and other care up front. She provides the receipts and is immediately reimbursed.

My Personal Program and a Recent Experience

So far, I have been extremely happy with the CAJA. The doctor I see is very highly qualified and always willing to help me with my needs. I was also very happy with my experience at the Hospital of Mexico. Because of this and the low cost of medical care in Costa Rica, I choose to just take the CAJA program and pay cash for the other if needed.

Recently, I had to have some polyps removed from my colon. The doctor I was working with regarding this condition told me that it would take 6 months to get into a CAJA facility to get the procedure done. Because all my friends were on my case to get it done, I opted to go to a private clinic for the procedure where I would have to pay cash. It was done at a price of $1,300 including the biopsy lab work on the polyps that were removed. The way I looked at it was that this was cheaper than paying the annual premium for the Private Insurance. – Now, I don’t know how much something like this would have cost in the US, but I will bet money, it was one heck of a lot cheaper.

That is about all I can tell you about the insurance programs in Costa Rica. Hope it helps.

Some Information on CR Properties

2011-06-02T19:57:00.000-06:00

Somehow, I have been getting pretty involved in helping people to develop websites and blogs. I guess I do this because I really enjoy creating things. Must be from my marketing background in my previous life. Atenas is big on real estate and apartment rentals because of its location. Because of this, it seems like all the websites I have been involved with relate to those topics. Because of everything that is going on in the states, I was thinking that it might not be a bad idea to share these opportunities with you. You may not be interested, but may have friends that are – believe it or not, recently I’ve been getting some phone calls from friends in the US who want more information on Costa Rica. Anyway, take a look at these sites and let me know what you think..

This is a full-blown website that just went live this morning. It’s about a new Eco Development near Atenas that is pretty neat.

http://www.ecofriendlyhousingincostarica.com//

This blog I did for some friends who have properties for sale.

http://homespropertiesandlotsatenascostarica.blogspot.com/

This blog I did hits pretty close to home because it is about lots for sale in the community where we live.

http://haciendaatenaspropertiescostarica.blogspot.com/

This is an important blog to us because one of these apartment buildings happen to be owned by us.

http://atenascostaricaapartments.blogspot.com/

I really enjoyed developing these sites. This morning, it occurred to me that maybe others need to know about these properties, so now you have it.

Healthcare in Costa Rica - Part 1

2011-05-27T23:05:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to discuss this subject for a long time because I'm finding that many people who come here are not aware of the healthcare and dental services that Costa Rica has to offer. This is going to be a long post, but after you read it, I'm sure you will think it was well worth the time.

Background
When I retired, I opted to continue my medical coverage with my company's retirement plan. It started out as being reasonable for the coverage I had, but every year they would raise the premium about $100 per month. To the point that it was getting unaffordable. And, I'm sure this is the case for many of you.

When we moved here, we took on an International Healthcare policy that was pretty reasonable. Like, less than half of what I was paying for the other. At the rate we signed up for, it covered the world - except the United States - if I wanted coverage for the US, then the premium was double - does that tell you something?

When we obtained our residency status in Costa Rica, we were able to sign up to use the Government's National Healthcare Program. This is called the CAJA. Our monthly family premium is about $50 a month and it covers everything - Doctors, Dentists, Hospital, Testing and Prescriptions. There is no co-pay. After signing up for this, I cancelled my International Plan because I never had a need to use it. The Caja is the only insurance I have at this time. If I need something done in a Private facility, I'll pay cash because that comes out to be much less than a Private Insurance Policy - I will explain that later. Now, Stef is a little spoiled and thinks she needs a Private Insurance Policy, so she has one. It costs her about $100 a month and covers just about everything, including her prescriptions.

Healthcare in Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers excellent healthcare in all areas. They have some high-tech equipment that you don't see in the US. The doctors are usually educated in the States and speak very good English. The one thing that really struck out at me was they show that they care for you. This is because the culture here teaches the children to always respect the elderly, and that disapline is carried on through adulthood. In fact, the doctors here will even make house-calls - when was the last time you experienced that?

The cost for healthcare services here is much cheaper than in the US. A few examples from my experiences are:

An Ultra-sound for $50
A colonostopy for $320
An EKG with equipment that let me see and hear my heart beat and some other test that I had in a major hospital affiliated with Baylor University for $250
A complete eye exam with high-tech equipment that printed out my prescription - $6

Compare that against what you are paying for in the US. - They are very, very good here and the prices are more than reasonable.

Now, one thing that will blow you away is - I have never had to wait for more than 5 minutes to see a doctor, or make my scheduled appointment at a hospital or testing clinic. In fact, at the big fancy hospital, they took me in early for my tests.

Now, a little story that I will never forget - We know a couple from the Northeast who have a home near us. they are very dear friends who spend about 5 months a year in Atenas. He is about 74 years old, but looks healthy as a horse. - One night after a dinner party, he had an attack and had to be taken to the hospital. The Red Cross were out there to the house within 10 minutes after the call - They decided that he needed to go to the hospital - they took him to the Red Cross Clinic in Atenas and transferred him to a specialized ambulance to get him to a Government Owned hospital in nearby Alajuela. In that ambulance was a doctor, a priest, and all kinds of high-tech equipment. On the way to the hospital, the doctor ran a test on my friend. He told him that there was a problem with the lower right side of his heart. They got him to the hospital where he spent the night and was released the next day. Total cost for everything - $327. My friend who was leaving for home to the states the next day was told that he needed to see a doctor in the US to follow-up on his condition. This is what happened..

He returned to the states and immediately went to see his doctor at one of the highest respected medical centers in the country. He had to wait 12 hours for the tests to begin. After a month of tests and what probably cost his insurance company about $30,000 - they told him that he had a problem with the right lower side of his heart. Amazing!!!!

When it comes to Dental Care in Costa Rica, you will be amazed. Costa Rica's second biggest industry is dental care for people from all around the world. Why? Because they do great work at about a 1/3 rd of what it costs in the US. I was paying $50 a month for dental insurance with a large deductible. To get my teeth cleaned, I go to a local dentist who cleans my teeth all by himself and charges me $40.The equipment is similar to that in the states, but for some reason, he does a better job cleaning my teeth than anybody else has in the past. Examples of costs for some dental items are:

Veniers - $250 each
Crowns - $250 each

With prices like this, it is no wonder that people come here for their dental work because they get high quality dental care and the difference in cost more than pays for a vacation here.

This is a lot to digest, so I think that I am going to break this post up into several parts - In my next post, I will try my best to explain Costa Rica's National and Private Healthcare systems. Until then...

What a Moonlit Night

2011-04-23T23:22:00.000-06:00

One thing that I forgot to mention - The night of our St. Patrick's Day Party, the moon was the closest to the earth than it has been in many, many years. One of our guests took a couple of beautiful shots that you will enjoy. Take a look..

Only in Costa Rica - Nice isn't it

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

2011-03-27T22:33:00.002-06:00

This St.Patrick's Day 2011 was the 28th anniversary of the day Stef and I met face to face. For those in Nashville, the celebration of this event became an annual Party Day Tradition. There were years when we had as many as 200 people in our house to help us celebrate. - After living here for over 3 years, it was decided that we have a party here to celebrate that special day. This year was going to be the test to see how it would go, and if it went over well, then we would do it on an annual basis. Well, take a look at what happened....

This is Stef and me all dressed in green. The focus of the party was for everyone to just let lose and have a great time. The main course was burgers and hot dogs, which were grilled by Bob and Ed on my famous infra-red grill affectionantly named Big Red. I hired a DJ from San Jose who also just happens to be our new pest control expert. His name is Ozzie and by coinsidence, spent some time in Tennessee. He provided great music and karoke. Ozzie turned out to be a big hit with everyone.

Then, we had the man himself - Big Lee - who wanted to make a real Irish impact with his custom made kilt - No one does it better than Lee.

Here is Lee with the seamstress herself - Karolyn - who finally got the kilt made to Lee's specific specifications.

Of course, we had to get into the action.

Here is Ozzie and his assistant getting the DJ system set up for the entertainment part of the event.

The party started around 4:00 PM on Saturday the 19th. We held it on that day to make sure everyone would be able to make it - This picture was taken around 4:15 PM where you can see that people weren't waiting around to get here on time.

These are our friends and neighbors Ed and Johanna. They are from Conn. and were not about to miss this party. Ed especially enjoys the cocktail hour part of any party.

This is Jim and June from Texas - They are a great couple.

Part of the deal was that all the guests were supposed to bring a side dish. As you can see, they went all out on that request.

Looks as if everyone had plenty to eat and are having a great time

There was dancing and we had a Karoke setup that many took part in

Now remember, the party started at 4:00 PM - and it didn't end until about 11:30 PM

We invited about 90 people to the party, and about 70-75 decided to check it out. The next day, we started getting emails about what a great time everyone had - You remember what I said earlier - We just wanted everyone to have a good time, and it worked out very well

By the responses we had - It now looks like this will become an annual event, but the next one will be even bigger, and better... Hope you will be able to join us....

Kay's Chili Cookoff

2011-02-13T21:36:00.001-06:00

Here in Atenas there is a home for abused, abandoned or orphaned children that Stef and I do everything we can to help. It is called "hogar de Vida para la ninez" - During the last 3 years, Kay & Tom Costello (Kay's Gringo Postres) have put on an event with a Chili Cookoff where the proceeds have gone to the Orphanage. In those years, maybe 50 people would attend. 2011 turned out to be a different story. There was a group formed to get this thing organized and make it a big event. Somehow they found this guy here who used to work at organizing chili cookoff's in the US. Well, the committee worked over a month putting it together. In fact, Stef was up till midnight last night doing her part. The end result - somewhere between 500-600 people attended, and we had a great time. Although all the money has not been tabulated yet, it's a sure bet that there will be a very large donation to the Children's Home. Take a look at some of the day's activities:

The event took place at the Quinta Romavista. This is a very nice place set far back off the road in the rolling hills of Barrio Mercedes just west of Atenas.

The hours were from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM - When I arrived at 11:30 AM and walked into the main building - this is what I saw - many, many people who came in support of these children.

There were 14 "world renown chili chef's from all parts of the world" competing for the title - yes, they came from all around the world and decided to live in Atenas - about the world renown part of it - I'm not sure. Below are a couple who we know, but never realized their talents for cooking chili.

This is Brad who came in very strong in the finish.

This is Alex who is the manager of U-Save Car Rental that Stef does a lot of business with. He did an outstanding job with his recipe.

This is our friend and neighbor Ed ( his better half Johanna is probably out somewhere having a beer with Stef) - They brought in their Jersey style chili, which was a big hit.

This is what happens to Marines when they retire. A good group of guys who did an outstanding job.

These are the "angels" from the local church. They stressed on providing the mild chili so we wouldn't drink so much beer.

These pictures give you an idea of the beauty of the grounds at Roma Vista. We are probably talking 3-4 acres of this type of landscape.

Yes, we had music and lots of it. Here you see Francis Jones from Tennessee singing and she is great. She used to sing professionally, but the lure of Costa Rica changed that.

This is the building where the burgers and dogs were being served. The grill they were using was "Big Red" my special infrared grill brought in from the US - so you know the food was good :-)

Then we have the tents where the liquid refreshments
were served. The committee set up a special deal with the people who distribute Imperial Beer - commonly known as the beer of Costa Rica. They were pretty generous so you know we did not run out of beer.

Time to head home - Here you see my good friend Robin waving goodbye. I sure hope he made it home safely.

This year's Chili Cook-off was a huge success, and I think next year will even be better - Thanks to all who attended and contributed to this wonderful cause.

It Has Been a Long Time

2011-01-30T17:40:00.000-06:00

I know that I have not really posted everything that has happened for a long time. However, I made a promise to Stef that I would get the events here in Costa Rica caught up soon. I have retired now 3 times, but right now we are busier than we have been in years, but we are having fun.. Thank God, we are in Costa Rica where the weather has been wonderful and the people here are Great!!!

Stay tuned...

Seasons Greetings

2010-12-25T09:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day 2010 - From: Atenas, Costa Rica

Wishing You the Best for a Great Holiday Season

and..

A Healthy and Prosperous New Year

Pete & Stef Bogatinoff

Please Don't Send Your Cold Weather Down Here

2010-12-15T20:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, it was very cold down here. They said that this was an effect from the cold weather in Florida. Below, is an article from the online news of www.insidecostarica.com

Tuesday Was Coldest Day In Costa Rica In The Last 15 Years
Cold spell to continue to tomorrow

Tuesday was the coldest day in the last 15 for the Central Valley, the temperature dropping to a bone chilling daytime temperature of 10.5 Celsius (50.9 Fahrenheit), according to the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) - national weather service.

The low temperature was recorded in El Carmen de Guadalupe, in the northwest corner of San José.

The last time the thermometer dropped was in 1995 when it recorded a low of 13.4 Celsius (56.1 Fahrenheit).

Other record cold temperatures were in San José centre and Montes de Oca (San Pedro) - 12.8 C (55F); Santa Ana with 16.9C (62.4F); and Cerros de Tapezco with 12.6C (54.7F).

In Escazú the temperature dropped to 13.9 C (57.2F), while in Coronado, 11.5C (52.7F).

Cartago recorded 11.9C (53.4F) and Alajuela with 15.9C (60.6F).

Even lower temperatures of 2.9C (37.2F)were recorded in Turrialbla and 2.6C (36.7F) in the Irazu Volcanoes.

The normal daytime temperatures for the Central Valley range from 28C (82F) to 32C (89F)

The cold temperatures are expected to linger until Wednesday afternoon.

Coming to the Rescue

2010-12-11T16:48:00.001-06:00

Week of October 25, 2010

During the height of the rainy season, much of the country experienced damage from heavy rains that they had not seen in over 90 years. It was caused by a Hurricane headed up the Pacific Coast. The hurricane did not touch land, but it sure got us wet. In fact, 36 inches of rain in 3 days! There were landslides, bridges out and roads caved in. Bob & Harriet were on their way back from Panama where they took a trip to renew their visas, and got stuck on the South Pacific Coast for 5 days because the road was out. Another part of their mission was to bring back 3 Butterball turkeys for us that were going to be the main course for our Thanksgiving Day Celebration.

Another thing that happened was that there was an incident involving a landslide at the property owned by Charlie and his partners - I called Charlie and said "you really need to come down here and check this out." He and Rick Dixon arrived and inspected the situation. Ricky is a builder and knows a lot about things like this. So they decided he needed to come down with Charlie.

Unfortunately, two days after they got here, Ricky got a call that his Uncle had died and had to head back home the next day. This picture was taken the day before Ricky left.

Now, it was up to Charlie to handle the situation. This he did in fine fashion and the repairs are now being made.

Sure wish you guys could have stayed longer

The Artist at Work Again

2010-12-11T15:53:00.000-06:00

In a previous post, you saw that my lovely wife was getting into the world of painting water colors. This is getting to be one of the most pleasurable times for her - when she goes to class on Monday and really gets into painting. Take a look at some of her latest work.

Not bad at all would you say? Stay tuned for more of her fine work.

It Is a Small World

2010-12-11T15:43:00.001-06:00

September 20, 2010

On this day, the couple who rented one of our apartments on a long-term basis moved in. They are Bob and Harriet Cates. Bob & Harriet got frustrated with the life in the big city, sold everything they had and moved to Costa Rica in May of this year. They first settled in on the South Pacific Coast, but found that to be too far away from San Jose with not a lot of things to do to occupy their time. In addition, that area can get pretty hot during the day. So, they decided to check out other areas. Somehow, which I'll tell you later, they contacted Stef to get some advice on the Atenas area. They set a date and time to visit us and showed up right on time.

Now, would you believe that Bob & Harriet are from Nashville, Tennessee? Yes, I said Nashville, Tennessee!! They told us that they got Stef's contact information from a friend of theirs who is a mutual friend of our friend Carol Milam - Who would have known. Anyway, after we chatted for awhile, they asked if we knew of any places that were available to rent - Well guess what - Stef leaned back and said "right over there" while pointing at our guest house. They took it on the spot and went back to the coast to give their notice.

This is Bob & Harriet with Stef

These are two very wonderful people who are an absolute joy to have staying with us. Bob is retired from the jewelry business where he owned a store close to Nashville. Harriet is retired from an architectural firm in Nashville. You will be hearing more about Bob & Harriet as I work to get this blog updated.

Folks, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want.

Bob & Carol's Annual November Visit

2010-11-19T21:15:00.002-06:00

Our dear friends Bob and Carol from Nashville made their annual November trip here, but this time they also brought Carol's son TJ and his new bride with them. This year made for their third trip to visit us here, and it was great that they brought the kids with them. Bob & Carol are the reason we started our annual Thanksgiving feast for everyone so they need to make sure they come every year to keep the tradition going.

This is TJ and his wife Jennifer - Carol gave them this trip as a Christmas present, so we needed to make sure they had a great time. By the time they left, I think that they were already looking forward to a return trip.

This year we did something a little different by taking a couple of days and stayed in Jaco at a very nice condo. Jaco, is probably one of the best known towns on the Central Pacific Coast, and is a little over an hour drive from our home in Atenas. Now, I am not really a big fan of Jaco anymore because of what a bunch of greedy developers did to it. When Bob and I first came to check out Costa Rica in 2006, Jaco was a great place to go. Then the American and European developers came in and started building hi-rises without any regard for the environment and the lack of infrastructure the town had to support this degree of construction. Would you believe that there are new condo's there that do not have water, and there are skeletons of condos that were never finished. - I just had to put my two cents in on this one because what they did really disgusts me!

Anyway, we made sure we had a good time in Jaco, and TJ and Jennifer really enjoyed everything about it. In addition there are really some nice sites to see there. Below, are some of the pictures we took there.

Relaxing by the pool

The pool from our condo

Check out that Sunset

Well, it was time to leave Jaco and head back to Atenas. On the way, we stopped for lunch at this great place up on a mountain - The driveway to get to it is almost a mile long and there is a stone wall all the way up. The restaurant has some amazing mountain and ocean views.

When we returned home, we only had a couple of days to get ready for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. This event keeps growing every year. Take a look at the festivities.

It's obvious that everyone had a good time, and we enjoyed a lot of our Costa Rica friends. We had about 36 guests for dinner. Unfortunately, Bob and Carol and TJ and Jennifer had to head back to Tennessee the next day. But, I'm sure they will be coming back next year at the same time. And, it's a sure bet that the kids will be back soon. We always enjoy them here, and they don't really have to wait until November to come back.

Birthday Girls

2010-10-28T21:30:00.000-06:00

This post is a little late in coming, but I wanted to make sure you knew about this event. It's hard to believe that 4 of our friends had a birthday within 2 weeks of each other, but only in Costa Rica - it happened. Stef's good friends Cathy, Karolyn, Tammy and Julie decided they had to have a party to celebrate this event, so we did - Take a look...

Yep, that's them - from left to right you see Cathy, Tammy, Karolyn and Julie - It's obvious that they are having a very good time and it gets better. - Check it out

There was a pretty big group of us that met at the Guanacaste Restaurant, one of our favorite places. It was apparent that everyone was set to have a good time.

The Guanacaste is a great, well-run place with great food at very reasonable prices - however, it's not that big and when we bring a group of 15-20 people in there - we take up a lot of space, but we always pay the tab.

At this point, things are pretty calm, but watch out.

Yes, that is really Cathy

OMG!

Karolyn, Stef and Kathleen

This is Stef with my good friend Charlie who has a tendency never to get excited

Bob & Harriet who are from Nashville and have become good friends

I think that they are starting to calm down a bit? No chance

Of course, Stef and me who are always the calm ones who makes sure everyone is safe and sound. Look at Stef's stare - Looks like I have a job on my hands.

As you can see, it is obvious that a good time was had by all. Until next year - same time, same channel - You know what? I forgot to find out the ages of the birthday girls - probably never will.

FOR SALE

2010-10-01T23:04:00.000-06:00

We are starting to make some changes - First, as you already know - we have put our property up for sale so we can down-size and start traveling more.

You have seen the story on our Hyundai Terracan. It is now completely fixed and ready to go. However, it is also for sale because I really want to buy a new vehicle. Not sure that I am making a mistake, but whatever???

You can see both ads I just made at http://propertiesotherthingscostarica.blogspot.com/

Let us know if you have anyone interested - especially on the house because I am very anxious to start building a new one with our great builder Luis.

INDEPENDENCE DAY - COSTA RICA

2010-10-01T22:48:00.000-06:00

September 15th - This is a very big Holiday in Costa Rica and the rest of Central America where they celebrate their day of Independence. What you really need to do is to stock up on everything because all the stores will be closed. So if you snooze, you lose.

In the morning around 9:00 AM they have a parade in the downtown area. Our friends Mercedes and Luis usually have reserved seats in an open area restaurant right on the parade route. They invite Stef and me and several of our friends to join them this year. Take a look.

As you will see, the entire parade was made up of kids. There were hardly any adults in the parade.

It was a good day for all and one where you learn more and appreciate the people of Costa Rica.

My God - Have We Had the Rain!!!!

2010-10-01T22:10:00.000-06:00

This is normally the rainy season, which I really like the best. But, the last month has been one heck of a wet one. In fact, we have had 4 times the rain that we should normally have. It has really been wet and I have not seen the sun for at least a week! Noel, our gardener has not been able to work most of the week due to the rains, and is now hurting for money to take care of his many girlfriends. All the roads to the Pacific are closed due to landslides and falling debris onto the roads.

How the rainy season normally works is that the mornings are sunny and beautiful. Then around 2:00 PM it starts to cloud up. Around 3:00 PM it starts to rain pretty hard for an hour or two. Then it clears up and is nice for the rest of the night. The next morning is sunny and bright and it looks like it never rained. - That is the normal rainy season and I really like it.

Now, what we have had in the last week due to a tropical depression on the coast has caused landslides, 90 roads to be shut down, a problem with my septic tank and more. They say that all of this has been caused by what they call La Nina - The world weather has changed dramatically in the last decade, and I have some concerns about what the future has in store for us.

Don't know what to say, but now the weather is headed up the east coast of the USA, and I wish them the best of luck.

38 Reasons Why Move To Costa Rica?

2010-09-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

Chris Howard is a well known author in Costa Rica. His books include those on learning the Spanish language and valuable information about the country and it's people. In addition he also has tours through various parts of the country to educate people about Costa Rica. The following, is an article he wrote for the internet news site "Inside Costa Rica" that I thought would interest you...

By Christopher Howard M.A.*, www.liveincostarica.com

(1) Year-round spring-like weather in the Central Valley. One of the most ideal climates in the world. No heating or A/C needed in this area, so you will always feel comfortable

(2) An unblemished international image and reputation. How often doe you hear bad news about Costa Rica? Only good news! As the say here, “Solo bueno,” which means “only good.”

(3) Latin America’s oldest democracy

(4) NO army or terrorism. Costa Rica has NO enemies.

(5) Excellent health care at a fraction of the price you would pay at home. Dentists are cheap, too. Many doctors and dentists are trained abroad. Costa Ricans who reach the age of eighty have the longest longevity rate in the world beyond that age. This is mostly due to the country’s lifestyle. Many a foreigner who has moved here claims that “they have added years to their lives and life to their years.

(6) Good real estate investments if you do your due diligence and buy at the right price. In 2006 Costa Rica was considered one of the world’s best emerging real estate markets. Many properties are in locations with breathtaking panoramic views. You would pay millions of dollars for these views in some parts of the U.S. Costa Rica is a prime warm-weather destination like Hawaii and retirement haven which will drive the real estate market in future years.

(7) More North American residents proportionately than any other country outside of the U.S. They can’t be wrong!

(8) A tightly-knit expat community

(9) The ONLY country in Latin America with a time-tested organization (Association of Residents of Costa Rica or ARCR) to help you with everything you need to make the move from A to Z.

(10) An excellent quality of life. Costa Ricans have one of the highest life spans in the world and the country boasts around 900 centenarians.

(11) Good communications with high-speed internet in may areas. Cable and satellite television are available with all of your favorite programs from the United States.

(12) Tax savings - The financial benefits of being a U.S. citizen living abroad is attractive because you can enjoy the tax-free foreign earned income benefit of more than $90,000 per year.

(13) Opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs

(14) Friendly people with a great sense of humor and a country populated by one of the “happiest people in the world.”

(15) Many people but not everyone speaks English.

(16) 1000s of activities to stay busy and happy so you won’t get bored

(17) A nature lover’s Disneyland and the perfect place for those who like adventure tourism. Volcanoes and rain forests are near the Central Valley and the Caribbean and Pacific Beaches are only a few hours away.

(18) Affordable hired help

(19) The country’s sheer beauty

(20) Fantastic beaches with warm water. No wetsuit is needed here!

(21) One of Latin America’s prime tourist destinations according to Travel Weekly magazine.

(22) Many products and services from the U.S.

(23) A huge variety of inexpensive fruits and vegetables available all year

(24) Affordable transportation (buses and taxis). You won’t really need a car here.

(25) Much less expensive than living in most countries

(26) Exotic flora and fauna

(27) Low property taxes ( A quarter of one percent of the home’s listed value up to $200,000)

(28) A variety of local restaurants, offering some of the best chicken and fish, plus, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian, Mexican, typical Costa Rican food and more.

(29) Convenient Location. You can be in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale in under three hours.

(30) Beautiful and devoted women.

(31) Low violent crime rate compared to most places. I wouldn’t be living here if I thought my life was in danger. Crime is on the rise world-wide and Costa Rica is no exception. NO country is entirely crime free nor is immune to the increasing crime rates that you find almost everywhere in the world. Furthermore, the news media likes to sensationalize crime in every country.

(32) You want to experience a new culture and people

(33)) You want to do volunteer work like teaching English to school children or contribute something to the country in another way

(34) You want the life-long experience of learning a beautiful language to open a whole to new world of possibilities

(35) You want a simpler lifestyle

(36) You want start a new and exciting life abroad

(37) Costa Rica is a place for those who believe and are willing to seek something better in this world and their lives.

(38) Plus so many more intangibles

* Christopher Howard M.A.
Relocation/Retirement Expert: www.liveincostarica.com
Author: www.costaricabooks.com
Linguist: www.costaricaspanish.net

Stef's Birthday Party - She Knows How to Celebrate!

2010-08-11T19:58:00.000-06:00

Stef's birthday was August 9th. In talking to Dennis, I found out that his and Karolyn's 32nd anniversary was on the 11th. Taking all this into deep consideration, we decided to have a joint celebration of these two very important events on Tuesday nite the 10th. The chosen location was at the Guanacaste Restaurant, which is rapidly becoming one of everyone's favorite eating establishments. I got on the phone and invited about 20 friends who all confirmed that they were ready and able to join us. I also got our gal Mercedes to bake a birthday cake and anniversary cake for the event. Unfortunately, Karolyn got some sort of infection and was sick so she could not attend, but Dennis made sure he made it there.

This is the birthday cake that Mercedes made for Stef - Does it not look delicious?

This is the one that she made for Dennis and Karolyn - I can tell you right now that both were absolutely great. Thank you Mercedes!!!

This is Karolyn and Dennis at my birthday party. Sorry you couldn't make it Karolyn and hope you are feeling better now.

I really kind of felt bad for Dennis because Karolyn wasn't able to join us, but he is a real trooper and held his own. However, he does really look a little lonely without his bride. But you can see that Big Lee is trying to console him.

Now, you need to check out the Birthday Party Girl who seems to be having a great time with her friends. I'm not in the pictures because I happen to be the camera man for the picture shoot. - Take a look

Stef, just after dinner with her cake and a very big smile

The party girl with our friend Bek from Arkansas

Again, with our neighbor Dan

And, our new friends Sue and Chris Reynolds who have just moved here from Arizona

Having fun with Big Lee and Mike

And, her Ya Ya Sister Cathy

Then, her friend Ursula and Dottie who is visiting Lee and Cathy.

Well, it turned out to be a real event, and it is obvious that everyone had a great time. Fortunately, Robin and Ursula drove us there and back home because the Hyundai #@*& wasn't out of the shop yet. When we got home, Stef went directly to bed - Would you believe that? Oh well...

The Hyundai

2010-08-03T21:45:00.000-06:00

Well.. remember I said that I wouldn't bet against anything else going wrong with the Hyundai - it did, but really was my fault. I got it hung up trying to pull into a lot in Hacienda Atenas. As a matter of fact, so bad that the running boards were hung up on the asphalt and the right front tire was off the ground. I tried to back it off, but didn't work even though I put it in 4 wheel drive. I kept on hearing the left rear tire squealing, but nothing happened. I ended up going forward while really trying hard not to drive it over the cliff and 300 ft down. Made it ok, but tore up the rear-end doing all this. Luis the mechanic is now in San Jose trying to find me a used rear-end so we will be back on the road in style.

All I can say is that this time - it was my fault...

Retire in Atenas, Costa Rica

2010-07-31T07:51:00.000-06:00

When we settled in Atenas, we felt that we made a very good decision. The weather is great, the mountain views are outstanding and the people are wonderful. Well, to confirm that decision - AARP Magazine just rated Atenas as the 3rd best place in the world to retire abroad. Check it out by clicking the link below and then the link to AARP Magazine.

http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/AARP_Ranks_Atenas_Costa_Rica_One_of_The_Best_Places_to_Retire_Abroad.cfm

When looking at the pictures in the link above, the house you see belongs to our friends Ed and Johanna Lane. It's located just over the hill from our humble abode.

This all makes us a little more proud of our little town..

Thieves

2010-07-29T10:48:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note on a website that has caused some problems with our email. They sent a tease from a friend of mine and I signed up to see the friend's pictures. When I did that, they went in and stole my email address book and started sending out the same tease to everyone on my list. The company is called "My Daily Flog" and their website address is:

http://www.mydailyflog.com/

If you get an email with this in the subject line - I would suggest you delete it.

I just uploaded a photo that I want you to see!

I hope that you don't run into the same situation that we did. - That is all

Vehicles - What Fun They Are

2010-07-19T19:12:00.000-06:00

The second day Stef and I were in Costa Rica, we bought a 1997 Toyota SUV. With the exception of the radiator blowing out on the top of a mountain, it was a pretty good truck. One day, Stef decided that she wanted to up-grade to a newer vehicle and I kind of thought the same thing. I also had a neighbor who really wanted to buy my Toyota bad. I started checking things out and decided to find a Hyundai Terracan. They have a very good reputation here in Costa Rica, and most of them are diesels - something I really wanted. Since I was 15 yrs old I've had somewhere between 50-60 vehicles, and never really had any major problems with any of them. Until now...

This is our 2002 Hyundai Terracan. It's a 2.5 Turbo diesel with a 5 speed manual transmission that can really take the hills well. I bought it from the CFO of HP here in Costa Rica. He was the second owner and had had it for 3 years. We had narrowed down our choice to 3 Terracans and this one because of the low miles and price seemed to be the best deal. Because I was so excited to get a new truck, I really did not check it over that well - Boy, that was a big mistake!!!! By accident, I found out that the original owner had used it for commercial use (diving equipment) and had ran the hell out of it. - Now this truck has about 69,000 miles on it. So far, we have had to:

June - new clutch under warranty - new syncro in the transmission, misc front-end work, AC work, 4 new shocks, and other - $1,400 - Oh yes, and I had to buy a new set of tires because what would last 80,000 miles in the US only lasts about a year here because of the roads, curves and steep hills. - $600
May - rebuild the turbo - $1,000
April - new injectors and other - $550
Before that - the list goes on, and on, and on

Now this week, after all this and the truck is running great - A power steering hose blows on me - another $80 - Is there anything else that can go wrong with this truck? I am certainly not going to bet against it!!!!

This our mechanic Luis Sanchez (on the left) and his right hand man Lazarus - If it weren't for these two guys, I would have had to take the "Gringo" shaft on many occasions. Luis has an outstanding reputation for his knowledge of cars and has saved me at least 50% of what I would have had to pay in the states. - I am probably his most consistent customer.

Now, we have the GEO Tracker that Charlie owns. (This is a picture of it with the old convertible top on it). Believe it or not, I think that he has only been able to drive it twice since he bought it because it is always in the shop for something. We found it through a friend in Grecia who said they ran a check on it because they had thought about buying it. According to the check they ran - It was first a rental car in Hawaii that had the left front fender smashed, then a couple in South Carolina bought it and kept it until some guy in Costa Rica bought it and shipped it here - It is painted a very nice color of blue - based on our experience - we call it Katrina Blue

Here we have a picture of it with the new fiberglass top I had installed. Makes the car look much nicer, more secure, much more quieter riding and the rain does not get inside anymore. We don't drive this car that much. Only when the Terracan is in the shop. However, the mechanical things done to it are:

New transmission
New AC unit
Complete new front-end
And, just a few other things...

The vehicle you see below is the most dependable transportation we have. I have had it a little over 2 years and have spent a total of $200 for regular maintenance. It has a 175cc Kawasaki engine, 4 speed plus reverse. It gets 75 mpg on a straight run but only about 40 mpg where we live because of the roads and hills - not bad! I drive it to town and around town a lot. All the pretty girls around just look and smile at it (probably wish they had one). The Chevy emblem you see on it was a gift from our friend Billy Walker. I have been asked many times if it was in fact a new kind of Chevy.

I apologize for this post being so long, but this has been on my mind for a long time. When we sell the house I can tell you - Goodbye Terracan, hello something new - hee hee

A Little Change in Focus

2010-07-03T08:41:00.001-06:00

As some of you know, Stef started a business a couple of years ago called Costa Concierge Services. The purpose in doing this was to keep her busy, and it also gave us the opportunity to help others who were moving here to Atenas. I got involved when I started helping my friend Charlie with his private development of new homes named Villas de Atenas. We made my end of the business a separate division of her corporation for tax purposes and to keep things simple.

Since we started, we have built a network of great resources. I remember when we first got here and needed a plumber - I had no idea of where to start looking. Now, I can have a qualified plumber over here in less than an hour.

At first, Stef offered a lot of services in fact, too many services. During the period up to now she has found that she really enjoys two general aspects of the business that she now intends to focus on. They are:

TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES - this includes: car rentals, tours, lodging, cell phone rentals and more. Because she is more familiar with the region, Stef will concentrate on the areas from San Jose to the Pacific.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT - Because of the network of resources we now have, she is more than qualified for this and can probably get things done much quicker than anyone else. Stef is already getting involved with several projects where people have requested her services. This part of the business includes: Taking care of properties and making sure the bills are paid when people are away. She will also become more involved in managing rental properties.

Now, what about ole Pete? Many people coming to Costa Rica to build a house get a real strong dose of Culture Shock. Homes are built completely different here. The materials are different, the labor methods are as labor intensive as you can get, and the inspection processes are no way the same as the US. After building two homes of my own, over-seeing the construction of Charlie's project and now, over-seeing the construction of Keith's new guest house - I have learned a lot! And, you know what? I really kind of enjoy it. When we sell our property, I am really looking forward to building the new house. Most people think I am crazy, and maybe they are right. But, I know good reliable honest builders, I know where to buy the materials at the best prices, and who can build us the finest cabinets and doors around. Some people come to Atenas, hire a builder to build their house, and then they take off back to the US with complete trust that the house will get built - In many cases, that is a HUGE MISTAKE. Taking all this into consideration, I am going to get much more involved in the area of Construction Management. This will give me the opportunity to keep busy with something I enjoy while helping to make sure people coming here to build a house get more of what they want and expect.

In addition to this, I am using my marketing experience to help market some properties for friends and others. I hate selling real estate so I have selected some good companies to take care of the sales part of the deal. You can see the properties listed on our website.

Speaking of websites - Our webmaster had a very bad personal experience and moved back to the states. I had to find a new company to take over her work. Well, I decided it was time to completely re-do the site, and I mean completely re-do it. By the end of the month you will be able to see a totally different site, different concept with a very clear picture of our change in focus.

This should give you an update on how retired people never really quit working :-) - Take care

Father's Day

2010-06-20T19:26:00.001-06:00

Mother's Day in Costa Rica falls in a different day and month than the US. However, it appears that Father's Day comes on the same day.

My two daughters Christie and Amanda, each called me this morning to wish me a happy Father's Day. It was great that they remembered me in spite of being 2,800 miles away. A few of our friends have the same situation with their kids not being close to be with them, so we decided to head to Grecia to have a late lunch at what is supposed to be a great steak house. Because it was Father's Day, we had to make reservations that were secured for 1:30 PM. Well, we all met up in Grecia (about 1/2 hr. north of Atenas, and known for being the cleanest city in Central America)

The Galeria restaurant turned out to be very nice and clean. It is located by the famous Grecia steel church that was a gift from Belgium. It was assembled in Belgium and shipped to Costa Rica where it was reassembled in Grecia.

I went back to get the camera out of the truck to get some pictures - This is a picture of the front of the building, Standing in the doorway is my friend "Big Lee" - remember the post where I told you that he played and coached football at UT?

The only problem with the restaurant was that it took a very long time to get our drinks and food. The first round of drinks took about 45 min. Although we were very thirsty, I can tell you it was worth the wait - and besides, we didn't have anything else to do today.

Seated around the table (going to the left) is the Big one himself, his lovely wife Kathy, the soon to be famous artist Stef, our friend Bek from Arkansas who is building here and will move down in a couple of years, Dennis and Karolyn Matthews who are a great couple from Colorado.

This is 2 1/2 hours after we ordered our meals. But, I can tell you that it was about the best steak that I have had since coming to Costa Rica. - In spite of the fact that we ended up having more Rum & Coke than we intended, we survived. No... Lee is not passed out, he is just ducking so you can see Dennis & Karolyn.

Based on the quality and price value for the food, we will be back again to eat here.

This Girl Has Talent

2010-06-20T18:53:00.000-06:00

Stef has been taking art lessons every Monday morning for about the last several months. Now, she didn't know it and neither did I, but the girl has some talent. She is into water colors and in a class taught by our friend Mary Park.

Below, are a couple of samples of her work that we had framed and put up on the wall in the salon area.

Being a very well-known art critic...I can tell you that I am impressed. She has been working on floral objects and now graduating up to sketches of people, but she ain't going to sketch a picture of this ugly old man..

The Girl With the New Green Thumb

2010-06-05T16:49:00.001-06:00

Well, my lovely wife has finally did it - She joined a Garden Club and got interested in growing herbs and vegetables. After 3 unsuccessful attempts of starting a garden - she finally got it on the 4th try. - I will let her explain it to you because besides not being able to cook, I have no idea of how to grow food. This is what she put in an email to some of her friends here in Costa Rica:

For those of you Nay-Sayers, my thumb is getting greener!!!! Yeah!

These were just taken this week of my new raised garden. The first time ever I have grown much, and I lost the last 3 gardens for various reasons - - - -bad soil, bad drainage and bad shade - - - -but after researching raised beds and a lot of advice from experienced ones, I came up with this plan.

Look at the difference in the beds of lettuces, they were taken 3 days apart and I think they are growing about an inch a day!! They sell really bad soil here, so you have to get real creative and just about make your own. I used half soil and half coffee shells in the one on the left and then they ran out of the coffee things, so the bigger one on the right is 1/3 soil, 1/3 charcoal and 1/3 rice shells - who knew!!!!!

This is the curb view to the garden. It is made of bambo poles with a 50% sun shade over the structure. The two tables you see are where Stef is getting her plants into the soil

She can thank Pete, Gerald & crew and the various suppliers for the new walk to the area, the new sod on each side of the walk, and the new plants that are present.

These are some of the plants she planted only a couple of weeks ago.

Ms. "Green Thumb" coming back to the house after a long day in the garden :-)

Anyway, I'm sure she will keep you all informed of the progress!

May We Have Your Attention

2010-06-05T15:58:00.000-06:00

Stef and I moved here what will be 3 years in November. We bought some property and built what we thought was going to be our last home. Well, we put so much into it that it has become much more than we want to handle - We have made the decision to down-size on the lot and house. The objective is to sell the property, buy a lot in Hacienda Atenas with a smaller building area and build another house. I already have the ideas for what we are going to build and have a great builder to build it exactly the way we want. However, to do this we must first sell the current property.

By selling this house and building a smaller one, we will have the time to start doing a lot of traveling throughout Costa Rica, and the rest of the world. I once promised Stef that I would take her to the places in Europe and Asia that I have been...She is still waiting.

The property is listed with many of the local realtor's and we will soon be going on the new MLS with a specific realtor. The link below will take you to one of the realtor's ads that I think is especially cool because it includes the house being shown on You Tube. - let me know what you think.

http://www.property2.realestatecostarican.com/index.php?action=listingview&listingID=417

Wish us luck, and don't worry - we will always have a place for you to stay

The Nashville/Jaco Man

2010-06-05T15:40:00.001-06:00

We met Dale Patterson through Bob McDow many years ago. When he found out we were moving to Costa Rica - He told us that he was building a condo on the Pacific Coast in Jaco. This bustling town on the beach is only an hour away from our home.

Because of his busy work schedule, Dale scoots in and out to Jaco and back to Tennessee on a regular basis. He will usually drive through Atenas and meet up with us for lunch or something on his way in or way out. This time, we were fortunate enough to have him stay the night on his way out so he could catch an early flight the next morning.

Here we are having dinner at LaTroja's where Frank grilled up some great food. Dale had a filet and said it was probably the best steak he has ever had - Great job Frank!

When we got back home, Dale showed us pictures of the devastation from the recent flood in Nashville - This was unbelievable, and we are very happy that all of our friends and family made it through with no major problems.

Early the next morning, Dale headed out to the airport to catch his flight. - Don't worry, he will be back soon - We are looking forward to it.

Making Homemade Pasta

2010-06-05T12:47:00.000-06:00

Several years ago, our daughter Christie, and her husband Rob gave Stef a pasta maker for Christmas. Christie and Rob are both excellent chefs so they knew exactly how to use this thing. However, it took Stef a couple of years to get the guts to try and make some homemade pasta. With the help of her friend Karolyn, they proceeded to start the process and the end result was outstanding. Check it out..

Now that they have the hang of this art, Stef is wanting a separate table to mount the pasta maker so they can make much more pasta - Thanks Christie & Rob - The pasta is great!!

Earthquake in Costa Rica

2010-05-21T08:03:00.000-06:00

Earthquakes are a common occurrence here. The average is about 300 a year, but most are very small. Yesterday around 4:00 PM, we experienced one that was a little larger than normal. It shook the house a bit and there were waves in our pool. However, everything is cool - nobody hurt and no damage whatsoever to our house or belongings. The quake occurred near Quepos, which is about 40 miles from us on the Pacific Coast.

Below, is an article from the Tico Times website:

A 6.1 magnitude tremor rattled Costa Rica's central valley and the southern zone of the country on Thursday, The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori) reported.

The tremor occurred at 4:16 p.m., with its epicenter located 30 kilometers southwest of the Quepos, a port town on the Central Pacific. It struck at 10 kilometers below the surface along the Coco plate, according to Ovsicori.

As of 5 p.m., Thursday, the National Emergency Commission (CNE) had received reports of fallen objects in houses, but no injuries. In Ciudad Neilly, a small wall in the town center collapsed.

Press officials with the CNE said they didn't see a reason to issue a tsunami warning.

The United States Geological Survey reported the tremor as having a magnitude of 6.2 with a depth of 38.8 kilometers, and centered 67 kilometers south-southwest of San José.

In the Central Valley, Twitter posters reported feeling �very strong� shakes in Orotina, La Guácima, Pavas and Alajuela, west of San José, and in San Pedro and Cartago, east of the capital.

In downtown San José, employees evacuated office buildings. The shakes lasted for roughly 15 seconds in downtown San José.

Now, one very interesting things I learned this morning is that there are a lot of earthquakes every day around the world. California is not the place to be if you are bothered by quakes. Check out this site:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

Anyway, for those of you that are wondering about us - Everything is fine down here - Take care

Carol's New Medical Healthcare Reform Trip

2010-05-15T16:06:00.001-06:00

April 19 - 30, 2010

Remember when our friends Bob & Carol were here in November for Thanksgiving? That was the time that Carol decided to design her own healthcare reform plan. And, it was the time the political leaders were fighting over healthcare reform in the US The idea behind this was that the cost of her medical insurance in the US was starting to get out of hand and the cost for excellent medical care here is dirt cheap as compared to the US. The way Carol looked at all this was to cancel her regular medical insurance, get a major medical policy, come to Costa Rica every so often for the routine work. The money she would save would pay for a vacation here every quarter. And, it was much more simple and less costly than what the political leaders came up with. -Ahh Costa Rica - what more could you ask for?

Carol's healthcare venture here began on April 19th. With the tax season over along with the miserable Tennessee winter they had, it was time to relax a bit and enjoy the beautiful Costa Rica weather.

Stef had some plans in store for the time Carol was visiting here. Carol knew a little bit about it, but didn't know that she was about to become an official member of the Girls Ya' Ya' Club. Stef had made some big plans for the girl's Friday card game. She made arrangements for her massage girl to give massages, and the nail gals from town to come do manicures & pedicures. The event was to start at 9:00 AM and last all day. This convinced me that I didn't need to be around, so I headed to San Jose. It's was really a good idea that I left as you will see below:

Yep, Bloody Mary's in the morning, massages, nails done, cards and more to drink. You can see the effects of this in the picture above. This is what I came home to, but it was good that they had fun. Welcome to the Girl's Ya' Ya' Club Carol.

Now for the medical part of the trip. - What Carol wanted to do was to get her eyes checked - and get some new glasses for driving. Stef got them set up with an eye doctor, and you are not going to believe the results. The exam was $20, Guess what? Both Carol and Stef found out that they had been wearing their contact in the wrong eye for years!! Both of them can see much better now. Carol ordered a pair of glasses for driving and another for reading tiny print. When she got them, she could read things better than ever before, and the cost for both pairs was around $200 - Not a bad price for all of that would you say?

After a few more days of relaxing and reading her books ( Carol loves to read), it was time to head back to Tennessee. The night before she left, we went out for dinner along with our good friends Ed & Johanna. A good time was had by all as you can see in the picture below.

Carol, as always, it was a joy having you here - Your next scheduled medical visit is scheduled when? Looking forward to it!!!!!

Somebody Had a Birthday

2010-05-13T22:02:00.003-06:00

"Pistol" is a nickname that was given to me years ago

Well, I guess that I can say I made it another year in this crazy world. Thank God we are in Costa Rica and away from the hustle & bustle of the north. Anyway, Stef got this idea to take me out to dinner at one of my favorite resturants with a couple of friends. Little did I know that she invited many other of my friends. I really enjoyed this night with these people because they are all very special to me. Especially - my lovely wife Stef. She got going with the camera so I will have to describe who these crazy people are:

This is Don & Elaine - they are a great couple from Canada whom we are fortunate to call our neighbors and friends. They built a guest house, garage and pool here in Hacienda Atenas and plan to build the main house when they retire in a couple of years.

Graham and Mary here - Graham is from Ireland and Mary is from South Africa. Mary is also Stef's art teacher, and has taught her well. They have recently built a beautiful home in the country and are seriously into gardening.

Well, I have to tell you - from left to right - you have Ken who moved here from the Northeast, then you have Ursula who is German and happens to be married to the crazy guy on the right. His name is Robin, and we have become very close friends. Robin is a bio-chemist who is starting a new venture in Costa Rica that will provide many benefits for those in the USA. - In addition, these two guys are on the BOD for Hacienda Atenas and try to keep all of us in line - they have a little problem with this guy, but they still like me.

It's obvious that these two are having fun. These crazy people are Ed & Johanna from CT - We spent 10 days last year on their yacht. Ed is retired NYFD and Jo is a retired divorce attorney. They are a great couple and we love them dearly.

Another great couple is Carolyn & Dennis. They are from Colorado and living here full-time. Carolyn is one of the key members of the group The Ya' Ya' girls. Yes, Stef is also a member - they are into cards every Friday, which gives me and Dennis some free time :-)

Now this is a little deceiving - This is Dan, our new friend and neighbor and our friend Lee. Dan just moved here from Texas and built a beautiful new home here in Hacienda Atenas. Lee is a little worked up because his wife Cathy has been in the USA for 2 weeks, but she will be home in a day or two. For my TN friends it is important to know that Lee played football for The BIG ORANGE UT and also did some coaching there.

This is a great Costa Rican couple - Luis and Mercedes - They have become good friends with Stef and me. Luis is the guy who saved my ass on the construction of the guest house after Pedro bailed out. He also did the same thing on the houses that my friend Charlie was building - Now, he is building a house for my friend Keith Bell. Besides keeping Luis in line - Mercedes is a godsend in helping us with many things. She also takes care of the finances for Luis's business - In other words - she is the gal I give all the money to at the end of the week.

Here we have the Guanacaste guys. On the left is Marco who is the owner and then we have Manuel on the right. He had a pretty big crush on Amanda and even told some people that I was his future father in law - Fat chance of that Manuel

Guess who this very happy couple is? Yep, you got it - the birthday boy and his lovely wife Stef. We had a great time with these wonderful people and I am thankful that I made it another year. Stef liked that too. Hee Hee

Some Birthday Cards I received

This one was custom hand-made by Ed & Jo. Probably one of the most creative I have ever received. Then, below, you will see one from everyone at the party.

Yes, it was indeed a great night for me - Thank you everyone!!

Cordero Appreciation Day

2010-05-09T21:38:00.001-06:00

May 9, 2010

Left to right: Ana Cecilia, Gerald, Marjorie. Mama Cordero, Don Cordero and Ana Lilian

Since being here in Hacienda Atenas, we have been very fortunate to learn to know an amazing Costa Rican family here. My friend Robin first introduced me to Gerald who became our contact for getting many things done around the house. Gerald, his father Eduardo, and his brother William are responsible for planting every shrub, and blade of grass on our property. In addition, they have done many other things to help us. We also pay Gerald $40 per month to guard our house at night during the hours of 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM.

In July of last year, there was a horrible car crash when the brakes on their vehicle went out coming down the hill after working on my friend Don's house to lay the sod for my guest house. I do not know how any one of them could have survived the crash, but Gerald and Don Cordero did - Unfortunately, William eventually died from his injuries. - He was an outstanding person who also worked at a school as a guard and the kids absolutely loved him - William, you have been sincerely missed since that time.

His sister Ana Cecilia is here every day to clean the patio areas around the house and and take care of our pool. During the time of the tragedy, this girl took completely over and handled everything that needed to be taken care of.

Another sister, Marjorie, has taken me to the Hospital for tests under the CR National Heath Program - she knows what I need and communicates it to the doctors. Recently, we have hired her to take care of the cleaning of the guest house.

Mama Cordero and Ana Lilian are usually at home to make sure that food is sent out the everybody on the job during the day. In addition, Mama Cordero recently went through a bad situation with diabetes - she has the highest level possible, but continues to take care of the family.

Last year, there were fires around our neighbors house that belonged to Ed & Johanna - The Cordero's jumped in and helped with everything they had - If you would have seen Ana Cecilia leading the fire fighters down a hill through a burning fire with a the lead hose in her hand, you would have been absolutely amazed.

This year when we had the fire around our house, they were back to help again. This time, they brought their cousins, friends and uncles with them to help. Ana Cecilia did it again. - Gerald and his Dad took the pump from the fire truck to pump water from our pool, and Ana Cecilia ran up the hill to the fire with the hose in her hand to put the fire out. - Today - She is better known as "Wonder Woman."

Well, enough is enough and we decided to show our appreciation for this wonderful family. We got together with some neighbors and decided to have them over for a cook-out in their honor. This happened today. We had them over for burgers and chicken and a bunch of sides, I did a banner in their honor and we put together a letter of appreciation. They were flabbergasted because I don't think that anyone ever acknowledged what they have done for the community. I have to tell you that these are some wonderful people!!!

Here, is our neighbor and friend Don grilling all the food for the event.

Everyone chowing down on the great food that was grilled and brought here by the neighbors.

The family with us - you really cannot imagine just how wonderful these people are - they are friends who we have learned to respect, admire and trust. I once told Robin that I could trust Gerald with my life.

This is a picture of them leaving. They only live about a mile away, so it is ok. By the way - this is the truck that my friend Robin gave them after their vehicle was destroyed in the accident - Not a bad ride.

This is part of what living in Costa Rica is all about!!!

Cost of Living Here

2010-04-30T22:22:00.000-06:00

I have had several people tell me that the cost of things are very high here in Costa Rica. Yes, some things are high.Some of this has to do with with the import duties here. I really get a little sick of this crap because I have experienced many positive things about costs here. These are:

Electronics - yep, expect to pay more for them, or just bring them in from the US.
Plastics - again, yes they are more expensive.
American foods - you had better believe it - If you want to continue to live with those kinds of foods, then you had better expect to pay for them.

These are just a few things that we need to get used to paying excessive monies for, but Stef and I found out that if you quit thinking American and think more Costa Rican, you will save money, Now, let me tell you the facts about costs:

Health Insurance - we went from $800 a month with our Blue Cross to $40 per month when we became residents and went on the State run program - I love it - the doctors are great, the hospitals are great and you don't have to wait for hours to get served.
Property Taxes - where in the US can you pay $400 per year for a $600,000 home?
Labor - we pay about $50 a week for a gardener who works 27 hours a week on our yard and does a fantastic job. - Stef pays our housekeeper $40 a week for a new gal who is here 2 days a week and does great. We also have another great gal who cleans our patio and takes care of our pool for about $20 a week. - The last time we had someone clean our house in the states, this ahole said he deserved $200 for one day's work - figure that one out. - Are you reading this?
Food - where in the US can you go to have dinner and have meat, salad and vegetables for under $3? Stef goes to the market on Friday's - buys fruit and vegetables and other for less than $6
Medical - How about $20 a month for a doctor who makes house calls and the deductible is $20? Our doctor here (Dr. Candy) has found problems with us that the US doctors never knew. - Stef just went to an eye doctor here where they charged $20 for an eye exam. Guess what? - Stef was told that she was wearing her contact in the wrong eye for the last 10 years. This is after she had seen 3 eye doctors in the US who told her she was fine. - Dental - figure on 1/3 the cost here from that in the US for advanced procedures from that of the US.
And much more..

Yep, some things are going to cost you more, but you had really need to take a look at the big things, which really overwhelm the costs of the smaller items. - Think about it.

Putting a Little Trama Into Our Life

2010-04-04T18:17:00.001-06:00

April 2, 2010

This is what our lot looked like in February 2008 after a fire struck our neighborhood.

This is what the area around our house looked like Saturday afternoon after our lot was surrounded by a fire. It came up so fast that we didn't even know it was there until it crested the hill above our house. Fortunately, the neighbors, two fire trucks and the Cordaro family came to help put it out. We have had fires around here, but when they get that close to home, it's a little un-nerving. The fire department had to use a gas operated pump and take water out of our pool to put out the flames on the left side of the lot. I have to tell you that our girl Ana Cecilia who takes care of the pool and cleans the patio every day, was the one who called the fire department and carried a fire hose up the hill to put out a lot of the flames. We now refer to her as "Wonder Woman."

Many of the lots around us were completely burned, but believe it or not this can be good. The lots are cleared for new growth, and nutrients are put into the ground from the fire. In about a month, you won't even know it burned.

Stef was shaken from all this because it did get very close to our house. I told her that they have tornados in Tennessee that you can't do anything about, and we have fires here that you can at least fight. Anyway, we are all ok here - Here is a video of the fire going on around our house

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aKu5KR46ro

And now, some more pictures a neighbor took:

Yep, it was all around our house, but everything is ok now. Went and had a couple of drinks the next day, and I am fine. It may take a couple of days for Stef to recover, but she is more emotional than I am. I really want to thank everyone who helped us out during this ordeal.

Take care

Watch Out Nicaragua! - Here Comes the Girls

2010-04-01T13:58:00.001-06:00

Stef recently made some new friends who she likes very much. Every Friday they get together and play cards along with some refreshments. The first time they played, it started at noon and didn't finish up until after 7:00 PM.

Well, one of them had to leave the country for 3 days to renew her visa (this has to be done every 90 days if you are not a resident) so they decided to take a trip to Nicaragua to accomplish this task. They wanted to do some big game sport fishing, relax at the beach and enjoy a few good meals. Enough from me about this, so I'll let Stef take it from here:

Thanks Pete
Well, February 3, 2010 I finally did it! Took my first bus ride in Costa Rica. It beats driving a stick shift for hours at a stretch, but I won't do it again. I'll fly or hire a driver. If you have short legs, it may not be so bad, if not watch out! I had pulled ligaments in my legs by the time I got home - after I rode for 8 hours - with my legs cocked out in the aisle because the lady in front of me had her seat set all the way back - so far back that the seat was practically in my lap!! Been there, done that and got the T-shirt!

Enough of that...My friends Cathy, Karolyn and me went to Nicaragua for 3 days so Cathy (far left) could get her visa renewed. Karolyn and I have our residencies so we just went along for the ride. We had a grand time, covered a lot of ground and made the best of the short time we were there. We rented a condo up the hill from San Juan del Sur. It was not withing walking distance, but they provided a shuttle for rides all day long until 10:00 PM, so that worked out just fine for us. We could not wait to take the "Sunset Booze Cruise" that Karolyn had heard so much about, so we scheduled it for the last afternoon of our trip.

The first day we pretty much just found our way around the area because we did not get to the resort until about 3:00PM. Since we had to be at the bus station in San Jose at 5:00 AM that morning, it made for very LONG DAY. We decided to just cool it and get some rest in order to be ready for the next day.

The second day we had a great breakfast at the Gato Negro Cafe and Bookstore just a block or so from the beach. Then we did some shopping and headed back to the pool for some serious card games - Fun was had by all!!

What happens in Vegas - Stays in Vegas!

The next day the time finally came for the famous "Sunset Booze Cruise"! Yippy! All excited and ready to go our jaws dropped open when the guy at the little office told us "you may want to bring more beer" Now - what does that really mean we said? Well what it really means is they brought one beer for each of us. You heard me - one, 1, uno beer!!

And the boat...OMG. It was a 25' fishing boat with a fiberglass seat running down the middle of it. Then we had the captain whose 10 yr. old son was the second mate. With all this, Karolyn was embarrassed and we started to become worried that we were going to get seasick in the Pacific Ocean. I had insisted on taking Dramamine because of all the sunset trips I have taken over the years. Those were usually on a big catamaran boat that could hold up to 50 people, and had a kitchen and beer cooler. On those trips we would be out for hours and cover several miles. Not today folks! We almost backed out, but the captain, his son and the other passengers (3 Swedish students) - were like just staring at us, so we took a leap and got in the boat. We decided that if we spread our weight around and did not sit too close together - we would be ok, and that is what we did.

We were even allowed to fish. Now listen to this, the helper? He had fishing line on these wooden boards he would hand us, one at a time - mind you because not two of us could stand up together at the same time, remember? So we each fished and all caught something, so that was good.

Karolyn's catch

Then Cathy caught the big one of the day - This is really big game sport fishing!!!

So much for the "Booze Cruise", but it was actually fun.

Back to shore and get ready to leave the next day. Stopped and had dinner at a quaint little place before we retired for the night.

Check out the beautiful sunset. This is what it is all about.

On the last day of our trip we had to leave by noon to get to the bus station for our return. It was a quiet day and an hour to get to the border crossing back into Costa Rica. About the border crossing. You remember our trip to Panama where it cost us $100 in bribes to get across? Not as bad here, but it took us 3 hours to get through and it was HOT, my goodness. Yep - next time I will let the driver get us through, or fly!

Happy Trails, Stef

Charlie is Back Again

2010-02-07T16:05:00.000-06:00

It had been a long while since our friend Charlie was here, but he just couldn't take it anymore and decided to come down to the tropics for a few weeks. This time, he came down with our friend and his friend Karen who stayed about 10 days because she had to get back to work. She is a real sweetheart, and our friends here just love her.

During her stay, they took quite a few trips - Did a City Tour of San Jose and visited the La Paz Waterfalls north of San Jose not too far from the Poas Volcano. Last year, the park where the waterfalls are located suffered a tremendous amount of damage from the big earthquake we had. According to Charlie, it was about 60% open when they visited there. However, what they have done there to restore the park has been done very well. The only thing he complained about was all the stairs to get to the various waterfalls. About did him in.

Charlie looks a little too close to the rail here - It is a very long drop my man!

Looks like a very happy to be in Costa Rica type smile. Karen is pharmacist who lives in Pensacola, FL. This is her second time here and it is obvious that she really likes it here.

We also took a trip to check out the housing project that Charlie and his investor friends have in Morazan, which is just a little north of Atenas. The project is called Villas de Atenas. It is a community of 5 homes with outstanding views of the Central Valley and a community center that includes an infinity pool. The homes are all priced under $200,000, and that is a real deal for an Atenas property. If you know of anyone looking, they need to check this one out. You can get all the details by going to:

http://costaconcierges.com/villasatenas.html

It wasn't long and they headed to the Pacific Coast and stayed a few days in our favorite coastal town of Manual Antonio. This is a really nice place to go if you want to visit the Pacific and watch the fantastic sunsets. It is a clean and very safe town with many things to do.

Here, you see Charlie on the beach just before sunset. I know that it is probably cold and snowy where you are at, but what can a guy do?

They took a little time to go visit Grecia and Sarchi which are located about 12 miles north of Atenas. Grecia is considered the cleanest town in Central America and Sarchi is famous for being the furniture capital of Costa Rica. You can get some real good deals there on high quality, solid wood furniture.

Oh yes, I just remembered that we also went to the annual fair at Palmaras, which is located just west of Sarchi. This is a 12 day event. One statistic is that the only other event where more beer is consumed is the Octoberfest in Germany. Here you see Karen with a couple of pets she decided to take home.

Karen left for Florida a few days later and Charlie stayed on about 2 weeks more. During that time, all hell broke lose with the weather in the States, and Charlie was sure happy he was here and not there.

Before Charlie left to return to Tennessee, he insisted that we take our friend and attorney Pablo out for dinner. This guy has been a Godsend for all of us, and has gone way out of his way to help us in any way he can. There are really only a few people that I trust here, and Pablo is at the top of the list.

You notice the very lovely lady sitting next to Pablo. Her name is Valeria and it is very obvious that our friend really likes her a lot.

Well, Charlie had to head back to the US on the 4th. Think he would had like to stay a few more days, but he has a pretty busy agenda the next few months, including the marriage of his daughter Susie in May. Come back soon my friend.

Holiday Wishes

2009-12-24T23:57:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas and Wishing You the Best for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!!

Stef and Pete Bogatinoff

Our Friends Are Back!!

2009-12-20T14:27:00.001-06:00

November 21-27

Our dear friends Bob McDow and Carol Milam visited us this time last year. We were hoping that they would be the first guests in our new home. We thought the house would have been done, and you guessed it - it wasn't. I told them that they needed to come back the next year at the same time and promised the house would be done by then.

The time had come and I asked them if they were coming, but there was a little hesitation. I sent them an email that convinced them they needed to come visit. They agreed, but the deal was is that all they wanted to do this time was to just relax and have an opportunity to just chill out. Knowing our house was the perfect place for doing this, I said no problema.

We picked them up at the airport on the 21st and we were really happy to see them. They are absolutely fantastic people. During their stay, we really didn't do much except relax and maybe go out to dinner a couple of times.

Carol was always up around 5:00 AM and reading a book. She said that she loved to see the beautiful Costa Rica sunrise. I don't know how many books she read, but it was a lot. Many times while she was reading, Bob would take the opportunity to take a dip in the pool. He was in it more in one day than I have been since we first filled it with water.

Now, just because they said they wanted to relax and chill out, didn't mean that we weren't going to take the opportunity to have some fun as you can see.

The one big event we had while they were here was the Thanksgiving Dinner. These pictures are some that Bob took and I wanted to share them with you.

These are my two buddies; Robin on the left. He is a retired bio-chemist born in Puerto Rico and Ron who is retired military in search of a beautiful Costa Rican gal.

Beside Carol is our friend Mary Park. Her and her husband Graham built a home near Atenas. Across the table on the left is Carolyn who also lives here. The lady in black is Carol. Her and her husband Bob live here about 6 months a year then go back to their home in the Alaska Wilderness.

You can tell everyone was into the food.

Bob and Carol were scheduled to fly out the next day, and I sure didn't want to see them go. Stef made them promise that they would attend our future Thanksgiving Day dinners, so I'm sure they will be back.

NOW LISTEN TO THIS:

I'm finding out that many people who come here just fall in love and want to come back. Because of the low cost of medical care and a good experience Carol had, she has figured out a way to make up her own medical insurance plan. If it works out, she will return every 3 months - have a nice vacation and get some cheap, but very good medical care. The way she has it planned is that the vacations here will be free. As soon as her and Stef get the details worked out, we will let you know more. All I know now is that Carol is booking a flight here in April.

My question is - Carol, are you bringing Bob with you?

See you guys soon and thanks for coming to visit us...

Michael G. Hayes - Passed Away January 10, 2010

2009-12-20T00:48:00.001-06:00

We got our first long-term renter for the guest house on November 18, 2009. He is from Canada and his name is Michael Hayes. Michael is a very nice guy with a very quiet disposition, and we are enjoying him staying here.

In the early 2000's he was a professional body builder. A while ago he was diagnoised with stomach cancer and it appears that it could be terminal. In July, he made a trip to Costa Rica to visit and fell in love with the country. He decided to come back and stay as long as he could. This is when he contacted us and rented the apartment.

During his stay, he searched for alternative solutions here in Costa Rica, and I think there were some that could have helped. However, his Canadian doctor emailed him and requested that he return ASAP for more tests as his condition was much worse than they anticipated. He got a plane ticket and headed back, but promised us that he would return within a couple of weeks. We have received two emails from his brother who says that he is now in stage 4 and that he may not return.

You know - I saw that he thinks positive and so do I - Michael, we are praying for you and are looking forward to your return....

JANUARY 11, 2010
We received an email this morning from Michael's brother informing us that he had passed away last night. Michael was a great guy who had a passion for continuing his life in Costa Rica. His last wishes were that his ashes be spread near our home. - Really don't know what else to say at this time.

Properties for Sale

2009-12-15T15:23:00.003-06:00

As a favor to my friend Charlie, I got involved in helping him and his partners with a housing development. Then, Johanna's brother Anthony who is the developer for where our house is asked for our help in marketing his lots. Both are tremendous oportunities for someone wanting to move down here to Costa Rica. If you know of someone who may be interested, please pass on this information. For complete details and pictures, you can go to Stef's website and click CIMG properties in the navagation pane. The address for her website is www.costaconcierges.com

(Click to Enlarge)
Just to let you know...

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-15T12:43:00.000-06:00

Last year when Bob & Carol were here Stef bought a turkey and ham to cook at our new house. Well, that never happened because the house that was supposed to be done was never completed until mid January. Stef got our friend Ursula to keep both in her freezer until we were ready for it. Guess what? That turkey and ham stayed frozen until Thanksgiving 2009.

We convinced Bob & Carol to return the same time this year, and they did. The turkey and ham were prepared with them in mind (the same turkey and ham from last year).

Usually, Stef will discuss most matters with me, but for some reason - when it comes to having a party, she doesn't even tell me until after she has invited all the guests. As you can see, we had a fairly large number of people who shared this day with us. I think that the number was around 30. That's our dear friend Bob at the far left of the picture.

Here is closer to the start of the event. We rented 6 tables and a bunch of chairs to make sure everyone had a seat. The meal was to consist of 2 turkeys, of which our friend Lorna cooked the other - 1 butterball ham and a pork loin. - You can bet that no one went hungry. That's our dear friend Carol in the floral blouse.

No party could be successful without the help of our two girls - Ana Cecila (left) and Liz (right). Both helped Stef with everything from start to finish. I really don't know what we would do without them. Notice the matching outfits they got for the occassion. They were quite proud of them.

Beside the turkeys, ham and pork, everyone brought a plate - Mmmmmmmmmmmm - it was really great food, and everyone had a great time. Guess we are going to have to do it again next year!

Getting Away to Manuel Antonio

2009-12-12T14:47:00.001-06:00

September 21 - 24

We had not been away from Atenas for quite awhile and decided to take a few days and go to the beach - Central Pacific Beach that is. There were 3 other couples (friends of ours) who had never been to Manual Antonio, and decided to go with us. Beside Stef & myself, the crew consisted of:

Ed and Johanna Lane

Jean and Al Alexander

Graham and Mary Park

Back Row (left to right): Me, Stef, Ed and Graham

Front Row (left to right); Johanna, Mary, Jean and Al

We rented a new Toyota van, and the same house Amanda and her friends stayed at. On the morning of September 21st, we headed west over the mountain to the shore. Having more than a million miles under my belt, I was the designated driver - besides, I really liked this truck.

The deal was that we would cook most of the meals at the house (I shouldn't say we because as most of you know - I don't know how to cook) and split all expenses equally. This worked out great because it gave us much more time to relax and enjoy.

We arrived mid-afternoon and wanted to get checked into the house. However, finding the property manager took a little more time than we cared for. Finally, into the house and unpacked. Check it out:

This is the rear of the house with a large patio, grill and the works.

Here, you see the infinity pool, more patio and the covered swim up bar area. There is also a slide going into the pool, which I will show you later.

The next day we took the four hour cruise on a Catamaran that holds 50 people. There were about 30 on board this day. The price includes all the mixed drinks you want (for some reason, beer is a buck a bottle). In addition, it includes a very nice lunch, and snorkeling. We even got a chance to see some Humpback Whales out there. Below are some pictures of the rough life we have to live down here:

Rather disgusting isn't it?

That afternoon, we explored the area a while and went back to the house to relax and eat dinner. It was also time to check out the pool area. This is where Ed decided to check out the pool slide. This guy is a 73 year old retired fireman from the NYFD, and he is still in great shape.

The next morning, we headed out for the Manuel Antonio National Rainforest and Beach. One thing to note is that the cost of admission is $10 each - because Stef and I are residents, our cost was $3 each.

To get to the beach, you had to park your car outside the entrance to the park, then walk about a mile to the beach. The walk was interesting because of the jungle like setting of the rain forest. In addition, there were several unusual animals, such as the Sloth that you see in the picture below.

We got to what is supposed to be one of the nicest beaches in Costa Rica and it was outstanding. Also, it wasn't crowded because of what you go through to get there. Everyone had a great time here and enjoyed the beach mucho. You can tell that I am in a very relaxed mood right now, and happy to be with my sweetheart!

After we left the park, we stopped at Costa Verde and had an outstanding lunch. This brings back memories because it is where Stef first told me how much she loved Costa Rica. That was January 2007.

Got back to the house late afternoon. Everybody decided to enjoy the pool one more time before we headed out the next morning. As you can see, we took the full benefit of the opportunity. The girls made a great dinner while the guys sat and told stories.

Ah, to relax on the upper deck and see the beautiful views of the mountains and ocean. Then to get in the pool with a refreshing drink. - You know, I think that I am starting to get real spoiled.

Well, the party was over and we headed back the next morning to our little piece of Atenas. The drive was great and we stopped about half way back for a bite to eat and to enjoy the ocean one more time, before we hit the mountain roads. I think that everyone had a great time. I know we did, and it was perfect spending this time with some really great people - Someday Soon - Again

A Wild and Crazy Bunch

2009-12-12T12:26:00.002-06:00

September 11 - 18

Our daughter Amanda was wanting to see her friends again - Instead of her going back to Nashville, they all decided to come here to see her. What a crew!!

Top Row (left to right) you will see: Tommy, Jenny, Brenda, Amanda, Dani

Bottom Row (left to right) are: Jimmy, Brad, Leslie and Toby

They rolled into our humble abode the afternoon of 9/11/2009, and the party started the minute they got out of the van. The first order of business was to initiate our pool, and they did a very good job. Cool refreshing Costa Rica water, and plenty of refreshments. That's what Costa Rica is all about.

After they finished with the pool it was time to have dinner - Amanda's favorite place to dine is La Troja, so she took them there for a fine steak dinner. As you can see, they had a great time.

The next night, Amanda took them to Jalapeno's that has a rock band on Friday nights. They partied until the cops were called (not because of them, but because of the loud music). Stef and I met them there to try and keep things under control, but it was a useless effort. On the far left, the guy with the white hair is our new neighbor Dan who just happened to go there for a nice quiet meal.

Remember what I said about the police? This is how the girls handled them. Good thing that I know the Chief.

OH WELL!!!

The next morning they headed off for a few days in Manuel Antonio - Not sure what they did, but I am certainly sure they had a good time. Amanda found and rented a very nice 5 bedroom home near the beach at $200 per night - We found out later that it was one hell of a great deal.

This is Amanda's good friend Mary Gray whom she met at Spanish class. Mary G is the same age as Amanda and they became close friends. Mary Gray was a teacher at the school, but ended up having to go back to the States. They had great times together. She is a really sweet gal and will be missed.

The gang returned the day before they were to depart back to the US. We had a BBQ for them where Toby grilled all the food on "Big Red." I guess that they really liked the pool because they were back in it shortly after they arrived.

After dinner, they partied until the wee hours of the morning. When I got up the next morning, there were suitcases laying on the patio and people all over the place. Got a feeling their flight back is going to be a little difficult.

These are some really great people that we have grown to know and love over the years. They have been Amanda's closest friends.

Although I am getting a little old to keep up with you guys - YOU ARE WELCOME BACK ANYTIME!

A New Lover of Costa Rica

2009-12-12T09:32:00.003-06:00

August 2009

Yep, she took the plunge and fell in love with Costa Rica! La Doctura de la Johanna (Johanna's Doctor) Valerie Small decided to bring her two daughters to visit Costa Rica for awhile to relax until the girls had to go back to school. One daughter Fiona who is 18 yrs old is going into her second year of Medical school in Ireland - 18 yrs old and 2nd year of medical school - WOW! Her other daughter is Sinead who is 16 yrs old.

They stayed a couple of days at Johanna's house to get used to things before they headed out on their Costa Rica journey. The day came and the girls headed to Manuel Antonio. This is a resort town right on the Central Pacific Coast, and is one of my favorite places. Stef got them set up at a nice hotel near the beach along with a couple of excursions that they enjoyed. I think that they stayed about 3 days and had a great time.

They came back to Atenas to rest up a day or two before they headed back home. The night before they left, we had a dinner party at La Troja owned by our friend Frank. This turned into a pretty wild time and it was evident that Valarie started the whole thing. Take a look...

Seated around the table (left to right) are: Al, me, Stef, Amanda, Fiona, Sinead, Valarie and Jean. This is before the action started.

This is where Frank brought out his special booze and things got rocking. You notice how sober I still am.

These are our friends Jean and Al Alexander who are both still sober. Jean is a Landscape Architect from the New York area - she is very good at this and did the design for Woody Allen's Manhatten penthouse. Al is probably one of the best artists I have ever seen. You can see some of his work by going to his website at
http://alalexanderartist.com/

Now, things are starting to get going..

Fiona - Valarie - Sinead

Valarie - Stef - Jean

Well Frank - he knows that his favorite bottle has a nice warming effect on his friends - take a look...

It was all over for Valarie

And the survivor is?

I think the girls had a great time in Costa Rica, and we will welcome them back anytime. Thank you Valarie, Fiona, and Sinead for becoming our new friends.

Our Vacation to Connecticut

2009-09-13T20:15:00.002-06:00

August 4 - August 13
Important Note: When you click on the pictures and websites, please right click to open in a new window.

WOW!!! What a time and our host and hostess were the best!!!

Ed and Johanna Lane have a home near us in Hacienda Atenas. Since meeting them, we have grown to be quite close friends. Ed is retired from the NYFD and Johanna is a retired Attorney. One very important thing to note is that they have been married 49 years!! That's correct - 49 years!! Now that is saying a lot for a couple being able to get along well. Ed and Jo invited us to their home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and to spend some time on their boat "Maine Idea." Stef has always wanted to visit that part of the US, and her birthday was coming up, so we eagerly accepted the invitation.

We arrived at the New Jersey Airport late at night on the 4th. It's a 2 hour drive from their home to the airport. They were waiting for us at the International Terminal, but for some reason, the pilot took us to another terminal. Thank God they found us!! We got back to the house late, chatted for a bit, and got to bed around 1:00 AM. Really needed to get rested up because they had a real comprehensive schedule for us during the rest of our stay.

The next day we were in the recovery mode from the trip. That night, Ed & Johanna hosted a dinner with friends and family who we knew from visiting their home in Costa Rica. Everyone had a great time and the food was wonderful.

The following day, Captain Ed and Admiral Johanna were ready to board ship and head out to sea. The deckhands (us) were excited and ready to join them. The "Maine Idea" is a great boat. It is a one of a kind designed and built by Joel White. It's a 1982 50' wooden trawler, that they keep in immaculate condition. This boat is Ed's baby. Check it out - We got to the boat about mid-morning and headed out to Block Island, which was about a 4 1/2 hour run from the home base.

Block Island - This is a pretty cool place, and we spent a couple of days there. We checked out the town there, did (Stef, Ed & Johanna) did some clam digging while I looked for lost money and jewels. One night we went to what seemed to be a big party at the marina docks where we drank some realllly good mudslides. For more pictures of Block Island click here - More more information go to this website Block Island

Martha's Vinyard - We headed out the next day early to sail to Martha's Vinyard where we stayed another couple of days on the boat. I've always heard about this very famous place, but had never been there.
Well, we were in for a real treat. The island is everything we had heard about, and more. On the first night, Johanna's brother Anthony brought us over Maine lobster for dinner, which was fantastic. Anthony has a home on the island, and he lent us one of his vehicles to explore the sites here. The next day, we toured several small towns here and did a little shopping. That night, we went over to his house for dinner where his wife and Johanna made a fantastic dinner to celebrate Stef's birthday. Good conversation with great friends. For more pictures - Click here - To see the website Click here - The next day we headed out for:

Newport, RI - It was about a 4 hour trip where Ed decided that I should pilot the boat for awhile. Now, I am a very experienced lake and river boater, but this is entirely a different game. I have never piloted a boat like this especially in seas where the swells were pretty significant - They were to me that is. Ed finally relieved me of that duty and took over the controls, which allowed me to breathe a little easier.

We arrived at the marina in the early afternoon and got the boat moored. God, there were some pretty big yachts there. In fact, the largest privately owned sailboat was docked there, and it is impressive. - We got a water taxi, and headed into the dock to go check out the town.Newport is a neat town with that old Northeast flavor where you wonder what it was like living there 150 years ago. We strolled around for awhile then stopped into a place for a bite to eat. That night, we ate on the boat and just relaxed. Click here to see pictures of Newport and many of the neat boats. To see information on Newport - Click here to go to the website.

The Trip Back to Old Saybrook - We only stayed one night at Newport and headed back home the next morning. It was an interesting trip and very relaxing. Of course, Ed didn't trust me to pilot the boat much this time. Check out these pictures to see some of the neat scenery we were fortunate enough to observe. There were some huge mansions along the shoreline and many other neat things to see.

We got back to the house late afternoon. Everyone was tired so we had a quiet dinner at the house. The next day, we spent time looking around Old Saybrook and doing some shopping. That night they put on a BBQ for us, again with friends and family. Stef and I also had to get packed for the flight home the next day. Don't forget, it's a 2 hr drive to the airport. The next day we were headed back home to Costa Rica.

Ed & Jo were a huge part in providing one of the best vacations we have ever had. And, I know that they made sure that Stef definitely had the best birthday of her life. You can't ask for better people.

Animal Relationships

2009-09-10T11:16:00.000-06:00

This is Abby just after a bath. She was a stray we found here on our lot when we were building the house. Abby is very street savy and will stand up to, or knows how to avoid any creature in the area. She now has a new buddy to play with, and his name is:

Sunny - who is a young Yellow Lab that Amanda adopted several months ago from the shelter. Sunny is big and strong, but very gentle - he is also Amanda's new best friend.

The two dogs love to play together, and will do so for hours. They also like to chase cats up tree. Both dogs are obsessed with this sport - However

This is "MOM" - we call her that because she had a litter in January, of which 3 for sure of the cats are still around. Then, she just had another litter about 6 weeks ago. We don't know where she had the last litter, nor how many survived. But, she did bring one of them to us because she was asking for help with the kitten. We found it a new home. Now, Mom is also a stray that we had during construction. The workers always reminded us to buy food for the cats, which we did. The workers left, but Mom & her 3-4 children did not. The cats that the dogs like to tree are Mom's kids, but Mom does not take any crap from either dog, and has let them know quite brutally. I keep telling the dogs not to mess with Mom, and I think that they are starting to understand.

Guess Who is Back in Town?

2009-09-09T20:25:00.002-06:00

Yep, it's Charlie. Several weeks ago our dear friend Charlie Hughes came back to visit. Remember, Charlie is the one who said I was crazy for moving to Costa Rica? I will never let him live that one down! :-)

This time, he brought his friends Ricky and Barbara Dixon. These are two very wonderful people that we quickly became friends with. This is not based on Charlie's recommendation, but how we found them to be.

Ricky is one of Charlie's partners in the housing community they are building, so they had to check it out (tax deduction for the trip?) Beside that, Charlie took them around Atenas to show them our neighborhood, and I think that they really liked it. In addition, they had contributed some things to the local orphanage last Christmas and wanted to visit there. Stef took them there and I think it was a very rewarding visit for them and the kids. One of the things I noticed was that Ricky was really enjoying the peace and serinity of Costa Rica. Never can tell what his thoughts for the future are.

As usual, we ate out often and had a great time. Ricky and Barbara, you guys are welcome anytime.

To see all the pictures - click here
Barbara took a lot of good pictures
Some of them are of the investment project they own
Others are adventure/fun pic's

Our Crew

2009-09-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

Our humble abode is a high maintenance thing, so we have a need for many people to keep it up because I am so very lazy. We have people to clean the house, take care of the plants and lawn, and a handy man when required. The people that we hired are all fantastic and care about our needs. Below, is a little bit about them and what they do:

Julio - This is our handy man and he is a real trip. He spent many years in the Northeast US working hard to save money and send it home to his wife. The only problem was that she gave all the money away to her family. $64,000 in fact. Needless to say, Julio came back & found this out - he divorced her! Julio is a Godsend - if something goes wrong and you need it fixed, he will be there anytime day or night. However, he charges more than the others because he always needs a helper. For the two of them, we are forced to pay 3,500 colones per hour (highway robbery) - that equates to about $6 USD per hour. But, I will forgive him for that.

Anna Cecila - (on the left) This girl is fantastic! She comes every day to mop and clean the patio/Rancho areas. We never thought that would be necessary, but believe me it is - Anna Cecila also takes care of our pool. During her recent family tradegy (which I will discuss later) she held the entire family together while taking care of all the needs - this was a major job!!! And, this girl is only in her mid 20's. - She is a real sweetheart, and we love her and her family mucho.

Liz - Pronounced Leez - Another great gal who Stef absolutely adores - Don't even think about hiring her away from Stef! She comes to clean our house and guest house 3 days a week for 4 hours each. The average weekly cost is about $30 a week, and she does a great job! We found her when she did the final construction clean-up on our house before we moved in. Liz has also become to be a friend to Stef, and she will do anything Stef needs.

Noel - Is a 19 year old whom I have become to like a lot. So far, I've had him work every day since he started. Noel is dependable and does a great job of doing everything related to the grounds. Right now, he is in training to take care of the yard the way I would like to do it myself - Please remember, I am getting very lazy :-)

Netty - Is a very experienced gardener who is here every Wednesday to take care of the specific gardening details - He is also Noel's uncle. He also does work for everyone else in the neighborhood, so we can't get him every day.

There are a couple of other guys that I'd rather tell you about in a separate post because they are very, very special to us. - Stay tuned...

What Are We Doing Now?

2009-08-30T20:48:00.000-06:00

Some think that retirement is where you take up a hobby to stay busy, or just relax all day. Not true for us because we are busier than we ever have been.

Stef
Well, she did get a little bored after awhile so we came up with an idea to keep her busy. Because of all the experiences we went through in getting accustomed to living here and what we learned, we decided to start something up where she could help others to adjust a little easier than we did. The business is called Costa Concierges, SA. It is a service business engaged in property management, travel / lodging arrangements, and a host of other services. You can see her website at Costa Concierges to see everything she has to offer.

Pete
I have retired 3 times now, and I guess there will be another time or two. The construction of our house and guest house took up a lot of my time during the last year. Now, I am into marketing by working to revamp Stef's website, into construction management with helping my friend Charlie get a housing project completed and sold, and several other projects that I'm working on. Each day goes by very quickly. One major retirement objective I have is to sit in my Rancho by the pool and drink a refreshing Pina Colada. Hasn't happened yet.

About Atenas

2009-08-30T15:01:00.001-06:00

After much research and travel here, we decided to settle down in Atenas, Costa Rica - We really like Atenas and this brief article will help expalin why:

A town in the middle of it all

Perfectly positioned between San Jose and the pacific coast of Costa Rica, Atenas offers a relaxed, rural lifestyle with all of the convenience, diversion and security that comes with proximity to a major city. Located 35 minutes from San Jose International Airport and just over one hour from the beach towns and the marina and golf courses of Los Suenos, Atenas offers an idyllic home base in Costa Rica.
Ideally situated at 2400 feet above sea level in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, Atenas enjoys pleasant spring like temperatures year-round and offers a stunning natural environment. The rich volcanic soil found in the region is excellent for agriculture and there is an abundance of diversity in the flora and fauna that is part of the unique ecosystem in Costa Rica. The coffee grown in the central valley is considered some of the best in the world.
A peaceful, yet vibrant town (5,000 inhabitants, 18,000 with the suburbs), Atenas is anchored by a hard-working prosperous agricultural community. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming, and the economic disparities found many developing areas are non-existent. Within walking distance of the town square are a community health center with ambulances, schools, banks, boutiques and most restaurants.
The plan to complete Pan-American highway to run from San Jose to Orontina has been approved. The project began January 2007 and is scheduled to be complete in 30 months. Situated along this route, Atenas will now be just 45 minutes to the Ocean beaches and 15 minutes to Escazu.

Attractions & Amenities

The Atenas town location offers you easy access to:

Beaches
National Parks
Golf
Performance
Shopping
Health Care

Looking for a Better Life

2009-08-30T14:44:00.001-06:00

This is our daughter Amanda. After making a couple of trips here she decided that Costa Rica was the place to be. The economic situation in the US and a job with no future made her make the decision to move here. She put her home up for sale, and sold it in 9 days - she sold her car in 1 day - Now is this not an indication that this was meant to be? She now lives in the upper apartment of our guest house and is the assistant manager for Stef's business, In addition, she immediately adopted a Golden Lab, which she named Sunny - More to come on that.

This girl has displayed alot of courage and determination - And, I am very proud of her!!

Stef's New Friend

2009-08-29T20:12:00.000-06:00

As you know from the last post on our old blog - Our dog of 12 years, Sugar died. She was a wonderful dog and we loved her very much. Just before that, we adopted a stray dog that was staying around our construction site. I think that she is a pure bred Brittney Spaniel and we named her Abby. The day Sugar died, Abby disappeared for 5 days. We found out that she went to a market down the street and stayed there. The guy told us that she would just lay there and not eat during the entire time. We think that she was in mourning for Sugar. Abby is a stray street dog and has her ways. She will listen to us until she gets to the end of the parking area of our drive - After that, forget it, she isn't going to listen to anything and is going to do her own thing. I think that she is out terrorizing the neighborhood, but she comes back home after awhile all worn out. This is a picture of Abby with Stef when the dog is under a little control. - She has been a blessing for Stef after the passing of Sugar.

Our Guest House

2009-08-28T22:47:00.003-06:00

Well, we built it for our friends. Believe me, it was not an easy chore. Pedro started building it for us and then bailed out because he said he was out of money. Funny, because we gave him a 65% down-payment! Anyway, we found a great guy to finish the place and he has done a great job. His name is Luis Alapazar. He is a local Costa Rican builder who is honest (not like Pedro) and we trusted him enough to finish Charlie's project and a few others. This home was built for the use of our friends when they came to visit. In other times, we will rent it out to people coming to check out Atenas. - What do you think?

For more pictures - click here

Our New Home

2009-08-28T16:10:00.002-06:00

Our home is finally 99.5% completed, and it took 10 months to get it to where it is now. It is very comfortable and we are enjoying it very well.

The home is about 2100 square feet. We have two king master suits, a living/dining area, kitchen, 1/2 bath, pantry, safe room and more. Including the covered patio area it is around 3200 square feet. We spend most of our time outside so this is very important that we have a large covered patio area. The covered patio area is called a Terazza in Spanish. We love it.

The house sits on about 1.81 acres that we have landscaped about 70% - The 3000 plants that we put on the hill above the house won an award for the most contribution to the beauty of the city. A flag flies in honor of this.

Total cost for the land, house, pool, rancho and guest house was about $20,000 more than we sold our condo in Brentwood. - Not a bad deal.

One thing to note is that we do not have heat, nor A/C - You don't need it when you live in the best climate in the world :-)

For more pictures click here

Background

2009-08-27T22:12:00.001-06:00

Living here in Atenas during the past two years has been a real experience, and we have made some progress:

We built our new dream retirement home here in a gated community named Hacienda Atenas. It is a great place with wonderful people living here whom we have made some great friends.
Along with 4 others, we had a major problem with the local builder - This is another story in itself.
We have made great friends around town. Many Expats and Costa Ricans.
Stef started a new business to help others coming in that will help them get through some of the things we had to endure. Check out her website at Costa Concierges.
We now have a great new dog named Abby.
Our daughter Amanda moved here earlier this year to live and enjoy what Costa Rica has to offer.
Things are starting to calm down now, and I am really looking forward to finally enjoying a Pina Colada near the pool on a sunny afternoon.