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You will be, too, when you read this, especially if you’ve ever had first-hand experience with migración. If you are moving to Costa Rica, a visit to migración will be required sooner or later. By the way, be sure to take your own papel higenico [pa-PELL ee-HEN-ick-oh, t.p.] Trust me, you will be there so long, you will have to use the facilities and no t.p. on hand. So to speak. But, on to better news:
Since Ryan is under 18, he has to have permission from Costa Rica’s migración to fly out of the country. Yes, even though . . . → Read More About Still In Shock
Like the last time I ventured alone into the disturbing netherworld of Costa Rican bureaucracies, by the end of this adventure (trying to get Morgan his driver's permit) I got back home wanting to cry, then choke something, with just a smidge of incredulity thrown in. Not incredulous that seeking The Final Stamp is so frustrating. That's a given, I accept that. Incredulous that I got sucked so easily into the vortex, led by the invisible (to me) ring in my nose through all manner of hoops until I was sure . . . → Read More About The Power of Paper: el parte dos
We renewed our driver's licenses last week. We both dreaded the event. Costa Rica is not known for its efficiency… In fact, remember 27 January – almost three weeks ago – when we were headed back to migración for a stamp? ONE stamp? Had everything we needed because we had already been to the correct office and gotten a list of what forms we needed? Praying for short lines? My post on that trip (not yet up because I'm suffering P.T.S.D.) is titled "I Just . . . → Read More About Too Easy
The tremors under my office chair, all the way over here on the other side of the valley from the epicenter, have finally subsided. We had one – a long one – at 3am Monday morning, but it'd been several days since the one before that. Thank goodness! Those tremors are unnerving. I'm sure the survivors near Poás are grateful the aftershocks are mostly gone. They have enough to deal with. I imagine freedom from the anxiety over an immediate repeat performance is welcome.
Recovery and reconstruction are underway. The area will be affected for years to come. . . . → Read More About Updates: Quake, Hotel, EFT
Translation: Lines, Signatures and Dates. Or Things a Costa Rican Bureaucracy Can’t Do Without. I left out estampilla [s-tom-PEE-jah, stamp] because it doesn’t start with an f. But this is actually the critical item. If at least one (and usually all) of your Important Documents don’t get pounded by a rubber stamp, you aren’t done. Wait for further instructions. The Stamp of the Final Bureaucrat is Costa Rica’s Holy Grail.
Last month we got a double dose of CRB (Costa Rican Bureaucracy). First, we renewed our passports at the American Embassy, as entrenched in CRB as any CRB. Then . . . → Read More About Filas, Firmas y Fechas
Ok, this is ridiculous. I’m having a flood of anti-Costa Rica experiences. Maybe if I get them out of my system, this rock in my gut will disappear.
IN THE NEWS. Don Oscar seems hellbent on getting Costa Rica into the 21st century. Only I don’t approve of the way he’s going about it. I don’t know why he didn’t think to ask me first, but he didn’t.
On the plus side, he’s fixing the roads – lots of painting activity, new timed streetlights in downtown San José, spending millions making the center of downtown into a paved . . . → Read More About Back Down
In the adoption world, Gotcha Day is the day we gotcha, the day we brought our new baby home. I get all teary remembering our two Gotcha Days. Yesterday, December 10th was Mo’s 16th Gotcha Day. To celebrate, Jen made cookies and brought them over. Hey, Jen, we ate every single one immediately, every delicious morsel!!!!
Serendipitously, yesterday was also Gotcha Day to pick up our cedulas [SAY-do-lahce, Costa Rica's ID cards]. The cedulas that confirm our legal status as rentistas. We’ve had the appointment for weeks now: 9am at the Immigration Assistant Service’s (IAS and not its . . . → Read More About Gotcha Day Glitch
Last month, Manrique wrote a comment on a post and I loved getting it. Write more, Manrique! So valuable to hear perceptions from his side of the fence:
Hi Saratica!
First please excuse my english if I don’t write it perfectly (I read it more than I write it). I am a Tico (34 years old, live in Heredia, work in Santa Ana, (1 hr drive each day for 20 km) and has recently been fascinated by all the expats blogs and travelogues. There is really an "underground" expat culture going on of which most ticos . . . → Read More About Comments from a Tico Reader!
According to Transparency International, Costa Rica ranks 55 out of 163 countries, #1 being the most trustworthy (Finland), #163 being the least (Haiti). Not bad. Except that the U.S. ranks #20. Something smells fishy.
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