January 15, 2009

It is difficult for me to post when I am busy, and not much to post when I’m not. That, I think, is why I am so erratic. Some of the stuff we did with Howie and the crew was new to me. People are always wanting to try something new. I was very impressed with the deep sea fishing. Howie had been before, but wanted his daughter, and the other family to experience it.
There is a fleet of boats at Los Suenos Marina, at Playa Herradura, near Jaco. The cost for a boat to take six, was over $1500. A pretty good deal, and a normal price. These boats are docked, and you can board normally. The price includes lunch, beer, and soft drinks, as well as all the equipment and bait, and a guy to work the fishing rods.
Other boats anchor off the beach, and you have to get a panga off the beach to take you out. Jamie introduced me to Captain Cliff. He was worried about Howie and his wheelchair, but we weren’t. He had a very nice boat with twin outboards, coolers, shade, and all the latest rigging for fishing. He also provided lunch, beer, and soft drinks, and his partner Mike was an experienced fisherman. Working the rods, baiting the hooks, setting out lines and decoys, he was a very busy boy. When the sailfish started bothering the bait, he played it perfect, giving it lots of line before setting the hook. Then the fun started. Melissa, Stephanie, and Francoise all got tired out, and Serge finished it off. Forty minutes of high class fighting fish. It was a thrill to watch, and what a beautiful specimen once we had it to the boat. Pictures were taken, Howie filmed most of the fight, and it was released. The fish weighed about 150 pounds. We also caught a small (50lb) tuna. It was a shorter fight, and Serge brought that one in alone. The cost for this great day was only $800. One motor overheated, and we came back slow under power of 1. Cliff offered a $100 discount for this inconvenience, but Howie said it was a great day, paid full price, and tipped both Cliff and Mike.

January 9, 2009

Happy New Year. It’s been a busy time since my last post. I eventually got my paper from immigration saying I had renewed my residency. When I took the letters in, they told me they had to be in Spanish, and when I returned with those, the lady assured me that all the delays were my fault. Now I have to go back again to get my identity card.
Linda arrived on the 18th November, and we worked to get the place ready for our first company. Howie came down on 24th December with his daughter, Stephanie, and his friends Serge and Francoise with their daughter Melissa. They were here for two weeks, and to put it mildly, did a lot of stuff. The young girls enjoyed the Huevo most, I think, and we went quite often, although I never managed to stay awake for the big Saturday night dance over there. We went deep sea fishing and caught a sailfish and a tuna. We had less luck fishing from a panga in the Gulf, but enjoyed a scenic tour, including the prison on Isla San Lucas, a secluded beach on the other side of the island, and a beer in Playa Naranjo. The women all went horseback riding in the mountains near Miramar. They also had a day in Puntarenas to explore and shop, and a few visits with Jamie and her animals. Erika made ceviche for us. The fresh fish and shrimp were hard to find, as the fisherman aren’t getting many right now, and the shrimp farms are in the drying, sterilizing and restocking phase.
As they say, a good time was had by all. We have a month now before more visitors arrive, and there is lot’s to do. We are getting caught up though, and as long as there is less to repair than improve, I think we can gain on it.
Beast, my 8 month old puppy died of tetanus on New Year’s day. It’s very rare in dogs. It is a spore, and entered through the cut where I had him neutered.
There was an earthquake centered near San Jose yesterday. We felt the movement here. The little table I was sitting at bounced around, and the cracks in the floor of the old house spread a bit, but there was no damage.

November 6, 2008

Wednesday morning I was at the immigration office bright and early. Things are working more efficiently there every year. Just in the past year they have added another computer person. Service is faster, although they still have the infamous woman there who likes to make everyone wait. I had all the papers with me this time, and I was called right away. The woman dealing with me called the other guy, obviously senior to her, for advice and I knew I was in trouble. They wanted the letter saying I had enough money to qualify for rentista residency. So, I drove back to Punta Morales to get it. I also brought all my other papers regarding my residency, just in case, including all my bank receipts to show I had converted dollars to colones.
Not enough! The letter that was good enough to get my residency, wasn’t good enough to renew it. None of my logic moved the man from his position, and I will now request a new letter from the bank, and write one myself stating how I get the money from Canada. I don’t mind playing games, I just wish they would stop changing the rules.
It’s easy to see why there is so much corruption here. It’s a simple solution. Come here as a tourist, pay someone for a Costa Rican passport. Or, pay someone to get your passport stamped every three months. The government inefficiency makes either of these methods look very attractive. Many people are living here under the radar, so to speak, and not to avoid the cost of being legal, but to avoid the hassle.

November 4, 2008

Yesterday was one of those days. I pretty well had to do the final sanding of Mike’s tape job. I hate that, but had no more reason to put it off. I talked to my daughter on the net, I talked to Jamie, and David, on the telephone, I did all I could to put it off, but I finally got it done. I cleaned up the floor, and then me, and for some reason, remembered that I had an immigration appointment this month and checked the date. Of course it was yesterday, and since I have learned an 8:30 appointment is, in fact, a Monday appointment, I headed in.
I had to stop for gas at the corner gas station, and the fellow there tried to rip me off for ten bucks. I usually pay cash, and don’t always check the zero or sixty dollars total. I happened to pay with my credit card, and went to sign it at the machine, checking the total, it was ten dollars short of what I asked for. He said he misunderstood, but trenta is a long way from vingtecinco even with my accent. I think he did it once before. I’m going to report him to Marvin, he’ll know what to do about it. Always check the zero, the total, and that they put the gas cap back on, if you ever see a full service station. It was like that in Canada, but there are no more “service” stations there.
I had hoped that through some miracle immigration might be empty when I got there, but of course they were full. I took my number and noticed the lack of progress. I went to the bank for some cash, but when my number came up, the guard checked the back of my ticket and told me I was one hundred people away, which looked like about thirty by the people sitting waiting. Well I had to get back to immigration, but there is another bank I hadn’t tried, BAC, a private bank, and though there was a lineup, they were open to six, and could do the cash advance, so I returned to the immigration office.
At the immigration office, they were getting close to my number. I waited another fifteen or twenty minutes, and went to the desk when my number was called. As I handed her the appointment slip and receipt from the bank, I read the slip and remembered I needed copies of passport, cedula and a photo. She made me an appointment for tomorrow, I apologized, she said I wasn’t the first. Lucky she didn’t know it was the third time I had fouled up an immigration appointment, but they fouled up at least six, so I go back again tomorrow, early.
I left there, and went to the BAC bank. They charged me ten dollars commission. The normal fee is one dollar. But it’s a private bank, and they can do what they want. Live and learn. So I went to Jamie’s and drank a couple of medicinal beers, and complained to her.
Tomorrow will be an ordeal. I don’t like waiting much. At least I can go out for a cigarette, and I will take a book. When I do get out, I have to buy a hose for the swimming pool pump. It blew just after I broke the vacuum cleaner head. If I can’t find the hose in Puntarenas, I’ll get one in Canas when I go for the new vacuum.
I’m laying low today. I did the final sanding, and clean up, but think I’ll start painting on Thursday, just in case some of yesterday’s luck carries over.

October 28, 2008

Summer is here! After the incredible rain we had two weeks ago, it has turned nice. I wondered if summer was arriving early, and the radio confirmed today that we have entered the transition period between winter and summer. We have had a few showers at night, but nothing hard, and nothing during the day but sunshine. The fact that they call the upcoming season summer was a bit confusing at first. I looked up the words repeatedly in the dictionary, but could not seem to get it right. We are still in the northern hemisphere, and I figured December 21 was the beginning of winter. Not here. This is the season of good weather and school holidays. The children get two months off school starting before Christmas. Therefore we are starting verano now, as Canada and the U.S. start invierno. They also have words for spring and fall, but don’t use them, as there are really only the two seasons here.
We didn’t get very many rainy days this year. Probably less than seven days that I couldn’t dry a load of laundry, at least. The beach is already filling up on the weekends. The town is getting busy, and the bars, the restaurants, and the cabinas are all going full tilt now. It’s like Muskoka after the long weekend in May, all of a sudden it’s crowded.
The dogs are doing fine. Peaches seems completely recovered, and manages to get through my “perfect” fence within minutes of my leaving. The car has been doing fine, but the starter might be going. It wouldn’t even click at the beach on Sunday, but we gave it a push and turned it enough to, I think, get it off the dead spot. Most places have a hill to park on, and I shall have to remember to use them in case of another occurrence, at least until I take it to a mechanic.
The roof on the house hasn’t leaked again. The last leaks were coming down where the air conditioners were piped through the roof. The problem wasn’t the silicone, as I thought, but the fact that there was a sponge rubber insulation around the tubes, and the water was going down this sponge rubber inside the silicone. We cut it and sealed between the two pieces, and I believe the problem is solved. Mike finished the drywall taping on the piece he replaced in the living room, and this week I will sand the final coat, and paint. I hope the other six smaller stains can be covered with paint, as the drywall didn’t go soft, and I don’t want to replace it. They don’t have shellac here, but I did find a good sealer paint, I hope.

October 19, 2008

Everyone is talking about the weather. We have received three days of very hard rain. Other parts of the country were harder hit than here. We had a small landslide on one corner of the Punta Morales road at the beginning of the rain. It only covered one lane, and it was cleaned up today. We were, however isolated from the rest of the country with a landslide just north of the entrance to Miramar, and a cave in almost the width of the highway 3 km north of the entrance to Punta Morales on Hwy 1 from Wednesday afternoon to Friday afternoon. The rain stopped Friday morning, and I did two loads of laundry, and even managed to get them dry. In fact, it just started raining again late Saturday.
Mike went to the bank in Miramar Friday afternoon, and I went along for the ride. The cars were still waiting for one lane to be open going north. We went south to Miramar, and they had at least one lane open in all spots. There were some lineups, and it took a while, but we were able to get there, and back. We saw many spots where the banks beside the road had caved in, many times with trees attached. Crews come in with chain saws and backhoes and clear them up. I didn’t go out for three days, though, they do need time, and as long as it is raining that hard, more are happening.
I had to go to the vet’s in Esparza Saturday. I’ve got both the dogs on the tick shots now, and the vet there is the only one around who approves of them, and knows the proper dosage. The traffic flow had improved considerably, and the crews were finishing up the big jobs. Traffic was flowing north again, as well. Mike returned to Canada Saturday, as well. He has a handful of forms for the government. He’s trying to get his Tica wife, Sandra, and his boy, Richard, in to see his mother. The paperwork, lawyer and translation expenses, are amazing. Maybe it will work this time.

September 17, 2008

This past weekend, Costa Rica celebrated Independence Day. Monday was a holiday, and many people celebrated with school activities and children’s parades. My friends, Russ and Kattia, who sold me this property, came for the weekend with their two daughters Keilyn and Kiani. We were blessed with three days of sunshine, and the girls enjoyed the pool for most of the time. Seeing them have so much fun made all the work that went into the pool worthwhile.
Saturday evening we went to Irek and Roxanna’s for a party. It was a family affair, with many other children there. It was interesting at one point, as we realized that Switzerland, Canada, Poland, United States, and, of course, Costa Rica were represented. Many foreigners have chosen to make Costa Rica their new home. All of them have been here longer than me. Everyone spoke Spanish, although a few of them enjoy 4 or 5 languages, and sometimes, I think Irek speaks them all at once. All of the children enjoy dual citizenship, and are growing up with two or more languages, and an appreciation for more than one culture. Of course, I saw this happening in Canada, as it is also home to people from many countries. But, it is different when you are one of the immigrants. When one experiences the difficulties of learning a new language and culture, it is easier to understand the problems the immigrants to Canada are facing.
When I worked at the casino in Canada, we had many people from all over the world working there. Some of them had limited English skills, and of those who spoke English, many did so with a strong accent that required a lot of patience, and some intelligence to understand. Now, the shoe is on the other foot, and with my considerable butchering of the Spanish language, I can quickly see those qualities in the people here. Not all of them care to understand me. Not all of them are able to. But, the ones who have that patience and intelligence, not to mention the inclination to listen, are instantly noticeable, and I have learned to appreciate the difference. When I go out with Jose, he assures me my Spanish is good enough, and he is less patient with those who almost refuse to understand me than I am. For instance, when I have a plate of fries in front of me, and ask for “sal” with a shaking motion above the fries, some waitresses understand, and some don’t. This sort of thing is definitely in the ears of the beholder, and it is something I saw with regularity at the casino in Canada, as well.
Sunday, Russ and family went to the river for the afternoon. They returned with an invitation to a fish fry at the house of one of my neighbors. I hadn’t met them before. They live on the other side of the road, behind Mario’s bar, and back in a bit. It was a good supper, and the son-in-law of our hosts liked to play poker. First time here for me to play poker, and we enjoyed an hour of two man Hold’em. No money changed hands, but the daughter looked a little shocked when I told her I had won their car, and was working on the house next. It was a fun evening, and it’s always nice to know more of your neighbors. Monday, we enjoyed the pool until lunch time. We went to Chino’s Soda for lunch, and Russ and family departed for Coronado. Everyone had a good time.
Yesterday, I went to Puntarenas to check out my car’s transmission. I picked up Jamie and we went to an oil change shop. I went in the pit with the guy, and we checked all the levels. Everything appears to be good. Today I’m going back to Puntarenas to take Peaches to the vet. The second phase of the treatment for her tick disease is over and we’re going in for more tests to see what needs to be done next. She is acting energetic and healthy again, but he does blood tests to make sure what’s going on. I didn’t take her in yesterday because it’s impossible to multi-task. If I had to leave the car there yesterday, I couldn’t have brought her back on the bus, so, I am making two trips. Just as well, too, because the vet got called out on an emergency yesterday, and wouldn’t have been able to see her.
I am writing this early in the morning. It has been a bit difficult to sleep here this week. In Muskoka, for about six weeks from the middle of May to the end of June, the friendliest creatures in the forest are the black flies. Here, during the rainy season, and especially for the week of the full moon, the no-see’ems, or parrujas, as they are called, are very friendly. They are small enough to come through the screens, and although repellent works well on them, I don’t like to use it. I could put cheesecloth over the screens, as my friends in British Columbia do to cope with them, but they aren’t bad all the time, and the breeze gets them cut right back. So, I put up with them. I wear long pants and socks, and sometimes, a long sleeved shirt. It’s about 6a.m. now, and they are mostly cleared out. Maybe tonight will be better. At least I finished the book I was reading, and finally managed to post again.

July 29, 2008

Howie was here. And the waves of influence spread wherever he went. He was here before, and I described how he impressed everyone he met with his strength of character, and sense of humour. For a brief recap, I worked with Howie at the casino. He qualifies for a government pension because he is in a wheelchair, but liked to work, and for a long time, until he could finish up pending business, he ran an investigations business as well. Before he came here in 2006, a driver crossed the line and hit Howie head on. Totalled his pickup, and injured Howie’s wrist, back, and neck. Summer of 2007, he had just got another pickup fitted with hand controls and on the road. While driving to a friend’s house the pickup caught fire. Howie got mostly out, except for one foot. He had to watch the foot and lower leg burn, no feeling, but not a pleasant experience. Help arrived before the gas tank caught, and they got him to the hospital.
Then the burn got infected. He went through a year where they thought he might lose the leg, or worse, the infection spread into the hip, the leg was swollen from top to bottom, and they even suspected flesh eating disease. They fought it off, and now it is a hole in his ankle about the size of a silver dollar. As soon as he was well enough, he came down here.
When he got here, we partied for five or six days, and he got a bladder infection. We took a more relaxed pace after that, but still managed to visit all the people he met the last time he was here, and meet a bunch of new ones. Any time you ask this man how he is, he is fine. No problems. The bladder infection was painful, but he had had lots of them, and it never affected his mood. It took some time, but I guess I’m used to Howie now, and don’t notice his influence on people. I was reminded today.
Another man I have a lot of respect for is my neighbour, Chino. He recently bought the neighbourhood Soda. A Soda is a small restaurant without a liquor licence that serves typical Costa Rican food, and recently the odd hamburger. It comes with a house he has moved into, and now rents the one he lived in before, as well as another house he already had rented out. Quite impressive for a 26 year old in a neighbourhood where other people can’t find a job. At least not without leaving their front porch. He is married, with a beautiful two year old daughter who always insists on sitting with me when I ate there.
Chino was telling me today he has been working for fourteen years, including three years in a restaurant in Los Angeles, which would explain why he makes the best hamburger in Costa Rica. He makes excellent Tico food too, and business has shot up since he bought it.
Some people blame handicaps for not doing things, others blame their parents or part of their childhood for not doing things, but Howie didn’t let his handicap stop him from anything, and Chino didn’t let his background slow him down either. Chino is one of 28 children that an owner of multiple ranches in Costa Rica and Nicaragua has had with 28 different teenage women. Chino dislikes him, and has no respect, and obviously didn’t know him at all. Pretty tough people to come out successful.
Howie and I went to Chino’s Soda many times while he was here, and of course, Ashley the daughter, always sat with us. Like I said, seemed normal to me. Howie is used to the grandfather role, and played all the games Ashley wanted to play, like Mix the Salt and Ketchup, or Stick the Toothpicks in the Fries. Chino told me today, it was three days before Ashley stopped asking if Howie was coming. When you can impress a two year old like that, you got it!

July 6, 2008

Maciel has disappeared. Well, his house and shop have anyway. I haven’t talked to the hardware store, yet, but I went up to Malinche to talk with Maciel personally. He has obviously moved. And, he took all the material from the shop, and all but the walls of the house. I will have to find out what happened there. So, Thursday, while Matta was installing the last bars on the house, I went to Puntarenas, to my favourite bank machine, and got money to pay for the bars, and maybe the mechanic, as I then headed to Brown’s to check the brakes.
A young fellow who works there diligently cleaned and adjusted all the brakes while I waited. It looked to me as if he was done. All the wheels were back on. Then, he pulled a hose off under the hood, and said there was no pressure there, where there should be. This led to the booster pump for the brake system. While he got that off and checked it out, I fell asleep in the car. Not sure how long it took, but it was difficult to get off. They had taken it apart, and woke me up to show me that the gear drive was stripped, and I needed a new booster pump. The booster pump is attached to the rear of the alternator, and so, I now have a new alternator as well. And brakes!
This was a costly affair, and I headed to the hospital in Puntarenas to use the other bank machine that accepts international cards. For the second time, it wouldn’t take mine, so I went home with less money than I wanted.
When I got home, Matta and his wife, were sitting at the table waiting for me. The bars were done! Big deal? Yes! That is the final stage of the house construction. The work stated in the contract is now complete, although the contract itself will remain the biggest written joke I have ever committed to file, ( in fact the only one). The time from contract signing, March 1, 2007, to work completion, July 3, 2008, is approximately 1 year, 4 months, and 3 days. The cost overrun was large, about 25%, but still within range of the value of the construction. The work, obviously was not completed by Carlos, but with Jose’s help, I was able to find good quality workmen for the welding. Jose and I did the rest. Including all those wonderful repairs I didn’t like having to do before the house was actually completed.
To complete a house, built to North American standards, and more important, to the standards of the owner, in this country, is an accomplishment. So many things can go wrong. The house Carlos built me incorporated ideas and structural standards that exceeded my expectations, and in spite of all the personal problems, I am very happy with the overall outcome. It has been a trying year with one problem after another to overcome, and one decision after another to make. I’m sure it has been harder because it is the first time I was involved in all the decisions of the construction of a new house. The Spanish thing didn’t help either. I think I will be less tense this year.
In Costa Rica, the government sets the gas prices. All gas stations charge the same. The government publishes all price changes before they happen. As such, I have been not been keeping track of the price of, in my case, diesel fuel. The price is going up tomorrow, and I tried to find something on the internet to tell me what the price per liter is or will be, but I couldn’t. The price per liter is not really pertinent to my driving, or to this story. More important is how much it costs me to drive for a week around here, or make a trip to San Jose, or Liberia, or on rare occasion, fill it up.
I bought the car in November 2005, and it came with an empty tank. It cost me $50 to fill it up. No manual, no idea how much diesel that was, sorry. In the year or so following that, I could comfortably go to San Jose from here, do some errands, come back, and squeeze a trip into Puntarenas on $30. worth of fuel.
The second rare occasion came yesterday. I was on my way to Puntarenas to try to get some money from my friendly bank machine. Their seems to be only one around here that likes me. On the way in, the gas light came on. Obviously, as I was going to get money, and didn’t know if I would be able to or not, I put in $20 at the Sardinal turn (not far from here). The money thing went okay, I got some stuff, mostly dog food, and headed home. Like I said prices go up tomorrow, and I had money, so I stopped at the Miramar turn and put in $40. I don’t like to fill a car right up, especially in this heat, so I figured I’d see how close I got.
It took another $40. in Judas, no problem. So in total, I put in $100 of diesel fuel, with a small bit of driving, and it still didn’t fill up. And I guess it will cost closer to $60 for my next trip to San Jose and back. The bus is looking more attractive all the time. At some point, rising fuel prices have to lower the volume of traffic. I haven’t noticed, yet.
In San Jose, they have extended the ban on cars on the highway around the city, and inside that circle, to 24 hours a day, to reduce auto use. Cars with licence plates ending in numbers 1 and 2 are banned Mondays, 3 and 4 Tuesdays, etc. They are ticketing 7 or 8 hundred a day for ignoring the ban. Don’t know what would make people cut down on the use of a luxury item they have worked hard to get, and helps them escape from the crowded buses, where you can’t smoke or listen to your music on the radio. Nothing’s working so far.

July 2, 2008

Happy Birthday to all the North Americans out there. Yesterday for Canada, Friday for the U.S.
Brown put the rear main seal in, and a valve cover gasket, and a timing belt. The car ran well until I was almost home. The car in front of me stopped, so I hit the brakes. The pedal wouldn’t go down, and my car wasn’t stopping. I used the hand brake, and have been gearing down to stop ever since, and not driving very far. I’m going to take it back to Maciel in Malinche if I can find him. The phone no longer works, but he works for the local hardware on their trucks, and I should be able to track him down.
The dog, Beast is doing well. He seems happy, and unintimidated by Peaches. Peaches is being friendlier by the day. I have been giving her a few extra treats, like chicken broth in her kibble, a hard boiled egg on occasion, and a bowl of delactated milk to drink. All of these ideas came from Kathy as part of Beast’s diet. Now that I have Beast house trained, I will soon have to put him outside. I have the pen built, but no roof, yet. I am looking forward to one or two nights of puppy crying when I finally tell him he’s an outside dog.