Alajuela Living: Pros and Cons

I’ve been putting off posting a review of living in Alajuela, and I’ve finally figured out why. I didn’t want to write anything negative about it! Our rule for town reviews is to write pros *and* cons, and Alajuela has always felt good – I didn’t want to dig for bad.

Well, since our plan for Costa Rica is to live in several towns for several months each before deciding where to settle down, we have to try to stand back; we have to toss the rose-colored glasses. I struggled with the Orosí review as well.

During our visits, we have been trying to keep in mind that we are looking for the best place for us - this is difficult because it is so easy to focus on the positive and ignore or downplay any negatives. It is easy to say "Oh, we can live without that," etc.

We lived in Alajuela for 4 months, from the end of the rainy season until the end of the dry season. When we left, we kept it on our list as a possibility. We let our impressions settle for a while, then came up with this list of Pros and Cons.

Costa Rica update

• Affordable: While still affordable, CR has gotten more expensive.
• Safety: We believe CR is getting more violent.
• Year-round living: We have our residency (no change in outlook)
• Religion: We’ve seen many saints’ processionals, we’ve met more people who attend church, but are not fanatics. However, Alajuela central park often had yelling bible-thumpers. (no change in outlook)
• Interesting (culture, activities): There are many universities, museums, theaters, and a symphony (but mostly only in San José). Music is a big part of life. Cowboys (sabañeros) are alive and well, contributing fancy horse-back riding, topes, and rodeos to the scene. A question we still have is how easy is it to get involved?
• Dangerous diseases (few or none, please): Dengue fever is on the rise.
• Medical care (accessible and good): We bought into the state-run medical insurance ($61/month for both of us). There are several excellent private and public hospitals, but the best ones are in San José. I had surgery – so far, so good.
• Water – must be drinkable (bottled water is available, but too expensive and bothersome). Neither of us could drink the tap water without some degree of discomfort; we ended up using bottled or filtered water for drinking and for making soup and coffee. This has been true in every town so far, so we have decided that we will need a water filter for anywhere we live in Costa Rica. We found a faucet-mounted water filter at EPA in Escazú, and brought a large supply of the replacement filters from the states.

Alajuela Overview (see here - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CS/index.html - for data**): Alajuela is a large city – it is the second largest city in Costa Rica, and has about 72,000 people. It is the city nearest the “San José” airport. It is about 17 km West of San José (560,000 people). It is in the central valley - a bit lower in elevation (918 m / 3015 ft) than San José (1146 m / 3763 ft).

Pro:

• Friendly people – Alajuela has some of the friendliest people! On our nearly daily walks, we exchange smiles and greetings with many people. We have met and become friends with many people there. Alajuela is on par with small towns in its friendliness. We felt much more welcomed than in Grecia (for example).
• We fit in (purely a feeling): We are comfortable walking around Alajuela. The neighbourhoods make us feel energized.
• Very few of the helpful people have ulterior motives (e.g., they genuinely want to help; they are not just trying to sell you something).
• Alajuela is not a tourist town, but we saw a lot of travellers.
• A Central Park – Alajuela has an excellent central park, as well as many others. We regularly walked through 3 on our short trip to the bus station; all are beautiful and relaxing.
• Excellent central market; a lot to chose from. However, we didn’t shop there often enough to develop a sense of what were fair prices. There is also a weekly farmers market, verdurerías, and super markets.
• Good doctors are available in town; there are both a clinic and a hospital. It is a decent bus ride (20-45 minutes) to San José for private hospitals and major public hospitals.
• Easy to find things – it is a large town, and the provincial capital, so most items are available (shoemakers, tailors, spices, appliances, furniture, bedding, “unusual” medications). Specialty items (CPAP) are available in San José.
• Many ethnic restaurants – Chinese, Columbian, Peruvian, Italian, Tex-Mex…
• (Pro for Julie) ¨Good¨ climate - not too humid, a little bit too hot. “Hot” was 84-87 inside. A fan helped, and Julie got used to the heat. At the peak-heat time of day, there was usually a nice breeze, so going outside (like to a park:)) helped. Our apartment got pretty cold at night – 67 was not uncommon (a thicker blanket would have been welcome).

Con:

• (Con for Rick) Climate – Rick needs a cooler elevation (perhaps 1200-1300 meters or higher); Alajuela’s elevation is about 900, and is on the hot side. Temperatures in the upper 80s were common. It was too hot for Rick.
• Somewhat difficult to have a horse nearby, but there is a stable. We didn’t see any riders.
• Not as affordable as smaller towns – rent was double; food was more expensive.
• Few opportunities for social interactions and meeting new people. There were few events for such a large town (although the soccer stadium had games and a few concerts). Limited to “hang-outs” such as Jalapeño’s, and private parties.
• Able to find housing within 10 blocks of the center of town – we found an apartment that was 5 blocks from the central park, but it is more expensive than in smaller towns. It was also hard to find!
• Feels safe (emphasis in addition to above list) – safe enough that a woman can walk around alone at night? I used to do this in Alajuela, but now I would think twice about going by myself after dark.
• Community – need to be part of an artist/music/movie community (how far away is too far?) – near UCR, or other center. Didn’t find this in Alajuela.
• Entertainment / Mental Stimulation – we need a town with more than churches and bars (of course, parks are very entertaining) – Difficult to find.

** use some caution when looking at populations – this site counts the population within a 7 km circle. So, large towns are under-represented and small towns get more population than actually live in town.

January 21, 2008 – Feelin´ Human (I mean groovy)

I guess I have to admit it – parents can give good advice, even when you are a full-fledged adult (sigh). A few weeks ago, we used our kitchen to poison ourselves (not recommended) – we were over the worst in a couple of days, but it seemed like we would *never* get back to a real life. Well, when we got our phones (yay! – still excited about *that*!), we phoned home. There is nothing like talking to family, especially when you are feeling under the weather. That is when the parental advice kicked in – ¨you gotta replace those good bacteria – eat some yogurt!¨ So we did! And it worked!

We had spent a couple of weeks dragging around, barely getting through the necessary chores of getting groceries and so on. We were planning to go to the Palmares tope last Thursday, but that fell through – I am admitting now (and frankly admitted it half way through that day), I am relieved. I can´t imagine lasting in the heat, with the crowds, given how weak we were feeling just walking to the corner!

Well, the very next day, we started the yogurt cure – had some for every meal for a couple of days, and felt better immediately.

Saturday, we ran into some friends, and felt well enough to go to a dinner party that night – we took the guitar and played and sang a bit. We met some new people – always a fun thing, especially when they are on an adventure themselves. :)

Then Sunday! We really took this day as it came. We went with a friend to Escazú, to the Café de Artistas – there we had brunch while listening to a jazz combo (our new friend Joe Anello was playing drums). (RC folks – guess what I got to have – Eggs Benedict! And it wasn´t even Friday!). After brunch, we went to visit more friends – Jim and Ann-Marie just had their baby! So we got to see her, and get caught up on what everyone was doing and planning. Then, since we were nearby anyway, we stopped at EPA (it´s a lot like Home Depot) and found a water filter – whew! No more lugging bottled water** home! And *then* (I know, I know – don´t overdo it, you´re still recovering) we stopped at the Automercado (this is a high-end supermarket, where you can likely find foods you can´t find anywhere else). Rick was on a mission to find black olives – mission accomplished! (this mission really was accomplished – ok, that is my only tiny contribution to the political discussion)

And now we are – Feelin´ Human… (sung to Feeling Groovy)
Speed up, you´ve been too slow
You get to last the whole day now…
Feelin´ Huuuuuman...

** I know, you are supposed to be able to drink the water in Costa Rica. And most people can! Just not us…

August 04, 2007 - Costa Rica Decision Details

When we first investigated how to retire early, and where we could do this, we made a list of “needs” and “wants” – we’ve both worked on trade studies in our technical careers, so this was nerdy second nature to us ;).

Our original list, and how Costa Rica scored (before our first trip, book & internet investigation only):

Needs

· Affordable (can we live there on less than $30,000 / year): Costa Rica has a good exchange rate, medical costs and medical insurance are reasonable, housing is reasonable (especially if you are not in a beach resort)

· Safety (laws, enforcement, history, stability, how does it feel): CR has been a stable democracy for over a century, with one 2-week civil war in 1948. It has no army; the government saw that the main purpose served by the neighboring armies was to control their countries, not to protect them. The people are welcoming and friendly. They are generally happy and caring. The country gets earthquakes, but they build for them (and we are used to this phenomenon, being from California).

· Able to live there year-round (weather, visas, residency): Costa Rica has good weather year-round, with the temperature dependent on the elevation. It is off the hurricane belt, and has many sunny days even in the rainy season. Tourist visas are easy to get, and last 90 days. A three-day trip out of the country is enough to get a new tourist visa for another 90 days. Residency is relatively easy to get.

· Religion (tolerant, doesn’t dominate life and laws, the people are not fanatical): Catholicism is Costa Rica’s official religion, but there are a multitude of other churches and temples. Many major Catholic holy days are also state holidays. Some church buildings (e.g., the basilica in Cartago) are state-funded. Costa Rica farmacias sell birth control; prostitution is legal, abortions are not.

Wants (weighted and scored)

· Language (English, or able to learn fairly easily): Weight = 9, Score = 7. Spanish is spoken in Costa Rica, and many people know some English and French. There are many language schools and tutors.

· Easy to travel “home”: Weight = 7, Score = 8. It is physically possible to drive to Costa Rica from USA, but there are several somewhat-unstable borders to cross. Flying is relatively easy. Cruises stop in Puntarenas and Limón.

· Easy to establish residency: Weight = 9, Score = 8. The Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR) is an organization that helps people immigrate. The information is easy to get, and the immigration laws are such that we could do it without too much risk.

· We fit in (purely feeling): Weight = 9, Score = 8. This is almost simple gut reaction. Are we comfortable walking around the towns? Do we feel energized or depressed? Is it likely we can adjust through all the phases of the culture shock we know is coming?

· Interesting (culture, activities): Weight = 8, Score = 8. Costa Rica is a small country (approximately one eighth the size of California, about as big as from the San Francisco Bay Area to Lake Tahoe). It has a huge diversity of environments (but no snow – boo hoo – when was the last time I actually sought out snow?). Tourism is a large part of the economy, so there are plenty of activities geared toward fun. There are many universities, and the “college culture” that goes with them. There are museums, theaters, and a symphony (but mostly only in San José). Music is a big part of life. Cowboys (sabañeros) are alive and well, contributing fancy horse-back riding, topes, and rodeos to the scene.

· Dangerous diseases (few or none, please): Weight = 7. Score = 7. I am including snakes and bug bites here. There are something like 20 different venomous snakes in Costa Rica, but they are rare in the cities, and only a couple are aggressive. I figure the less you know about something dangerous, the scarier it is. So I intend to learn a *lot* about snakes and bugs. Mosquitoes carry malaria in the wet lowlands (mainly in the far North and South boonies). Dengue fever is on the rise - it is usually not fatal, but gives you a week or two of hell instead (Hawaii has this mosquito-borne disease too). CDC recommends hepatitis shots (this is easy to do, and is a low-risk vaccine). Most of the water is drinkable (we found a few places where we had problems).

· Medical care (accessible and good): Weight = 8, Score = 9. Any resident may buy into the state-run medical insurance ($60/month for both of us. It is less if you are older – yes, *older* - the extra that younger people pay goes towards a pension.). There are several excellent private and public hospitals, but the best ones are in San José. Many of the hospitals in towns have the ability to stabilize you, but then they transfer you to San José. Costa Rica is sometimes known as “Beverly Hills South” because many people come to get cosmetic surgery done on “medical” vacations.

· Expatriate community (available, supportive): Weight = 8, Score = 8. There are many centers for ex-pat support. These include ARCR, internet groups, and local hang-outs in most towns (and they are amazingly easy to find).

Since visiting and living in different towns in Costa Rica, we have fine-tuned our list, and added some more specific things to help narrow the list of towns.

· A Central Park – there is just no substitute

· A Central Market – variety is the spice of life

· Friendly people, with few ulterior motives (this is difficult to determine, and even more difficult to agree on)

· Able to find housing within 10 blocks of the center of town (5 is even better, as we’re still trying to go car-less)

· Feels safe (emphasis in addition to above list) – not necessarily all places in a town (most towns of size anywhere will have *some* “bad” parts), but safe enough that a woman can walk around alone at night

· Climate – cooler elevations (1200-1300 meters or higher); beach is too hot for us

· Community – need to be part of an artist/music/movie community (how far away is too far?) – near UCR, or other center

· Entertainment / Mental Stimulation – we need a town with more than churches and bars (of course, parks are very entertaining)

· Water – must be drinkable (bottled water is available, but too expensive and bothersome)

August 03, 2007 - Orosi Living: Pros and Cons

Our plan for Costa Rica is to live in several towns for several months each before deciding where to settle down. During our visits, we have been trying to keep in mind that we are looking for the best place for us - this is difficult because it is so easy to focus on the positive and ignore or downplay any negatives. It is easy to say "Oh, we can live without that," etc.

We lived in Orosí for almost 3 months, from the end of the dry season through the beginning of the rainy season. When we left, we knew the town wasn´t a perfect match for us. We let our impressions settle for a while, then came up with this list of Pros and Cons.

Overall: Orosí is a small town of about 2,000. The surrounding community brings the population to 10,000. It is near a wildlife reserve and a lake (used for hydroelectricity and fishing). It is about 20 km South of Cartago - about 45 minutes by bus, or 25 minutes by car. It is in a small valley, surrounded by coffee fincas - a bit lower in elevation than Cartago.

Pro:

· Very Friendly

· Easy to have a horse nearby

· Not a tourist town, but you will see a lot of travelers

· We made many good friends there

· ¨Good¨ climate - not too hot or humid, although we needed a fan

· Quiet; not much going on; easy to get lazy

· Good dentist available in town

· Some opportunities for social interactions via Montaña Linda Spanish School and private music parties

· Good place to visit and have visitors

· Very few of the helpful people have ulterior motives (e.g., they genuinely want to help; they are not just trying to sell you something)

· Affordable

Con:

· No Park

· No Central Market

· San José is multiple-bus-rides away

· Neighboring cities are uninspiring (that is an opinion, based on *our* needs)

· No ethnic restaurants

· The locals do not recommend the local doctor or clinic; it is a long way (San José or Cartago) for good health care

· Neither of us could drink the tap water without some degree of discomfort; we ended up using bottled water for drinking and for making soups

· There were a few aggressive drunks - in a small town, you have to avoid the same ones

If a small town suits you, Orosí is a wonderful place to consider. You can click on the ¨orosi¨ tag to see more posts on the town.

Something we have noticed in general is that the people in small towns have lives which are more influenced by religion. The church is a central part of the community.

May 01, 2007 - Labor Day, Costa Rica

Today is Labor Day in Costa Rica, and in much of the rest of the world as well. So strange that it is not celebrated today in the USA, since the event that marks it *happened* in the USA. At any rate, it is a big day off for folks here. The local swimming pool is the busiest I have seen yet - cars are parked even on the side street a block away.

On Saturday afternoon, we were surprised to hear the local cannon/fireworks go off several times, accompanied by a parade of *huge* trucks around town. They drove and honked for almost an hour. They passed our corner, and we walked to the main street to see how far it extended - at least 4 blocks down and back, bumper-to-bumper trucks. There were rock haulers, cement trucks, semis (yes! in Costa Rica!), and bulldozers. We decided they were celebrating Labor Day early. Later, we asked someone about it, and he suggested that it was the owner of the stone quarry showing off - he and the owner of a similar concern seem to be embroiled in a pissing contest. Either way, it was pretty interesting, and attracted quite a crowd.

We had planned to have our homestay "parents" over for cafecito this afternoon, but they called to say they couldn't make it. We have been thinking about how to reciprocate some of the visits we have had with others - usually over a meal of some kind. Our kitchen is *very* limited, with just enough plates, silverware, and coffee cups for us, and no good way to cook rice and beans (you *have* to have rice and beans if you invite someone for a meal). Finally, we decided to buy a couple more coffee mugs, purchase a selection of pastries, and have cafecito at the table outside. We'll see how that works.

Electricity and water report for Monday - Water was off in the morning till 8, and electricity went off at 9 (time enough to get a shower). Electricity back on at 11, back off from 3 - 5.

Weather: got a good downpour on Saturday; Sunday was beautiful - sunny and cool; clear most of Monday, with a few sprinkles in the late afternoon.

Tags: laborday, pool, cannon, celebration, fireworks, drive, friendly, cafecito, visit, electricity, water

April 28, 2007 - electricity and water

We´ve been getting a lot of electrical outages (and water outages at least elsewhere), and finally got some rain. The entire country is facing a water shortage (it is near the end of the dry season), and because 50% of the electricity is hydroelectric, electricity is also a problem. So, we are getting rolling blackouts (shades of California a few years ago, but lasting a bit longer). Yesterday we had no electricity from 9am - 1:30, and again from 3 - 7pm. Our fridge was warm this morning, so we are cooking all our meals today instead of going into Cartago. Everyone expects the electrical and water outages to continue for weeks, if not months.

We saw a picture of the local reservoir in the paper - it is *very* low. Even with a lot of rain soon, it will take quite a while to refill.

April 20, 2007 - lights out!

Last night, just as Teresita was getting dinner started, the electricity went out. I grabbed our flashlights, and others found candles. We went out to the street to see how bad it was, and the entire town was dark (except the bank - it had a generator). The street reminded me of times at work when the electricity would go out - people gathered under the emergency lighting and visited. There were a *lot* of people visiting in the street - was a kind of party :). It lasted less than an hour, but we had several more episodes in the evening - the lights dimmed a few times, and they went out once more. The party was over by 9:30, and the electricity stayed on through the night - very fortunate for me, since I can't sleep without my CPAP machine, and it can't work without electricity ;(.

We found out more details - the entire country lost electricity! ICE was managing the water by moving some around - Guanacaste is very dry now, and has a water shortage. When they move the water around, the hydroelectric system can't handle it, and we get brown-outs (and black-outs). I know Costa Rica supplies power to Panama and Nicaragua, but I haven't heard whether these countries also lost power.

The news said they will be doing this some more tonight, so we expect more of the same.