Zow
Footballguy
Agreed.Make sure to get some time in more inland to experience the cloud forests and hot springs.
Agreed.Make sure to get some time in more inland to experience the cloud forests and hot springs.
Hmmm. Might take you up on this. Much appreciated!If you get a Schwab Online Checking Account, there are zero atm fees anywhere in the world. Zero foreign transaction fees, too. Zero fees to have the account, too. I have saved thousands of dollars in atm fees with it. Get a $100 referral bonus with a $1,000 deposit with this code (I get a bonus, too): http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/nn/refer-prospect.html?refrid={REFID}
I might have made a mistake about the referral bonus. It says that the referral bonus doesn't apply the the High Yield Investor Checking Account. I think the High Yield Investor Checking Account is the one with zero atm fees. Here is a link without bonuses for either of us https://www.schwab.com/checkingHmmm. Might take you up on this. Much appreciated!
dude... take a step off your Jump to conclusions mat.Urban legend. No place in the world will give you a better rate for greenbacks than their local currency. They will always take a cut.
If you tip a local in usd, they then have the hassle of having to exchange it to their local currency. They love tips. They prefer them in their local currency. Don't be that American.I have been told specifically by people who ACTUALLY live in the area I'm visiting that they love getting USD as tIps. I have PERSONALLY spoken with folks in Ecuador who have said the same Many vendors in Tamarindo quote prices on signage in USD due to the dense gringo population.
You're right. I should listen to a some penny pinching nerd on the internet who's never been to the place I'm going instead of The people who live there.If you tip a local in usd, they then have the hassle of having to exchange it to their local currency. They love tips. They prefer them in their local currency. Don't be that American.
I spent a month in Samara. I speak Spanish. I have spent a total of 7 years in Latin America. Americans in Costa Rica and Mexico are some of the least informed tourists I have ever met.You're right. I should listen to a guy on the internet who's never been to the place I'm going instead of The people who live there.
Dude, go away.
Cool. Here's your cookie. Go awayI spent a month in Samara. I speak Spanish. I have spent a total of 7 years in Latin America. Americans in Costa Rica and Mexico are some of the least informed tourists I have ever met.
The noose in the shower little ominous, no?Whoa. Surprised at the interest! Will definitely post updates and perceptions A few notes from above:
- Have heard the locals were amazing. Found the folks in Ecuador to be incredibly kind. Hoping for more of the same.
- Yes, it's our first time to Costa Rica, or Central America really. Absent my week in Ecuador, this is either of our only trip to central/south America.
- Yep will be hot/dry season... so we'll be seeing a lot of mid 90s and fairly humid. Will be interesting.
- Definitely planning weekend excursion or two inland!
THE HOUSE:
We've selected our home for that month. Casa Verano
3BR/2.5BA House that backs up to the jungle at the end of a short dead end road Gated yard with a small private pool put back. Big selling point is its right around the corner from the heart of town. 2 min walk to dining / shopping. Sub 5 min walk to the sand. 50MBps Fiber internet, with a 4G hotspot as a backup.
Running a bit over $3k with fees for the 4 weeks. Includes weekly maid service, weekly pool service, and a local concierge who's already working on our shuttles. Apparently she also is a helluva cook and will come cook local chow for us for cheap.
Weve got my brother and SIL coming in for 5 days for their anniversary. Also two of the GFs girlfriends coming in for our final week. Finally one of my best buddies and his wife are coming down for some scuba/fishing/etc.
Will be fun balancing work with hanging with friends and family. With everything walkable, they should be fine entertaining themselves while we work.
Haven't booked anything until Tamarindo yet... may wait till we are down there. Not sure yet. It is high season so things book up quickly,
Regafding phone stuff: Google fi does NOT allow tethering internationally on iOS devices so that's out
Hoping Kolbi SIMs allow for hotspot access or I'll be stuck paying Verizon's anal #### fees for international service so I can keep an eye on work emails when away from the house.
Walkthrough of Samara
Cinematic Eye Candy video of the beach
40 days to go....
Locals might try to use it on him when he starts tipping those 2 dollar bills he plans on bringing.The noose in the shower little ominous, no?
Take it to the political Forum, guy.beer 30 said:The noose in the shower little ominous, no?
Thanks for the input! It's a damn good suggestion. Have read that one damn near top to bottom already.ex-ghost said:If you are still looking around at blogs, this one is good: https://mytanfeet.com/blog
We rented our car from Adobe and they were absolutely fantastic. Did the same thing with our CSR card, they know the drill.
I also asked them questions and they were very fast to respond. A great help.Thanks for the input! It's a damn good suggestion. Have read that one damn near top to bottom already.
Couple other good spots for Samara specific info for those looking to dig a bit:
Samara Info Center : Great site focusing on Samra and nearby Carrillo. Brenda is extremely kind and eager to help individually as well.
The Dufresnes YouTube Channel - Canadian expats who've moved to Samara full time a few years back. Built/Run shipping container rentals, but also post some good tips, reviews, walk throughs, etc. Doesn't hurt that Chris is a damn solid photo/videographer.
Still am so jealous of this trip. Man. Should be awesome.After doing a bit of digging on the Schwab High Yield account, I take back what I said. Thought it was just another checking account, but the investment account tie in and the other benefits are pretty slick.
Thanks for the heads up @Don Hutson. Went ahead and created account and moved a chunk of cash over. Will serve nicely for non-retirement investing and checking.
Regarding the trip, the AirBNB host continues to be an amazing communicator. Super helpful. Apparently the house has an outside toilet stall (for the pool) and shower stall (with privacy door). Outdoor jungle showers are definitely happening.
She found out in info BBQ (while discussing kitchen equipment and outdoor gas grill). She wants me to look over the grill setup and if it needs anything by my judgment, the concierge will purchase it.
Also Rosy the maid apparently gets 2000colones/hr ($3USD) so we will be paying the $12/week up-charge to have her come twice a week so the GF can relax. Take the laundry and much of the dishes off her to do list.
COVID UPDATE: Biden's addition of the mandatory 1 week quarantine after arrival may create issues for a couple of our guests.
My brother works for himself but his wife is a sub teacher and likely won't be able to work. Also their kids will likely be pulled from school for a week even though they didn't go.
Anothrr couple are both military and commercial pilots... they will likely both also be sidelined for a week upon arrival.
All this after testing negative 72 hours before coming home, and coming from a country with dramatically fewer cases per capita than the US. So dumb.
One Of her GF's is booked for the last 10 days we are in Samara before heading up to Tamarindo. The cuter of the two is an airhead/pothead and might not get her passport sorted in time. We shall see.Still am so jealous of this trip. Man. Should be awesome.
The COVID stuff must be beyond frustrating - but we are also still in the middle of a pandemic. Most importantly, will the GF still have a visit from her two GFs? I mean really, that's way up the list of most important items.....
This is awesome. Thank you.costa rica was a top 5 bucket list for me
i really enjoyed but didnt love it as much as i thought i would
the wildlife i saw was amazing on my 3 week
i wouldnt retire there as it 1 of the most expensive countries in central america to live in
too Americanized so prices are higher then other countries
san jose - was ok . you do have to avoid some areas at night
tortuguero national park - amazing - you can do it all in 2 days , 3 days is more relaxed
La fortuna - this is where i picked up rental . very touristy but a good stop to see arenal volcano and national park , free hot springs on the road to the national park
did a couple of hikes in the area ( arenal observatory and lodge ) and drove around the lake ( lake arenal brewery)
monte verde - very touristy and small but a must do
tarmindo - this is where i started my drive down the west coast to ferry on bahia of paquera . laid back and surfer/party town . a couple of breweries in this town
samara - laid back as well . dos gringos brewing has lots of variety . you mist visit the macaw recovery sanctuary
santa teresa - another surfer town
punta arenas - caught the ferry to here from paquera ferry landing . great cheap burger from a food truck
jaco - a bigger surf and party town . from here did hikes in carara national park and drove down to manual antonia national park and hacendia baru national wildlife refuge
bargaces - middle of no where ( shouldve stopped here on the way to tarmindo) but need to stay here to go to palo verde national park
drove into central costa rica for a couple of days. heredia , barva , cartago a couple of other small towns and irazu volcano
back to san jose to catch a flight
i can check notes for restaurants as this is just from my pics
How we've handled covid so far...dumb. more draconian measures unfortunately needed until we curb this thing. I guarantee you'll see people not wearing masks on the airplane (at least for long periods of time while they eat/drink/gab)...now that's dumb.[icon] said:All this after testing negative 72 hours before coming home, and coming from a country with dramatically fewer cases per capita than the US. So dumb.
In checked bags? A small 3" blade? Is the concern CR security would confiscate?Re... pocketknife- I assume you're buying it down there. I've had too many tiny swiss army knife keychains confiscated at the airport post 9/11
Agreed we need to tighten things up... however that's a dumb restriction... particularly since cases will be on a steady downswing at that point. I've been one of the more vocal folks in favor of restrictions... this one just seems dumb but that's JMHO.How we've handled covid so far...dumb. more draconian measures unfortunately needed until we curb this thing. I guarantee you'll see people not wearing masks on the airplane (at least for long periods of time while they eat/drink/gab)...now that's dumb.
Checked bag should be fine.In checked bags? A small 3" blade? Is the concern CR security would confiscate?Re... pocketknife- I assume you're buying it down there. I've had too many tiny swiss army knife keychains confiscated at the airport post 9/11
Correct. I traveled to CR last year with a 7" filet knife in my checked luggage. Not an issue.Checked bag should be fine.
Yeah we rolled into Ecuador with an full roll and didn't catch any slack. That's what had me worried/confused.Correct. I traveled to CR last year with a 7" filet knife in my checked luggage. Not an issue.
This thread could take an interesting turn. I hope your hug game is strong[icon] said:One Of her GF's is booked for the last 10 days we are in Samara before heading up to Tamarindo. The cuter of the two is an airhead/pothead and might not get her passport sorted in time. We shall see.
Her about to be 21yo niece and one of her girlfriends were also considering coming down for a week for her bday but I don't think she's able to make it work with her job (nurse).
PICS OF GF's FRIENDS: SAMARA CAST PHOTOS >
(because it wouldn't be an FFA thread without them$
Can see pics of the GF's two friends...
"B" who's booked and 100% in, Also is bi and currently leaning forward ladies.
"C" who has applied for passport and is booking flight. Apparently she's in if she gets her passport in time (paid for expedited so she should). Unsure of her lean.
Bonus pic of GF and I for those who haven't seen/met us.
There are always going to be loopholes. Even after the China travel ban we were able to get people out thru Hong Kong.Biden increasing travel restrictions to/from EU and UK:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/biden-sign-sweeping-coronavirus-related-travel-restrictions-n1255484
This doesn't APPEAR to be an issue for my trip yet, but Biden is starting to make me nervous.
Central America/Mexico Road Trip! I can't want for the hijinks!Biden increasing travel restrictions to/from EU and UK:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/biden-sign-sweeping-coronavirus-related-travel-restrictions-n1255484
This doesn't APPEAR to be an issue for my trip yet, but Biden is starting to make me nervous.
I had a friend make that trip all the way from Houston to Argentina...on a motorcycle, solo. I doubt he'll ever do it again given the poor road conditions and overall logistics but made for some good stories. Glad he's still alive.Central America/Mexico Road Trip! I can't want for the hijinks!
Yeah, I've met a few guys who have done the whole "Long Way Down" thing. Some even on bicycles. I would have loved to do it but could never put together the time it takes.Major said:I had a friend make that trip all the way from Houston to Argentina...on a motorcycle, solo. I doubt he'll ever do it again given the poor road conditions and overall logistics but made for some good stories. Glad he's still alive.
This is crazy. I've seen the groups that go Austin to Anchorage, that stretch takes the better part of two months. There's no risk of getting killed by a Mexican drug lord, your biggest risk is a guy with a trump sticker in his f150 just plows you over because murica.Yeah, I've met a few guys who have done the whole "Long Way Down" thing. Some even on bicycles. I would have loved to do it but could never put together the time it takes.
I met a group of about 6 guys in Marathon, TX who had graduated high school in Philadelphia and decided to take off the day after their graduation party on bicycles. Spur of the moment. Not nice bicycles, Wal-Mart bicycles. No planning. I couldn't believe they'd made it as far as TX. They said they had learned to camp on church lawns at night because they were least likely to get kicked off them. They were headed to Argentina. Hope they made it.
@[icon]Sorry for the hijack.
My link.Anyways, the event was supposed to start like a half hour ago and there must still be 150 random people milling around the arena. There is even a beer guy down there. What the heck? When they gonna get out?
Then the chute opens and the first rider comes out of nowhere. Gets thrown within the first few seconds...
Now this is the part where in the states 2 dudes on horses come out and chase the bull back to the chutes.
In Costa Rica, the bull just starts mowing down civilians. Not only that, but people are running towards the bull. Apparently the game is you "win" by touching the bull between the eyes and not getting freight trained.
Awesome! I gots to play. Now for the record, my family are big time in the American bull riding scene. We have a few hundred rodeo bulls/coes standing on my parents farm and I have a lifetime of experience as well as having worked as an actual rodeo clown a few times in college. So I gotta see if I still got it.
I ask the guy that brought me if he had ever been out there and he said no, he wasn't crazy.
I got you bro, let's go!
We get out there and my guy sees someone he knows and comes back over to me.
"You want a joint?"
Heck yeah I do. So I'm living my best life as I life up a j in the middle of a packed stadium.
I'll post the video on Twitter but I "won" like the 2nd or third one that ran out. Got out of the way just as it cuts back and mows over like 15 people. Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Then after a couple more bulls, I nearly get plowed over because another dude shove me back towards the bull at it as running at us. Better me than him, right? Bull misses but straight up runs his untipped (sharp) horn right through this dude's back in front of me. They just drag the limp body out of the arena and roll it under the fence.
What the heck? I go back to my seat. That night we find out that getting mailed at a bull riding is a very common way to die in Costa Rica. They get like 100+ deaths a year.
Might take a minute but I'll post the videos and pics @hooter311 on twitter. My description does not give it justice.
I've been getting quite a bit of that lately....which is why I was inspired to post the story.
One of my clients who lives in Belize half the year said the best experience a guy could have on his belt is to fly into Mexico City, rent a car, and drive it through the jungle to Belize.Central America/Mexico Road Trip! I can't want for the hijinks!
Great point. We stayed in a non-resort local area around Turrialba and never intentionally changed currency. We paid at the local restaurants with USD and would get CR(?) back in change that we would sometimes use elsewhere.hooter311 said:Also, for the record. I stayed at the all inclusive for 3 weeks in guanacaste in 2018 and got by just find using American dollars. Never did any kind of exchanging.
Noted, THANK YOU. Willl check it out. May have to make it two days in La Fortuna@[icon]I have not been but I have been told to not miss The Monkey Park if ever near La Fortuna.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of CR.####### awesome story and videos, @hooter311 I can only hope we'll be that lucky to get dragged into some wild #### like that. I'll be surprised though.
Since we won't be at a resort the plan is still to pay mostly with CRC unless prices are quoted in USD. Will use Chase Sapphire for all big expenses (tours, big meals, etc) due to no international fees.
So we are officially planning on heading inland for 4-5 days (mar 20-24th) with B and possibly C (if she makes it) to hit:
- Rio Celeste (waterfalls where two clear rivers meet and reaction turns water turquoise blue)
- La Fortuna : hiking Arenal Volcano area, hitting coffee & Chocolate tour, and a sloth sanctuary. Staying in a small Airbnb in the heart of La Fortuna walkable to everything in town.
- Monteverde - Hiking the cloud forests, hanging bridges, etc.
B will be renting a 4x4 when she lands on the 19th so we will be driving inland.
Word is to avoid driving at night so we will heed that. Most roads shouldn't be bad from what I hear... Especially deep into dry season.
AirBNB host in Samara is offering us to come in early (next Tuesday) since the couple from France who booked before us had to cancel due to Covid restrictions. Sadly Memphis is getting hit with a freak snowstorm this week, so last minute Prep may be pushed back to where we can't do it.. but seeing if we can.
Awesome to hear. We we are adding a say in La Fortuna.Just got back from being there for two weeks. Had a great time.
Flew into Liberia, spent 6 days in Tamarindo, 4 days in Fortuna, 3 days in Manuel Antonio.
Highlight for me was the rainforest around Fortuna and all of the wildlife.
We both let our bosses know out of respect, but I'm not sure it's a requirement. Either way we are covered. Good question.Do you need to let your employer know that you're working outside of the country?
That's good. I ask because a lot of people are moving out of the state in which their employers are registered without informing HR, and some are moving completely out of the country. The problem that arises is that the payroll dept doesn't apply the correct tax withholding and there is no workers compensation in place where the employee moved to. In both situations, the employer face fines for non-compliance of wage and hour laws. This affects small companies more, of course.We both let our bosses know out of respect, but I'm not sure it's a requirement. Either way we are covered. Good question.
Tabacon is a 4 star hotel that is like half price right now...highly recommended. I’ve got some restaurant recos too. You’ll want to drive into La Fortuna for dinner...all of the hotels have subpar food.Awesome to hear. We we are adding a say in La Fortuna.
Still haven't looked into Tamarindo as much. Will be there 6 nights but haven't even booked a place yet. Looks fun. Just haven't gone as deep-dive as some other spots