Sunday ... At The End Of The World

When we moved from urban San Ramon to La Paz 2 years ago, we were the first and only foreigners in this country oasis. The phone line still ends just past our house and the last mile is on a primitive stone road. About 2 miles past our house the river crosses the road and you need a horse to enter the preserve that stretches all the way to Monteverde and Arenal. In many ways this is the end of the world ... just 20 minutes from San Ramon but as pure and natural as it gets.

In the time we've been here, a couple of folks have bought land past our house and built beautiful houses. It's nice having great new neighbors who also speak English and can be there for each other on this wild journey.

I used to have to go to San Ramon when I wanted more socializing and action. This past Sunday I went to 3 parties walking distance from my house. I never would have imagined this day a year ago.

I started out at an 11AM birthday party for Marielos, our wonderful Tico neighbor whose family has made our time here as smooth as can be. She made homemade corn tortillas and vegetable picadillo for a hearty topping. I didn't stay for the birthday cake as my tradition that grounds me in Costa Rica is watching the NFL on Sundays.


Off to Jeff and Jane's, a couple from Big Sur, California who have built a lovely modern home about a mile past our house. I love the locals but just having someone nearby who is from my culture makes a big difference. We had cocktails and watched some football.

The party shifted to Janet's, a brave 60 something who is La Paz's newest resident. Her land adjoins the preserve and is wild and "out there." My number one sidekick for my 8 years here Jimmy Lee joined us along with my partner Janet. Here we were at "the end of the world" watching the NY Giants (Los Gigantes) beat the Cowboys on satellite, enjoying snacks and drinks. Surreal to say the least!

No matter how native and natural a life we live here in Costa Rica, having a few friends nearby who speak English and have a similar cultural context is nice.

After 3 parties on Sunday we went back to our tranquilo life of sitting on our porch and watching the world go by ... very slowly.

Riteve : Costa Rica Car Inspection

Costa Rica has a national system of annual car inspection called Riteve. Having a current Riteve sticker allows you to drive confidently and legally. It is a common experience which makes me feel like I really live here. Both of our 2 experiences at Riteve were weird and notable.

While many people think moving to Costa Rica is about living in a country with no army, ecotourism, seeing lava at Volcano Arenal, surfing at Malpais/Santa Teresa or doing the canopy tour at Monteverde ..... getting your car inspected is more indicative of day to day Costa Rica life.













The process starts out impressively smooth and logical as you make your Riteve appointment on the internet choosing place, date and time. We did our first inspection in Alajuela. They said our emissions didn't pass the test, but that was the least of our issues. By the time we had worked our way through the inspectors' paces, one of the technicians destroyed our brakes. We had to drive home using the handbrake to stop. Last week, we decided to go to the Puntarenas Riteve for our second inspection. This time an inspector destroyed a line that held the car's power steering fluids. We drove home with the steering wheel barely working. On a better note, a technician allowed us to re-do one of the tests 5 times until we finally passed.

In a different culture I might have complained or written a letter to right the wrong. That seemed like a waste of time here.

Many people pay someone to take their car for inspection. I'm beginning to see the wisdom of not going through this process.

Once again patience and a sense of humor are a virtue in navigating aspects of Tico life.

Cerveza, por favor...Gracias!!!