Living here in Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone, or “Costa Ballena” as it is called, has some interesting quirks. Quirks that, when considered as a list can make one wonder why this place is frequently referred to as “paradise” and achieving the “dream”. Here are some examples of what I mean:
- You live on a “public road”, but you pay for your road care with your cooperative neighbors
- The U. S. Government has worked it so that expat citizens must disclose their Costa Rica bank accounts to the Treasury Department on their tax returns. I hear mixed numbers about this, but I understand that there are only about 2 countries in the world that require annual tax filing from their expat citizens, the US being one of them.
- Ditto for disclosing your Costa Rica corporations
- Emergency medical care can take a while to get to you, like when you are lying on the side of the road, waiting for an ambulance
- You hear prowlers outside of your gorgeous ocean view home – the police have no gas for their vehicle, so you call your neighbors
- You bring a book with you to the bank so you can pass the time waiting for the next available teller
- Un-cared for domestic animals
- Rip tides
- Sun
However, I contend that…
the lack of such services here in The Zone, may have something to do with