Author: Charlie

Retired American nature-lover, living in Costa Rica, photographing birds and other jewels of nature. This site simply reports on my joys of being RETIRED IN COSTA RICA!
Posted on

Car Paved Around in San Ramon & Theater Anniversary

A Lack of Communication?
I guess in the states the car would have been towed – maybe – but in San Ramon, Costa Rica this guy leaves his car parked on a street on paving day and the workers just pave around it. A little funny from Costa Rica!

See Tico Times article

It is exciting to see how Costa Rica is celebrating the 117th Birthday of the National Theater tomorrow. I look forward to hearing the national symphony or some other performance in that beautiful theater! And by the way, you did know that Nashville, Tennessee’s Symphony Director,  Giancarlo Guerrero, is from Costa Rica? Didn’t you?

Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica
Posted on

Human-Pseudo Orcas Snorkeling Encounter

In the southwest corner of Costa Rica off the coast of Osa Peninsula (Corcovado National Park) is an area for great whale-watching and dolphin-watching. But this encounter by snorkelers with the rare Pseudo Orcas (a type of dolphin sometimes calle “false killer whate”) is supposedly rare and beautiful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6sLoTzTk5k#t=221

If I decide later to live on the coast, this southern Pacific Coast is the area I would choose, even though more isolated or maybe because it is isolated!  🙂

Posted on

Why Do “Easy Jobs” Get So Complicated?

Sunrise at Tortuguero by Charlie

In addition to continuing to sell things and/or arrange for the pre-sell of items like the washer/dryer (Sold!) and the car (Sold!), I have to deal with car dealers for appraisals and struggle with unanswered phone calls, etc.

BUT the biggest issue this week was the simple email that said “click here” to upgrade your system to Windows 8.1 (from just 8). Wish I had never clicked! I spent a good bit of two days dealing with all the problems like the sound not working, all drivers needed to be updated, by me of course! Why can’t they make that a part of an upgrade? Then I googled for help on the sound first and some company, implying they represented Microsoft, wanted $200 to get my computer working correctly again. After an hour of “Live Chat” I canceled and found a true Microsoft fix for the sound and downloaded the needed drivers myself. Grrr.

Then, knowing that the address the apartments gave me in Atenas may not be permanent and will not work for internet ordered packages, I spent several days signing up for an Aeropost mailbox and street address in Miami. ARCR would have handled it for me if I wanted to go to downtown San Jose to pickup my mail and packages, but they recommended that I have them delivered to a pickup station closer to where I live, which is the Aeropost Office in Alajuela (near airport). That meant working with the spanish-speaking employees of Aeropost, Aerocasillas in Espanol. After most of a week, getting a USPS Form 1583 notarized today, I now have everything done for my two Miami addresses, except for hand-delivering the notarized form and copies of passport and driver license to the Alajuela office on my first visit.

It is too early to give these addresses out right now, but I will publicize them by the first of December and send change of address cards for Christmas Cards. And make them pretty too!   🙂

And in Spanish Class we are trying to memorize the many versions of the verb “to be” -ser. My head is spinning, but for a good reason!  🙂 And at school yesterday, my tutoring was interrupted with an awards ceremony assembly to recognize perfect attendance and good citizenship, while my kindergarteners are still learning how to write their names and the sounds of the alphabet. Slow progress everywhere this week – but good and important progress! I feel that a lot of things are starting to “fall in place” (with a lot of help!).

PURA VIDA! 
Posted on

Church Possibilities in Atenas

“Atenas New Community”

About 4 or 5 blocks from my apartment in Atenas is a non-denominational Bible Church Iglesia Biblica Atenas. 

They have Sunday morning services in Spanish language that I’ll attend.

Iglesia Biblica Atenas

Connected with it is an English-speaking Atenas New Community with Bible Study on Tuesday night and English Language Worship on Wednesday evening in the same building.

Both the Tico church and the English speaking community are somehow affiliated with LifePoint Church in Plano, TX and the English leader, Steve Lucas, was formerly on staff at that Plano church. The auditorium above seems to be used for Spanish on Sunday morning and English on Wednesday night.

40 minutes away in Escazu is the large, English-speaking International Baptist Church if I really get in the mood for a larger North American style Evangelical Church, though I expect to stay close to Atenas at first.

International Baptist Church
Escazu, Costa Rica

Click the links to each church above to see what I have to look forward to. The two in Atenas just have Facebook pages, but IBC has a full website and busy program. Christian fellowship and worship is important to me. I may try others I discover in Atenas.

And oh yes, I have already been invited to the Atenas New Community Christmas Eve service in English if I get in and settled in time. I am to arrive at airport at 2:00 and service is at 5:30 – so we’ll see!   🙂

Posted on

Atenas Listed as #1 Place to Retire in Costa Rica!

Central Plaza of Atenas
My photo of us walking through in August
I’ll live 8 blocks from this plaza.

Today’s edition of InsideCostaRica Newspaper in an article by Jason Holland,  International Living Costa Rica Editor, lists the five best towns in which to retire in Costa Rica and my choice, Atenas, was ranked #1. It is also interesting to note as the headline says, none of the top 5 are on the beach!

Also see my September 21 Post on AARP listing Atenas as one of the best places in the world to retire. I also included several links to sites about Atenas in that post where you can learn more about my coming new hometown. I’m excited to be moving to such a highly rated place! Just 11 weeks from this Wednesday!

Posted on

The Costa Rica Amazon?

Aerial View of Tortuguero River/Canal not showing the beach area.
Photo from Chris Howard’s Live In Costa Rica Blog site

Chris Howard’s newsletter today tells about one of my favorite places in Costa Rica, Tortuguero which he calls Costa Rica’s Amazon. Having experienced part of the Amazon, I agree. And see my photos of Tortuguero as Days 3 & 4 in my Costa Rica 210 Photo Gallery. Or look at some professional photos on the Anywhere Costa Rica website, noting there are two sets on that site, one by tapping the arrows on the header collection and a static collection seen by scrolling down the page. There is good information on the Wikipedia page too!

Well, you can see it is one of the places I love in Costa Rica and will continue to visit while living there! There is another jungle boat ride in Los Chiles that is almost as good and of course Corcovado is the largest rainforest, but that is mostly seen by hiking with a guide. Recently a young man from Alaska was lost hiking there, meaning a guide is necessary. Well enough jungles for today! 

Posted on

ARCR Moving Checklist

That will be me in a few months!  🙂
A Biker I photographed near Puntarenas in 2011

I’ve been a member of Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR) since before the summer trip and it is the organization that conducted the seminar as part of the tour and provided me with an attorney who is helping me work through the Residency Application process.

They have helped in other ways and as part of the new member packet, I received a MOVING CHECKLIST FOR COSTA RICA that lists everything that must be done starting at 4-6 months before moving, then 3-4 months, 2 months, 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week, and 1 day, plus a list for “After Arrival.” I have copied the activities related to me on my own countdown list with the specific dates counting up to December 24, so I will be ready. It gives me more confidence and peace of mind as I check off the things to be done, including my own personal needs. It is too long to place here, but I encourage anyone considering a move to Costa Rica to immediately join the ARCR and pay attention to their great checklist! 

Posted on

Apology & Moving Sale!

Okay, the last post about not trying to extend life aggressively after age 75 offended some people and that is not what I intended. I’m just saying I’ll not worry about how much longer I live and I’ll probably live longer than average. I’m still trying to eat healthy and stay active (but do eat a dessert now and then!)   🙂  But if you didn’t go to the link and read the article, you missed a very interesting concept. And my oncologist friend at church yesterday told me about some situations where he has extended life of people already in their 80’s and I told him, yeah, I might let him do that to me. But I’m not afraid to die and don’t want to go to great lengths.

Now the move to Atenas, Costa Rica is serious and I am selling my stuff, first at a antique/thrift shop kind of place here at McKendree and big things via friends and Craig’s List. I have a Moving Sale Page on my website. I have a business card ordered from VistaPrint that looks like this:

And I’ve already sold $135 worth before the shop opens this Saturday. Plus I have items listed on my eBay Store where I’ve sold one set of books and one set of movies for close to $100 to people in Delaware and New York. And I have a friend who says he will buy my library shelves and matching furniture. So it is starting to happen! The car and washing machine are to go at the last minute, but hope to have them pre-sold. I just answered a phone call from someone who wanted the washer/dryer now, but I’m holding them until the last week. Let me know if you want any of my stuff. I’m not going to store it all! And I’ll have to give away most books, so come help yourself! 
Posted on

Why I Hope to Die at 75 . . .

Got your attention, huh? That is the title of a philosophy (not a book yet) that was reviewed tonight on the PBS Newshour, Why I Hope to Die at 75 by Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel. The link is to The Atlantic interview since I can’t find Judy Woodruff’s interview on PBS.org.

What the doctor brother of Ron Emanuel is talking about is something I basically subscribe to, though I expect to live past 75 which happens for me next year in Costa Rica! Otherwise, let nature take its course! One of the things he says is:

Once I have lived to 75, my approach to my health care will completely change. I won’t actively end my life. But I won’t try to prolong it, either.

That has become my philosophy after two years living in a retirement center that promised an active lifestyle but has at times depressed me with the mostly infirm residents talking more about their ailments than anything else while I trip over walkers and wheel chairs in the dining room, my first nudge toward retiring in a place like Costa Rica. I actually expect to live to 85 or 95, but I could just as easily go next year and I’m ready if so. When I cease contributing to my world and start being a drain on the world and the people around me, then it seems best to go. Though basically healthy now, my body is not getting stronger, healthier or better. I am past “my peak” and will at some point become a drain on society and that is what I do not want. Well, read the article and you will see what I mean.

In the meantime I’ll do the things I enjoy the most: interacting with nature, loving God and people, and find a church or Christian fellowship. I believe I can do it with more freshness and adventure in a tropical rainforest! (I’m weary of everything American.) The move is already helping me simplify my life and slow down – just one adventure a week!  🙂  I think I will rest more, write more, create more photographic images. Of course having no grandchildren also makes it easier to go.

After I gain residency, I will get on the very affordable government healthcare program, CAJA, that will not likely try to over-extend my life and my advance directives are already in place. No more colonoscopies or worrying about my health, cancer, heart or stroke. When it is time to go, I will hopefully go quickly. Plus I have insurance that will fly my ashes back to Nashville to be buried next to Juli (If I haven’t donated my body to C.R. Medical School as I had planned for Vanderbilt in Nashville). Either way, a perfect ending.

In short, Dr. Emanuel’s philosophy seems to fit in with some of my unstated reasons for moving to Costa Rica. I’m nearing the end of my life and choosing to end it in a place I truly love. Simple.

And friend Robbie shared another quote that fits my big move:

Taking a chance and stepping beyond the safety of the world we’ve always known is the only way to grow.”
— Wil Wheaton,
American actor