We came to Costa Rica to escape the boom but it’s as if we never left home.
The construction cranes, the skyrocketing rents and home prices, the traffic, the growing disparity between rich and poor – it’s all right here, too.
Research done prior to our departure revealed that, indeed, Costa Rica is on the move. But I’m not sure whether it’s headed in the right direction, just like Calgary.
The search for a rental property here is proving just as difficult as it would for a fixed-income family in our home city. The difference is it’s more difficult to discern between neighbourhoods, unless we head straight to the affluent area known as Escazu, the Beverley Hills of San Jose.
There are no outward signs that clearly indicate one area is better than another, although there are some visual aids that certainly tell us where the expats like to settle.
Though I have yet see a Starbucks, I’m certain one must exist somewhere. Today, while travelling to the other side of the valley (by Tico bus which was an adventure all on its own) we saw a Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and a giant hardware store that had a different name but resembled Home Depot.
This was somewhat of a surprise given that where we are the groceries are bought either at the farmers market on Sunday or the store down the street, called Super Pita.
Those in more affluent areas shops at the Hipermas, probably akin to the Superstore. I’m not sure what the direct translation is, although ”mas” in spanish means more. Like home, it’s more, more and more.
Everybody, it seems, always wants more, no matter what part of the world you’re in. And when you don’t have more, money that is, the want becoms envy.
It’s not that I expected our purchasing power would escalate here. But I hadn’t quite expected it would be near par for what it is at home.
For instance, the place we’re in now, which is a two-bedroom, fully furnished villa located in a small town quite a distance from major stores, public amenities etc., is costing us $1,300 for the month. We are faced with the dilemma of staying here, where we’ll spend muchos colones on taxis to get anywhere, not to mention the time spent in them.
The local school rejected our kids, because the Costan Rican calendar is nearing its end and won’t begin again until early 2009. But we’ll pay about the same for housing, or possibly more to be in an area with an international school and our experience will likely be no different than as if we were living in our suburban neighbourhood in Calgary.
Food prices are not that cheap, either. It is less expensive for some things, but it also much higher for others. For example, while shopping the other day we paid $1.25 for a 640-gram bag of coffee while the smallest jar of peanut butter was about $4. A loaf of bread was $2 and a bag of rice of $1.50. A whole pineapple was $1.50 while a bag of carrots was only about 40 cents. Yet six red apples were about $2.00 and dozen eggs about $3.00.
I’m conflicted.
We embarked on this journey to explore a different lifestyle, one that involved a slower life, time with our kids and each other. Yet, I’m not sure exactly what that means and what it will look like and whatever we do it’s going to cost us about the same.
Throw in the dramatic variances in the weather and it’s a real quandary — here in San Rafael, it’s much cooler and not much different at home, late afternoon thundershowers every day that drive down the temperature so you need a sweater. Further down in the valley, which is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, it’s much hotter and dryer. Though we haven’t yet been to the beach (it’s about a two-hour drive) it’s apparently hotter still, somewhere in the high 30 C.
So, here we are. In Costa Rica. Seemingly right where we left off in Calgary.
Pura Vida?
Well, it’s certainly life.
Pure? I’m not sure.
