Showing posts with label Home rental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home rental. Show all posts
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
News from the North
I was going to say frozen north, but we haven't been that this year. A balmy winter with very little snow - at least within the Toronto city limits. No boots, no shovels and a comfortable walk to work.
Today we sprung ahead to daylight savings time - now it might actually be light until 7 pm - we are close to reaching 12 hours of daylight with spring a week away. Funny how 12 hours of daylight and when it happens isn't an issue when we are south - but here it seems a gift from heaven.
The combination of my mom's passing in February and the reality of my work environment has started my mind in motion - spurred by the fact my pension statement shows my early retirement date as March 1, 2014! Maybe Freedom 55 can be a reality!!
News from down south - we have had 3 very successful rentals - all suitably impressed with the accommodations - mostly impressed with how well stocked the house is - read that as Lisle has every gadget known to man - even in the jungle!
While we have been warm this winter, Ojochal has been baking - high temps (35) and no rain. Makes for great beach weather (can't wait to hear about the moonlight beach picnic and bonfire) but is disastrous for the roads that dry out and crack! I am sure there are complaints about the dust as people drive by! I hope the hot dry trend doesn't mean extra wet later on - still no bridge in sight for the river!
Apparently the Begonias don't mind the weather!!
Well the dates for our return to Ojochal are coming together - early July likely. I am pushing for 7 weeks, but not sure Lisle can do that. It's killing him that I might be there longer than him!
Today we sprung ahead to daylight savings time - now it might actually be light until 7 pm - we are close to reaching 12 hours of daylight with spring a week away. Funny how 12 hours of daylight and when it happens isn't an issue when we are south - but here it seems a gift from heaven.
The combination of my mom's passing in February and the reality of my work environment has started my mind in motion - spurred by the fact my pension statement shows my early retirement date as March 1, 2014! Maybe Freedom 55 can be a reality!!
News from down south - we have had 3 very successful rentals - all suitably impressed with the accommodations - mostly impressed with how well stocked the house is - read that as Lisle has every gadget known to man - even in the jungle!
While we have been warm this winter, Ojochal has been baking - high temps (35) and no rain. Makes for great beach weather (can't wait to hear about the moonlight beach picnic and bonfire) but is disastrous for the roads that dry out and crack! I am sure there are complaints about the dust as people drive by! I hope the hot dry trend doesn't mean extra wet later on - still no bridge in sight for the river!
Apparently the Begonias don't mind the weather!!
Well the dates for our return to Ojochal are coming together - early July likely. I am pushing for 7 weeks, but not sure Lisle can do that. It's killing him that I might be there longer than him!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Strangers in the House
We had our first renters at the end of January. From all accounts, they loved the house and plan to return (I heard they bought property during their stay). They were connected to a group with Steve Linder www.PacificLots.com and Steve has some great photos of the house and the group - very odd seeing photos of your home with strangers walking through the bedroom and down the stairs!
The second renters just left, and the third are expected next week.
The second renters just left, and the third are expected next week.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Take It For Granted
That's what we do for most things in life - especially those of us fortunate enough to live in a major North American city. This past stay left me with a new appreciation for some of these things and the absurdity of them in rural Costa Rica.
What are those concrete phone booths?
Actually they are holding cells at the local police station - which was built by Gringos some years ago. Oh and the locals (mostly gringos) help keep the police motorcycle repaired and funded for gas! It is staffed with 2 officers and only until 5 pm. I assume they have a phone, but not sure I know where to find the number, and if you could call them it would be at least 20 minutes for them to arrive (no 911, what's your problem, I'll stay on the line til help arrives) - and they only speak Spanish. So that means you pay attention to strangers, listen to the strange noises, have a panic button and a machete, call your neighbors for help.
When will the road be paved?
Outside of San Jose, except for the major highways, most roads are dirt (dirt, clay, rock) and are like driving on a washboard while avoiding the exposed boulders and giant potholes (especially if it is raining and you don't know if the 'puddle' is 1" or 1' deep). Road maintenance is a full time job. The torrential rain changes the road daily - creates new holes, fills others and moves rock and dirt. It carves out gutters - along the side of the road, down the middle of the road and sometimes right across the road. Attempts to pave these roads disappear in a single season. You drive slowly and follow the clear track - even if it is on the wrong side or switches back and forth.
Do you have a defibrillator?
Really? One of our friends was asked this by a potential land buyer! Maybe not a bad idea, but the concept of emergency medicine needs to be put in context. The Hospital (fully equipped and very modern) is 40 minutes away - 20 minutes of that is on dirt road, across a river and up a mountain - there is an ambulance service, but there is no "address" so they need to be able to find you, and remember no '911 how may I help you". Even if the neighbor had a defibrillator, unless they are ''right next door' it is likely 5 minutes before they could be there. So, you pay attention to your health, rely on Dr. Dean, Dr. David and Nurse Barb, and if you are smart, act early.
What are we going to do with that!?
My question over the appearance of fire hydrants throughout the phase. Do we have a fire department? There might be one in Uvita (20 minutes) or Dominical (40 minutes), but even if they came, it is unlikely a truck could cross the river and conquer the mountainous roads. Do we have a hose? No! Is there a wrench to open the hydrant? No. They certainly are bright and shiny and red! Given that the homes are largely concrete, the most likely thing to burn in the vegetation.
Where is the nearest mall?
Another potential buyer question - and certainly a relevant one for those of us with spouses who require regular courses of retail therapy! The answer - San Jose - but don't buy stuff you aren't going to use regularly. Enough clothes for a change or two (you seldom wear anything but shorts and a t-shirt) two sets of sheets (one for the bed and one in the wash). If you aren't going to use it regularly (read daily) it will be moldy, smelly, or rotten when you next pull it out of the storage space. My leather sandals (covered in black and green fuzzy stuff) , 3 baseball caps growing mold in a week. Stories of dress shoes and sports jackets off to the trash. Simplify - Minimize - Use It!
How long does it take to ...?
Get somewhere or do something - the answer is - it depends! It took us 4 hours to get home from Uvita - 3 1/2 hours of that spent waiting to be able to cross the river. There is the slide or washout that blocks the highway, the sloth crossing the road, the farm vehicle or the local festival. Getting a bank card or dealing with an issue with the electric company is many trips over many days and includes legal documents and lawyers fees. So you learn to plan ahead and be patient.
I always laugh to myself at the reaction of our friends in Toronto over these things. We have all grown to expect a great deal of our society and infrastructure - everything organized for our convenience because we are such busy people. In some ways it is actually nice to be able to say "all I have to do today is go to the bank"!
What are those concrete phone booths?
Actually they are holding cells at the local police station - which was built by Gringos some years ago. Oh and the locals (mostly gringos) help keep the police motorcycle repaired and funded for gas! It is staffed with 2 officers and only until 5 pm. I assume they have a phone, but not sure I know where to find the number, and if you could call them it would be at least 20 minutes for them to arrive (no 911, what's your problem, I'll stay on the line til help arrives) - and they only speak Spanish. So that means you pay attention to strangers, listen to the strange noises, have a panic button and a machete, call your neighbors for help.
When will the road be paved?
Outside of San Jose, except for the major highways, most roads are dirt (dirt, clay, rock) and are like driving on a washboard while avoiding the exposed boulders and giant potholes (especially if it is raining and you don't know if the 'puddle' is 1" or 1' deep). Road maintenance is a full time job. The torrential rain changes the road daily - creates new holes, fills others and moves rock and dirt. It carves out gutters - along the side of the road, down the middle of the road and sometimes right across the road. Attempts to pave these roads disappear in a single season. You drive slowly and follow the clear track - even if it is on the wrong side or switches back and forth.
Do you have a defibrillator?
Really? One of our friends was asked this by a potential land buyer! Maybe not a bad idea, but the concept of emergency medicine needs to be put in context. The Hospital (fully equipped and very modern) is 40 minutes away - 20 minutes of that is on dirt road, across a river and up a mountain - there is an ambulance service, but there is no "address" so they need to be able to find you, and remember no '911 how may I help you". Even if the neighbor had a defibrillator, unless they are ''right next door' it is likely 5 minutes before they could be there. So, you pay attention to your health, rely on Dr. Dean, Dr. David and Nurse Barb, and if you are smart, act early.
What are we going to do with that!?
My question over the appearance of fire hydrants throughout the phase. Do we have a fire department? There might be one in Uvita (20 minutes) or Dominical (40 minutes), but even if they came, it is unlikely a truck could cross the river and conquer the mountainous roads. Do we have a hose? No! Is there a wrench to open the hydrant? No. They certainly are bright and shiny and red! Given that the homes are largely concrete, the most likely thing to burn in the vegetation.
Where is the nearest mall?
Another potential buyer question - and certainly a relevant one for those of us with spouses who require regular courses of retail therapy! The answer - San Jose - but don't buy stuff you aren't going to use regularly. Enough clothes for a change or two (you seldom wear anything but shorts and a t-shirt) two sets of sheets (one for the bed and one in the wash). If you aren't going to use it regularly (read daily) it will be moldy, smelly, or rotten when you next pull it out of the storage space. My leather sandals (covered in black and green fuzzy stuff) , 3 baseball caps growing mold in a week. Stories of dress shoes and sports jackets off to the trash. Simplify - Minimize - Use It!
How long does it take to ...?
Get somewhere or do something - the answer is - it depends! It took us 4 hours to get home from Uvita - 3 1/2 hours of that spent waiting to be able to cross the river. There is the slide or washout that blocks the highway, the sloth crossing the road, the farm vehicle or the local festival. Getting a bank card or dealing with an issue with the electric company is many trips over many days and includes legal documents and lawyers fees. So you learn to plan ahead and be patient.
I always laugh to myself at the reaction of our friends in Toronto over these things. We have all grown to expect a great deal of our society and infrastructure - everything organized for our convenience because we are such busy people. In some ways it is actually nice to be able to say "all I have to do today is go to the bank"!
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