Expat Living in Costa Rica: Welcome to Jaco Beach!

Nick Hodges, CPA/PFS, MBA, CFP

As the new owner of a condominium in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, I am looking forward to sharing my experience abroad with others. I’m not able to live there full time, so I have invited friends and family to come down and spend some time there. My children are now in their teens and twenties, so they really don’t want to travel with dear ol’ dad. They are planning to spend a few weeks at the condo while I am away. I confess that I am a protective dad and felt I had to ‘explain’ a few things to them before they arrived. What follows is my letter to them, I hope you enjoy it.

My Dear Son and Daughter,

Welcome to Jaco Beach!
Since you’ve specifically asked me NOT to come with you, I can’t help but think of some of the differences you will find here. While many things will look and seem just like the States, they can be very, very different from what you would expect! For instance, the shower looks like a tiled shower in the States, but the hot water is generated by an electrical heater attached to the showerhead; if you touch it while it’s on or the water’s running, you will be shocked. I have affectionately dubbed it the “Suicide Shower.”

Things to bring

• The right shoes. Because the sidewalks may be uneven, most everyone wears flats; only the ‘working’ girls wear heels. Bring good walking sandals, flip-flops, and beach shoes (there are some rocks at the shoreline.)
• The meds you need. While the grocery store and the pharmacies carry things like Claritin, Advil, Tylenol, and Imodium, they are often costly – priced by the tablet instead of the bottle.
• Lots of beach wear. I always pack more clothes than I need and wind up spending every day in a bathing suit. Pack at least two bathing suits.
• Clothes too. First on the list: a good sunhat with visor that you will wear everywhere. After that, about a week’s worth of everyday clothing. You can have your clothing cleaned at the local Lavanderia, but don’t bring clothing that needs special care or that you can’t afford to lose. (When you get your clothes cleaned, you’ll understand.)

Things to consider doing
Besides the beach and restaurants and shopping, there are lots of other things you might consider doing. Things change, so check with Mr. Bob or The Tico Times (www.ticotimes.net) about any of these that catch your interest.

• Wednesday nights – The El Hicaco Seafood Restaurant in Jaco has all you can eat lobster with all you can drink. This one’s about $75 per person, so make sure you budget for it.
• Thursday nights - $1 beers at Claritas (north end of Jaco Beach)
• Friday morning – There’s a Farmers’ Market at the south end of town.
• Find the Mega Super (food market) there is an English movie theater above it and a Pizza Pata ($3 a slice) out front.
• There are live plays in English at the theater on the main drag.
• I recommend the Los Suenos Ziplining tour, snorkeling at Tortuga Island, or visiting the monkeys. Mr. Bob is your guy to set any of these up for you. If you think you might want to go on an adventure tour, I suggest you pack closed-toe shoes, socks, and long pants.

Things to completely avoid

• Too much sun. The sun here is very, very hot; in just 15 minutes you can become badly sunburned. Please wear your hat and use sun block every time you go out.
• Flushing paper products down the toilets. Funny, the plumbing here looks just like at home but it’s not! The building codes are different here, so flushing paper products may result in an embarrassing situation. I encourage you to toss your used toilet paper in the trash bin next to the toilet – there’s a trash bin next to every toilet in town.
• Drugs. Drugs are illegal here; if you are caught buying or using them, I may not be able to get you out of jail. Don’t be fooled, the justice system here is very, very different from home.
• Sidestreets after dark. I know this sounds over-protective, and you might be okay doing this a few times, but I want you to be safe while you are having a good time. There’s plenty of fun to be had all along the well-lit main street at night.

Don’t forget

• The water is different here. You might have a reaction to drinking it, brushing your teeth with it, or washing your uncooked food with it. I encourage you to drink bottled water and use the filtered water (on the condo’s bathroom faucet) for brushing your teeth or washing your food.
• Enjoy the ocean. Be alert to the riptides and undercurrents when you are in the ocean; they are much stronger than they might seem at first. I like to walk the beach at low tide and swim a couple of hours before high tide.
• Leave the sand outside. Please always rinse off at the showers near the pool when you’ve been at the beach.
• Keep your passports safe. I encourage you to make a copy of your passport before you leave home. When you arrive, keep your passports in the locked safe and carry the copy with you. Remember, you can’t get back home without your passport.
• Use the safe for electronics and valuables. iPhones and other electronics are everywhere at home and easily replaced. Here, they are very valuable, often costing 1-1/2 times what they cost in the States. Use the safe; lock the safe. You’ll be glad you did.
• Wear shoes when cooking in the kitchen. Remember when I said the building codes are different here? Well, you’ll find out if you try to cook while barefoot! If you don’t like being shocked every time you open the microwave door, I suggest you wear shoes when using the electrical appliances.
• Budget your spending money wisely. While you hear that everything is cheaper here than in the States, it’s hard to see what’s really cheaper when the price is in Colones. SOME things are cheaper. Most vendors will let you pay in U.S. dollars, but the conversion may surprise you. Take the Colones’ price, which is usually in the thousands, multiply by two and drop three zeros. That will give you the price in dollars so you can budget accordingly. Also, most merchants will negotiate their prices with you if you like the thrill of bargaining.

Everyone I’ve met here is very friendly and happy to try to speak whatever English they know when I try to speak the Spanish I know. I love you both very, very much and want to make sure you have the best adventure possible. Please enjoy yourselves and come home safe with lots of new stories.
Love,
Dad

PS – I just found out that Wednesday nights (about 9 pm) there’s Karaoke at the Aqua Beach, just outside the condo gates. And, don’t kill the lizard in the condo, it eats the bugs. ;)