Happier Abroad Forum Community

If you have been to Costa Rica, as a tourist or a resident, what do you think about that country and its people and culture?

Was CR what you expected it to be? Did it exceed your expectations or fail to measure up to other Latin American countries you have visited?

ll444 wrote:If you have been to Costa Rica, as a tourist or a resident, what do you think about that country and its people and culture?

Was CR what you expected it to be? Did it exceed your expectations or fail to measure up to other Latin American countries you have visited?

Bumping an old thread here.

CR vs Mexico.

Thoughts?

I visited Costa Rica about 20 years ago and wasn't very impressed with the people. The women were less friendly than in most of Latin America and the food is tied with Chile as the worst food in Latin America. (It's interesting that good food correlates with good women.) The main reason to visit Costa Rica is for the landscape which is quite beautiful. For the people, Mexico is much better.

fschmidt wrote:I visited Costa Rica about 20 years ago and wasn't very impressed with the people. The women were less friend than in most of Latin America and the food is tied with Chile as the worst food in Latin America.

Re Costa Rica, I take you at your word, thanks.

But CR was suggested to me not for women, but for business climate.

I was talking to a successful American in Rosarito who is developing some lots there. He said that life there in Northern Baja is very nice, but can be boring after a couple of months. American retirees everywhere. I asked him where a young man who wants to work should go. He said New Zealand. I said what about if we are restricting it to Latin America. He said Costa Rica. He said that the country has a lot of business opportunity, is on a roll, and go-getters are welcome.

What are your thoughts on this?

fschmidt wrote: (It's interesting that good food correlates with good women.

So you probably don't go for Filipinas?

Sorry, I don't know anything about the business climate in Costa Rica.

fschmidt wrote:I visited Costa Rica about 20 years ago and wasn't very impressed with the people. The women were less friend than in most of Latin America and the food is tied with Chile as the worst food in Latin America. (It's interesting that good food correlates with good women.) The main reason to visit Costa Rica is for the landscape which is quite beautiful. For the people, Mexico is much better.

Costa Rica...nice place to visit..would not live there on a bet. Real estate is overpriced, I can buy a good house in the US in some places for less. Women? You MIGHT find some hot ones there- usually they are from Colombia. If you are in business you will be the target of every con man and government shyster that exists...

Overall, it is a glorified banana republic, a "Democracy" controlled by just a few ruling families. Enjoy, visit, pay too much, then move on. For relocating it is far better to find a real country.


Outwest

OutWest wrote:
Overall, it is a glorified banana republic, a "Democracy" controlled by just a few ruling families. Enjoy, visit, pay too much, then move on. For relocating it is far better to find a real country.


Outwest

Such as?

Jester wrote:

OutWest wrote:
Overall, it is a glorified banana republic, a "Democracy" controlled by just a few ruling families. Enjoy, visit, pay too much, then move on. For relocating it is far better to find a real country.


Outwest

Such as?

If you're thinking Central/South America, Chile is the way to go.

CannedHam wrote:

Jester wrote:

OutWest wrote:
Overall, it is a glorified banana republic, a "Democracy" controlled by just a few ruling families. Enjoy, visit, pay too much, then move on. For relocating it is far better to find a real country.


Outwest

Such as?

If you're thinking Central/South America, Chile is the way to go.

+1

Chile is a far more advanced society, with the highest degree of economic and political freedom. Chile has very little public debt and is friendly to certain classes of immigration.

Though I am in the Philippines, I am in the process of beginning to establish residency in Chile and will spend more than half my year there in the future. In addition, if one becomes a Chilean citizen, a Chilean passport is actually useful as opposed to others from such countries as the Philippines and most of Latin America.

outwest

I thought I read that the women in Chile weren't all that great, kinda like Argentina/semi westernized behavior. If that's true and it's true that the food sucks, I don't think I'll be looking to go there to find a girl.

manly5000 wrote:I thought I read that the women in Chile weren't all that great, kinda like Argentina/semi westernized behavior. If that's true and it's true that the food sucks, I don't think I'll be looking to go there to find a girl.

Stop reading and go there and see for yourself. I assure you there are plenty of nice, traditional women in Chile. You may have to go to a smaller city since the urban areas do tend to be more liberal (much like here in the US.) The women in Chile, at least the ones I know/have met, tend to be quite religious, so keep that in mind.

The food in Chile, however, sucks ass.

manly5000 wrote:I thought I read that the women in Chile weren't all that great, kinda like Argentina/semi westernized behavior. If that's true and it's true that the food sucks, I don't think I'll be looking to go there to find a girl.

Thanks for the boost...I showed the "bad place to find a girl" comment to my wife. Now she wants to move to Chile tomorrow! LOL
Really, I do not need to prowl for girls...I have a 20's nympho that does just fine.

The food? Yes, a lot of Chilean food is nothing special, but we are not helpless, we actually have something called a KITCHEN and the food at the Outwest cafe is splendid!

We like Chile because it is the least corrupt country in Latin America, rule of law, good property rights, and VERY LOW taxation.

Outwest

Well in your case Outwest the circumstances are different, so I suppose you'd have other motives... that's cool.

Are you planning to "Live like a King in Patagonia"? Name that movie!