The Importance of Having Contacts in Costa Rica

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We have made quite a few Costa Rican friends here and they are always available when we need help.

Minor is a bilingual retired EMT who now works for a Canadian company here. He has helped us with medical appointments at our hospital as our translator. He also helped us out during our last move. He arranged for a transport truck to help us move from Puente de Puedra to San Roque de Grecia, where we now live.

Alex is one of our taxi drivers when our car is out of commission. Recently we were parked at Super Rosvil grocery and our vehicle would not start - new battery was dead. Two strangers stopped to help. They gave us a boost but it still would not turn over. I WhatsApp’d Alex and 15 minutes later he showed up in his red taxi and got the car started. We drove straight home and let the car run for 15 minutes, as per his instructions. We continued driving the car as it continued to start and run.

The same thing happened again just the other day. Parked in downtown Grecia - battery dead. Lance flagged down a taxi and the driver got it going with a boost. Home we went. By the way, the taxi drivers are great for boosts and changing flat tires. I once had two Super Rosvil managers change a tire for me. They just came out of the store and did it.

We contacted our mechanic Josué. He recently installed the new battery. He picked up our Subaru at our house and took it to his shop. Turns out it was an electrical problem draining the battery. There were some other problems which he is now fixing and hopefully we will have our car back today. It’s not a new vehicle so problems can be expected.

There’s also Coco, a tow truck driver we know. I can WhatsApp him anytime if we need a tow.

Costa Ricans are great sources of information also. Alex referred us to Josué. Minor found Coco for us. They are wonderful friends. I once had a nice lady (bilingual) come up to me at our Ebais clinic. She offered her help when I saw the nurse and told me to call her any time.

Off Topic

As mentioned in my last blog post (April 2025) we have been having heavy rains. A storm that blew through the other day was fierce. Strong winds were blowing the rain sideways.  It resulted in this heavy mud floating down our laneway onto part of our patio and in front of our garage.

Our landlord Luis arranged for Toño and his helper to clean it up for us, which they did in short order.

Turns out the mucky mess is from a vacant lot next to us that is being developed and there is a lot of dirt piled up. Luis’ uncle lives near us and he is keeping an eye on the lot. Luis lives in Guanacaste (northern Costa Rica).

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - April 2025

During April, visits to this blog were received from the following 10 countries:

Each country is followed in brackets by the total number of visits received since records first started to be kept in November 2012. In addition to the numbers shown, there was 1 visit in April from an unidentified location.

From the time I started to keep track, the total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 137. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions - for example the Isle of Man - a self-governing British Crown Dependency from which 1 visit has been received.

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The following is a summary of the weather for April in the area where we live:

Similar to the last 3 months, there was again an unusual amount of cloud cover in April. Generally, the result was lower daytime high temperatures and higher overnight low temperatures. But, the clouds produced very little rain. In fact, in the area where we live, the amount of rain in April this year was less than any previous year.

Last month, I speculated that the erupting Poás Volcano might be having some affect on the weather in the area where we live. In view of the ongoing low amount of rain, Lance was prompted to pose the following question to Search Labs | AI Overview (a Google platform):

"Has the erupting Poás Volcano affected weather in Costa Rica."?

The answer was as follows:

'Yes, the erupting Poás Volcano in Costa Rica has significantly affected the weather, particularly in areas southwest of the volcano. Ashfall and volatile gases, carried by prevailing winds, have led to reports of ash deposition, acid rain, and poor air quality." Here's a more detailed look:

Ashfall and Air Quality:

The Tico Times reports in its April 14, 2025 edition that ash emissions from the volcano have been constant, with ashfall reported to the south and southwest. This has led to complaints of irritated eyes, skin, and respiratory problems in areas like San Luis de Grecia.

Acid Rain:

In the same edition, the Tico Times also indicates that acid rain has been an issue in areas like Grecia, due to the volcanic gases.

Wind Patterns:

The prevailing winds are carrying the ash and gases, particularly towards the southwest, leading to the effects mentioned above.

Water Quality:

Heavy rainfall atop the volcano could lead to increased ash and debris entering rivers, potentially impacting water quality in downstream communities, The Tico Times states in its April 24, 2025 edition."

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The references to Grecia in Tico Times are indefinite.  We live in San Roque de Grecia which is one of 7 districts in the Grecia Canton. The Canton covers a wide area generally southwest of the Poás Volcano. Another district is the City of Grecia. Click HERE to see a map from Google Maps where the Canton has been bordered in red. The word Grecia appears on the map and is positioned precisely where the City is located. We live a short distance northeast of the city.

The map includes a link to "Parque Nacional Volcán Poás". If you click on the link you may get a message that the park is "Open" but will close at 4 p.m. or that the park is "Closed" but will open at a specified time on the next day. Don't believe it. The park is presently under "Red Alert" meaning that nobody will be allowed in without proper authorization. Whoever, if anybody, is responsible for keeping Google Maps information up to date is not doing their job.

There are 3 levels of "Alert": Red, Orange, and Yellow. At most, on some days, we have been under a Yellow Alert. We have encountered ash fall and reduced air quality. But, we have not encountered noticeable acid rain or reduction in first class water quality.

Information on current and recent weather conditions, climate change and more in various parts of Costa Rica can be obtained from the website of IMN: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica (Spanish) or National Institute of Meteorology (English). IMN also has a Facebook page which may be of interest.