Third Year Anniversary

On this day (May 31, 2011) three years ago, we landed in Costa Rica for the first time ever. We had decided it was time for a big adventure and so we disposed of most of our belongings in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, leaving some things behind in a small storage locker. We came here with six suitcases, holding our electronics and clothing.

We consigned our cat, Genny, to World Pet Travel. She came down here separate from us. We boarded the Amtrak Cascades train in Vancouver and were on our way. In Seattle, we got on board the Amtrak Coast Starlight and headed south to San Francisco where we spent two nights in one of my favorite cities. I had always wanted to ride the Coast Starlight - the name alone is alluring. It was a little holiday from all the previous year's planning and work to prepare for our move. Then a flight to Dallas and finally to Juan Santamaria airport in Alajuela, arriving at 8:30 pm. I will never forget how I felt on touchdown - we were really here!

We spent a week in San José, seeing our lawyer to commence our residency process, and getting to know the city. Then we picked up Genny from where she was boarding and took a taxi to Atenas in the Central Valley. Atenas was the town we initially selected as a good place to start - close to the airport, the major hospitals, an hour to the Pacific beaches, absolutely great weather. Turned out to be the right choice.

And we have been here ever since. The only sad change is that elderly Genny passed on late last year but she had two terrific years here with us. Do we regret this move? Absolutely not. It's still an adventure. We have just one more year to fulfill as pensionado residents and then we can apply for permanent residency which we plan to do.

A whole new world has opened up for us - trying to learn Spanish, other countries to visit, new cultures, new foods, new animals, plants and on and on. Making friends here is easy, both Ticos and expats. Living in a completely different country, as opposed to visiting for a holiday, is an experience that I wish everyone could experience. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.

Costa Rica is a wonderful country and the Costa Ricans are exceptional people. We love living in the tropics. I am so glad we decided to do this.

Here are some retrospective photos of our big adventure journey:

Aboard the Coast Starlight.

Lance perusing the lunch menu on the train.

Waiting for our taxi to San Francisco Airport, then on to Costa Rica.

Early morning, San Francisco, waiting for our taxi.

First breakfast in Costa Rica, San José.

 

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Genny

When we moved to Costa Rica from Canada, we brought our then 12 year old cat, Genny, with us. There was no question of not bringing her. When we take on the responsibility of a pet, it's for the life of the animal. We had her shipped professionally, using World Pet Travel. She travelled from Cloverdale, B.C., to Vancouver, B.C., where she overnighted. The next day, she took her first plane trip, travelling to Houston, Texas, where she overnighted again. The following day saw her arrive in Costa Rica, where she was met and delivered to her vet, Hospital Veterinarios Asociados in Santa Ana, for a week of boarding. World Pet Travel professional handlers dealt with Genny at every stop.

We picked her up a week later and we all spent a month at Finca Huetares in Atenas while looking for a more permanent place to live. When we found our current house, she settled in right away and even acquired some animal friends ... Barney the cat and Scruffy the dog.

We knew before coming to Costa Rica that Genny had renal disease, so she was on special renal diet food and we tried to keep her weight down. She had regular exams here, including blood work, x-rays and ultrasound on her kidneys.

On September 5, 2013, the disease finally took its toll. Genny's two years in Costa Rica were great for her. Because of the year 'round good weather, she was able to spend a lot of time outside and developed great lizard catching skills. She was more active then when we lived in British Columbia.

She loved walking up the hill to our mango and banana trees. She became adept at slipping through the front gate to explore forbidden territory. She took long, luxurious naps outside in the deep grass under the pergola covered with passion fruit vines.

We miss her a lot but we know she lived a long, happy life with us. Consider what her probable fate would have been if my husband, Lance, had not heard her mewing in our backyard 14 years ago. It appeared that she was tossed there and she was a very tiny kitten.

Genny - 2013

So, if you are considering moving to Costa Rica, please make every effort to bring your pets with you. We know one couple who arrived with their seven cats! If they can do it, so can you!

Barney and Scruffy - "Can Genny come out and play?"

 

 

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Two Month Anniversary!!

It was May 31, 2011, that we flew from San Francisco to San Jose, CR, via Dallas. We left Vancouver, B.C., on May 27th, riding the rails on Amtrak's Cascades and Coast Starlight trains. This is a train trip well worth doing.

Our cat Genny was shipped from her vet, Cats at Home, in Cloverdale, B.C., flying from Vancouver to Houston, TX, where she overnighted in feline luxury, and completed her voyage the next morning, flying to San Jose, then being met there and delivered to Veteinarios Asociados in Santa Ana, where she boarded until we picked her up once we finished our business in San Jose and moved to Atenas. Many, many thanks to Angela and her wonderful crew at World Pet Travel for taking such good care of Genny. And thank you wonderful people at Cats at Home for preparing Genny for her trip. Also thanks to the staff at Veteinarios Asociados for caring for Genny after her arrival. She has adapted and settled into her new home and country very well.

What do we think of our new home? It is everything we thought it would be - Costa Rica is a beautiful country - and we have barely scratched the surface. We found a lovely home to live in for the next year; we explored San Jose for a week and it's such an interesting city, very historic. We are learning our way around on the buses - cheap transportation and a great way to meet the locals and do what they do. We are enjoying the town of Atenas, meeting our great neighbors, eating at the sodas, trying to speak Spanish, the weather is amazing, so is the bird, plant and animal life .......

To sum up, we are very happy with our decision to try a new life in Costa Rica.

Oh yes, a big thank you to all the expats who have helped us on this journey - you know who you are and we won't forget you.

June 1, 2011

That's an easy date to remember the first day of our new life. We enjoyed the hotel's wonderful breakfast buffet this morning, eating out in one of the gardens. Lots of fruits to choose from, pinto gallo, eggs, breads, cheese, fresh fruit juices, and so on - plus really good black Costa Rican coffee.

While ogling all the plant life in the garden, I saw mangoes, bananas and limes growing....birds I do not recognize and their calls. It is just fabulous.

We jumped in with both feet this morning and took a stroll around a small part of San Jose. I love it - it's crazy, noisy, gridlocked with traffic, people on the streets and in the parks, horns honking. We even went shopping at an Auto Mercado and bought some things we had run out of - shaving cream, shampoo, etc., and two bottles of personal sized vodka. Lance paid with colones and did a good job figuring out the CR money.

Took a cab back to the hotel where our very honest driver gave us a lesson in how to pay with colones as we had tried to give him way more than the actual fare cost. I loved the cab ride - they drive the way I always wanted to but we have so many rules and regulations in Canada.

Just heard from Angela at World Pet Travel and she said Genny spent a peaceful night in Houston, and was on her way to San Jose. In fact, she should have landed by now and is clearing Customs. Then she'll be delivered to the vet in Santa Ana for boarding.

So, everything has come together as planned. Based on our half day here so far, I can't see us ever returning! I love this country already.

17 Days and Counting

I'm using the day we board the Amtrak Cascades to Seattle as the beginning of our epic adventure but we actually don't land in San Jose until May 31st.

Here's what our living room looks like:

I'm particularly pleased with our lamp tables. Genny likes to have an afternoon snooze in her small carrier so we leave it out for her. That is good, actually, because she'll have to get used to spending travel time in her larger, airline carrier (provided by World Pet Travel, so I don't have to buy one).

The big suitcase is one of two we are taking, in addition to two smaller ones. I have them all sitting out so we can experiment with how much we can pack in each - have to watch the weight. Amtrak has a 50 lb. limit on each bag. American Airlines does also but if a bag is over, they just charge for it.  Amtrak won't accept an overage at all.

Oh my goodness, I just noticed my ship's clock on the wall - that has to be boxed up. It was a gift from the Canadian Coast Guard when I retired.

Oh My Gawd! It's May!

This is zero month, the month we leave, no more sitting around saying "when we go to Costa Rica" - because we really are going there this month.

So much has been happening. A lovely young couple with a toddler have rented the house we have been leasing. Genny our cat had a wellness exam last week, plus a chip inserted, rabies shot and one of her innoculations. She goes back on May 9th for a couple of more tests and another innoculation. We are liaising with her vet, World Pet Travel and Veterinarios Asociados in San Jose, Costa Rica, where Genny will be boarding until we find our long term accommodations.

I'm now down to packing the last few storage bins and my paintings. We went to Rona this morning and bought pipe insulation tubes. They are perfect for putting around the edges of paintings to protect them from damage.

Here are some photos of Genny helping me pack today, the paintings I need to pack and the insulation tubes around some paintings.