PURA VIDA - More Nightmares

And all this time I thought Pura Vida meant, full of life or pure living..... after living in Costa Rica for 80 days, I now know it means STICK IT TO THE GRINGOS.

Gringos get charged more for everything and they are forbidden to buy cell phones. Gringos can no longer use the same border crossing to renew their visas every 90 days. If you use Panama once, you have to go to Nicaragua, the next time.

Also be careful with the marinas some of which have fully adopted the "Stick it to the Gringos" national policy of Costa Rica. They do not tell you any of their fees (except dock mooring fees) up front and try to offer services which they claim they are doing to help you and to make things easier (most of which as previously mentioned, the screw up). For example, they suggest that instead of taking the bus to the border to renew your 90 day visa ($5), they will drive you in their van to make it easier. What they do not tell you is that they will charge you $50 for "helping" you out. For six large bags of laundry they charged us over $400. They charge $50 a month for water (which they don't tell you either). Their electrical power is over priced. There is a 23% tax all all food and beverages and they charge American prices for mediocre meals. While many marinas offer a food and beverage discount to live aboards and long term slip renters, Golfito marinas offer no such benefit. There is absolutely no incentive to eat or drink at the marina if you are staying there. Order in from Chicken Bros, any of the Sodas, the chinese restaurants.

It's not only Golfito; it's the entire country. Two bags of normal groceries (mostly local; not American brands) normally costs about $40. Diesel is over $4 a gallon. A can of beer in the store or direct from the supplier is $1.25. In Panama you can get 24 cans of beer for $10.00. A pipa fria on the street is $0.60..... that's a frickin' coconut! They grow like weeds every two feet. In El Salvador a coco frio (same thing the Ticans have their own word for coconut) at a nice restaurant is only $0.5o. A 1/4 chicken dinner in San Vicente, El Salvador is $1.25!!!!! Are Costa Rican's disconnected from the rest of Central America? Are they trying to kill tourism in Costa Rica? I believe they are well on their way. I gave Costa Rica two chances. I will NEVER return to Costa Rica until it comes into line with Mexico, El Salvador, Nica and Panama. In fact, Panama is equal in natural beauty, fauna and flora and it also offers so much history AND Panama is half the price of Costa Rica!!! It's just as safe and the Panamanians actually have a culture (eg. Carnival!)

The Ticans are all depressed and when they do deal with you, you can tell behind the false grin, they are trying to rape you for every penny they can. When something goes wrong, they try to blame someone else.

Do yourself a favor and skip Costa Rica all together. Go to Panama, it's just as safe, beautiful if not more and more than half the price for everything. El Salvador and Nicaragua are also better options for price, friendliness, natural beauty, surf, beaches. Pura Vida is Pura BS.

After arguing with Fishhook over our overpriced invoice for almost an entire day, we are moving Lost Elvis to Bahia del Sol Marina and hotel in El Salvador. Where slip rental is half the price of Costa Rica, the people are friendly, always smiling and honest and they offer a discount to the boaters who rent their slips.

We hope to get the boat to El Salvador by Monday, July 12 or Tuesday, July 13. Then, on about July 15 or 16, depending on weather, Lost Elvis will cross the Tehuantapec again to Huatulco to stay at Marina Chahue. The long term plan is to get Lost Elvis to Paradise Village Marina by the end of July where Dick and Gina and the rest of the establishment treat us with respect and where we are charged a reasonable rate for exceptional services (the antithesis of Costa Rican Marinas: exorbitant fees for substandard services)

Thea is in Vancouver working to try to help pay the incredibly ridiculous fees of our Costa Rican Marina and will likely re-join the crew in August in Huatulco.