I have a friend whose parents settled down there after retiring. I wonder how favorable Costa Rica is, for American retirees.
for that very reason, the cost of living has risen substantially in the last 15-20 years. i presume it is still better than a lot of the nicer places than the US though.
I guess it just depends on the type of lifestyle you want. I love Costa Rica, but the simple things we take for granted are anything but simple there. For that reason alone, along with the many options we have for great medical services, dentists, specialists, etc....I personally would hesitate to make that choice. Not only that, restaurants and groceries aren't any cheaper. The grocery stores are more like convenience stores in most places, prices and all. Most big towns have a regular grocery store, but nothing like we have here. As for getting a car fixed or repaired, it's not like you can drive nearby and take it to the dealer or the nearest auto repair shop. Need something at a hardware shop? Good luck with finding one. Driving 20 miles can be an experience in itself, depending on where you live, especially in the rainy season. Although hurricanes are rare there, times are changing. I sure wouldn't want to be in that place for a tropical storm. They don't have the types of emergency services we do.
Heading to Egypt this summer. Originally scheduled for last July but postponed. Egypt never really seemed to enforce any kind of NPIs seriously, only thing that ever really closed was churches. Only requirement is I will need to have a negative PCR test going and another one coming, so trying to coordinate the timing of all of that is a bit of a hassle, especially trying to figure out how, where and when to get tested over there. I will have my vax card with me anyway. This will be our second international trip since the pandemic started, we went to Cancun in Nov. 2020 with no issues. We also did a ton of domestic travel during the pandemic - all was ok. I thought for sure I was going to catch the rona after the most disgusting flight of my life (first and only time flying Spirit), but nothing happened thankfully.
yes it is a hassle. and i swear to GOD if i have a positive test and have to quarantine for a long time in CR. im just not going to think about it haha. I have only been to Cairo but I really enjoyed it. I had some simple but very good food at a few places while i was there. This an example
That was the first thing I ate when I got to Egypt in 2019. The driver for the hotel I was staying at took me to this roadside place in Giza when I said I wanted to try the local food. On the main subject I just flew yesterday for the first time since New Years Day 2020. Flew from MN to Nashville. It felt weird going to the airport but the flight was fine and even though a relatively full plane felt safe. As for international travel not likely to do any of that until Christmas.
For anyone thinking about HK or Singapore. Both of those places still require visitors to quarantine for three weeks. That means staying in a hotel room the whole time. Some friends are moving to HK next week and even though the wife has a job lined up to they are still expected to stay in a hotel quarantined when they get there.
Yes! It is Koshari. I don't know if you are in the Houston area, but if you are, you can order this exact dish at Dandanah cafe on Westheimer and Fountainview.
