Months away from retirement, Martin Rice the author of this story and his wife Robin decide to take a honeymoon. They go to Costa Rica and fall in love with the place. Sounds like the perfect romance novel doesn't it?
While there, sitting on the beach watching the sun set they realized it to be the perfect place to retire. Martin 63 retired after 25 years, from the University of Tennessee teaching Russian Language and Literature and also was a retired CEO of a software firm in California. They decided to move right then and there, so the next day they checked out the real estate offerings and found some property to develop. They were now new land owners in Costa Rica, they moved seven months later.
They moved into a rental property while they built their dream home Casa Pacifica—a huge spread of prime farmland—complete with swimming pool, a stable barn for horses, and out buildings and Robin could continue with her wild life and veterinarian interests.
Martin kept a detailed account of his experiences in this new foreign country which took on the form of twenty-nine lengthy emails—letters to friends back home in the U.S.—He starts on the day they arrive, Friday October 20, 2000.
If you are thinking of moving to another country like Costa Rica, this book is for you. In a humorous way Martin explains from beginning to end, the pros and cons of building a house in a foreign country. In this case he builds not one, but three.
The patience you gain the longer you live there. The problems you come across with: language, money and banking, inferior technology, customs, the police (Fuerza Pública), the crime and civil war, obtaining a driver's licence, the highway system, medical care, the rainy season, buying a car, food, telephones, wages and almost everything else you could think of or need to know with a few good tips on getting to the front of lines in banks and government agencies and fitting in with normal routines of daily life. Half of that would deter me.
On their farm, Robin an animal lover, adopts horses, dogs and possums and fruit bats, especially one bat they named Batboy. They plant trees, and plan a hill top garden while fighting off an endless stream of army ants.
Martin also takes the opportunity to perfect his Spanish, reading newspaper after newspaper, and book after book in Spanish and conversing with the native people. Now that's immersion! He admits that Costa Rica has done wonders for his health, losing about 35 lbs. and lowering his cholesterol and blood pressure.
In general, he has mastered the secret to a happy long life, patience. From the hectic life of the United States to the laid back life style of the Costa Rican, where there's no hurry much, to do anything.
A perfect place to retire. I really enjoyed this book, I give it five stars. He hinted there might be a sequel.
Dog Brindle
Martin Rice's Amazon Page
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