Homes for sale and homes for rent in Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica | Newsletters

Road Trip to Puerto Viejo

» NOTES

When I started Residencias Los Jardines, I started writing a weekly news letter —determined to tell all the good, bad, and the ugly. I knew some readers would be interested in the construction process. I expected others might be interested in the lifestyle of two people who had decided to live outside the box. For others, the adventures of lita, the parrot and the cat took on an entertainment saga all its own.

Residencias Los Jardines is finished. We periodically have resales and rental availability. Some readers may be interested in this information.

More and more, the content will be dominated by events of our new project, "El Dorado" for short. While the future is always uncertain, I again aim to tell it like it happens —the good, the bad, and the ugly, and that is what follows.

In an effort to make the format more interesting and visually appealing and to field inquiries re. El Dorado, the news letter is now being distributed by Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager, Hacienda El Dorado. I will remain the author.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Permit Applications: All proposals were accepted by the regulatory authorities pending final approval once all the engineering drawings are ready. Core drilling has been done on the Maya Tower area; we are awaiting the results to determine the best option.

Sick Tree....It's still struggling....in times past, this tree leafed out in two weeks. We're three weeks into this now and it has a long way yet to go. It's still stressed.  We'll see if it survives.

Landscaping:  A week ago, I took possession of some seedlings of flowering trees. The neighbor had a tree common  here which has crimson flowers and another which has brilliant yellow flowers. He also included some trees with light and dark pink flowers.  We have replanted them so they can continue to grow. In addition, we took some of the excess plants and plant cuttings from Los Jardines and are propagating them. The bamboo I had planted along the roadway chain link fence has shoots over four feet long.  In a couple years, it will have filled in completely and provide a visual barrier as well as enhance the security.

Chain Link Fence: This is progressing. We still have pieces to fill in all along the way before the site is secure. We will be landscaping this with something--vines, bamboo, etc--to block out our neighbors and to enhance the security.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Units for Sale/Lease:

Unit #107 - For Sale

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car) two story, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home. This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms (one on each floor) with en-suite bathrooms and a powder room, each with large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor, provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are three TVs (one in each bedroom and one in the living room.) This is a beautiful home. There is a rough-in for a dishwasher in the kitchen area.







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This 1,312 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is an end unit and therefore attached on only one side providing ample lighting and views. The 6 inch cement demising (common) wall prevents sound transfer. This is a very nicely furnished and accented home.






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Unit #108 - Leased/For Sale

Total Area (Sq Ft):1716
Total area (Sq M):158
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):2 Story
Type:Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking space for one car) two storey, detached house, with two terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and an upstairs master suite is a beautiful home.

This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms (one on each floor) and a powder room each with closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system.






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» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» https://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Fairly light rain; mostly beautiful weather--many sunny, clear mornings with some afternoon cloud cover.

Time Out Tavern: Continues to delight and all who go, enjoy. In addition to their fish and chips, their hamburgers are also fantastic.

Trip to Puerto Viejo: Lita had never been there and I had been about 2 1/2 years ago.  We started on Sunday with a lot of fanfare but after about an hour's drive, notices that our left front break was smoking badly and the break pedal was spongy.  We turn around, had the breaks looked at on Monday, and set out on Tuesday. 

Not much seems to have changed in PV except that the road south from Limon to PV is paved except for about 3 mi. before hitting PV. There is some new construction under way (a small mall in the town itself) and a number of small additions and remodelings  A number of dump trucks seemed busy hauling gravel south towards Manzanillo but I never saw the destination.  From Santa Ana to PV is about 4--4 1/2 hrs. A lot has been written about crime but we had no difficulties. 

The tourists were easily distinguished from the locals by their clean clothes and clean shaven faces. PV attracts a lot of European and some N. Am. tourists including a fair number of "travelers" who settle in for a whle  and backpackers.  While there were a fair number of tourists, many of the hotels were virtually empty, including ours.  PV has a Caribbean flare--some funky buildings many with vibrant and unusual  color schemes, eg. our hotel room had yellow walls, white ceiling and blue, red, tangerine and orange accents----it worked.  Some of the buildings were never well planned nor well executed nor maintained.  We had some great meals--great, wood fired pizza, and a wonderful whole, grilled fish and beef tenderloin.  All well cooked and with nice side dishes.  We had one lousy meal at the hotel and the only reason we ate there was that I was tired of driving.

Internet is a bit of a problem at many hotels. They advertise that they have it but when you try to use it, it seems to be temporaily out of service. The hotel we stayed at for $80 was nice but had no TV.  Another one we looked at was $110 and had no AC or TV.  Friends stayed at a nice place which had TV for $110;  while the swimming pool was out of service, the hotel (Las Palmas) was right on a beautiful beach.

The first two days were cloudy which provided a nice temperature.  The last day was clear and hot.  This is the dry season there and we had no rain nor had their been any for some time since the roads were dusty and the jungle along the roadway was covered in dust.  The ocean was clear as usual and virtually no waves.  We met up for a brief visit with some residents of Los Jardines who were vacationing there for a week.  They had a really nice place at Las Palmas quite a ways south of PV. 

I had forgotten what an important port Limon is.  I was re-impressed with the number of trucks and shipping containers which move through that area.  Limon and the highway connecting Limon with SJ is a tremendous life line for CR for both imports and exports.  This doesn't make for a great place to live but I don't think any container port is a nice place to live if you have a choice.

Chocolate:  We happened on a street vendor selling a number of things, including cacao, the makings of chocolate.  Lita bought a couple and now we have to figure out what to do with them.  

Lita's Observation:  After negotiating our way through traffic in San Jose for the second time with several near misses and witness to others, Lita made the comment that the drivers here are suicidal (few would disagree with her).  She went on to say that perhaps that is the real reason CR decided not to have a military.  I had to laugh and wonder if there's some truth to that.

Brian, Lita, Hugo, irreverent Vicka, the pigeon toed parrot, and the newbies — Chico and Chica.