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

Weather: Winds and weather have been normal. Beautiful.
"Borracho" boy: This story seemed to resonate with a number of readers who had been there themselves.  I've behaved myself since.

The Trip From Hell!!!!:  Lita had been asking for a trip for several weeks.  It was her birthday and our anniversary so we took off.  I've been in CR long enough to know that there's no use detailing plans because usually something will intervene and you've just wasted time.  We had a "general idea"-- go to Jaco, head south along the coastal roadway to Dominical area and return via San Isidro......  We'd be gone 3-4 nights.  We took the back road from Puriscal to Orotina as we've never been on it before.  Paved all the way but the windest road I've ever been on....I won't be taking it again.  Lita got motion sick.  We started experiencing car problem abut 20 mi. outside Jaco.  We limped in and went to our favorite hotel--Vista Pacifico--the owners of which we had met before and who lived just three blocks from us in Toronto.  Great hotel, very nicely run, and Jan and Greg are really personable.  Jan directed me to a car mechanic.....I coughed and sputtered my way there.  A clogged fuel filter.....he changes it and -- 15,000 colones parts and labor--I'm happy.  Great dinner meal, good night's sleep and a great conversation with Jan, Greg, and one of their friends in the morning.  We head out feeling confident the problem had been solved.  The road past Quepos is notoriously rough.  Work is ongoing and is about half finished.  The last half is untouched and really rough.  We started having similar problems.  We got about 10 kl. from Uvita--a collection of about 30 buildings which warrants a dot and name on the map.  We flag down a pick up truck--explain the problem--the Tico waves us into the back, Lita climbs aboard and sits on the week's supply of groceries and I sit on the ice chest --we both hold onto the new refrigerator.  He drops us in Uvita--we find a mechanic (the only one)--young kid--explain the problem--he sends me across the street to buy a new fuel filter, and then gets his tools and drives us back to the car.  He checks out the problem and sees that the fuel line has been kinked and won't allow fuel to pass. This probably happened when the Jaco mechanic replaced the fuel filter.  The Uvita mechanic heads back to his shop, gets a rope, returns, and pulls us into his shop.  He drops the tank cleans it, and starts to replace the fuel line from the tank to the filter.  In the process, he breaks the nipple at the fuel pump.  He tries using Krazy Glue and epoxy--reassembles everything, tries it, it leaks gas all over the place.  Obviously we are stuck for the night.  We get a hotel.  He works more that night and at 10 in the morning, returns....yes it's fixed.  He used stronger glue.  We got back to his shop, and gas was leaking all over.  Obviously the fix was not a fix.  They decided they needed to replace the part--it's in San Jose.  It's suppose to be put on the bus and delivered here on Monday.  (Yea, do I have a lot of confidence in this?)   Obviously we are going to be here three more nights......we look for another hotel....the pevious night's hotel had no hot water and in fact, had no water in the morning....The restaurant was great...no pool , no nothing.  The mechanic drives us around for 2 1/2 hrs. looking for someplace comfortable enough...internet, AC, pool, restaurant, TV....ordinary wants.  Well, not ordinary for this area.....couldn't find one that had all......it's really amazing how ill thought out these places are and many of them, are very ill maintained.  We finally, out of desperation, end up at a VERY expensive hotel.....and that's where we are at time of writing...waiting for the part to arrive....at least we are comfortable....we can't afford to eat at this hotel so we'll probably find ourselves trying to steal crackers from the tables at midnight.......I have no confidence that the part will arrive on Monday but if it does, we'll probably return on Tuesday.  If not, I don't know what or when we'll get back.

Everyone has been really nice--that's not the problem.    Unfortunately, each mechanic created a bigger problem than that which they solved or inherited.  Lita has been pretty good, even when riding in the back of the pickup truck--blind as she is and therefore justifiably more prone to anxiety--she's remained a trouper.  This has not been a restful holiday....and it isn't over yet ...and given our experiences so far....we're really looking forward to ending this nightmare and returning to Los Jardines.  At Los Jardines, we've really become complacent and think that all CR is like Los Jardines.....  Future complaints are likely to be met with directions to Uvita...!

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

Brian C. Timmons, Newsletter Author
Residencias Los Jardines/Hacienda El Dorado - Developer
E-mail: brian@eldoradocostarica.com

For inquiries about availability of residences at Hacienda El Dorado or Residencias Los Jardines, contact:

Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager
Hacienda El Dorado
Rio Oro, Santa Ana
Costa Rica

Web: www.eldoradocostarica.com
E-mail: info@eldoradocostarica.com
MSN: jan.kozak.jr@hotmail.com
Skype: jan.kozak.jr

Tel (US) (+1) 647-477-5825
Cell: (+506) 8345 8018