It is so inconvenient!

I have heard this more times than I can remember.  Living in Costa Rica does not have the conveniences that you find in the States.  There are no Walmart’s, Target’s or Home Depot’s.  If you live outside of the valley in the beach areas you have to drive into the valley to do most of your shopping.

Everything takes longer and is more difficult when you first get here.  You can’t just open the yellow pages and find a mechanic or plumber.  You have to talk to people and get references and referrals.  You need someone to help you through the hurdles because believe me when I say there will be some mountains to climb and without help it can seem impossible at times.

You don’t get your phone turned on in a day or cable hooked up in two.  These type of services take weeks to get connected and it can make you crazy when your used to everything happening when you snap your fingers.  Costa Rican’s don’t know what snapping your fingers mean unless your doing it to the beat of music so be prepared.

Even getting your drivers license can be an all day affair if you don’t pick the right day to go.  I went to the MOPT twice this week and the first day we were done in a little over an hour and a half.  The very next day I went again (early) with another client and in that same hour and a half we couldn’t even get through the main door because the line was so long.  Had he chosen to stay, we would have been there 5-6 hours at the very least.  This man came in from Guanacaste by plane just to get his license but didn’t want to wait all day as he had a plane to catch to get back. This is inconvenient!  Now he has to come back to try it again.

I love living in Costa Rica and have gotten used to the slow pace where I don’t know if I could ever get used to the rat race again.  But when you first get here, waiting on everything or looking for the things that you need can be maddening.