Progress Report
January 22-27, 2007 // CONSTRUCTION LOG #120
Contact phone numbers
Internet Phone:
New York: 315-279-6711
Toronto: 416-907-5758 // 416-461-2203
Costa Rica:
Cell: 506-305-3965
Land: 506-282-4142 Ext. 101
NOTE: the New York and Toronto numbers are "local calls" for people in the area codes; calls from outside the area code will be billed at the normal rate from the caller's area code to either the "315" or the "416" area code.
NOTE: NOW THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIALLY FINISHED, THE LOG WILL FOCUS MORE ON THE RIO ORO DEVELOPMENT. IT WILL BE INFORMATIVE TO THOSE PLANNING ON BUILDING, THOSE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PURCHASE OR TO LEASE, AND FOR THOSE WONDERING WHAT EXPATS DO IN COSTA RICA AND THE LIFESTYLE OF TWO ORDINARY PEOPLE.
The STORY: Rio Oro inches ahead and birthdays.
CONSTRUCTION
Rio Oro Development: Visible progress -some of the
roads were roughed in so be can better see how the
lots will lay and most of the lot lines were located.
We made a few more adjustments on the roadways and now
think we have refined it about as much as we can at
this stage. We've burned some of the dry piles of
jungle debris and others we are gathering up into a
dump site and will deal with it all later. Certainly
it's nice to see the areas being cleared of debris.
The same work will continue next week.
Paul and I have begun investigating an interim
administration office and probable on site sales
office. Our options are to buy and outfit either a
45' cargo trailer of a sea container. As of now, we
are favoring the sea container. We'll fix it up good
for the next several years.
We have a meeting on Tuesday with the Santa Ana city
officials. They have been holding up our application
for building a perimeter fence. Reason? They want to
know what the specs are for the black water treatment
plant. This is difficult to understand; we don't k
now yet and we have not made an application of a
residential development-only to build a fence... The
stupidity of government officials is world wide and CR
is part of the world.
Paul and I gathered some additional information from
other developments. We still need more but this will
help us round out our missing information. I'll be
working on it.
Chris Howard, a local N. Am. here in the Central
Valley, has a business "selling" Costa Rica. He
provides information seminars to people looking to
relocate to Costa Rica -health insurance,
immigration process, banking, geography, culture,
buying houses, leasing, etc. His sessions also
includes showing people different types of
developments. We've been on his list now for the past
two tours; it's worked well for us and for him and
for his clients. We will be working with him on Rio
Oro as well as re-sales and leases of Los Jardines.
RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES
Satellite TV: Everyone except mine has worked
flawlessly. Mine???? it's still a mystery. I can get
a signal during the day but not at night. We've
reprogrammed the box-it works on other people's but
not mine. We are now thinking the signal or something
other than the box is the culprit. To date, it
remains another CR mystery. We gotten three
additional boxes and three more people are happy
viewers of DISH offerings.
Irrigation System: I've continued making above ground
irrigation systems-they are simple, easy, inexpensive
and work well for long narrow areas. We are
virtually finished now and have probably about 40-50%
of the grounds covered. This will free up the
gardeners' time such that if I can teach them to do
two things at once, they should have plenty of time
for pruning, grass cutting, cleaning, etc. How did
we do it? We got 1" thin walled plastic irrigation
pipe, plugged the end, attached conversion kits to
hoses, drilled mini holes in the 75' length and laid
them around the houses and long narrow garden areas.
Now that whole area can be irrigated by simply turning
on the faucet.
Rentals:
Unit 121: Two story, 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathrooms
including Jacuzzi, terrace facing east looking at the
sunrise and the mountains. 1,650sf. Beautifully
furnished - $1,600 mo.
Unit 123: A beautifully situated unit nicely
furnished is available for lease - $1,650 mo. this two
bedroom unit with 2nd. floor terrace overlooks the
lighted garden and one swimming pool as well as the
mountains.
Unit 126: One bedroom studio unit with full kitchen
and terrace. Lots of built-ins and very well
furnished. Approx. 400 sf plus 200 sf of outdoor
terrace. Rate depends on length of lease but
probably around $650-$750. It looks like we have a
long term person for this unit.
Resales:
Unit 106B: 1 / 2 bedroom, two bathroom, two terraces
(east and west) 1,250sf. Fully furnished - $150K.
Note: vendor owns another unit.
Unit 108: 2 floors, 2 bedrooms (one on each level),
2 1/2 bathrooms, Jacuzzi, walk-in vault, executive
class furnishings including a 42" plasma TV, east
facing terrace looking over the large pool and
mountains and a ground floor back terrace for outside,
private dining - $270K.
Unit 120: single floor, 1,300 sf, 2 bedrooms, 2
bathrooms, executive furnishings throughout,
beautifully decorated - $190K.
Note: Same owner for both 108 and 120; the owner
wants to sell one of the two units.
OUR LIVES
It was my 61st birthday on Wednesday; Lita never
let's me forget it or spend it in the hammock. She
had 35 people around the pool with a pot-luck dinner.
The food was delicious -we had some really yummy
salads, ribs, pork, curry, and lots and lots of
cakes. Friends stayed with us so they didn't have to
drive at night to their home 45 min. away. How she
organizes and mobilizes everyone with her eyesight is
short of amazing -sometimes it's chaotic, haphazard,
and frustrating but... she deserves so much more credit
than we give her -she doesn't let her eyesight stop
her!!!
And I got some wonderful Scotch, cigars, cigar box, a
"tuque" (Cdn. Stocking cap to remind me how fortunate
I am not to need it), a toolbox full of German
chocolates, and few misc. bottle of booze and a
wonderful plant I've been wanting which has gorgeous
trumpet shaped flowers.
...and I have yet to return a few phone calls from
friends in the frozen north.
...and on Thursday, the resident 8 year old, Lilly,
had a birthday -a few of her friends and us "olders"
looking for a hotdog.
In our ill-fated effort to find a new restaurant, we
learned that a number of us liked the lowly macaroni
and cheese dish. We've had a Dutch version a week ago
and last night I made a N. Am. version. Delicious but
not perfectly executed-an easy fix for next time.
A local meat market makes chiccirones on Fridays-this
is deep fried pork. If you get there early, there are
some really meaty offerings. For flavoring, these
work similar to smoked pork hocks or bacon and can be
used in a variety of dishes-macaroni and cheese, black
bean soup, etc..
Brian, Lita, Hugo and irreverent Vicka, the pigeon
toed parrot.
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