Costa Rica Is Ideal For
Couple's Retirement
By Larry Lipson, Special
to the Daily News
There are many reasons
why it makes sense to
retire to Costa Rica.
But the primary one is
simple: My wife loves
this place. And if
you're a smart man,
that's reason enough.
We lived for 20 years in
the San Fernando Valley,
in the hills overlooking
Universal Studios. And
we had vacationed in a
variety of ways - car
trips, cruises, you name
it.
We had been returning to
Italy for late-summer
vacations, usually
celebrating our
September wedding
anniversary there.
Positano on the Amalfi
coast became our
favorite destination, Le
Sirenuse our favorite
hotel.
But prices escalated,
especially after Italy
converted to the euro,
and it got to the point
where a night at Le
Sirenuse averaged close
to $1,000.
Way too much for our
wallet. My wife did a
bit of research and came
up with an alternative:
Costa Rica.
So a few years ago, we
flew to the capital of
San Jose, rented an SUV
and drove west, stopping
at various tourist spots
and beach resorts.
First of all, we noticed
the unaffected
friendliness of the
Costa Rican people.
Then we found out how
far our money went.
Interestingly, we
discovered that dollars
were accepted just about
everywhere, though the
national currency (the
colon, approximately 500
to the dollar) was
always given as change.
But money aside, we were
immediately struck by
the natural beauty of
this little eco-minded
Central American nation.
It's a never-ending
palette of amazing hues.
The birds and
butterflies are
extraordinary. Rarely
does one see any dull or
muted-toned ones.
Traveling around,
there's a constant
awareness of their
existence. We lost count
at how often one of us
exclaimed, "Look at that
bird" or "Look at that
butterfly."
Equally startling,
especially once the
"green" or wetter season
begins, is the plethora
of blazing flower colors
set against the rich
greens of the general
landscape.
Surfers abound here. The
deep-sea fishing draws
the rod-and-reel set.
Snorkelers, hikers and
naturalists get their
fill in Costa Rica. And
so we came back.
Again and again, finally
purchasing a small
condominium in the
northwest province of
Guanacaste in the beach
resort town of Tamarindo.
My duty to my aging
parents, both in their
late 90s, kept me from
moving somewhere far
away.
And my wife continued to
work. It seemed that
every time she would
attempt to cut back on
her responsibilities,
another recruiter would
make "an offer she
couldn't refuse."
But in August, both my
parents died.
In due course, we put
our home up for sale and
hoped for the best in a
rapidly declining real
estate market.
Luckily, we found a
buyer, though the sale
price was considerably
less than we had
originally figured on.
And earlier this year,
we moved to Costa Rica -
first to our little
condo, now to a house.
In a country known for
its political stability.
Living relatively well
on pensions.
Certainly better than we
could on full retirement
in Southern California.
And enjoying what could
be termed an indefinite
vacation.
Nothing wrong with that,
eh?
Larry Lipson for 50
years was a restaurant
critic, reporter and
wine columnist for the
Los Angeles Daily News.
He retired in February. |
