The White Penis or Going to Penas Blancas
Today we had to make another border run to keep our visas valid until we have our residency cards in hand. A few things changed, a few things stayed the same and I got clarify on a few more.
The fees are higher than three months ago. It costs $26 a head to cross into Nicaragua and back into Costa Rica. Now to leave CR the fee is nine dollars but to leave Nica it's only 3 dollars a head. Found out the Costa Rican exit fee can be paid either in dolares or colones. You can even pay with a bank card or credit card.
Fees as of today June 27th, 2019
Fee Breakdown:
Nicaragua, not so much. American citizens must pay dollars only, and cash only. No Nica money or colones accepted.
Remember a few months ago when I went and said that there was something afoot in Nicaragua because they'd put in sidewalks instead of the cracked pavement ringed by worn out tires? Now they have a big, beautiful, shiny and new border control building. It is air conditioned and clean. Makes the Costa Rican border control building look most shabby now. A step in the right direction. I could tell that working in that white palace has affected the workers attitudes. Nicest border crossing ever. I didn't even feel afraid once. There were no guards with AK-47s slung over their shoulders.
The only teensy fly in the ointment is that it's pretty far from the food offerings and duty free shops, and it's about a 50 meters more down the road. But it's such a huge improvement I don't even care.
As usual you do have to swat off a huge pile of folks trying to shuffling the gringos into paying them more money, from guys who want to watch your car, to people selling lotto tickets, food, luggage toting, selling spots in the front of the line. The trip took us just an hour from arrival to leaving with freshly stamped visas.
Afterward we had to get Jim's CT scan. I think the news is not so good. They were asking Jim where they could email the report this afternoon. This quickly tells me all I need to know. I think we'll be going back to San Jose for more surgery soon,
Speaking of which, tomorrow it looks like a quick run to San Jose anyway. More crap about our household goods being held by customs. I haven't mentioned much, but Jim has been on the case. The latest is that our attorney threatened a lawsuit and they said they would release them this week. This afternoon we heard something different, that everything is scheduled to be thrown out as trash on Monday. We have to get to customs in the morning with the attorney and see if we can straighten this mess out.
I'm exhausted right now and not looking forward to a five hour drive. But there's a room waiting for me at my favorite place there, I'm going to go yell at the billing department of the Hospital Metropolitano for my refund and there's Costa Rica's version of Costco (Price Smart) to visit. It's all good no matter if we do or don't get our things. I've made peace with losing my better possessions, but how anyone could mark a black leather coat lined with mink as trash I will never know. Clusterfuck from beginning to end. If you move to Costa Rica either hire a huge multinational shipper like Allied Van Lines and pay top dollar to pack and ship everything, or bring nothing. Everything else is a turn on the customs roulette wheel. Who needs stuff anyway?
The fees are higher than three months ago. It costs $26 a head to cross into Nicaragua and back into Costa Rica. Now to leave CR the fee is nine dollars but to leave Nica it's only 3 dollars a head. Found out the Costa Rican exit fee can be paid either in dolares or colones. You can even pay with a bank card or credit card.
Fees as of today June 27th, 2019
Fee Breakdown:
- Leaving CR $9
- Entering Nica Building $1
- Entering Nica $12
- Entering Nice Building again $1
- Leaving Nica $3
Nicaragua, not so much. American citizens must pay dollars only, and cash only. No Nica money or colones accepted.
Remember a few months ago when I went and said that there was something afoot in Nicaragua because they'd put in sidewalks instead of the cracked pavement ringed by worn out tires? Now they have a big, beautiful, shiny and new border control building. It is air conditioned and clean. Makes the Costa Rican border control building look most shabby now. A step in the right direction. I could tell that working in that white palace has affected the workers attitudes. Nicest border crossing ever. I didn't even feel afraid once. There were no guards with AK-47s slung over their shoulders.
The only teensy fly in the ointment is that it's pretty far from the food offerings and duty free shops, and it's about a 50 meters more down the road. But it's such a huge improvement I don't even care.
As usual you do have to swat off a huge pile of folks trying to shuffling the gringos into paying them more money, from guys who want to watch your car, to people selling lotto tickets, food, luggage toting, selling spots in the front of the line. The trip took us just an hour from arrival to leaving with freshly stamped visas.
Afterward we had to get Jim's CT scan. I think the news is not so good. They were asking Jim where they could email the report this afternoon. This quickly tells me all I need to know. I think we'll be going back to San Jose for more surgery soon,
Speaking of which, tomorrow it looks like a quick run to San Jose anyway. More crap about our household goods being held by customs. I haven't mentioned much, but Jim has been on the case. The latest is that our attorney threatened a lawsuit and they said they would release them this week. This afternoon we heard something different, that everything is scheduled to be thrown out as trash on Monday. We have to get to customs in the morning with the attorney and see if we can straighten this mess out.
I'm exhausted right now and not looking forward to a five hour drive. But there's a room waiting for me at my favorite place there, I'm going to go yell at the billing department of the Hospital Metropolitano for my refund and there's Costa Rica's version of Costco (Price Smart) to visit. It's all good no matter if we do or don't get our things. I've made peace with losing my better possessions, but how anyone could mark a black leather coat lined with mink as trash I will never know. Clusterfuck from beginning to end. If you move to Costa Rica either hire a huge multinational shipper like Allied Van Lines and pay top dollar to pack and ship everything, or bring nothing. Everything else is a turn on the customs roulette wheel. Who needs stuff anyway?
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