Pretty ignorant there mak... What makes you call Costa Rica and Panama garbage countries? Obviously you have never been.
Don't forget he has to brush his teeth. Having bad breath is one thing, smelling seamen is another. disclaimer: seamen meaning sailors - don't wanna get suspended!
I don't mean to offend anyone. I already live in a garbage country (Eastern Europe) and can't wait to get out of here. I've lived in the US and different countries all over Europe and all I can say is that nothing below a G10 country (or comparable) can keep up with the quality of life there. - Availability of merchandise - Quality of services - Level of bureaucracy (or should I say corruption?) - Requirement to "know" the right people to get things done - Infrastructure/Cleanliness of downtown areas - Theft and people trying to defraud you Sorry, by my criteria anything south of the US on the American continent is garbage by that definition. So is anything east of Germany in Europe. I do not mean to put the people and cultures down, I am merely talking about the quality of life available to me as an expat.
costa rica is a fantastic destination and a reason why many and i do mean many americans flock there not only for vacation but also to live...MAK is absolutely wrong about costa rica..i have been there 5 times and could say that its a fantastic place...like everything you will just have to get used to it...they dont call it "PURA VIDA" for nothing
Still does not rise to level of "garbage". Basically only first world countries like US and Japan and Germany that provide top of the line luxuries qualifies for you. That is fine. But to call the rest garbage lol? Remember that the criteria you listed is what you consider garbage, but how can you generalize about a whole country you have never lived in? Just because there is not a Starbucks on every corner or huge shopping malls with every chain nearby does not make a place terrible lol... You need to travel more Panama resembles a lot of U.S. cities, dont forget the U.S. had an influence over the whole country for over 100 years until recently.
1) you go there to get away from keeping up with the joneses...they have everything you need 2) you will live like a king compared to here for the same amount of money... 3) corruption is everywhere moreso here in the states. 4) Knowing the right people can be said for just about anywhere you go on this planet...but not necessarily a must 5) san jose is disgusting but the beaches on either side of the country are a beauty ( JACO BEACH ) 6) theft is rampant everywhere and is just a statistic that may or may not happen to you anywhere you are at....some more than others...like its very dangerous to be walking in san jose at night thats for sure...so ur chances increase ten fold...
Please do not misinterpret my statements into an attempt to question the country's beauty. I have no doubt Costa Rica and other countries (Thailand, South Africa) are among the most beautiful in the entire world. I just don't feel getting "used to" a few things I listed in my above post. I know some people want to make a trade-off between getting used to a few country specific issues while getting the benefits of low taxes and comparably cheap real estate. It's a matter of choice.
Lets just say Mr King is doing a tad better than you Sax.. especially after your long trade yesterday