This is question that is frequently raised by the participants on my monthly relocation/retirement tours. There has been a lot written about crime recently in numerous on-line blogs and newspapers. To compound matters a lot of people go on line to do their initial research about Costa Rica and come across a lot of this alarmist information. Unfortunately, much of this information tends to be exaggerated.  I have lived here almost 30 years and have never been a crime victim. Furthermore I wouldn’t be living here if I thought for one minute my personal safety was in jeopardy.

On the other hand, I have read about some foreigners who have been victimized several times. Most of these people fall prey to petty criminals because they don’t take the right precautions. In the last chapter of my bestselling guidebook about The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica I talk about the measures residents can take to reduce their chances of becoming a crime victim.

Fortunately, most violent crime here involves revenge killings between small-time drug dealers and brawls in bars between drunks. Burglary is the most common crime in Costa Rica. NO society is crime free. Costa Rica has doubled its police force and is going to pass stricter laws in an effort to get a handle on the situation.  Although there has been an increase in crime here, Costa Rica is very safe when compared with some of the other countries in the region. None of the situations below exist here.

In Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras there is a serious gang problem. There is a combined total of 70,000 violent gang members operating in those countries. To make matters worse the governments of these countries have not been able to get this situation under control.

Colombia has had a virtual civil war in some part of the country for several decades. Thousands of innocent people, who have been caught in the crossfire,  have died as a result.

In Venezuela crime, especially kidnappings, is rampant. I have talked to several Venezuelans who live in Costa Rica and almost all of them have a relative or know someone who has been abducted for money in their country.

Mexico is whole different ball game. In Mexico City one out of ten business was robbed last year. Kidnappings are also out of control.  I just saw a program on a Spanish TV station where they showed a MEXICAN kidnap victim who had his fingers cu off one by one until his relatives paid the ransome. Furthermore the number of murders (2,682) by organized crime in the first six months of 2008, has surpassed the total for all of 2007 (2,673)according to one of Mexico’s leading newspapers, El Universal. In the state of Chihuahua alone there have been 1,026 so far in 2008. Sinaloa, Baja Californis, Durango, Guerrero and Michoacán are other violent areas of the country.

Who in their right mind would want to live or in any of these places where violent crime is endemic and out of hand?

There has been a lot of hype recently about Panama being safer than Costa Rica. Don’t believe it. Panama does not report its crime statistics in an effort to protect its image and business interests.   Panama’s well-off classes have chosen to look the other way while pretending to ward off crime.  Laying head and neck on the ground, as ostriches, will not make the hazard fade away either.

Quality health care is a major concern of anyone moving to Costa Rica. On my monthly relocation/ retirement tours I get asked a lot of questions about doctors and hospitals here. Inevitably someone always asks, “What is the best private hospital in Costa Rica?”  This is an important question since the public hospitals or CAJA hospitals do not provide the same quality care as the three private hospitals.

The three best private hospitals in the Central Valley’s San José area are: The Clínica Bíblica, Cima Hospital and the Clínica Católica.  All three offer excellent healthcare.

Let’s start with the Clínica Bíblica since I have had more experience with it (Tel: 506 2257-5252, 800-911-0800, Fax: 506 2255-4947,E-mail:asoserme@racsa.co.cr). Bíblica is the Costa Rica’s oldest private hospital located six blocks to the south of downtown San José. To meet the demands of a growing foreign community and competition form the two other private hospitals  in the area, the Bíbliica has expanded the size of its facility twice in the last coupe of years. The hospital now takes up two whole city blocks. It boasts a 24-hour pharmacy, laboratories, doctor’s offices, operating rooms, an emergency room, several restaurants and a whole lot more. All but one of my specialists have their offices at the Clínica Bíblica. My son was operated on there and I have had three minor surgeries and we are both still alive and kicking. One of their new ventures is in the growing field of health tourism. Scores of foreigner visitors are now using the hospital for all types of surgery from hip replacements to cosmetic surgery. The reason is because surgical procedures are affordable and the results are excellent.

Hospital CIMA (Tel: 506 2231- 2781, E-mail cimahsj@racsa.co.cr ) in Escazú, right off the highway, is the newest private hospital in the San José area.  Cima is a full-service hospital that boasts the latest health care technology, state-of-the-art medical equipment and the most sophisticated physical plant in Central America. It offers complete services including X-ray, ultrasound, emergency and intensive care, as well as an advanced coronary unit. I have talked to many people who have had surgery there and all are pleased with the results. I have an excellent urologist who practices there. He is as good or better than any of his counterparts in North America.

The Clínica Católica (506 2246-3000) in Guadalupe, a suburb of San José rounds out the list of the country’s finest private hospitals.  It offers complete hospital and emergency services 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. However, is not as popular with foreigners as the Clínica Bíblica or Hospital CIMA.  The whole hospital was recently remodeled. Like the two medical facilities above Clínica Católica takes private insurance, like Blue Shield and Blue Cross. During an acute asthma episode, I spent three days in this hospital and found the care very good.

As you can see from above all of your serious medical needs are covered by Costa Rica’s private hospitals.

On my relocation/ retirement tours I show the participants all three private hospitals as well as a couple of public ones.

What Kind of Care is Available Once My Pets is Here?

Since most American’s are pet lovers. It is not surprising, therefore, that many of the people on my monthly Costa Rica Retirement Tours ask me about bringing pets here and what kind of care is available for their animals.

To bring your dogs and cats here there is a series of steps. You must have a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian in your home country. The examination for the certificate must be conducted within the two weeks prior to travel to Costa Rica.

A veterinarian must certify that your pets are free of internal and external parasites. Your pets have have to have up-to-date vaccinations against rabies (the rabies vaccination must not be older than one year), distemper, leptospirosis, hepatitis and parvovirus within the last three years.  All of these required documents are indispensable and must be certified by the Costa Rican consulate nearest your hometown.  These papers are only good for 30  days.  If you do not renew them within this period of time, you will have to make another trip to the vet’s office and the airline will not accept your animal. If you are bringing an exotic animal to Costa Rica —parakeet, macaw or other—you will need special permits from the Convention of International Species in Danger of Extinction and the Costa Rican Natural Resources Ministry.

If you don’t follow these regulations and do not provide the required documents, your pet(s) can be refused entry, placed in quarantine or even put to sleep.  But don’t worry, if worse comes to worst, there is a 30-day grace period to straighten things out.

If the animal is traveling with you as part of your luggage, the average rate is $50 from one destination to the next (i.e. Los Angeles—Miami—San José). If your pet travels alone, depending on size and weight, the average rate is $100 to $200. Please consult your airline for the actual price. Call the 800 toll-free cargo section of American Airlines and they will tell you the cost.

Whether your pet is traveling with you or separately, be aware that the weather can delay your animals arrival in Costa Rica.   U.S.D.A. Department of Agriculture regulations on flying animals say that you may not fly a pet as baggage or cargo if during any part of the trip the temperature will rise above  80 degrees or below 40 degrees at either your point of departure or a layover. Some airlines, such as Delta, will not fly any pets from May 15 to September 15. We know of several people who have arrived at the airport only to find out their animals could not travel due to a change in the weather.  Call your airline the day you intend to ship your animal and again an hour or two before departure to see if your animal will be allowed to travel.  This way you can avoid unpleasant surprises. I once had to  ship a dog from Los Angeles to Costa Rica and had to make three trips to the airport because of the hot summer weather before I could finally ship the dog safely to Costa Rica.

Make sure your dog or cat has an airline-approved portable kennel.  These rules are very strict and the kennel must be the appropriate size for your animal or it will not be allowed to travel.  Some airlines rent kennels.  Make sure your kennel has a small tray so your pet can have food and water during the journey.

If there is a layover involved, the baggage handlers will give water to your pet.  The operator at American Airlines told us about a special service that will walk your dog for an extra charge at some airports.  Some people suggest tranquilizing dogs and cats when shipping them by plane.  We talked to our vet when we were going to ship our large Siberian husky, and he did not seem to think it was a good idea. We also asked a friend who ships show dogs all over the United States and he said to use our own judgment since tranquilizers can make an animal ill.

Some airlines allow small pets to travel in kennels in the passenger cabin. You can bring one per passenger on the plane and often the airlines will only allow one pet per cabin, so reserve early. They must fit in these tiny little carriers. A few airlines have restrictions on certain breeds of dogs, including Doberman pinschers, Rottweillers and pit bulls. Be sure to check with the airline if you have one of these breeds.

One  animal lover hired a charter to bring her many pets to Costa Rica: “After doing major research on this, I realized that the cost of my 12 pets in cargo, renting a vehicle that could transport them, us and 20 odd pieces of luggage, driving for almost three hours to get to the airport and waiting at the airport for many,  I found it wasn’t going to be a whole lot less expensive than doing a private charter.”

There are also pet transport services such as www.airanimal.com and www.pettransporter.com, which have contracts with the airlines allowing them to make things easier for you.

Brand name dog and cat food is available here. We have Science Diet, Purina, Pedegree and a whole slew of local brands to meet your pet’s dietary needs.

The country’s vets are all well trained and their prices are much less than their counterparts in the U.S. Medicines are also affordable as well as other products for your pets. I have two dogs and am extremely please with the care they have received from my vet.

If decide not to bring young dog and cat with you there are several places here where you can adopt an pet. In addition there are lots of poor street dogs who could use a good home. I know one foreigner who has a small farm and has adopted 13 street dogs. Another friend of mine has eight strays. He takes them to the vet and gets them neutered and makes sure they have all of their shots before taking them home for good.

Every morning I turn on my Mac and the first thing I do is read the on-line  publication AM Costa Rica. It is published Monday through Friday and is a great way to stay up on local events in English. Other excellent on-line publications in English are Inside Costa Rica and the Tico Times. The former comes out everyday including weekends and is also useful.

After I bathe and eat breakfast I usually walk to the local McCafe for a cup of hot brew and to read Costa Rica’s Daily Spanish newspapers. The atmosphere is relaxing and I get a chance to stay on top of local events. Actually I get so much enjoyment from the activity that if I miss a day I feel strange.

Part of my job as relocation retirement expert is to know what’s going on in the country so that I can give my clients the most accurate information possible. I do this by reading four to six newspaper every day. I don’t read all of the articles but glean only the most relevant information about Costa Rica.

Reading the local newspapers is also an excellent method of improving your Spanish. Everyday I learn a few words and expressions by reading the paper. The people on my retirement/relocation tours ask me how to learn the language. I tell them one of the best ways is read as much as you can in Spanish. Those who take my advice really benefit from this process.  On my tour I pass out a packet of papers with all of my time-tested secrets for learning the language more quickly. This information can’t be found anyplace else.

For a long time I have been plagued by minor knee problems. When I was younger I participate in long-distance cycling, martial arts, running and tennis among other sports. About 15 years ago I started to suffer from knee pain so I reduced my physical activity and my condition became manageable.

Recently, one of my knees started to bother me again so I went to see  Doctor Oscar Oeding Bermúdez at  the Clínica Bíblica in San José. He suggested I have a new innovative procedure called InnerVue. It consists of the insertion of probe about the size of a wire in the knee. At the end of the instrument is a camera and a light. This enables the doctor to view the interior of the knee and thus avoids having to do a major medical surgical procedure.

First, the doctor injected me with a local anesthetic called lidocaine to numb my knee. Next, he inserted the probe. I watched the whole procedure on a screen as he explained what was going on. It turned out that I have a torn meniscus which will have to be repaired at a later date by arthroscopic surgery. The later is a minimally invasive outpatient surgical procedure. I have scheduled the operation for next month.

The whole InnerVue procedure only cost $300. The arthroscopic operation will cost about $2000. A similar operation would cost a lot more in the U.S.

Here an interesting anecdote that Dr. Oeding shared with me. When he first started to use InnerVue in Costa Rica he had done about 50 procedures when he went to the states for additional training by a so-called expert in the field. It turned out that Dr. Oeding had more experience with this  procedure than the expert with whom he went to train. This doesn’t surprise me at all. Costa Rica’s specialists are highly skilled and consummate professionals.  My urologist, Dr. Grunhouse, is better than any one of his counterparts I have had experience with in the U.S.

As you can see by my experiences with Costa Rica’s private health care system, your health care concerns should not be a deterrent for moving here. You couldn’t be in better hands! Not only are the costs substantially lower but the doctors are excellent.