Recently Costa Rica was rated number one in Latin America for freedom of the press. In fact, the country was ranked number 19 world-wide in this category. Finland was in first place. In Latin America Uruguay was in second place and in Central America El Salvador followed Costa Rica in the rankings.

Reporters Without Borders is the agency that awarded this honor to Costa Rica. This organization has fought for press freedom on a daily basis since it was founded in 1985. In some countries a journalist can be thrown in prison for years for a single offending word or photo. Jailing or killing a journalist removes a vital witness to events and threatens the right of us all to be informed. You may view their website at: www.rsf.org.

What does this honor mean for Costa Rica? If reflects the country’s stability, democracy and respect for freedom of the press. In Costa Rica everyone can express their thoughts although not everyone agrees. It is this freedom of ideas that lead to a better quality of life for not only Costa Ricans but foreign retirees, too.

This achievement also means that the country has evolved and is sure to lead to improvements and development in other areas. Costa Ricans should feel proud for being able to express truth. This equates to real freedom. In countries like Mexico scores of reporters have been murdered for expressing their views. Reporters here don’t have to worry about reprisals for telling the truth. Indeed, we are fortunate to live in such a great country.

There are two types of banks in Costa Rica: Those owned by the state and private banks. Deposits are insured by the former and not by the latter. The only real disadvantage to public banks is that at times the lines and waits seem to be longer than at the private banks. I have accounts in both state-owned and private banks and prefer the former because my money is insured and the safety measures utilized by them.

For example, recently, the Banco Nacional, the country’ premier state-owned bank, opened a new state-of-the-art monitoring system (Centro de Monitoreo de Seguridad Electrónica) to protect its customers and facilities against robberies, fires and other potentially dangerous situations. The system receives information in real time from over 9,000 cameras at its branches and ATMs located all over the country 24-hours a day 365 days a year. In additional, all vehicles belonging to the bank are monitored by a satellite surveillance system.

Scotiabank is a Canadian financial institution and one of Costa Rica’s private banks. Scotiabank has branches located in more than 45 countries in the Caribbean and Central America, Mexico, Latin America and Asia. Unfortunately, in Costa Rica it is a private institution and does not insure its clients money as in Canada. Furthermore I once had a very unpleasant experience at a downtown branch of Scotiabank.

I opened an account there over ten years ago and also obtained a safety deposit box at the same time. On one occasion when I visited the bank I was asked to open my safety deposit box and show its contents to a bank official. Initially I refused but he showed me a contract I had originally signed which stated in fine print that the bank could inspect a client’s safety deposit box whenever it wanted. In addition, clients could not keep dangerous chemicals, firearms or CASH in their boxes. What kind of bank prohibits its customers from keeping money in a safety deposit box?

Anyway to make a long story short, when I showed the bank official what I had in my box he told me that I had to remove the cash immediately. I told him that I kept the money there in case of an emergency. He responded that I still had to remove the cash. I was really irritated and didn’t want to make a scene so I followed his instructions.

I took the money to The Banco de Costa Rica where I have another safety deposit box. While there I asked the person in charge if there were any restrictions about keeping cash in my box and he said , “NO”, another reason I prefer the state-owned banks.

To make a long story short I presented a complaint with the SUGEF, the country’s main banking regulatory agency, against Scotiabank because of the discourteous manner in which I is was treated. The bank and their rude employee ended up having to apologize to me in writing and in person. I thought about suing the bank but lawsuits take too long here.

Needless to say I never recommend Scotiabank to any of my clients, keep NO money there because of what happened to me and above all the fact that they don’t insure their customer’s funds.

I am not talking about meteor showers here but the number of celebrities who have visited Costa Rica in the last few years. The latest stars to cause an uproar are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Supposedly they will be vacationing here during Christmas and New Years. Furthermore, the couple is seriously considering purchasing a property in Costa Rica in order to spend more time here. Jolie was quoted as saying, “My children will need me a lot when they are adolescents. I will need to support them and spend as much time with them as possible during that stage of their lives.”

According to the British tabloid The Sun, “Brad Pitt has found a large piece of property and recognizes that it would be the perfect place for a family hideaway. The country fascinates him and he would like to have a place to spend time when his career winds down.”

On another front Miley Cyrus, of Hannah Montana fame, recently visited the country with her boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth.

Over the last couple of years such luminaries as Mathew McConaughey, Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Brady and Guisele Bundchen, Bill Gates, Steven Seagal, Steve Tyler, Michael Jordon and others have visited Costa Rica to view the country’s natural wonders and vacation here. Mel Gibson owns a lot of property and frequently hangs out here.

Despite the popularity of the Costa Rica with the rich and famous, ordinary travelers and potential retirees make of the bulk of visitors to the country. Regarding the latter, Costa Rica is still the most desirable retirement haven in Latin America and because of its friendly people, great year-round weather, affordable medical care, tropical flavor and so many more intangibles.

Costa Rica’s private hospitals are excellent. I have had nothing but good experiences at both the Clínica Bíblica and Cima hospitals. Most of the specialists I see work at the former. In fact, I have been going there for over 25 years. I have had two hernia operations, arthroscopic surgery on my knees and several colonoscopies at the Bíblica and cannot complain about the care my family and I received over the years.

Recently, I experienced some digestive discomfort. I went to see Doctor Longworth, who is my main family physician. He examined me, prescribed a treatment and told me to call him in a week if I didn’t feel better. A week passed and I still had some discomfort, so Dr. Longworth referred me to Dr. William Pérez Martinez, who is a gastroenterologist. After talking with Dr. Pérez, he decided to schedule an ultrasound of my abdomen just to play it safe.

The next morning I arrived at the hospital with an empty stomach as the doctor requested. I waited about 20 minutes until they called my name and had the procedure done. During the examination the doctor let me look at the screen while he moved a camera-like device around my abdomen. He explained everything he was doing step-by-step and told me what kind of shape my kidneys, liver, spleen and pancreas were in. Fortunately, he didn’t find anything abnormal. I breathed a sign of relief when I heard the good news. The who procedure took about ten minutes. I had to wait another fifteen minutes for the results and then returned to the office of Dr. Pérez. He looked at the report of the ultra sound and told me not to worry. It turned out that I had a mild case of colitis and had to make some dietary changes. The doctor told me what not to eat so as to not exacerbate the condition and prescribed a some pills which I have to take for a week.

I am very happy because I didn’t have anything seriously wrong with me and feel fortunate that I live in a country which has such a good healthcare system. Retirees and other foreigners who move here can have peace of mind knowing that the quality of health care is excellent and affordable.

One of the biggest complaints voiced by retirees in Costa Rica is that dealing with the country’s bureaucracy is a real pain in the butt. In many cases this is true especially when dealing with the country’s immigration department or “Migra” as it is called in local slang.

The office that handles residency is located right off the main highway in an area called La Uruca, about ten minutes from downtown San José. Going there can be like a journey into hell or a black hole. The place is a real mess with many people’s files scattered all over without any rhyme or reason. Unfortunately, anyone who applies for residency for the first time has to go there.

However, it is an entirely different story when you have to renew your residency cédula (ID card) since you can now do it at many of the Banco de Costa Rica’s (BCR) branches for a cost of about $60.

I have been a Costa Rican citizen for over ten years so I don’t have to renew my residency, but I do have to renew my Costa Rican cédula every ten years and do it through the Registro Nacional. Recently I had to renew my Costa Rican passport which can now be done at the Banco de Costa Rica.

The first step is to call 800-227-2482 to schedule an appointment. I made my appointment by phone in a couple of minutes. I was told that I had to get photocopies of the front and back side of my Costa Rican cédula as well as the first two pages of my expired Costa Rican passport and take them to the bank on the day of my appointment.

My appointment was at 9 AM when the bank opened. Within five minutes they called my name and the process began. I paid $62 dollars, had to have a fingerprint photo taken of each of my index fingers and have a photo taken of my face for my new passport. The whole process took about ten minutes.

They told me that the post office would deliver my passport to my home within ten work days. I learned that in Costa Rica not to count on things being done punctually. Much to my surprise my passport was delivered by a courier exactly one week to the day of my appointment at the bank. I guess Costa Rican bureaucracy does not live up to its bad reputation in some cases or perhaps the quality of service is improving.

Despite falling 9 positions in one year Costa Rica is still the fourth least corrupt country in Latin America behind only Chile, Uruguay and Puerto Rico. This according to Transparency International’s Corruption perceptions index which measures the perceived levels of public corruption inn 183 countries around the world.

Costa Rica is ranked 50 in the world. New Zealand ranks first, followed by Finland and Denmark. Somalia and North Korea are last.

Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela are the most corrupt countries in Latin America. Venezuela is considered to be the most corrupt of all.

The index scores 183 countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean) based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption laws, access to information and conflicts of interest.

In Central America, Nicaragua is 134th overall with a score of 2.5, Panama 86th with 3.3, El Salvador 80th with 3.4, Honduras 129th with a 2.6 and Guatemala in 120th place with a 2.7.

In South America, Colombia ranked 80th overall with a score of 3.4, Venezuela 172nd with 1.9, Brazil 73rd with 3.8, Argentina 100th with 3 and Chile, the least corrupt of all Latin American countries, placing 22nd overall ad with a score of 7.2.

The dictionary defines happiness as a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Deep down everyone wants to be happy. With the current state of affairs in the United States people are finding it increasingly hard to be happy. The economy has sunk many people into poverty and put a damper on Baby Boomers retirement dreams.

It comes as little surprise that Costa Ricans view themselves as the most happy people in Latin America. According to a regional study by the Corporation Latinómetro, nine out of ten Costa Ricans (88%) are content with the lifestyle the country affords them. Panama at 87% and Colombia at 83% were the second and third most happy countries in the region. The study represents the opinion of over 600,000 people interviewed in 18 countries between July and August of 2011.

Marta Lagos who directed the study stated in an interview with La Nación newspaper, “Costa Rica is not only the most happy country in Latin America, but all of the world”. She went on to say that the happiness of of the Costa Rican people has nothing to do with the world economic crisis or governments. Happiness is independent of these factors. However, despite the high of satisfaction of the Costa Rica people, they show little confidence in the country’s judicial system and legislature. Only 34% approve of the country’s justice system and only 28% like the country’s congress.

So how does all of this relate to retirees? If you are thinking of retiring or relocating here, some of the Costa Rican happiness and pura vida lifestyle might just rub off on you. Costa Rica is not for everyone and about 40% foreigners who move here return home because they can’t adapt to the culture and get frustrated. However, those who truly fall in love with the country and try to adapt never want to leave. Perhaps some of the disgruntled people in the U.S. Can find the joy of living again by relocating here and savoring all this country has to offer.

Potential Baby Boomer retirees will be happy to know that the United Nations report on this year’s Human Development ranks Costa Rica in sixth place in Latin America and 69th of the 187 countries surveyed. In Latin America Costa Rica is surpassed in this category only by Chile, Argentina, Barbados, Uruguay, Cuba and Mexico. The country ranks higher than Venezuela, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador and many other countries in the region.

Low level of deforestation and green house gases, access to drinking water and good air pollution standarts all contributed to the Costa Rica’s high ranking.

In addition, Costa Rica’s longevity rate of 79.3 years leads Latin America in the field of human development. Cuba and Chile are tied for second with a rate of 79.1. Honduras at Nicaragua at 74 years, Guatemala at 71.2 years, Bolivia at 66.6 years and Haiti at 62.1 years are at the bottom of the list.

By the way Japan leads the world list with a longevity rate of 83.4.

Few people know that Costa Ricans who reach 80 years of age have the longest longevity rate in the world after that age. That may explain why there are so many Costa Ricans over one hundred years old. To date nobody has done a study of the longevity rate of foreign retirees here. Nevertheless, I would be willing to bet that most people who retire here live longer than if they had stayed in their own country.

There is no doubt about it, crime has increased over the last ten years in Costa Rica. In 2001 there were about six homicides per 100,000 people. Today the figure has climbed to around 11 percent. Don’t get alarmed! Costa Rica still has the lowest homicide rate in Central America and Mexico. Let’s look at the statistics of the countries in the region.

Honduras went form 35 per 100,000 to 82 in the same period of time. El Salvador is 66 per 100,000, Jamaica, 52, Belize and Guatemala with 41, Panama with 21, Mexico even with all of its violence including beheadings is 18 and Nicaragua with 13. So as you can see Costa Rica is still the country with the least number of homicides. On top of that the overwhelming majority of the murders involve locals and not foreigners.

Honduras and El Salvador have two of the highest homicide rates in the world. It is surprising that, Mexico, the one-time doesn’t have a higher rate with all of the drug violence in the northern part of the country.

Although the U.S. has a national homicide rate of about 6 per 100,000 don’t let the statistics fool you. If you look at cities with a population over 250,000 the rate is much higher. Detroit has a rate of 34.5, Oakland 22.0, Baltimore 34.8 Washington 21.9 and Philadelphia is right around 20.

So putting all of this into perspective, Costa Rica is not a dangerous country in which to live. NO country in the world is crime free. Believe me I have lived here for over 30 years and have never been a victim of crime. A few of my lady friends here have beat me out of a few bucks but that is about it. So, Baby Boomer retirees should not let crime be an excuse for not moving here. They should just learn to exercise caution in certain situations and violent crime shouldn’t be an issue.

Here are some of the Common crimes In Costa Rica

Car jacking
What is it? This is when armed assailants, usually more than one, assault you while you’re driving and steal your car. In Spanish, it’s known as a bajonazo. It is usually done by men in a car or two men on a motorcycle.

Where does it happen? These attacks happen most often in the Central Valley. While it would be nice to say there are particular areas that are safe and others that are dangerous, that’s not really the case. Car jackings can take place anywhere from middle-class neighborhoods like San Pedro to rich areas like Escazú. Lonely roads to and from well-to-do areas like Belén and Cariari are also likely spots.

How can you avoid it? Whether or not you get car jacked appears mostly to be a function of the kind of car you drive. Large, expensive SUVs (Toyota Prados and RAV-4s especially) seem to be popular targets, as do small, cheap cars like Hyundai Elantras that can be easily cut up and sold for parts. Other than that, if you’re driving in the Central Valley and end up in heavy traffic around dusk, stay alert. Check your mirrors, watch for cars – usually Hyundais – with no license plates or motorcycles with two riders. Also, you can have a car-tracking system installed in your car so that it can be tracked down later by police or private security.

What should you do if you’re a victim? First of all, do not fight back against someone with a gun. He will kill you, and your car is not worth more than your life, is it? Stay calm, get out of the car, and give them your keys and whatever else they ask for. Later, it’s important to file a report with OIJ to get the insurance payment processed.

Mugging
What is it? Mugging in Costa Rica can take many forms, everything from a crack head snatching a cell phone off your ear to an organized group of four or five heavily armed individuals with a getaway car. Usually it happens to people on foot, but it has been known to happen to people in cars sitting in traffic jams.

How common is it? In the Central Valley, almost everyone knows someone who has been mugged, or have themselves been mugged. Getting mugged multiple times is not an uncommon experience.

Where does it happen? Again, it happens mostly in the Central Valley. As with car jackings, even safe-looking neighborhoods can be risky, as muggers often target those neighborhoods specifically because they are home to wealthier people with laptops and expensive cell phones.

How can you avoid it? Dusk is a popular time for muggings, as many people are walking home from work. If you have to walk the streets in the Central Valley around that time, stay to heavily-traveled areas. Watch for parked cars that look suspicious. Be aware of your surroundings. If you’re in a car, roll up your windows when you’re at stoplights or stuck in traffic. Generally it’s a good idea not to carry anything that can’t be easily replaced (passport, laptop, U.S. driver’s license, lots of cash, etc.). Mugging can be avoided, but you have to be smart about it, look like you know where you’re going, and don’t display targeted items like cell phones, digital cameras, or the aforementioned laptop.

What should you do if you’re a victim? If the mugger has a gun, give him your stuff. Your life is worth more than the contents of your wallet, and mugging in Costa Rica is usually not wantonly violent. If the mugger is in a car and tries to get you to get into the car, think twice. Your odds of survival go down dramatically once you become a kidnapping victim. After the assault, you can call the police from a nearby shop, but don’t bother unless you can give details about the assailant or his vehicle. You can also file a report with the OIJ, but it’s usually not worth your time unless you lost something major, like a passport or insured equipment, and you need a paper trail to get reimbursed.

House burglary
What is it? A run-of-the-mill break-in that happens when you’re away. Sometimes it’s a smash-and-grab, with the thieves running off with whatever they can get their hands on and pawn later. Other times, it’s organized. The burglars bring a moving truck and clean out the house – clothes, appliances, furniture, bathroom fixtures, everything.

How common is it? Fairly, which is why most of the homes in Costa Rica have bars on the windows.

Where does it happen? This is a tricky question with burglaries. It can literally happen anywhere – from the most rural farm to downtown San Jose. Usually, however, the serious kind happens only when there is a group specifically targeting an area. Escazu has seen a high rate of break-ins in recent years for that reason, as have other communities west of San José. Certain remote beach areas popular with foreigners have also seen a sharp up-tick in burglaries as the break-in booty has become more valuable and the police presence has remained minimal.

How can you avoid it? If you live in a condominium with 24-hour security, you have virtually nothing to worry about. Guards control access to the property, and your home will be difficult for smash-and-grabbers to reach. If you own a house, probably your neighbors all pitch in to hire guards that patrol the streets and deter would-be burglars, or if your house is remote, you could hire your own guards for $400 to $600 a month per 12-hour shift. House alarms can also be installed, both the loud variety and the kind that calls a private security company. Also, make sure you have good locks on the doors, and that the domestic employees you hire come with very good references. Finally, get to know your neighbors. Otherwise, they won’t say a word when that big moving truck arrives and starts loading up all your possessions.

What should you do if you’re a victim? File a report with the OIJ.

Armed home invasion
What is it? A burglary, but rather more frightening. This is when masked men enter your house even when people are home. They are armed, they tie up whoever is around, and they take as much as they can.

How common is it? Not very, but it’s notable for the targets: Middle-class and wealthy families living in nice neighborhoods and sometimes even gated communities.

Where does it happen? Like burglary, this depends entirely on whether an organized group is targeting an area or not, and that can change from month to month. Typically this kind of crime happens in the Central Valley, in places like Escazú or Heredia where wealthy people live in relatively quiet or secluded neighborhoods. But there have been more recent reports of it happening in beach areas like Tamarindo, Jacó, Malpais, and Playa Grande.

How can you avoid it? Hiring a guard or living in a gated community is your best protection, although these are not 100% secure solutions either. Also, stay alert. Many times the assailants enter a house when someone is arriving home and opens an automatic garage door. Be aware of your surroundings and watch for suspicious vehicles parked nearby.

Car burglary and theft
What is it? The bad guys break a window or pick the car door lock to steal any bags they find, plus perhaps the radio or maybe the car itself.

How common is it? Common.

Where does it happen? This kind of crime takes place mainly in the Central Valley and in areas that see a heavy tourist presence (beaches, national parks, etc.).

How can you avoid it? The rule of thumb is, don’t leave things in the car, and especially don’t leave things in the car where they’re visible. If you have to leave things in your car, put valuables in the trunk or under the seat. Always lock your car. Use a car alarm. When possible, park the car in an area that’s being watched. Often this means pay parking lots. Other times it means a public area roamed by a scruffy-looking guy in an orange vest who will ask you for a few coins (c200-c500 colones is a good amount) later for his services. Otherwise, if you have something valuable in the car, try to park in places where you can keep an eye on it.

What should you do if you’re a victim? There’s not much you can do. You can call the Fuerza Pública, but they will likely tell you to file a report with the OIJ.

Petty theft
What is it? Mostly the provenance of crackheads who need their next fix. They steal everything that’s not nailed down, and even some stuff that is, like copper wiring. Also, unattended purses or luggage, wallets picked out of pockets, and anything that can be slipped out of a backpack worn by an unsuspecting tourist.

How common is it? Very common.

Where does it happen? Petty theft happens everywhere in Costa Rica, but in different varieties and to different degrees. In downtown San Jose, it’s pick-pocketing and purse stealing. In small towns and rural areas, it’s the theft of copper wiring, drying laundry, power tools, and literally anything else that might have value. The prevalence of this kind of theft depends entirely on local circumstances.

How can you avoid it? Don’t leave things lying around. They will disappear. Also, you can choose to live in an area where petty theft isn’t such a problem, though that has been known to change in a matter of a few months.

What should you do if you’re a victim? Once again, unless the bad guys stole something large and valuable, filing a report with the OIJ probably won’t be worth your time.

A lot of Baby Boomer retirees experienced the 1960s as teenagers or young adults. Almost everyone who was into the rock music of those days and infatuated by the hippie genre smoked marijuana or experimented with other drugs. Now this group of Baby Boomers is approaching or has reached retirement age. Some have left their pot smoking days behind them while others still take an occasional toke. I have friends in the States who still smoke everyday and lead normal and productive lives. A few smoke grass because it provides some relief from the health problems they experience as they age.

On my monthly relocaiton/retirement tours there is always someone who asks about Costa Rica’s drug laws, specifically marijuana use here. During the last couple of years there have been some busts involving foreigners for growing marijuana. One Canadian was hauled away to jail for attempting to grow hydroponic marijuana in a house he rented. In case you don’t know, hydroponic marijuana is grown in water. You can read more about this practice at: http://howtogrowmarijuana.com/hydroponic-marijuana-guide.html

Recently, the country is becoming more drug friendly because prosecutors cannot handle the workload of individuals stopped with small amounts of drugs. Those caught with a small amount of any drug now have their stash confiscated because mere possession of a small amount of drugs no longer constitutes a felony. Drug sales and distribution will continue to be prosecuted, according to the law.

Readers shouldn’t get the wrong idea from this article. I am not encouraging drug use but only want make potential retirees aware of the country’s current drug laws. I don’t want to anyone get into trouble here.