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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by stanburn
As a friend of mine said, the folks on Baja Nomad love to hear themselves talk.
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I've dedicated more than 3000 posts here saying just that. So...what's your point or, are you just talking to yourself?
[Edited on 4-21-2008 by DENNIS]
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backninedan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 865
Registered: 3-8-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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Honduras is very much underated. The government has made it very easy to immigrate and the towns at higher elevation have an excellent climate. Not
for everyone of course, but it is a viable option.
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oxxo
Banned
Posts: 2347
Registered: 5-17-2006
Location: Wherever I am, I'm there
Member Is Offline
Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by backninedan
Honduras is very much underated. The government has made it very easy to immigrate and the towns at higher elevation have an excellent climate. Not
for everyone of course, but it is a viable option. |
I have a good Honduran friend, Yovanny Dubon, who lived with us for 9 months when he was a foreign exchange student in high school. I have visited
him there. Honduras is a very interesting country with a lot of Mayan historical sites. The Bay Islands off the east coast of Honduras are tropical
and very nice. A friend of mine from Seattle has built a marina and small B&B on one of the islands, Roatan.
The biggest problems with Honduras mainland is the deforestation by locals for firewood. There are huge tracts of devasted land and much erosion.
And there is a great disparity between a small group of wealthy and the huge majority living in abject poverty. It is even more pronounced than in
Mexico. The country is ripe for revolution.
Some gringos may like it there, but it is not my cup of tea.
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stanburn
Nomad
Posts: 145
Registered: 10-4-2007
Location: Santiago, Colima, MX
Member Is Offline
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You need to be close to the surf so Santiago won't work. I guess all of the surfers I see here are not really surfing?
Dennis, thanks for proving my point.
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Cardon Man
Super Nomad
Posts: 1319
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Thetis Bank
Member Is Offline
Mood: !Al Chingaso!
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Costa Rica vs. Baja
While it has been about 3 years since I've visited Costa Rica I have lived there for up to 3 months at a time. This includes time in the central
valley, Limon on the Caribean, and Quepos on the Pacific side. My family has it's roots in C.R. and I still have many close family members who live
there.
Comparing Baja to C.R. is, in my opinion,is like comparing Apples and Oranges. From culture, to food, to the landscape there's just no comparison.
In my experience, Baja offers much more in the way of true solitude and wild places that are fairly easy to access. CR is gorgeous. No question about
it. But it's been "discovered" in a big way. There's a lot more people in a much smaller area. This aspect of CR doesn't appeal to me so much. Baja
is blessed with countless great places where you can be alone or close to alone while you enjoy the outdoors be it hiking, surfing, fishing, or off
roading.
Another huge factor in comparing both places is crime. Where I live in Baja Sur there is very little if any robbery or violent crime. Back in CR, even
in my family's small home town, there are gates and bars on the windows of every home. There lots of places in San Jose, Puntarenas, etc where you
could have jewelry ripped right off body under threat of violence. One family members home near Limon has been home invaded twice. The second time
resulting in a terribly violent assault and rape. Many visitors to CR are under the spell of it's peaceful reputation yet there are lots of places
there where I don't feel safe. I can think of very few places in Baja that give me that feeling.
While there are many fantastic places and people in CR the over all experience of day to day living just doesn't do it for me. Compared to Baja, CR
fails to provide the kind of lifestyle I enjoy.
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oxxo
Banned
Posts: 2347
Registered: 5-17-2006
Location: Wherever I am, I'm there
Member Is Offline
Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Cardon Man
But it's been "discovered" in a big way. |
What is the cost of living like in CR right now compared to say California or the developed areas of Baja? I hear it is about the same.
| Quote: | | There lots of places in San Jose, Puntarenas, etc where you could have jewelry ripped right off body under threat of violence.
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I have been mugged twice in my life. Once in downtown Los Angeles and once in downtown San Jose, CR where I was physically attacked, cut and
bleeding. The Costa Rican cops were no more helpful than the cops in Baja. The LA cops were great.
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Cardon Man
Super Nomad
Posts: 1319
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Thetis Bank
Member Is Offline
Mood: !Al Chingaso!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oxxo
What is the cost of living like in CR right now compared to say California or the developed areas of Baja? I hear it is about the same.
I have been mugged twice in my life. Once in downtown Los Angeles and once in downtown San Jose, CR where I was physically attacked, cut and
bleeding. The Costa Rican cops were no more helpful than the cops in Baja. The LA cops were great. |
It's been 3 years since I've spent time down there so I'm not able to make an accurate cost of living comparison. However, from what I hear from my
family down there it is indeed about the same as Los Cabos.
Sorry to hear about your San Jose CR experience. I have friends who love San Jose and have had no problems. But I know of too many stories like yours
to allow me to feel very safe there. I guess any big city has it's problem areas. But when I'm in CR I avoid San Jose.
You are right about the cops...not to be trusted.
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3810
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
Member Is Offline
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Soulpatch,
Have you investigated Nicaragua?
We've been tossing the name around our house for a while now.
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Sunman
Nomad
Posts: 400
Registered: 6-22-2007
Location: Oxnard
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
Soulpatch,
Have you investigated Nicaragua?
We've been tossing the name around our house for a while now.
P<*)))>< |
Nica has been on my radar for quite sometime. I'm heading down in a few weeks for a surf/fact finding mission. If anyone is interested they have a
pretty good blog "realnicaragua.com" with a pretty big group and some helpful info. Worth checking out if intersted in that country.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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| Quote: | Originally posted by stanburn
This thread is a prime example of how people accumulate such a large number of posts. As a friend of mine said, the folks on Baja Nomad love to hear
themselves talk.
I have nothing to offer regarding Central America, only what I have experienced in 16 months full time in Santiago. If you have specific questions,
send me an email. |
Trying to figure out which Santiago you are talking about. Chile?
Baja? Colima? Argentina?
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Cardon Man
Super Nomad
Posts: 1319
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Thetis Bank
Member Is Offline
Mood: !Al Chingaso!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Don Jorge
Yes, the petty crime in Costa Rica is annoying.
But there is one thing worse in Costa Rica than the petty crime: the food  |
wow...what were you eating down there? CR has great food! Excellent veggies, fruit, etc. One of my favorite meals is a good "Casado" with gallo pinto,
a pork chop, cabbage salad, platano, and a slice of queso. Tico home cooking at it's finest.
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
Member Is Offline
Mood: High
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With the influence of Europe in CR, every cuisine in the world is available in San Jose. Outside the city, comida tipica, is good and healthy too.
Maybe someone doesn't like Lizano. Can't imagine anyone who wouldn't like Gallo Pinto. Maybe more McDonald's and Pizza Huts would be pleasing to
some.
I love the dual mode that postings take on. 3-4 months ago, the board was flooded with heated, emotional, frantic cries of murderous conditions
toward Gringoes for just stepping one foot on Mexican soil. Now we have a full list of wonderful remarks, extolling the virtually crime-free Baja.
People, make up our silly minds. Which is it?
[Edited on 4-22-2008 by The Gull]
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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Cardon Man
Super Nomad
Posts: 1319
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Thetis Bank
Member Is Offline
Mood: !Al Chingaso!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by The Gull
With the influence of Europe in CR, every cuisine in the world is available in San Jose. Outside the city, comida tipica, is good and healthy too.
Maybe someone doesn't like Lizano. Can't imagine anyone who wouldn't like Gallo Pinto. Maybe more McDonald's and Pizza Huts would be pleasing to
some.
I love the dual mode that postings take on. 3-4 months ago, the board was flooded with heated, emotional, frantic cries of murderous conditions
toward Gringoes for just stepping one foot on Mexican soil. Now we have a full list of wonderful remarks, extolling the virtually crime-free Baja.
People, make up our silly minds. Which is it?
[Edited on 4-22-2008 by The Gull] |
Yo Gull...that Lizano is some good stuff! My supply has run out. Guess I'll have to get myself back to CR soon to stock up.
Regarding Baja...it is indeed a very dangerous and terrible place full of evil people that hate gringos. The fishing is poor, the food is bad, and the
lifestyle is stressful. I would advise anyone to stay away from Baja. There are so many wonderful gated communities in the USA to enjoy. It's a big
mistake to come down here.
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
Member Is Offline
Mood: High
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C-man, there you go making total sense now. You got the picture.
I brought back three of the large bottles from last month. GRRRRREAT.
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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Gull, what's going on? There has actually been some excellent info in your posts recently (VERY recently!) instead of the usual all-invective,
all-the-time towards ALL gringos who would dare to avoid The Gauntlet.
Maybe we can meet in the middle on some of our issues..............???????
Machetes are for burying, too.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Here's what baja lacks.
This is the native market at Chichicastenango, Guatemala. One of the most interesting places in Latin America. For a variety of reasons.
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Bajafun777
Super Nomad
Posts: 1103
Registered: 9-13-2006
Location: Rosarito & California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Enjoying Life with Wife In Mexico, Easy on The Easy
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Costa Rica has some great beaches, surf areas, local people very easy going, exchange rate still makes your dollar go further, visited Hermosia Beach
and Tamarino Beach (I might have misspelled these) and both were great. The summers are bad, I have a friend whose son lives there and he has a safe
room in his house that all his family sleeps in due to break-ins at night, and the roads oh yes the roads make Baja's roads all seem like the
Interstate 8 from El Centro to San Diego. These roads, which we drove, were very dangerous because of crater size holes in the roads causing
semi-trucks,buses, and other vehicles to come into your lane trying to get away from them and you better find a turn off road to avoid a wreck. I
liked the little casinos, they actually export beef and the steaks I ate were great, as was the schrimp, lobster, and other fish which were not
expensive in the little beach towns I ate in. Now, the little casinos were just that make the Indian casinos look like the New York New York casino
in Las Vegas. San Jose is another story unto itself as it has a very large poplulation and better know where your going but once you do it has a lot
of great night spots, bars, places to eat, little art show shops to visit, and did I say great little bars with really cold beer, and the people were
just great.
I do like Los Mochis in mainland Mexico for that slower easy going farming based town feeling. My wife and I have never had a problem walking around
at night and sitting in the downtown parkarea by the Church enjoying the local bands, guitar players, kids playing, lovers sitting or walking ever so
close makes, me get into the same mood to do the same with my wife, and walking in the park really does make life sweet. Los Mochis is only about 20
minutes from the ocean, the ferry and train to Copper Canyon also in the area.
However, I still love the Baja beaches, views, people even when they are trying to make your pesos their pesos, as I love it as life does pass from
one hand to the other, right? I have always walked where I wanted in Baja towns as I do in Mexicali but I do not want to walk in very dark areas or
areas that I know have issues, which are really not that many. The best thing is people, just like the people I have met on this site, next or maybe
equal is the cantinas with cold beer and fish tacos, life is sweet the time just slows down allowing you to actually see those around you, just have
to love Baja!! So, "No Hurry, No Worry, Just Fun" Later--------bajafun777
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
Member Is Offline
Mood: High
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
I ain't living anywhere where I need a saferoom. |
Plenty of safe rooms in San Diego area. Hmmmm, 4.5 more years in THAT environment?
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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stanburn
Nomad
Posts: 145
Registered: 10-4-2007
Location: Santiago, Colima, MX
Member Is Offline
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Hook,
I am talking about Santiago, Colima, MX. It's in my profile.
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oxxo
Banned
Posts: 2347
Registered: 5-17-2006
Location: Wherever I am, I'm there
Member Is Offline
Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
however we have 4.5 years to make that decision. |
The place you decide to settle....Baja, Panama, Costa Rica, wherever.......will not be the same place in 4.5 years we are discussing and describing
today.
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