Costa Rica? Halps plz

I moved there for a few months to play last year - there are a ton of poker players there already. Two most popular locations are Escazu, a rich suburb near the capital, and Jaco, a beach / party town on the Pacific coast. There are plenty of folks in other locations as well, though.

I started a facebook group for people relocating to Costa Rica here - http://www.facebook.com/groups/170304589722376/
This is the standard method people have used for taking care of their relocation needs, though if you're willing to dig for information you can do a lot of the work on your own - http://www.pocketfives.com/poker-refugees/

It's a beautiful country. Being able to speak Spanish is a big help, though you can learn it from locals very inexpensively if you're willing to put in the time. I know a bunch of guys down there, let me know if you want additional connections.

To answer your primary questions...

Internet is faster / more stable the closer to the capital you are...on the coast things get spottier, though you can still usually get your needs met. People often pay for two providers [or use one + an aircard] to ensure constant connectivity. No matter WHERE you are, though, internet is going to be slower and less stable than the US. There's a company called American Data which offers the best possible internet connection in the country, though they only offer services in and around the capital and it's very pricy [~$500 a month]. It's still not as good as internet in the US.

Getting a bank account in Costa Rica will be the hardest part of your process - relocation services or knowing a knowledgeable native Costa Rican is probably required. There are many different banks, each with different requirements for setting up an account as a foreigner, some have online banking.

If you're living near the capital housing prices aren't much different from many locations in the US - I was actually surprised as how expensive things were. Places in Jaco are probably a bit cheaper. If you want more of the rustic / natural lifestyle of Costa Rica, though, you can find super cheap housing...just depends what you're looking for.

i was just in CR for a week. spent 5 days in the san jose/escazu/santa ana area and 2 nights in jaco.

its a really cool place. internet caved on me a few times no matter where i was. was really awful in jaco though

Im in Jaco. Internet has been average for me so far.

lived in jaco for 6 months. id suggest it

btw contact michael greenwald from www.jacorealty.com

come to chile

ive got room in my basement in connecticut

On January 14 2012 00:04 Bigbobm wrote: ive got room in my basement in connecticut

is that where you keep your mason jars?

On January 14 2012 01:44 gawdawaful wrote: Show nested quote + On January 14 2012 00:04 Bigbobm wrote: ive got room in my basement in connecticut is that where you keep your mason jars?

ROFL so good
You guys can get that collection going twice as fast!
+ Show Spoiler +

p.s. heart u sam

no, fuck you. vegas gogo