I'm starting to look into the possibility that at some point Jonathan and I might move to Costa Rica or some other country that is more freedom loving than my own increasingly oppressive country. Costa Rica seems a wonderful choice because it's got lots of beautiful fruit and produce, it disbanded its military and prides itself on being a peace-loving country, and it welcomes practitioners of alternative health. Also many parts of it seem beautiful and climatically ideal. Its people are ranked as among the happiest in the world.

Anyway--- just wondering if any of you have moved there or are planning to. I've been searching for data about immigration, and I've gotten some confusingly different information from different sources regarding what your monthly income has to be for Costa Rica to welcome you as a citizen. Someone said $1200 a mo. Someone else told me $2000 a mo. */*

Also-- if any of you live there now, I'd love to know what is your assesmment of the pros and cons. I've heard that 50% of folks who move there leave and come back to their country of origin within 1 year.

Would also be interested in suggestions of other countries to immigrate to. Thanks!

Sharrhan:


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Canada is nice

No, really, I have a dr friend who lives here and has property in Costa Rica. He's a real radical naturist, no fossil fuel burning allowed on his finca, only horses, and he plants a lot of fruit trees. I rent a house from him now and the entire yard is lined with small cedars that he grew from even smaller and planted here. Ha. He's not raw or veg though he does appreciate both philosophies.

What questions do you have in particular? I do know that it's difficult to live there full time if you want to be able to afford any kind of a life. They don't just welcome foreigners to come and be beach bums, unfortunately!

Didn't Planta move down there? Anybody have news about that girl? She was a good 'un.

I think the best thing to do is , manifest enough money for a plane ticket and go there and ccheck it out. if you can try and stay for a couple of months , rent a place if possible as hotels will eat you out of funds. get to know some locals.

also find as many chat forums online for costa rica and start talking to people

my aunt connie and uncle ed lived there for some 25 years and loved it till they both died in their 90's



...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

We are also looking for a place to start a raw vegan eco-village, Costa Rica is nice, we lived there for several years but it became very expencive lately, too overpriced for what it is. It's a beautiful country but there are plenty of others as great but way more affordable....

What I would do is get a small campervan or an RV with great gas mileage and travel to these places and see what appeals to you.

Canada IS nice. (Canadian here...)

There was a nice house without walls in Costa Rica featured in the New York Times recently.

Don't know how they manage no walls. Seems kind of unsafe to me, even in a tropical paradise.

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There are a LOT of bugs there too, the kind that bite sting and lay eggs in you. Plus it rains so it's kinda good to keep things dry somehow, right? Don't think I would want a house without walls of some sort. Or at least screens!

Its beautiful, but from the research ive done, has definitely become really expensive to live in...I've been thinking for a long time of disappearing off to some beautiful island paradise as well... Costa Rica would definitely be a lovely place to do that in if it wasnt for the high cost of living

I don't want to be a bummer, but between the monsoons and tsunamis and bizarre insect-borne diseases, I'm not sure that living in the tropics is a great idea unless one has all mod cons. And then, what's the point? A house in the tropics with no walls year round? Does that really sound like a good idea? The problem with tropical countries is that they tend to be ruled by oligarchies or they tend to be exploited for resources or tourism. Or they don't have a functioning economy. It depends on what you can and cannot tolerate.

I am sorry for Costa Rica, because their reputation as a nearby earthly paradise has traveled too widely. Now, in addition to lovely enlightened people like kwan and Mr. kwan, Costa Rica is attracting arrivistes who have no sense of ecological stewardship or ascetic living. They just like a glorious view and warm weather all year long, and Florida's gotten too crowded and you can get tracts of land on which to build a compound for relatively cheaply in Costa Rica compared to the States. I predict that Belize or Guyana will become the next Costa Rica. Get 'em while they're hot. [sigh]

ima goin to Uruquay ! well someday ...

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Jodi,

I'm bound and determined to get down to Argentina to visit my relatives sometime in the next year. It would be cool to hop up to Uruguay and Paraguy while I'm there. I really, really, really wanna!

hee hee cool yea id like to check out argentina as well

ironically all major beef producing areas wwonder how they'd feel about a loco vegan

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Panama and Belize might be worth considering.

Jodi,

According to my cousins, there's a growing vegetarian movement in Argentina, what with everybody thinking angina and colon cancer are normal life circumstances.

I've heard parts of New Zealand are lovely and good for raw fooders.