Tamarindo - The fleecing of Gringos

The fleecing of Gringos

This is my last post from Tamarindo, Costa Rica for the next while as I decided to move to Whistler, British Columbia for the next year.  I am planning to come back here both in the short term and long term.

Those of you who know me know that I don’t pull any punches and call it the way it is.  While the surfing here is second to none, sometimes I feel like a second class person.  It’s because of the gringo tax.  Here are some examples.

Alamo car rental – prices rose 100% from September to December’s high season “because of the tourists.”  So my SUV rental went from $50 a day to $100.  Okay fine.  Supply and demand.  But come on?  I live here.

Economy Car rental – they tried to charge me extra insurance even though the website clearly stated one price of $10 a day, they wanted $30 a day.  I was told insurance on all cars is mandatory in Costa Rica.  Bullshit.  My Jeep doesn’t have insurance nor is it legally required to have insurance.  I got on the phone with the owner, told him to fuck himself and ended up not paying the ‘insurance’.

Shopping – a blond friend of mine walked into a small grocery store near Avellanas.  Two beers and two bags of chips cost $8.00.  WTF???  I walked in the next day and purchased the same items.  It cost me and my darker skin $4.00.

Water – When the government took over the water service here last year, my bill went from $5 a month to close to $100.  Seems I was not alone.  A lot of bitching, phone calling and dropping in unannounced at their offices and it is back down to $16.  No reason nor explanation ever given.  And no refund.

Electrical bill – When we moved to Tamarindo, our electrical bill was about $100 a month.  Now it is over $300.  That’s right.  In four years it has gone up that much.  That’s about the average salary for a Tico.  Do you think they look at where I live and give me a ‘special rate’?  You bet they do.

It is what it is.  Don’t even get me started on the road to Langosta!  Or how when you take your car in to be serviced they swap out your new car battery and replace it with an old one!

Tamarindo 2010 - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Good

 Witch’s Rock Surf Camp making their property open and making the beachfront more accessible - Joe and Holly have put a lot of effort into building a sustainable business that looks good too.  Did you know that most of the used deep fat oil from many local establishments is converted into diesel by WRSC?

Kelly’s making the entrance of Tamarindo look good with his storefronts – it looks great.  Maybe they rest of Tam can keep up with Kelly'’s example.

Water clean – the ocean has been clean and free of pollution this year.  I love swimming in Tamarindo again!

Gil’s getting his own place – damn great burritos and a good locals’ hang out without getting gouged.

Cassie’s recycling still going strong – in a country where people litter, it’s great to see recycling going strong here.

Road to my house – amazingly enough, they graded the hill to my house

Sandbar out front returned – makes for some wicked waves again

Bad 

Neighbors bickering – there is no community spirit here.  Not at all.  Businesses fight, people accuse others of developing on public property, there is no chamber of commerce, some chick complains about dog shit on the beach while her hotel uses a septic field that is literally 10 feet from the beach, and it goes on.

Internet slow – like brutally slow.  My VoIP won’t even work now.  They don’t understand that more people online equates to less bandwidth.  Seriously.  I told them that and they said it wasn’t how the internet worked.

AYA and their takeover – water never works and smells like bleach.  And last year they tried to gringo tax us all with my bill going from $15 to $100 in one month.  It’s back down to $18 now.

Langosta road and ex president lying  -the road still isn’t done even after locals shelled out thousands to ex Prez Arias who promised a paved road.  

No lifeguards and an irresponsible hotels like Diria (lots of employees seemingly doing God knows what when I order food, but they can’t afford a lifeguard?)

Passitiempo still closed – those new owners came in thinking they knew all that and a bag of chips.  Hint for anyone buying a business.  Don’t fire the employees and bring your nephews from LA in to run it.

Babylon closed – Thursday nights are missed.

Ugly

SUP’s in the line up – In the USA they are classified as boats and not allowed on the breaks or in swimming areas.  If you want to SUP, go and do it Laird Hamilton style in 16 foot waves instead of hogging the rivermouth

Fires – we lost some great businesses and hangout places due to fires that could have been put out had there been a fire station here.  Taxes come into Tamarindo and are spent in San Jose

Helicopter – that mother fucker of a helicopter pilot who insists at flying dangerously close to the water and beaches.  FAA rules allow for a minimum or 500 feet over beaches and populated areas.  Fucking idiot fucking dumbasses with no respect for the planet.

Robberies and useless police – the police here remain as useful as tits on a bull.  Missing people, robberies, and an infestation of criminal activity has gone unchecked.  Right now we have a missing friend under suspicious circumstances.  Where are the police?  Probably drinking or setting up roadblocks to take bribes from the tourists.