ssd, have you been there before, or was this your first time? I'm guessing if you are considering retiring there you may have been there before. I was incredibly impressed by the people there. Very proud, very family oriented, very much concerned with keeping their homes clean and nice, and the kids are well-dressed. From what I saw, the people took great pride in themselves and their country. I never went to San Jose, and I've heard some horror stories about that area - some I know to be true from close friends. But to think that you could live in a country like that and be able to experience a wonderful beach/ocean area - actually several including the Atlantic and Caribbean sides - an amazing mountain/rainforest area, and the volcano and surrounding areas that are wonderful, all within relatively short trips... I agree it could be a wonderful place to retire. I'd like to learn a bit more about the San Jose area - we flew into Liberia (which was a horrible "cattle-call" airport experience), and I can imagine there must be some good things about parts of San Jose and the outskirts. Did you see anything around there that was enticing?