Purchased a used car, Tico driving and the house keeper

After six months of living in Costa Rica and traveling mostly by bus we decided we were ready to buy a car. We are now the proud owners of a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder. Cars are expensive here. All autos are taxed when imported to the country and that tax is considered part of the value, it never goes away. Because of this used and new cars are much more expensive than in the Seattle area. Buying a car also requires an attorney. Today the seller brought the attorney to our house to sign the paperwork and make the final payment.

Now we can begin to get used to the Tico style of driving. It is different from America and even Shanghai. Here it seems everyone does their own thing. Traffic is bad in some areas and each driver does what is required for him to get to the destination the quickest. This includes tailgating and making U turns on the freeway. Turn signals are optional and street signs are merely "suggestions". The death rate for automobile accidents is among the worst of anywhere in the world. Defensive driving is the key.

I had my first negative experience with the house keeper. The woman who cleans is very young, I think about 18 years old. She cleans our place weekly and is very shy, but seems to be more comfortable around us. Lately I noticed there seems to be long periods of silence while she is cleaning the bathroom. This week I got up to walk by the bathroom to see what she was up to. I was surprised to see her leaning very close to the bathroom mirror and plucking her eyebrows with my tweezers! She saw me see and immediately went to the back of the bathroom. I didn't confront her, but was sure it was my tweezers when I heard the bag they belong to being zipped. I think she is young and genuinely interested in what the Gringos have and do. This was a lesson for me and from now on my belongings will be out of sight.

We have our first visitor from the USA this week and next. It has been refreshing to be with a dear friend and be able to share our experiences and hopes for the future.