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From Mike and Mary Peace, January 2008 guests from Tulsa, OK.
Dear George,
Wanted to share my Costa Rica experience with you and others that might be considering your tour. It has been a long journey in a short amount of time.
My husband, Mike, has been researching Costa Rica as a retirement option for over a year. Most of this work was done on his computer. I have heard about the cost of bananas and how great the climate is on a daily basis. Fixing dinner would not have been complete without a glass of wine and a report on the current temperature in San Jose.
Then he discovered George's tour. He started telling me about this great opportunity we could experience. My thoughts were not along the same lines. Four days getting on and off a bus with 10-12 other people did not sound like fun. Then I found out the bus had no bathroom, was not air conditioned and didn't have reclining seats. After more checking, some of the hotels where we would stay were not even listed on the Internet, much less rated with stars!
I found many reasons to put off going on George's tour thinking this was some kind of midlife crisis Mike would live through.
Just the opposite. Mike became more and more obsessed with Costa Rica and taking George's tour. When I realized Mike was not going to get over this I began negotiating. I was not willing to share a bathroom with another couple. I required hot water at every hotel. Mainly, after those four days on that bus I would get to go to the beach! Mike was quick to agree and booked the tour within a couple of days of our agreement. There was no turning back now.
As George said on his website; all you need is a sense of humor, a sense of adventure and patience. That became my mantra to get ready for this trip. I could stand on my head for four days if I could spend time at the ocean.
Off we went. Arrived in Costa Rica and the people were lovely. The country was beautiful. Everything going as promised. Got to our hotel and readied myself for the next four days. Did not have to share a bathroom and plenty of hot water. Four days and then the ocean!
George showed up while we were having breakfast. He proceeded with his orientation to get us ready for this great adventure. It was early in the morning and he reminded me a bit of General Patton speaking in a room too small for his voice. He gave us folders with what he said was valuable information and told us to take lots of notes. I passed the folder directly to Mike and continued to munch on the fabulous fresh fruit served with our breakfast.
Onto the bus we all loaded. Strangers from different states and countries. Everyone had something in common but me. They all seemed excited about this bus tour. Oscar was an excellent driver and George continued spouting information about Costa Rica. Down the road we went. I forgot the bus didn't have air conditioning because the weather was perfect. It was never a problem that it didn't have a bathroom because we made plenty of stops with clean facilities. There was cold drinks and snacks. General Patton even thought of chocolate. Things were looking up.
I can tell you when things changed. Standing on a mountain observing the raw beauty of this country brought tears to my eyes. It is indescribable. I firmly believe Costa Rica has a spirit.
After that I listened as George talked rather than looking out the window. The tour was not about facts but about meeting Costa Rica and becoming acquainted with her spirit. All of a sudden I understood what Mike had been trying to explain to me. I got it and I am so grateful for that.
Like all good things, the tour came to an end. The guests (and we were treated as such) exchanged email addresses and still keep in touch. I was sad to leave them, George, Oscar and even the bus.
Now the payoff - the ocean. It was beautiful but hot. The accommodations were good but expensive. Sitting outside to watch the sun set was stunning but we had to enjoy it with the bugs. The waiters spoke English and didn't find it charming we were trying to learn Spanish. The end result - a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. Take me back to the Central Valley.
We have now returned to Costa Rica and found our own piece of paradise. I love hearing Mike tell me how much bananas cost and what the temperature is in San Jose. When we are at home in Oklahoma I miss Costa Rica. We have made friends there - Gringos and Ticos. I even miss George. What I miss the most is Costa Rica's spirit and her grace and beauty.
My advice to anyone interested is to take a chance. Have a sense of humor, a sense of adventure and some patience. Take the time to meet Costa Rica and feel her warmth. If you don't want to live there afterwards, you might get a great trip to the beach.
Pura Vida,
Mary Peace
marypeace@cox.net
Guest Pink Hard Hat Sonya
Sonja Young who wrote the very enthusiastic reference after she took the Regular tour.
She is presently building her new home here in Puriscal on a lot with huge Central Valley views. She welcomes inquires from other single ladies who are fearful of making this HUGE MOVE.
Sonja Young wrote:
Hola all. I came, I saw, I bought, and I'm building. Its the adventure of my life. The great thing is I am on a budget, and single,and I'm doing this. I'm so happy with how the house is being built. American standards yet. On occasion I do wear my pink hardhat just so my crew knows who is the boss. Now all I need is a beer in one hand. Life has changed so much for me, I get excited just thinking of my progress. Come on down, life is great.
Sonja
Guests from Arizona July 2007
Hola George,
What an absolute blast we had coming to Costa Rica, and especially going on the tour with you, Oscar & all the friends we made with our traveling group on the tour.
The people we met that have already moved there are wonderful folks that gave us a hint of what a wonderful life can be had in Costa Rica for not a whole lot of money !!
George, you are definitely "THE REAL DEAL". You are a walking textbook on anything to do with Costa Rica. People taking your tour will learn so much it will make their heads swim !
The beauty of Costa Rica overwhelms the senses. We have lived in Phoenix Az for over 40 years & we couldn't get over how everywhere you look you see green, & the rivers & streams actually have water in them ! Our rivers mostly have sand.
We had a couple of days to spend before your tour so we went to the suburbs of San Jose (Santa Ana & Escazu) with a Realtor so we could get an idea of prices for homes. As I kind of suspected, they were too crowded and were a lot more than we wanted to spend.
While on the tour, getting to meet some of your past guests plus getting to see what they have built and are in the process of building got us real excited. What great views they have and not on top of the neighbors like in the city.
Your tour has it all for someone thinking of moving to paradise.
The area around the wonderful town of Santiago De Puriscal is where we are hoping to find our own little slice of heaven !!
We will see you & everyone again as soon as we can.
Grayl & Jo Reeves
Phx, Az
granjo@cox.net
"July 07 Education Consultants from California"
Hi George
Sorry for the delay in getting you a well deserved THANK YOU for an incredible tour. We so enjoyed sharing a remarkable three days with you and the tour group. The places and experiences were amazing but without a doubt it was your vast knowledge and information (let alone your sense of humor) that we found so overwhelmingly helpful. Change is rarely easy or smooth, so being informed is a huge factor when making decisions and determining plans.
As you know, we continued our stay in Costa Rica by taking the tour with Jane. She too is an amazing and knowledgeable person. A wild woman behind the wheel, she took us places that I'm sure Oscar would have flatly said no to !
We fell in love with her town of S.I. and were able to see plenty of property and homes in nearby communities.
From there we spent three days along the Pacific Coast. Not only were we disappointed with the beaches but as you warned, many of the coastal towns are quickly becoming Miami-want-a-be's. We did like the area called Hermosa but realize its only a matter of time before growth and sprawl come to that area as well and frankly we don't want to be part of this.
We finished our trip with our last three days being devoted to the areas around Atenas, Belin, Santa Ana and La Garita. We fell in love with the area and its wonderful weather and lush vegetation.
We were working with an awesome real estate company that devoted three days and three agents to us, along with access to the company's owner/director and to their attorney. They were exceedingly helpful and took us all over the area looking at homes .They also took us to the Hogar de Vida, a Children's Receiving Home in Atenas. We met with its founder. He is a gentleman I think you would enjoy very much. A little wild in his day (his words, not ours), he was involve in a motorcycle accident at around the age of 18 and broke his back. Confined to wheelchair he 'turned his life around' and now does the 'Lord's work'. There are about 20 children ages birth-10 yrs. at this facility (farm) and all school age children attend the elementary school just down the street. Since then he and his wife have started another Children's Home in another Central American country. They take no salary and in fact have adopted a number of children themselves. An amazing couple. There is no such Children's Home for youngsters 10 years and older and if we were to come to Costa Rica we would very much like to work on helping to remedy this situation.
Regardless of how things turn out, once again we want to thank you for all you did and for sharing your country with us. Costa Rica is truly a rich and beautiful country and we are blessed to have had the opportunity to visit it and meet such incredible people like
Oscar, yourself, your wife, the tour participants, Jane and all the expats we met.
Fondly,
Leslie and Lynn McPeak
Leslie McPeak
SEAS-Systems Ensuring Academic Success
lesliemcpeak@yahoo.com
May, 2007 Guests from Scottsdale AZ.
Hola George,
Caroline and I have spent the last 2 years researching Costa Rica in preparation for our (early) retirement.
This was our third trip down during that period, and I had debated whether or not we actually needed to take your tour or not.
On our previous visits, we had taken the ARCR seminar, the highly publicized and advertised other city tour and a Caravan countrywide tour. I had also poured over every inch of your web site and links (and many others) and had already narrowed down our choices to the Puriscal and the San Ramon areas as to where we wanted to live.
After contacting one of the references on your site, who lived close by in Arizona, meeting them and hearing what they had to say about you and your tour, we decided to sign up. Long story short...one of the best decisions we have ever made.
Not only did you take us everywhere I knew about, you had many more locations and adventures in store for us.
I can truly say we met more QUALITY people (Ticos and ex-pats alike) on your tour and the days following than we have in AZ in the last 10 years. For anyone like us, who wants to live in the year-round springtime climate of the Central Valley but not in a big city like San Jose or its attaching surrounding cities, your tour blows away the rest of our learning tours and seminars.
As we purchased three properties on this trip (excellent investments), we will be seeing you and Aija in about 6 months, the quickest we can finalize our business here and get back to PURA VIDA!
Thank you for everything you and all of your QUALITY friends and associates did for us while we were there.
Sincerely,
Larry and Caroline Kutz
papagayo@cox.net
"From Kat, Magazine Publisher, and Greg retired Police Officer, May 2007 Guests"
Hola George,
Gregory and I have been back in Texas only a full day after our wonderful and exciting trip to Costa Rica. There is only one problem.. we want to come back.NOW!
We found such a peace in Costa Rica that we have not felt any other place on the planet.
Everyone that we have talked to thus far, and trust me - everyone in the future as well - has heard it first hand from us that your Regular Tour is a MUST for ANYONE that remotely considers a visit to Costa Rica in their future.
Gregory researched the country for more than a year prior to our tour with you. But we both found out in short order you can't "learn" on the Internet and in books what we learned from you in four days! First hand knowledge and hands on experience with you as our guide was worth every minute and every dime.
Your new tour bus, along with each meal and every hotel, just reaffirmed that your website is what it is.true and honest. From the first time your experienced driver, Oscar, put the bus in gear at the start of our tour to time he stopped and we got off at the end of our tour we were entertained by the beauty of Costa Rica and the vast amount of knowledge you shared with us.
Gregory and I have constantly asked one another, "What do folks do if they don't take George's tour?" I strongly feel that they are the 40% of the folks that return to the states after 6-months.
Therefore, they never really got to know the country and its people.
As you know, we remained in the country for another two weeks after our tour with you. Your introduction to the Tico economy and our visits to the market, banks, post office and other general areas that surround a typical Tico town paid off in aces. It made our ability to maneuver around the country so much easier.
We revisited many of the benchmark locations you introduced us to and spent ample hours reiterating what you showed and taught us. We also have made a commitment to learn the language. Even though Gregory still has trouble pronouncing some of the words I seem to have a knack for the language. My goal is to speak it as fluently as you do as soon as I can.
We look forward to seeing you and your lovely wife again soon. We purchased a property outside of San Ramon a couple of days prior to our departure and look forward to building our future home on it.
The smiling faces of the Tico's, the beauty of the land and its rich history, along with a killer view from our property.. I can certainly understand why they everyone says "Pura Vida!"
Thank you for sharing with us, George. We will send folks your way and leave them in your capable hands of introducing them to a country well worth considering as a future home.
Kat and Gregory Spann
Fort Worth, Texas
katspann@sbcglobal.net
"A young couple from California on the March 07 tour"
George,
Yolanda and I really enjoyed the tour, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to find out more about living in Costa Rica. Even though I've been there over 10 times and lived there for 6 months on 2 occassions, your tour still provided me with new information and showed me new places.
For Yolanda it was her first real exposure to living in Costa Rica and I think it helped calm her worries about moving to a developing nation.
I hope I can take you up on your offer to ask you for advice and information when we finally move down to start building a home on our land that we bought from Jim and Ben.
Thanks again,
Mike and Yolanda
pdsnickles@yahoo.com
p.s. By the way, another good coffee you might want to mention to those looking for a good buy is Adrian's own Cafe Altura (at Ben's cabins).
Their premium coffee (high altitude, sun dried) is one of the best me and others I talked to found in Costa Rica. Maybe he can offer a free taste to your tour folks when you stop to see the cabins. I bought some and it's delicious, at least as good if not better than the higher priced Brit.
"Sonja Young, about to retire single lady from Oregon" Jan 2007 tour
Hi George
Every day that goes by I remember your positive energy.
So I'm moving my life forward full speed. There really is no reason to slug it out at work for another 2 years. I won't gain big financially, so why do it?.
My house will go up on the market for however long it takes. In the mean time I sent Frank Long the finail payment on MY LAND. Oh yeah I better email Roberto to let him know.
When the house sells I will rent something in Puriscal while my casita is being built. No hurry. I'll be in Costa Rica thats what counts.
In time I hope to set up a TV dish like you have and share the cost with who ever else buys into that developement. After all I can't keep coming over to you and your wife to watch CSI.
Friday the realtor will be here to set everything up. I've never felt so positive about anything in my life. In fact its giving me life.
I spoke briefly to Don W so I can get some coffee. He invited me to stop by to see what a $1.2 million house looks like. Well maybe that would depress me but say hi to him for me and I hope I get some coffe.
Best of everything to you and your wife, I'll bring her more books.
Sonja
sonjasoso123@yahoo.com
Guests from Tempe, Arizona, August 2006.
Dear George;
We have just read Kathy Bell and Alan Mersons letter, and Bob Orlings letter; there is nothing to add... they have said it all and left me speechless... quite a feat!
We purchased land in San Ramon after your tour, we also had been doing our homework for the past 2 years, and felt absolutely comfortable making a purchase, as you had put all the pieces together.
We are planning to move down in March 2007 to begin our new life in Costa Rica, we will live in the same development as Kathy and Alan whom we met on your tour, and we will only be an hour from Puriscal.
We will be using Barry Wilson to move us from Arizona, and Roberto Balser as our immigration attorney. Our developer, Ben Cart, has been absolutely wonderful, knowledgable and professional. We feel as though we have a whole team of professionals working for us, and new friends to start a new life with.
I also had extensive dental work. I was treated with utmost professionalism in San Isidro de El General, at a fraction of the cost of the US.
We had intended to write a long letter of recommendation, but it would really be redundant. Of the 8 of us on your August tour, Chris and I believe that at least 6 of us will be in Costa Rica, and perhaps all 8 of us.
You, and your tour, are the best!
Best regards... see you soon.
Louise Wittman, IFA and Chris Roe (Real estate appraisers, Maricopa County AZ)
konadru@cox.net
Guests from Wesley Chapel Florida; August 2006.
Dear George:
It's been just over a month since we've returned from George Lundquist's fantastic retirement tour -- and we are busy making plans to return in February 2007 to meet with the developer and builder for our new retirement property in San Ramon!
As academics and mental health clinicians, my husband and I had done a great deal of research before taking the August 2006 tour, but we found that nothing put things in perspective like George's commentary and the wide array of "expert seminars" that somehow all take place amid the touring and cultural experiences of four solid days and evenings. For the uninitiated, I say, "Be prepared to spend sun up to sun down -- and then some -- immersed in Costa Rican life and what retirement in CR can be for you!"
I am now proud to say that we have more friends in Costa Rica than we do in our Tampa Bay, Florida, subdivision...each and every experience was valuable and enjoyable in its own way -- even my major dental emergency provided an excellent, first-hand look at the CR health care system as well as the kindness and compassion of all the folks involved.
Thank you to Barry Wilson of ShipCostaRica for taking me to his own dentist, Dr. Telma Rubinstein at Prisma Dental in Rohrmoser/San Jose, where I was treated for five hours by four dentists (including an endodontist and a dental surgeon) without ever having to leave the building. All this was provided at a fraction of the US cost, if in fact I could have ever found somewhere to have root canal, crown and bone graft all in the same day. Everyone spoke English, and Dr. Rubinstein literally held my hand and checked on me throughout the hours I was there.
Barry Wilson actually picked me up at the dental office and took me to rejoin George's tour. It is actions such as these that define the Tico approach to life!
As I said to George more than once during the tour, "You should really charge more...it would be worth it at twice the price...but I'm glad you don't!"
The itinerary, the NEW BUS, the meals, the hotels, the seminars -- and the fun! -- were all top notch. The synergy of the group was amazing. Apparently that is what pura vida is all about.
Muchas gracias, amigos.
Kathy Bell, MA, LMHC and Alan Merson, MSW, ACSW
Wesley Chapel, Florida
KBellHFPasco@aol.com>
August 2006 Father and Son tour guests
Son, Tim, a Materials Engineer living in Paso Robles, CA; and Father Bob a Clinical Psychologist, living in Los Angeles.
George, mi Amigo in Costa Rica,
Muchas gracias for the incredible tour and for your sharing your enthusiasm, your passion for Costa Rica, and yourself.
What makes your tour SUPERB is the variety of scenery and emerald green beauty of Costa Rica.
What makes your tour COMFORTABLE is YOU -- your attention to detail, your personal connections with so many people in Costa Rica, your interest in your touring clients, your sense of humor, and your transparent and caring personality.
I previously made 4 trips to CR in the past 2 years. I found it difficult to attain information I wanted about the country in general, real estate, and living conditions.
In 4 days you satisfied all those searches.
Your tour is the best bargain in Central America -- I want to take it again -- just for the FUN OF IT!!!
And the new bus is soooo nice -- comfortable with an unobstructed 360 degree view.
Again, you are much more than a tour guide, you are my friend!!!
Hasta que encontremos otra vez,
Bob Orling, Ph.D.
OrlingPhD@hotmail.com
June 23, 2006 Guests who
are 2 Florida Realtor/Developers from Bonita Springs Florida
We came across George’s tour when searching “WeLoveCostaRica.com
web site.
My wife, Gee Gee, and I had recently returned from a vacation to
the SW coastal area-Manuel Antonio. In the last few years, we have traveled
quite a bit in Central America/ Caribbean i.e.: Honduras, Belize, Mexico, St.
Croix.
We were always looking for a “place in the sun” to escape
to. Although there were many beautiful attractions in each of these places,
the one thing in Costa Rica that was different and most attractive to us is
the people.
Most all of the people we encountered in this country were genuinely warm and
friendly. Unlike other places, where we often felt as if they wanted us to
spend the money and leave, we actually felt welcome. This is a place where
we felt like coming back to stay.
Upon our return, we learned that the rules for Residency would soon change.
We felt that we needed to return to C.R. and find out if we could indeed live
here. From our past experiences in “3rd world” countries, once
we ventured away from the resort areas, we found a world much different than
the one advertised on the glossy color brochures!
The sights and smells of
abject poverty, open sewers, polluted waterways, garbage everywhere and high
crime rate left us feeling vulnerable, a bit guilty and wanting to go back
to the good ole U.S. of A!!
We wanted to feel the experience of living amongst the Ticos. Could we actually
retire here on our modest retirement funds without giving up all of our creature
comforts?
After reading many letters of recommendation
for “Live and Retire in Costa Rica on SS”, we made a hasty decision
to book the tour.
This may turn out to be one of the best decisions we have
ever made-next to, of course, getting married to my best friend 28 years ago!
From the moment we met George, we were drawn to him. His easygoing manner,
fun loving sprit and his outright enthusiasm for his adopted country made us
feel at ease. Why shouldn’t he be enthusiastic? After all, HE IS LIVING
HIS DREAM!
George and Oscar exposed us to the real Costa Rica.
We traveled a lot of miles (about 500) in a rather small van with 5 other people
plus George and Oscar. GOD- I’LL MISS THAT VAN!!!
We started out as strangers
and ended up Amigos-Can’t wait to see them all again in C.R.
George crammed a tremendous amount of information and experience into those
4 days! Information that was vital to all of us looking to make the move.
We
stayed in quaint, comfortable (nothing fancy) Hotels and B&Bs and ate in
interesting restaurants the food was always delicious and usually “Typical”.
We were always well received and George always told us the cost.
He introduced
us to many local Professionals that gave us great information on various areas
of interest such as locating & purchasing property, homebuilding, developing
property, buying local made furniture, shipping household goods and autos.
We didn’t just hear presentations; we walked the properties, touched
the furniture and went in and around the houses.
We were also were given
a very informative presentation from a local attorney-Roberto Umana-covering
issues such as New Residency laws/requirements and setting up personal Corporations
to protect assets while living and investing in C.R.
George took us into the local villages such as Puriscal and exposed us to “Tico” lifestyle-local
market, clinic, post office, schools, etc. He also exposed us to the bigger
city lifestyle in San Jose-Malls, hospitals, department stores, colleges, etc.
After a whirlwind journey thru most of the Central Valley, we returned to George’s
dream spot in Barbacoas de Puriscal. This is when I realized that George truly “walks
his talk”.
The web site photos don’t do justice to the little slice
of heaven that he and Aija have created on their mountaintop.
On the last night of our tour, as we were enjoying our final meal together
having a few cocktails, toasting our adventures and newfound friendships, I
lifted a glass and proposed to George that either this tour was the best value
I had so far encountered in my young life or the most elaborate “Sting” ever
performed!!!
Not a day goes by that we do not plan and scheme our return to Costa Rica and
the beginning of our “Pura Vida Nuevo”
Muchas gracias George-we are eternally grateful….
Hasta Pronto, Amigo’
Jamie and Gee Gee Hathcock.
mom.hathcock@gmail.com
May 2006 guests who are Housing Developers and Constructors from Texas and Florida.
Dear George,
So sorry we didn't get a chance to see you and Aija again before we left, but the days just flew by!
First of all we want to thank you again for the FABULOUS tour and that we made a great new friend
or should I say friends! So sorry you didn't make the party for Mary at Patsy & Bob's, I made Key Lime pies!! Or rather Tico lime pies!!!
Well, I'm sure the news has spread amongst the Gringo's, yes we bought Hugo's house on the hill!!! Will close in August. Met with Roberto, started all the procedures you so kindly pointed out to us,
and now am hurrying to get the ball rolling here to get ready to MOVE TO COSTA RICA!!!!!!! Well, part time at first. Actually, I was ready to turn right around when we arrived in Miami,dirty, rude,
welcome to the good ole USA!!!!
Frank & I looked at each other and said we are soooo ready!!!
When we met Fred & Mary, (from TX, Pottsboros, no less & they had a lake house near ours where we had our boat, & they even ate at our resturant, (The Highport Windjamma), we almost fainted! Small world
or what? Then we met Dr. Dave for massages thru Patsy, who used to live in Sarasota!!! Dah?!!! It's so crazy! I love it!!
Well, I've talked enough, our best to you both and can't wait till we move down and all get together for a good ole barbecue TX style.
Frank Long & Will were so very helpful in getting us the house, great new friends! I've adopted Will for my Tico son!!
Our best to you both!
Carolyn & Frank
francal1@earthlink.net
From a great young couple from Corpus Christi, Tx. April, 2006 guests.
Hola George
We can barely stand it. We want to be there so bad. I don't think our feet
have touched the ground yet. I hate to speak too soon, but there is a
possibility that we may be able to get there in 6 1/2 years instead of 9.
Besides
a terrorist attack, my Mom's health taking a turn or one of us coming down
with a deadly illness..we're out of here! I just wish we could fast forward
our life right now, and then put it on pause when we get there.
You are so
right about people not understanding why we are so excited. People think its
a country like Ethiopia.
They act like they are happy for us, but I know they
really think we are crazy. I know they don't believe we will actually move there.
They
think the newness will wear off and we will change our minds. They think we are
just blowing smoke about all the wonderful things we are telling them.
We have
decided to just keep the burning fire to ourselves.
We feel exactly how all the people that
wrote feel. I couldn't say it any better. We want to get there to enjoy time
with you and Aija. She is so sweet and so pleasant to be with. We just love and
admire both of you.
Cindy
cmcelaya@intcomm.net
From our Feb 2006 guests.
Hola, Don
Jorge!
It doesn't seem like five weeks have passed since our 10 days in Costa Rica.
Thank you very much for all you did for us.
Your tour was a perfect introduction
to such a beautiful country.
We really appreciated getting a small taste of
what "real" life in Costa Rica may be like, and we really like what we saw.
At the end of the tour, we rented a car, visited Nuevo Arenal and confirmed
we didn't want to live there, and returned to San Ramon and Puriscal.
After
turning the wrong direction in Atenas and ending up in Orotina and being escorted
out of town by two policeman who spoke no English (as opposed to our nunca espanol!),
we found the back road through San Pedro to Puriscal. A fun detour, and we
were glad we got lost.
Of the two areas, we like Puriscal better - San Ramon
just seems too big. Puriscal is more comfortable.
We still would like to give
Grecia a once over, but didn't have time this trip.
We plan one, if not two
more trips this year.
George, thanks again for everything you did for us and
showed us and taught us.
We'll surely be calling on your expertise before we
make the final move. We certainly saw nothing on either the tour or afterward
that would change our minds.
Pura vida, amigo!
Jim and Molly
mollyjimcr@msn.com
My wife and I just returned from George's last tour 21 January 2006 and
were extremely satisfied.
Honestly at first we were a little skeptical as
to how he could offer so much i.e. tour,lodging,meals etc but afterwords
concluded that everything was first class and well worth every penny.
We
met new home owners,developers,a lawyer even George's own dentist!!.
He
really covered all of the essentials for someone serious about taking up
residency in this beautiful country.
At the moment we are contemplating a
home away from the harsh Canadian winters and he has basically given us
all of the information we need.
We shall be following up with some of
the contacts in the near future and look forward to our next trip.
Thanks again George was great
Pura Vida
Mark and Diane
Semi retired UN Logistics Officer and Retired Teacher.
mhayvren@securenet.net
Hi George
Though I would like to think I have expressed my appreciation for all you've
done for us, I want to say it again. Our first encounter was on the street in
front of La Posada in May of 04.
You have been a persistent source of inspiration
and encouragement since that time. Your reputation as a highly knowledgeable,
and respected authority has continued to grow throughout the country. The number
of people who are there through your efforts and love of the country continues
to grow. We continue to run into people who know you, and who were influenced
by you in their decisions to make Costa Rica their home, and are enormously
grateful to you
We have three properties to sell here in Oklahoma before we can
get there. Actually, when my house sells, I will be on my way, and can either
return for the sale of the other two, or do it from there. That's about all
from here. I missed seeing you when we were there, but we're looking forward
to sharing the bread and wine for many coming moons.
Best,
Tom
tom@vistavalverde.com
George you did a fantastic job, your tour was outstanding.
You covered
every aspect & question that anyone wants to know when thinking of relocating to
Costa Rica.
The people, food, B&B Hotels, our GREAT bus driver, the benchmark
areas we visited & last but not least you our tour guide were just
fantastic.
We will definitely recommend you & your tour to everyone we know
that might be thinking of taking a trip to Costa Rica for possibly moving
there.
Thanks,we will be back.
Sincerely,
Bob & Yoneko Murphy
Robert Murphy
rm@i-hh.com
Freelance technical writer, Jupiter, FL, August
05 tour:
Hi George,
Anyone who is seriously considering moving to Costa Rica must sign up for this
tour.
George will take you to places that the tourists usually do not see. So do not
expect to visit Jaco Beach or stay in self-contained resorts. He knows his
way around the country, showed us the friendly Tico lifestyle, and provided
the real picture of what to expect when relocating.
George kept us on schedule, which was non-stop from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm each
day. Yet there was always time to ask questions.
The B&Bs were comfortable and the food was excellent.
Every night at dinner, we sat around and tried to think of a reason not to retire
in Costa Rica.
And the only thing we could think of is that we would not have
any place to go on vacation if we lived there. After all, when you are already
in paradise there is nothing any better.
By the end of the fourth day, I was overloaded with information. Nevertheless,
the knowledge that George provided on real estate, home building, and the cost
of living in Costa Rica gave me a good foundation to use when I am ready to make
the big move.
The best investment I have ever made!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about George or his
tour.
George D. Lambert
17956 Taylor Road
Jupiter, FL 33478
Ph: 561-747-0867
Fax: 775-521-9528
www.e-FinancialWriter.com
Terry Fickett GDLambert@e-financialwriter.com
Retired Teacher from Northern California, July 05 tour:
Hi George,
Just a note to THANK YOU again for the GREAT TOUR.
It was all you said it would be and more.
Guess you'll
have to add "matchmaker" to your many hats now, though. As you know, Elena met me at the
bus when we arrived in Puriscal and took me back to her place. We definitely "clicked."
Or, you might say it was definitely "love at first sight." Anyway, I
ended-up staying there for the next 8 days and didn't have any desire to
go anywhere else. We did go on some day trips, to the coast, etc. Those places
are too touristy and make Puriscal seem even better to me.
Her family is
the greatest and treated me with more love and kindness than I've ever known.
Elena's coming to the States on Sept. 3rd and will stay with me until I can sell
my place and then we'll be heading back to Villa Aurora permanently.
Does
this all blow your mind or what!!! That one little stop for the night brought
Elena and I together and changed our lives for the better. The odds of
that all happening were probably like winning the lottery. I feel so very
fortunate, like I'm the luckiest guy in the world.
We thought we would run into you at the internet cafe when we were there several
times, but no such luck. I know.... you're a busy guy.
I'll look forward
to seeing you again when I move down which will probably be shortly after
the holidays.
Thanks again for everything, George. You're the man!
Sincerely,
Terry Fickett tfickett1@hotmail.com
Retired Insurance Executive, March 2005 tour.
Integrity, professionalism and adventure are the three most common words which immediately come to mind when trying to explain our George of the Jungle Safari to friends and families back in the states.
Mucho gracias, George, for sharing your passion for Costa Rica with me during one of your recent tours!
The famous inventor, Tomas Edison, once said: "There's always a better way. Find it!" While he invented the light bulb amongst other things, you turned on the light to the people, the power and the passion associated with Costa Rica.
I have been fortunate enough to have traveled most of the world with the exception of Central and South America. While not as glamorous as many a cruise ship or 5 star hotel, your expedition far outweighs that of Cunard, Norwegian or even Four Seasons.
You provide your travel partners with a true taste of the real Costa Rica at an extremely affordable price.
In addition, you stay with the group constantly and don't pawn us off to some fourth rate tour guide of sorts.
George, never could one comprehend the true value of the "Lundquistian Experience of Costa Rica" without taking advantage of the four day experience as I did. It was a last minute fling for me and I were more than pleased with the sights, sounds, people, food and adventure that you make so prominent to all of your gringo visitors. You insured that we were safe, comfortable, well fed and educated beyond compare. But, I must also advise your readers that you were very costly to me as a result of our adventure with you.
Yes, I did buy property at first sight on our first visit.
Yes, I got a fantastic deal.
Yes, I have closed on the property and couldn't be happier.
Yes, I was confident of the purchase because you had exposed me to so many alternatives with which to compare. I am elated, excited and looking forward to developing my property in the very near future. I have named my mountain Mirador a las estrellas! (Gateway to the stars). You made the choice for me easy and smart
Above all, George, you taught me what true life is all about. When visiting Costa Rica I now enjoy the morning ritual of the hummingbirds coming by the porch in Barbacoas to flutter a good morning to me before their ritualistic harvesting of the flower nectar in the hedge. Bird sightings are so numerous and their sounds so melodic that I have lost sight of the crowds, the traffic, the hustle and bustle and materialism of what is rapidly becoming my home away from home the good old USA! Let our fellow baby boomers flee to the bodaciously expensive haunts of Austin, Phoenix, Ashland and Naples for their retirement or getaway. Give me Costa Rica where I can continue to reinvent my life in an environment that is conducive to all that I deem right and appropriate for my new way of life!
It would be easy for one to continue about the positive experiences you exposed me to in Costa Rica. Suffice it to say, I would welcome a contact from anyone thinking about taking your Costa Rican excursion. George, you are the inveterate professional and I appreciate your time and your talents.
April
05 Guest, a Software Engineer from San Francisco,
CA.
Hi,
George
The tour we had with you was fabulous.
I thank you and the rest of the group for your
patience and sense of humor. I think that we
took your advice to the maximum, visit the
country and have an open mind. I think you
are the most open-minded person I have met
in a long time.
I reported good findings to my friends about
the beautiful land of Costa Rica. Oscar also
took extraordinary care in getting us from
point A to point B every day and he is a great
asset to your tour.
I want to thank you again for your hard work.
You may use my name as a reference if you'd
like, although I am sure you have many customers
who will vouch for the quality of the tour,
at the drop of a hat.
Tony wanted me to ask you for a few rental
places near Cartago, or also near San Rafael.
I would like to ask you for your abogado friend's
name, Roberto Umana. If we move there, I am
sure we will contact him, on account of your
good advice. If you are still in touch with
anyone from our group, say hello to them for
me.
Good luck and the best of health and prosperity
to you and your wife.
Dee
Christensen
San Francisco, California
windharp@sbcglobal.net
March
2005 Guest from Delaware.
Hi,
George
This is feed back on our recent trip to Costa
Rica. After months of planning, we arrived
in Costa Rica not totally unprepared.
We discovered your tour from one of your previous
clients, Kevin McMullin from Bear Delaware.
After reading about the tour on amcostarica.com
and speaking with Kevin, we signed up. We didn't
fully know what to expect, but we weren't disappointed.
As advertised, you escorted us to different
locations," benchmarks", around the country,
notably the Central Valley and the Orosi Valley.
As previously stated, we had some inclination
as to what to expect.
What you provided was clarity and an deeper
insight into the three basic rules of real
estate buying; location, location, location.
Experiencing micro climates first hand was
invaluable. Of equal importance was the information
you gave us about the services available to
residents of various communities. The "Tico" life
style is so much different from ours that we
can not overstate the value of that
information.
The other developers that we met on the trip
were friendly and accommodating. They too related
their experiences in the Tico neighborhoods.
It was a rewarding trip.
After your tour, we struck out on our own to
experience first hand the different areas outside
of the Central Valley. We went to Lake Aranal
and Playas de Coco. I expected something different
at the lake than what I typically find back
home. That was a disappointment. However, the
beach is what we expected. We didn't like that
area either.
You suggested an attorney that would be helpful
in immigration and real estate matters, Roberto
Umana. We visited with Mr. Umana just after
your tour. He is very personable and speaks
very good English. He gave us good information
on how to proceed with immigration and real
estate. He also spoke very highly of you. We,
basically, have retained him. He opened a file
on us and gave us his web sight and e-mail
address. When we make a return visit to Costa
Rica, we already have him "in our corner."
In conclusion, we generally experienced what
we expected. We gathered the information that
we needed. Your tour was the center
piece, and we feel as if we got what we paid
for.
With out that information we would not have
a basis on which to evaluate the other areas
that we visited on our own. It was a pleasure
to meet you and Oscar. You were well received
wherever we went, and that made our introduction
to Cost Rica a pleasurable experience. Good
luck in the future.
When we visit Costa Rica again perhaps we can
visit.
Frank
and Dolores Zielinski
Middletown, Delaware
fandosz@snip.net
Retired Guest from Miami, Fl.
Hola
George,
Sorry I'm so long writing to tell you how much
I enjoyed the tour.
Wow, it was just great. Your energy and enthusiasm
made every minute worthwhile. What I really
hoped to get from your tour was a feel for
how life is lived in Costa Rica if you are
not a tourist, and that's exactly what I got.
We got a sense of how a Tico lives, and that
is, at least somewhat, like it will be for
those of us who choose to migrate to your beautiful
country.
We drove thru those incredible mountains, we
walked the streets of the towns and shopped
the shops. We met some professionals in areas
that will be important to us.
But I must tell you what impressed me most
was walking among the people in the village
square and on the streets. There was a joy
and a friendliness that, I'm sorry to say,
just doesn't exist any more in the good old
US of A.
There was a real shock when I returned to Miami.
And I'm very anxious to get back to Costa Rica.
I'll see you in July, I expect.
Thanks again, George. Your tour is a real bargain
and it is good to know that I have a friend
in Costa Rica.
Sincerely,
Fred Mitchell
MitchFgm@aol.com
From
our Sept 04 tour couple retired Entrepenuers
from UK and North Carolina
Hola
George,
We have been back in the USA about a week now
and are getting reoriented to life here.
It is like two different worlds in many ways.
We had a great time during our 3-week stay,
but learned a hard lesson along the way. We
lost our passports in Playa del Coco. They
were either stolen from our car or were taken
from our rental villa. We are not sure which,
but it doesn't matter. They are gone. We did
have copies though, and managed to get them
replaced before we left CR. You did warn us
never to leave the car alone with anything
in it - even though we always locked it! Almost
worse than the cost to replace (total $200)
was the day wasted on frantic searching for
our bag, and another day visiting the consular
offices.
We especially enjoyed the first portion of
our trip--the 4 days we spent with you and
the other people taking your tour. We can't
tell you how grateful we are that we began
the process with you before venturing out on
our own. You were really a fountain of knowledge
on every aspect of living in CR.
We were amazed that not once during that 4
days did we ever hear from you, "I don't know".
Being with other people seeking the same kind
of information as we were, was valuable as
well. Sometimes one of them would ask a question
that I had been meaning to ask and so things
tended to get answered before asking.
You showed us the incredible beauty of the
countryside, the mountains, the ocean, brought
us into the homes of wonderful people, and
showed us the inner workings of the towns and
villages, as well as giving us first-hand details
of the various legal requirements of living
there as a part time or a permanent resident.
And then there were the little extra touches
like stopping at a market for a snack break
and you telling all of us to "pick out whatever
you want" and you paying for it.
I don't think we realized at the first snack
stop that when you say "all accommodations
and meals included" in your fee, you mean ALL
! I think the greatest value of your tour is
the gaining of a friendship.
We know we can depend on you if other questions
come up even now. And although we haven't decided
definitely whether we will move there, we know
that if we do return, we have a good friend
there to greet us.
Thanks for everything George. If anyone wants
to email us with questions about your tour,
they can do so at:
sanyan@copper.net
Kind regards,
Bryan & Sandra Baillie
Sept
04 tour, Tom is a Gourmet Coffee Roaster
in Northern California.
Querido
George,
Thanks for that great tour of yours.
Actually, and gratefully, it is nothing like
a typical tour. It is more like a small group
of friends taking a trip through the beautiful
countryside. With interesting places to eat
and sleep, it was more like an adventure. It
was fun. At the same time, I got to see some
of the best places for comfortable and affordable
living.
By putting all the information together, I
am able to formulate a much more realistic
plan of moving to Costa Rica.
I still have a lot to do and think about, but
you saved me a lot of time, hard work, and
expensive lessons. I still have to go back
and narrow down my favorite places - and go
to the beaches again, of course. I will be
seeing you soon.
Hasta luego,
Tom
Piccirillo,
tomanddaves@earthlink.net
From
Retired Canadians
Dear George:
As we attempted to explain in our last email,
last month we came away from our time with
you... and with Costa Rica itself... so overwhelmed
with the most positive, up-beat feelings that
we found ouselves, quite literally, unable
to express them without sounding maudlin and/or
tripping over our own tongues. Our sense of
euphoria has not yet diminished, but with the
passage of time, we are now better able to
deal with it. Nevertheless, our pulse-rates
still increase whenever we contemplate building
our new "home" in CR! (The word "home" is in
quotation marks only because we intend, for
the first few years at least, to use it only
as a seasonal "getaway" from our Canadian winters...
but then, that normally accounts for almost
half a year.) So, THANK YOU, GEORGE, for
having shown us so many options from which
to choose. Without exaggeration, and bearing
in mind that this was our third visit to CR...
in our first three days of touring with you,
you showed us at least 6 properties/building
lots that were so potentially attractive that
we not only made notes about "views" and access
to utilities etc., but also took photo's and
videos, got photocopies (from you) of the surveyors'
reports and so on. One of those glorious properties,
of course, we are in the process of buying!
Had we not found our "dream" lot, we would
have been sorely tempted to purchase one of
the other properties you showed us, purely
as an investment. Perhaps most importantly,
(having yourself been a buyer/renter/developer/builder,)
you gave us a healthy measure of "peace of
mind" by sharing with us your own experiences
with the Ticos, their laws, rules and regulations,
their customs and habits, and your informed
opinion of their qualities and potential shortcomings.
Hey, you even showed us where to get the best
deals on construction materials, furniture,
appliances... So, if someone looks at your
website and asks us: "Is this George Lundquist
guy simply 'too good to be true?'" - we'll
answer: "George is too good! And he really
is true!" We shall write again soon.
Fond regards,
John & Louise Lawes
bofus@ourmail.ca
From
a retired Windjammer Cruise Ship Captain
of the Carribean.
Absolutely the best decision we ever made regarding
our move to Costa Rica. We bought our dream
property (200 acres with western views to the
ocean and rolling green fields for our horses
and cattle) after our tour with George and
are quite confident that we got a great property
at a very good value. Most importantly, as
we communicate with the property attorney and
the realtor, we're finding that we know much
more than we realized, and all of it we learned
from George. A word of caution: don't think
of George's tour as just a "learning experience." We
had a great time, stayed in top-notch accomodations
and ate at some of the best restaurants in
the country. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves
and plan on remaining friends with George for
the forseeable future. In fact, we'd love to
be a stop on the tour once we get our home
built.
Jim
Craig & Linda Gray
www.ranchotranquilo.biz
shipcaptain@aol.com
lgray@gis.net
Hola
George,
My wife and I truly enjoyed our Costa Rican
experience with you. We found your tour to
be very informative and gave us much better
insight on what it is like to live in Costa
Rica inexpensively, places to live, and what
you can get for the dollar. Even the contacts
we met through you have been extremely helpful
to us since returning to the States. Prior
to going to Costa Rica I had done a lot of
research on the internet and thought I had
a pretty good idea of what Costa Rica had
to offer as far as areas, climates, housing,
etc. George took us to places I had not even
considered, introduced us to expats living
in Costa Rica, shops, tips on how to get
things done, and what to expect. His experience
that he is willing to share is invaluable.
I highly recommend this tour with George.
Anyone wishing to contact me regarding this
tour please feel free to do so. Thanx George,
C. Steven Ham (retired Physician Assistant)
Hey
George,
Loretta and I want you to know that we enjoyed
your tour very much. It gave us great in-site
on relocating to Costa Rica, either part or
full time. We would recommend this tour to
anyone who is considering moving to Costa Rica.
The only problem with the country is, there
is just too much to choose from. Anyone can
be easily confused when all of their choices
are of such beauty. Costa Rica is truly a remarkable
country. Say hello to Oscar...............
Duane & Loretta
Jacobson
Motel Owners Michigan
Hello
George,
Thanks again for the great job of increasing
our education and fun level of CR. I told that
I would write the recommendation for you this
week. I looked at my old e-mails and somehow
lost the one with the name and e-mail address
of the person you would like me to send it
to, so please send it to me again and I will
send a glowing recommendation pronto. Jim is
coming over tomorrow night to chat and have
a couple of beers (while I have my mineral
water). I don't know what we will come up with.
Additionally, I am trying many scenarios on
how I can start planting the seeds now and
get my butt down there and hold onto to a piece
of the profits of my business for the next
10 - 15 years. I will e-mail you next week
with a copy of my recommendation after I have
the address and send it out. I will also have
a better idea of my near future plans, and
when I think that I will be visiting CR again.
I will work my visit around your schedule and
would need some 1-2 days of your time. I really
want to come during your rainy season to get
a more complete picture of the life there.
Thanks so much for having me on your e-mail
list, I enjoy them tremendously. Bye for now,
Regards,
Rich Cosmos
He was a guest in March 2004
Thebestroof@aol.com
Hola
George & Oscar,
All I can say is WOW! You have given us so
much information to add to our "data base".
You have also proven to us that we are much
closer to retirement than we thought possible,
(at 50 years old!) We really appreciate your
unbiased opinion on locations and properties.
I now understand why you are the only one in
Costa Rica doing this type of tour. (Who else
would do what you do for this price?) You obviously
must love your job!
Thank
You so much,
Kevin & Barbara
McMullin Bear, Delaware
Before
taking George's tour, my wife and I took
another well publicized tour. In our opinion
this tour was grossly overpriced for the
actual value received. The full days of touring
outlined in the itinerary turned out to be
more like hurried half days. The tour only
included selected meals (only one dinner).
What I found to be most irritating is that
I did not know that the ARCR seminar was
free until after the tour had concluded.
After this experience, I was skeptical when
I booked George's tour. After taking his
tour, I can tell you first hand that he delivers
everything he advertises and much more. We
could not have been more pleased with our
experience. His tour is truly all inclusive.
We were wined and dined at choice locations
throughout the tour. We were on the go from
morning to night and we saw and experienced
many wonderful things each day. An added
benefit to having taken this tour is that
we now have a friend in Costa Rica: George
Lundquist : -)
PURA
VIDA PAUL & BONNIE HALL , Retired Banker
from Maryland
Feb. 2004 Guests.
paulnbonnh@aol.com
Hola
George
I really enjoyed your hospitality and your
excellent tour. I can't believe what and how
much I learned in your company and the many
things I saw and enjoyed. I already miss just
being there!
Del
February
2004 Guest.
Vietnam veteran, Postal employee from Minnesota.
skipperdel@netzero.net
George,
Barbara and I think that touring Costa Rica
with you was extremely time and cost effective.
You saved us lots of time and money. All
our questions regarding real estate and
business startups were answered by people
who have actually had good and bad experiences
in Costa Rica. We also had a lot of fun!
Thank
you, January, 2004 Guests
Mark and Barbara Bartindale
Entrepreneurs from California
mark_bartindale@hotmail.com
barbara_bartindale@hotmail.com
Dear
Mr. Lundquist
Just a little note of thanks for all of the
assistance, advice, and recommendations which
my wife and I have received from you since
our initial contact. Unfortunately, I believe
in our enthusiasm to "find our place in Paradise," we
were guilty of committing the sin of the Pike
Syndrome, meaning briefly here, "We did not
know, what we did not know!!!" After spending
a couple of days with you, we found ourselves
much better equipped to complete our journey
to actually retire in this near-Paradise. While
at home in Texas, we found what we believed
to be the perfect home, and took "immediate" steps
to secure that property from being sold out
from under us. As we discovered later, and
much to our chagrin, we found that the key
in looking for property, is simply "NOT TO
BUY THE FIRST THING YOU LOOK AT!!!" That was
an expensive lesson for us, but one well learned!
Had we listened to the advice offered by both
you and Scott Oliver whose website, www.welovecostarica.com which
is also a valuable source of information on
retiring in Costa Rica. All in all, we can't
thank you enough for all of your good assistance,
and if anyone would like to get some additional
information, please feel free to have them
contact us directly at our e-mail address below.
From
January 2004 Guests
John & Val Rubida, retired Teacher and X-Ray
Medical Technician from Houston.
we2incr@yahoo.com
"When
you do something right, sometimes you just
need to share it with others. After watching
this board for a year, buying John Howles book,
reading the archives, researching on the web
and deciding to just go down there and find
out first hand what it's all about, we had
the good luck, or plain smarts, to take George
Lunquist's tour. Without a doubt, the best
decision we made regarding Costa was hooking
up with George. He knew what we were looking
for and took us to find it. His commentary
as we traveled around was chock full of useful
info. Our only doubts, however, were his claim
to have arranged a full view of Arenal and
the rock/lava show as we had our evening meal
at the Volcano Lodge. For any newby visitor
to Costa Rica, hiring a guide like George Lunquist
would be the second smartest move after deciding
to go in the first place."
From
December 2003 Guests
Godfrey & Donna Davies, Real Estate Speculators
from Marco Island, Florida
donnadavies@comcast.net
Our
recent visit and tour of Costa Rica was so
through, fun and informative, we could hardly
soak up all the opportunities. We estimate
your tour saved us 2 years of
deliberation about life style choices and potential
locations for detailed investigations.
Many
thanks to Oscar, Aija and yourself.
Pura vida, Susanna and Mark Kilby Civil Engineers
Atlanta, GA shegyesi@jjg.com
Fabulous tour
Every detail,
from snacks and beverages to lodging was
handled seamlessly. I got to see many different
areas of Costa Rica - the mountains, valleys
and the coast. Each were beautiful and by
avoiding the tourist traps it gave me a realistic
view of how wonderful Costa Rica and the
people really are. I'm
sold - this is definitely the place for me
to retire!
Brad Morgan,
Pacific Director Advanced Programs College
of Continuing Education
The University of Oklahoma.
brad@bradmorgan.org
For the tour schedule please see the Tour Dates page.
To take the tour with me. Call me personally at:
(011) 506 8888 4543 Cell or (011) 506 2417 1041 Home
You can also Skype me at glundquist.
Or click here to email me!
Click here to learn about my tours!
Click here to learn about the NEW South Central tours!
Click here to learn about the costs!
There is NO ONE doing a tour like this! |
