We're Connected

One of the biggest and most important challenges that we've faced since we've arrived is getting Internet connection on the property. We find that we do not miss the television or stereo, but not being connected at our leisure to the Internet is a real hardship for us as well as other non-Ticos here. Even as I write this blog, I miss the Internet. My content would be a lot richer if I could research some of the topics that I'm writing about. So far our Internet has been solely used for Bill's work.

Speaking of Bill working, below is a picture of Bill in his first on-site office. It is an OK set up for him except for the fire ants occasionally biting his sandaled feet. The picture is taken looking up at one of the higher plantels on the upper ridge. On the property we can get a good Internet connection just about everywhere except the cabins. That's why Bill was working on an upper plantel. His view from this office is superb and he is in the shade almost all day.

We are still working on getting reliable Internet in the cabins that are located in what I like to call the fish bowl. It's a concave dip looking out to sea in which the cabins, pool and garden are located at the bottom of the dip. Kind of explains the bad connect here. This morning Bill, who is very resourceful and never gives up, finally succeeded in getting Internet to the cabins. Below is a picture of his highly technical and complicated system.

Please keep in mind Bill is the techno geek, not me, but I'll try to explain how it works. What you are looking at is my Internet compatible cell phone in a white plastic bag attached to a bamboo pole that has been hoisted as high as he can get it into a dormant tree beside the cabins. From there, a wireless bluetooth connection from his computer picks up the Internet signal from the telephone in the bag. The connection speed is about 120 kbps. Hey, don't laugh. It works. Around here, we're learning to be highly resourceful with limited resources. (Bill wants you to know that he has already modified the system by adding an extension cord to keep the cell phone powered up all day.)

Resources around here sometimes come from the most unexpected places. Then there are places that you would expect to find resources and they aren't available. It's all part of the serendipity of Costa Rica and the roll-with-it attitude that you must have to live here. Don't expect that anything will happen in a hurry. If it does, count your blessings and be very happy. Case in point was the whole process of getting the phone and then the Internet service from ICE, currently Costa Rica's power and telecommunications monopoly.

Living Here Tip - Buying Cell Phones in Costa Rica (with a story for friends)

In order to get cell phone service in Costa Rica, you have to deal with 1) the cell phone vendor 2) ICE, the government service provider. Don't expect the vendor to know the service provider's policies, rules and service packages. Our experience is that the vendor can sell you any hardware you want for communication, but you better check with ICE before hand. Find out if ICE offers compatible service and what the bureaucratic process is to do what you want. If you don't do things ICE's way, you're hosed.

For example, when we bought our first phone a year plus ago, the vendors would happily sell us a GSM cell phone. What they wouldn't tell us was that ICE had no GSM lines available. If we had bought the phone, we wouldn't have been able to use it until a year or so later. That was then. Last week ICE recently added a digit to all phone numbers, doubling the amount of lines available, so hopefully lack of phone lines won't be a barrier to communication any longer.

ICE really is improving and making things easier all the time. However, there are some crazy hoops that you still have to jump through. You can't just buy the phone, take it to ICE and activate it. If you thought that - Dumb gringo!

To get a cellular phone, first you should go to ICE and get a numero de solicitation or a solicitation number. Depending on the efficiency of the person who helps you, you might even have to go through the extra step of waiting a week for them to call you back with a solicitation number. Once you have the solicitation number, guess what you do? If you guessed WAIT LONGER, you're right! You have to wait another 2 two 3 weeks before the solicitation number is processed and comes up in their computer system and they can work with it.

While you are waiting for your number to come up, is a good time to purchase the phone. Be sure to get one that has the features you need. We needed a GSM, Internet and bluetooth compatible phone. We paid 80,000 colones or about $160 for our phone. We had to walk all over San Isidro to find such a deal, visiting about ten stores before we found it. Tip to the frugal - in Costa Rica you'll often find the same chain store within sight and walking distance of each other, but don't count on same prices between branches. Most stores were offering phones for 160,000 colones to 240,00 colones. That's a high price of $480 for a cell phone! While it seems a lot by US standard, the actual service plan from ICE is very reasonable. For our basic phone, unlimited within country calling its under $5 per month.

So you've go your phone. KEEP THE RECEIPT! In Costa Rica they will often ask what name to put on the receipt. The name should be the same name as person who got the solicitation number. One you have the phone and you've waited out the solicitation, you're ready for the ICE office. Bring a lot of patience and the following: (subject to change at any time)

1) Original and copy of resident ID.
2) Original and copy of a the cell phone purchase receipt. (ICE will not accept a foreign purchased phone. You have to purchase and present an invoice for a phone purchased in the country.)
3) An electricity or water bill from the country (Any legitimate in-country bill will do. Borrow a friend's if you don't have one yet.)
4) You're phone must be charged when you bring it to ICE
5) 12,500 colones in Costa Rican cash

Chances are you'll wait and wait in line at ICE before getting up to the counter, but it's not such a bad thing. During that time, you'll meet a lot of other trapped and confused gringos who don't know what they are doing either. It's a good place to meet new people and make friends. I think we spent about 45 minutes sitting in the air-conditioned office, during that time we met several of our new neighbors. Since we don't have AC in the cabin, it was a treat to be so cool for a while. On the other side of the coin, sometimes you can wait an hour to get up to the counter, only to find out you're missing something. At which point you'll sulk away from counter in anger and frustration, realizing that you'll have to come back and wait in line to attempt the same feat again.

In our case, I got up to counter only to find out that my solicitation numbers hadn't come up yet and was told I should come back in a few days. I'm panicked thinking, "Bill really needs Internet. I have to use my charm. I'm too old to flirt, but I do have a charming smile." My smile coupled with much begging and pleading on behalf of my husband must have made the phone guy take pity on us. He made a few phone calls and a few computer entries. Was I almost done? "Of course," he informed me. He had it all set up, only I had to do one more thing - go to the bank and pay the 12,500 colones or $25 activation fee, then come back and bring the cancelled receipt. Then he would activate the SIM card in my phone so I could use it.

What? Why did they tell me to bring the money to ICE if they couldn't accept payment? What kind of line is at the bank? When I come back to ICE do I have to wait in line again? These were the questions that went through my gringa mind as all of this craziness is happening. But I don't dare ask them. Like the Tica that I am, I smile and patiently do as I'm told.

So we hop in the car and drive to the bank. It turns out the line at the bank was nonexistent. No problem there, but when I get back to ICE, there is a longer line than before. Once again, I'm stuck at ICE for social hour. After only a half-hour it's my turn. Phone guy takes the phone, activates it, hands it back to me and says it works, but where won't be any Internet till 3pm in the afternoon. Aarrgh! Then Bill chimes in, "What's the user name and password to access the Internet?" The guy gives us a deer in the headlight look and insists that there isn't one. It was probably a translation problem, or maybe he was thinking, "Gringos, just take the phone and the Internet will magically appear at 3 PM." I figured why press the point. Bill's smart. He'll figure it out.

Needless to say, the Internet didn't miraculously work, but very often in Costa Rica kindness from strangers works miracles. The next afternoon, since the Internet didn't work, Bill had to go to an Internet cafe to work. After work he stopped by the appliance store from which we had bought all our appliances. Keep in mind we didn't buy our phone there, but they do sell them. The place was empty except for Bill and the manager, who gave Bill ICE's Internet user name and password. Why the ICE phone guy didn't know that crucial information the day before, we'll never know. Together it took the manager and Bill about 45 minutes to get Internet on our phone working.

Here's my shameless plug for resulting from an act of unexpected kindness: Importadora Monge in Uvita, Costa Rica.

So we had Internet on the phone, but only in certain areas of the property and not at the cabin. Stalwart Bill is not giving up. In the morning, I was on the phone with the company who was delivering our bamboo furniture. Bill screams at me to have them throw in a really long piece of bamboo that he intends to use as an antenna. You've seen the picture of the pole they brought to us all the way down the mountain sticking out from behind the deliver truck. Our cost: $0

Another shameless plug for the best company that I have worked with in Costa Rica so far:

Sur Bambu in Pedregosito, P.Z.-They make beautiful bamboo furniture at reasonable prices and they offer exceptional customer service through Roy.

Serendipity Tico Style

To summarize the unique process of us getting connected:

It took the determination, perseverance and technical astuteness of Bill. The charm, patience and language skills of Carmen. ICE and the cell phone vendor. As well as help from individuals working at a furniture manufacturer and an appliance store. It's serendipity Tico style!

As I publish this post I'm grateful to all participants.

Signing of at sunset, TicaGringa