Why You Need this Video

Our overall objective was to make a video that would allow the viewer to learn as much as possible about the economic, cultural and social life of Costa Rica. This video was designed to compile a broad range of factual information, to provide a solid platform for an individual or family to make intelligent decisions about relocation and / or retirement.

This video was designed as a tool to introduce and inform others about this wonderful country. Additionally, to provide exposure to a "core sample" of lifestyles, through four interviews, which were chosen to reflect the broad scope of interest for those curious about relocation and their optioins.

The video is broken down into interactive sections, so that you can watch any part in any order that you like, and re-watch them again. Since the information about the country and interviews is so extensive, you will surely want to watch it many times to absorb it all. You can select the various sections by using your video remote control to navigate the menu. It is an interactive, informative and entertaining snapshot of what you can really expect to find in Costa Rica once you live here.

Technical Aspects:
The entire video was professionally shot by experienced cameramen from one of the foremost video and web development companies in Costa Rica - Markame Productions. The various scenes were all recorded in High Definition format, but the DVD version is in high resolution Standard Definition to be compatible with any television. The editing, scene transitions and addition of musical tracks were all done on professinonal editing equipment, using propriatary software specific to the video industry. Therefore, the quality is what you would expect from a TV documentary, not someone filming with a home video recorder.

It should be noted that the youtube.com sample presentations of the four interviews does not represent the quality of the DVD, as Google has to compress the videos and change their format so that they download faster and are more web compatible.

Non-Commercial:
The DVD, and this website, contain absolutely no advertising or endorsements of any products or services. There are no links from the DVD or this website to vendor websites that have something to market to you, no recoommendations of real estate companies, or persons selling any products. This is done to assure you that the facts and figures and the lifestyle interviews are all unbiased reflections of the country. In other words, be assured that you will not be buying an assortment of commercials or disguised business endorsements.

Some of the topics covered in this video are:
Learning Spanish
Banking
The Insurance System
Investing
Running a Business
Obtaining Residency
Driving in Costa Rica
Navigating San Jose
Traveling by Bus
Hiring Domestic Help
Personal Safety – Crime
Car Repair
Culture - Tiquicia
Expat Communities
Food
Shopping