Picking the Perfect Car

This is Mark, Christine’s husband.

Christine made fun of me for the last six months as I researched exactly what type of car we should buy. She told me over and over that she did not care, but I did! I didn't want anything too flashy or too new. I needed a four wheel drive that could fit our family when they visited plus racks for luggage and surf boards. After agonizing for quite a while, I knew that I wanted to buy a 2012 or 2013 4 x 4 Mitzubushi Montero. It is a safe car, reliable, and there are many parts available in Costa Rica for when the car breaks down. Did I say it was safe? I found the perfect 2012.

On day two in Costa Rica, we had a little storm that produced two to four inches of rain in an hour or two. We were driving home when this deluge of water made it incredibly difficult to see (I know I need to figure out how to get the windshield to stop fogging) and the wipers were not able to keep up. Thankfully, we were behind a truck and only a half-mile from the road leading to our community. As you can see by the video, the road looks more like a small river, and that is not even the steep part.

Today is day four (I think) in Costa Rica and was yet another adventure. We drove to the San Isidro Del General Farmers’ Market (only 18 miles or one hour and 13 minutes from our home) to buy fresh local food. For those of you who live or have lived in the Los Angeles, California area, imagine Topanga Canyon as a rain forest, but narrower and wet (if you don’t know what I am talking about, Google Topanga Canyon). Now add 18-wheelers, dump trucks, dogs, motorcycles on either side of you, and four one-lane bridges where whoever gets there first has the right of way. Oncoming traffic has no issue with sharing your lane around turns and only a few people passed trucks around turns. Oh, let’s not forget the rain which made the windshield foggy because of the rain and humidity. We still have not mastered how to prevent this from happening. So after braving all that, we made it to the farmers' market.

Thankfully, the ride home was less eventful weather-wise. I did manage to hit a trailer attached to a pickup while backing out of the little market I stopped at to purchase Jugo de Naranja for the vodka I purchased. That was exciting.

So, to quote my friend Fabian, long story short, I researched this car for nearly six months and I am satisfied that we are safe to drive in Costa Rica, so far.

Pura Vida