Well, most of us slept in beds last night, so that is the good news.
This whole rental situation is convoluted. A woman in California owns the house that we booked in September. She works through a rental agent in the US, who in turn works with a property agent her in Costa Rica. Apparently the owner was contacted about electrical problems at the property we had booked, so she passed that down the line. The agent here worked overtime to find us a place, and the email string between her, the US agent and local property owners is a sight to see. That she was even able to find us anywhere to stay during the week of the primary Costa Rican holiday and the biggest annual influx of tourists is amazing.
However. The place we have is beautiful, the kids love it. Something of an ocean view. Two minute walk to the beach. Maria, the caretaker that lives next door, has been very helpful. But it's like i explained to Sam, say you had a birthday party downtown and rented a limo to get you and eight or nine friends there. The driver shows up in a brand new, two-seater Porsche convertible. Top of the line car, he says, all the bells and whistles. It's a beautiful car, but is it what you need?
We skimped on the first house we rented - and got what we paid for - because we knew that our next place would be so nice. The house for this week that we booked (and paid a ton of cash for): four bedrooms, four baths, sunny pool, hot tub, horseback riding facilities, dishwasher, large common area for meals and congregating. Close to the activities we had planned, quiet and secluded. This house: three bedrooms, beds for six, mattresses on the floor for the kids, two bathrooms, small, shaded pool, seating for four for meals, tiny kitchen. An hour farther away from activities. Right next to the main road, so heavy truck traffic starts at four in the morning.
On the other hand, we walked over to the beach this morning, and there were people sleeping on air mattresses on the sand. So there you go.
At this point, I guess it just comes down to financial negotiations. Always a treat on vacation
No comments:
Post a Comment