There’s one thing you need to know about Costa Rica, there are no street signs!
The Future
I was introduced to this website WikiMapia.Org and I noticed that I could see my exact coordinates on this planet (Where do I live in Costa Rica? link below). Cool! Then I started thinking about how I could use this info to my benefit. I cannot receive packages to my apartment because I have no address, it is also very hard to tell a taxi driver how to get home, especially after a few cervezas. ;)
So what’s the problem?
Trust me, it is not that big a deal otherwise I wouldn’t want to live here. Nonetheless, this is a pain in the ass. The problem here is that there are no street numbers and addresses. Have you ever tried to tell someone where you live, when you are not 100 percent sure yourself? Or a taxi?
You know how the normal call goes when ordering a pizza for delivery in the US so I will spare you that, but here is how my conversation goes in Costa Rica. Oh yeah, I will translate into English for you, you don’t want to hear my Spanish anyway, lo prometo
me: I would like a large supreme for delivery please
el: OK, Where do you live?
me: Mercedes Norte, 200 Meters East from the Cafe Britt Factory
I am sorry, this is how a perfect call would go, assuming they thought that Cafe Britt was in Mercedes Norte and not Santa Lucia. There are no street names and no house numbers. Everything is done with direction, such as north, south, east and west. You have to say which city (village) you are in, then you have to find a landmark in that city and count blocks.
1 block = 100 meters
The problem I have now is that I am literally on the line between the two cities and my Spanish just isn’t good enough yet to explain the directions properly. I need a solution.
I Have a Dream
I see a future where I can go to a website, whether on my laptop, cell phone or blackberry and order anything online. When it is time to enter my shipping information, I just want to put in my coordinates. That’s it. Bring it here! I want to be lost and just call a taxi with my cell phone, send them a text message with my coordinates (GPS enabled on cell phone) and have a taxi (which has the coordinates automatically entered into his GPS dashboard unit) on its way without any problems, getting lost or getting stuck in traffic.
Obviously this can have many uses. There could also be an updated traffic alert, which gets updated by the taxi drivers in their taxis. If they are stuck in a jam or an accident has a highway closed they can alert all cars and the GPS system would auto reroute all taxis away from the problem area.
This could be used for any service that delivers (like UPS, Fed Ex or Pizza!) or even for ambulances, fire trucks or police. Anyway, maybe this is a service already, or maybe I should at least try to create one for the pizza delivery companies here.
Want to see where I live?
Since none of my readers are from Costa Rica (I think), and I don’t think anyone is searching for me who wants to kill me; I don’t minding showing everyone where I live. I am waiting for a perfect day to take a picture of the sunsets I see every night. I will have another post just for the sunset.
Jim Gaudet Coordinates: 10°0’32″N – 84°7’10″W
how do you have no address? is that a standard practice, or just some strange coincidence?
Seriously, there are no street names. I have an address in Miami and I pick up my mail at the mail. Takes forever…I don’t get any mail anyway.
There are a few places where they are starting to put in street names,but only a few.
But really my address here (exactly on my contract)
Mercedes Norte
de Cafe britt 200 oeste casa blanca
Fucking hilarious, my cable bill says it is in Santa Lucia…At least I have a great view!
Dream small man, start with street names and house numbers! You might be able to get that done, who knows.
That would be so amazing! Still, I want to put a GPS in every delivery vehicle and just send my coordinates.
Dude, you can order Subway online! http://www.subwaycostarica.com/
The one in Heredia should deliver.
Jake Woodss last blog post..Standardized cell phone chargers!
Sweet. Makes me want a sub right now..Pura Vida!
Haha yeah that sounds like a Costa Rican address, this is kinda old post but w/e, maybe you can get a local PO box, at least for mail, and for taxi or food deliver…. thats the best you can do, just using reference points and maybe a reference to your builing like saying its the one with a black gate or with a palm tree in the front haha, hope that helps xD
I use JetBox for my mail and luckily I live close to Cafe Britt. So, that helps with the fast food deliveries..
If you need data to fill your gps device with nice tourist attraction, check dankuna’s blog.
Thanks Martin!