Same here - I prefer real snakes than SUV drivers, which are often the same - but perhaps look like humans.

Yes, labor is very cheap here. That will be about 1 hour of work I expect - they will repack everything for that. Labor for this is probably 1.25 per hour is my guess - and they have all the tools.

However, if I were to buy a bike here - it would probably be about 20% more. Not a lot of selection - but you can order one. I don't need another bike - and really like mine (a F900 Cannondale).

Let's see - we just rented a place for our housekeeper - a small house in the country, 20,000 colones a month (40 bucks). Gas is expensive - diesel isn't too bad. Tropical fruits are nearly free (pineapple - 75 cents and they are incredible!)

Fruit growing all over the place - stuff you probably have never heard of. (like manzanas de agua for example - taste like a cross between a rose and a pear)

There are expensive places to live in Costa Rica - rentals more than 700 dollars a month - but we prefer to live where it is really Costa Rica - not resort areas. We both speak Spanish pretty well and have lots of friends. We probably are amusement. ;-)

We also have about 1 square kilometer of reforestation - which is our real job.

As I said, it is a hard life, but someone has to do it...