Having spent some time in Arenal, CR over the last 15 years as a visitor and buying property in 2002, I sold it 5/16. There were the regular expats and the ones that came and went. Because I hadn't established myself down there because I still had a job, I only met the "Bar people". As I am one (I'm single). But I heard and witnessed (by staying at that hotel) that the non bar expats had a Every Tuesday Breakfast Meeting that looked fun. But the Bar people weren't there. So not being an expat yet I was reluctant to introduce myself.
I retired 3 years ago and was planning to move to CR and at the last minute moved to Grass Valley, CA. At that time and not visible yet, the bark beetle moved in too. So the following year clusters of 120 ft. Ponderosa pines ( for 360 degrees, as far as the eye could see) were starting to die. I put my house up for sale the following year when it was looking worse. Then the first issue I got from International Living magazine, 8/16, featured Cusco, with expats, as the main story so I moved here 2 weeks after my house sold. Not thinking about going on-line for expat info. I found 4 expats and they said "That's it". Bar guys and they just meet at the bar. So I'll have been here 3 months in 9 days and I hope to meet a larger group of PATS when I get to Chile. Being new to expat.com I'm looking forward to meeting new expats there. Bob