Spoiled

Inspection
Every year all legal vehicles get inspected in Costa Rica, this is called Retive, this is also called "one full day per year".  In a first world country it would never fly to need to take time off from work for a car inspection, but here is blends into the backdrop of the rotunda of holidays, this however is your own holiday with your car.  The special day depends upon your plate number and determines what month you get to do Retive. If you miss it your vehicle is illegal and the only legal way to get it to inspection then is to hire a tow truck, I am not kidding.  There are no options for a 'one day pass' so you can drive it there and since the stations are few and far between driving it with risk of merciless impound brings a whole new angle to the puzzle.  For me it was a mere hour and fifty minutes to the nearest Retive station, one direction. You must make an appointment in advance, the tell you when to come and get 
In line.  During my commute to Retive my headlight went out, which i realized once in the parking lot and 10 min until my appointment, I chose to keep the appointment betting that I could explain it and pass and fix it later since otherwise my vehicle was safer than 95%of what I saw on the road here.  No dice.  They are very thorough here, checking far more things and to a greater extent than i have ever seen done in the states... A funny dichotomy considering the pathetic condition of most of the cars driving around me not to mention the litany of Moros with no lights driving at night. I wonder how the pass, seriously, because there are many traffic stops around that demand proper vehicle papers and impound the poor schmucks that leave it home. Retive was indeed an 8 hour process including barely passing the second time as the inspector became fixated on figuring out if my headlights were aimed too high in the air (no joke here, he seriously tried not to pass me for this while i am surrounded by vehicles held together with bailing twine and sheetmetal) in the end I did pass, got my sticker and green lights me for 12 more months of traffic stops.