I was driving to Golfito yesterday from Pavones and as I bumped along the gravel road, hoping that the annual road grading would start soon I noticed someone who seemed to be lost. Now having lived here at 8 degrees North of the Equator for 12 years, I have come to notice that certain visitors seem to stick out like a sore thumb. As I slowed down to double check that my vision was not deceiving me, I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle as I realized it was an old friend from my childhood. You can imagine the surprise on my face as I was not expecting to see him way down here in the tropics. There he was in all of his glory, with a top hat, corn cob pipe, a carrot nose and a scarf around his neck. Yes indeed! It was Frosty the Snowman (in cardboard) tacked up on the weathered front door of an old farmer’s house, who I am sure had never seen a Snowman, much less snow, but who in the spirit of the season took the time to put Old Frosty up to delight the children and passersby. Somehow after that, I didn’t feel the bumps in the road for the rest of the trip to Golfito, as my mind drifted back to the times in my youth when we would make Frosty the Snowman come to life in our front yards during the winter months.
Costa Rica is a country that spends the end of the year in full celebration. There are many things that happen during the end of the year that make Costa Rican’s get excited about the Season. The first is that the month of December all employees are paid double for one month. The second is that the end of the rainy season comes and it is full sunshine from north to south. Along with some extra money and sunshine all Costa Rican’s will be eating Tamales.
Tamales is a traditional dish that is made of corn base that involves a long process to get them just right. One of the most interesting things about the many Tamales that are made in the country is that they all taste just a little differerent. You will notice that everyone you talk to claims that their grandmother makes the best tamales. In my personal opinion all of the tamales are good and it is the vacation season, nice weather, and overall joy of the Christmas season that makes for each tamales to be the best tasting.
If you are offered a tamale this Christmas season yo almost always have to say yes and dont forget to save room for the next because chances are you will be offered them until they run out which is usually after the New Year.
The Howler monkeys must have digital alarm clocks because every morning at 5:30 a.m. on the dot, I awake to a chorus of male “Congos” as we call them. Their voices travel for miles through the rain forest and serve as a wake up call to the jungle. Shortly after they sound the alarm that a new day has dawned, the other species begin to stir. Green parrots take flight and announce that their squadron has taken to the air with ear piercing screeches that cannot be ignored. The soft cooing of a Dove in a nearby Coco Bola tree softens the blow of the raucous early risers. As the sun begins to rise above the jungle canopy that surrounds my house, soft rays of sunlight pierce through and illuminate the morning mist like beams from a light house. As I stand on the second level porch overlooking the garden, my favorite sentinel for the new day arrives with brilliant blue flashes and not a sound. The magnificent Blue Morpho butterflies take flight and enjoy the open spaces and sweet nectars of the garden. Reflecting on all of the natural beauty that surrounds me every morning, I am grateful and privileged to be awakened by the sounds of nature and knowing that I am alive to experience another Blue Morpho morning.
With the rains tapering off and the beginning of summer just a few weeks away, soon we will see the population of tourists, ex-pats and Ticos begin to fill in at the beach. Here in Pavones, the horses that have had the beaches to themselves for the last few months will have to share with the coming surfers, sun bathers, and bikini clad girls who adorn the shoreline in the summer months. The economic stimulus that accompanies our guests will be welcomed by locals as the cabinas become occupied and the restaurants stock their kitchens. The smell of pan seared tuna and the wonderful aroma of chuletas and onions will fill the air and fill the tables with people sharing their daily experiences here in the jungle. Children will be on vacation from school and will enjoy the freedom from studies and the energy of youth as they play soccer on the plaza, explore the rivers and beaches, and reunite with visiting family members during the holidays. With the approaching New Year and the promise of Costa Rica’s many attractions, we are all looking forward to a healthy, happy and prosperous 2012!
Pura Vida from Pavones, Costa Rica
Bobby Nielsen,
United Country – Properties in Costa Rica Associate in Pavones, Southern Pacific
Before the year of 2006 your options for drinking wine in Costa Rica were slim to none. If you were not ready for the full cultural experience of Imperial or Guaro then your alcoholic beverage options might have been limited. Between the years of 2006 – 2008 the wine industry in Costa Rica grew by 30% and with most things in 2009 did not grow. In 2010 and 2011 there have been a 15% growth which means it is back on the rise. Wine is often a good indication of what the economy is like. If people are willing to spend on top bottles of wine from all over the world then there is a good chance they are living the good life.
ExpoVino which was held at Real Intercontinental was a display of your wine options in Costa Rica from all over the world. ExpoVino was a success for their third year. What they are noticing is that Ticos are becoming very educated and doing their research on different wines. Many Costa Rican’s drink wines from Chile due to the free trade agreement and the average spent on a bottle is about $10’s which is relatively cheap when talking about wine. This might be due to the fact that Costa Rican’s are new to the wine industry and with a few more years of experience and taste it is thought that they will begin to spend the extra money on finer wines. Keep an eye on the economy and keep an eye on what kind of whine you see being offered in places. CHEERS!
The Country Day School in Escazu, Costa Rica is celebrating the United Nations week with multicultural activities representing more than 40 countries and all 7 continents!
Beautiful dances, songs and food from all over the planet have embellish the campus of the International School. Children from the early learning center through elementary and high school have been practicing for months their performances for this week. Parents and teachers have contributed with typical dresses from their countries as well as teaching traditional dances and preparing delicious meals to share their culture with others.
This beautiful activity is an example of how children from all over the globe naturally share and appreciate together their own diversity and the values of peace, friendship and innocence… The rich experience of exchanging flavors, culture and traditions from so many different countries -all united in Costa Rica- is the main reason why we decided to enroll our children in this school…
Costa Rica is a beautiful place to live so no wonder why it is also home to many people from all over the world. Costa Rica offers quality lifestyle, a democratic tradition, educated, happy and welcoming people, modern infrastructure and amenities, business opportunities (many multinational companies have chosen Costa Rica for their operations), and above all, Costa Rica offers a fantastic environment to raise our children…
Hope you enjoy the video! Let’s stay connected!
Art Guzman
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Costa Rica is known as the green country. As the country that has the majority of it’s rainforest protected and some of the happiest people in the country. As all countries Costa Rica is not perfect and if they had one crutch in their system it would have to be the Central Valley sewage system. The good news is that they are now in the works to bring a state of the art sewage treatment plant into the country between 2010 – 2030.
For those of you in the business world this might sound like a dirty investment but it happens to be one of the best investments you will find in these times. One option would be to look for a nice piece of land in Costa Rica and build your retirement home and after that you can invest in Costa Rica’s new sewer treatment plant. They are expecting this project to cost around 2.5 billion dollars.
The numbers are not out yet but over the next 20 years having an investment in this might be one of the most solid things to think about along with investing in some land in Costa Rica.
Being on the list of Forbe Magazines most beautiful National Park’s in the world isn’t a bad way to start the week for Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. One of Costa Rica’s smallest national parks is without questions one of the most exciting to see. It is filled with miraculous beaches, hiking trails, and plenty of wildlife.
In the Forbe’s magazine article they mention that the park is a century younger than Yosemite. Not only is it younger but it is just a small fraction of the size. Yosemite is huge and this small little pearl of Manuel Antonio on the Pacific of Costa Rica is 1,500 acres while Yosemite is 800,000 acres. This is quite the difference in size but they say “good things come in small packages” as is the case with Manuel Antonio National Park. The national Park of Manuel Antonio is also located at the end of a peninsula. The better portion of the length of this peninsula is now hotels, condos, and properties looking to get the best view of the protected national park while keeping their distance to help keep it pristine and in the best of conditions.
The Manuel National Park is closed on mondays in order to allow the wildlife, trails, and foliage to have it’s natural way without visitors. During the Mondays in the area there is still plenty to do and see with sea-kayak tours, ziplines, ATV’s, sailing, and just relaxing at some of the most luxurious hotels in all of Costa Rica or just chilling at a 6 bedroom house rental with startling views of the deep blue pacific.
by Rod Martin
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If you are thinking of moving to Costa Rica or just shopping for a real estate investment you might want to look at it as more of an investment in your children.
There are plenty of people that are in their day to day jobs that dream of moving to tropical paradise surrounded by nature. Have we ever wondered why this might be. Well it turns out it is only “natural” to want to be surrounded by the very life system that gives you life. This is ultimately important for kids and many adults need to break the barrier of being detached from nature.
In Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods — Saving kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder” he talks about the damaging affects of raising children in a world where they have more “screen time” than “stream time”. Kids grow up so detached from nature he says that they have much higher risk of health problems such as obesity and attention disorders. He also argues that this detachment from nature could have a devastating affect on future generations and the functioning of societies.
For those that have moved to Costa Rica and found themselves in a tropical paradise surrounded by nature like on the ridges of the Dominical area surrounded by jungle with views of the Pacific I can assure you that their stress level has dropped. If you decide to move down to an area of Costa Rica surrounded by nature and you have your children experience the beauty of the tropics you will be opening them up to the natural world at an early age which will be nothing but beneficial to their future health.
Richard Louv did the study of the affects of kids lacking nature but it would be interesting to found out how those that decided to make the move to Costa Rica just how much their health mentally and physically has improved.
If your looking for the perfect Oasis in nature let us know and we can make your dream a reality.
In a recent study done by Euromoney Costa Rica was again listed in the top 10 countries in Latin America for investing. The good news is that Costa Rica moved up 5 places to be only behind Chile and Panama. They credit the moving up 5 places to “improved political stability” and “limited economic risk” both of which are nothing new to Costa Rica.
There was also a study by FDI intelligence that looked at 405 Latin American cities and found San Jose as the 5th best city of the future in all of Latin America. It was ranked as the top city for the future in Central America.
This is great news for Costa Rica on investing and can already be seen in companies making decisions such as IBM’s recent investment of $300 million.
The Howler monkeys must have digital alarm clocks because every morning at 5:30 a.m. on the dot, I awake to a chorus of male “Congos” as we call them. Their voices travel for miles through the rain forest and serve as a wake up call to the jungle. Shortly after they sound the alarm that a new day has dawned, the other species begin to stir. Green parrots take flight and announce that their squadron has taken to the air with ear piercing screeches that cannot be ignored. The soft cooing of a Dove in a nearby Coco Bola tree softens the blow of the raucous early risers. As the sun begins to rise above the jungle canopy that surrounds my house, soft rays of sunlight pierce through and illuminate the morning mist like beams from a light house. As I stand on the second level porch overlooking the garden, my favorite sentinel for the new day arrives with brilliant blue flashes and not a sound. The magnificent Blue Morpho butterflies take flight and enjoy the open spaces and sweet nectars of the garden. Reflecting on all of the natural beauty that surrounds me every morning, I am grateful and privileged to be awakened by the sounds of nature and knowing that I am alive to experience another Blue Morpho morning.
Being on the list of Forbe Magazines most beautiful National Park’s in the world isn’t a bad way to start the week for