The first person to drive me around Quepos, Costa Rica when I moved here two years ago was Chip Braman. A silver-haired, tan-skinned, distinguished gentleman who looks much younger than his 72 years, Chip moved to the Quepos and Manuel Antonio area on the central Pacific coast 18 years ago from Connecticut.
Living in a foreign country has its challenges—any expat will tell you that. Most of us downsize when we move to Costa Rica. You don't need a lot of "stuff" here. There are some things, however, that you don't want to live without—items that add a little comfort, and essentials you need for survival.
One of my annual to-do's Stateside was to have my teeth cleaned with my long-held dentist. I've done that for the last five years. After all, he had all my records and was inexpensive by North American standards. I also—thankfully—have not had any dental emergencies that required me to seek out a Costa Rican dentist.
As another hurricane season nears its end, Mother Nature's awe-inspiring (and occasionally deadly) acts remain top-of-mind for many. The good news is, in Costa Rica hurricanes are not a major concern. Although we have a Caribbean shoreline, it is extremely rare to see a tempest weather maker this far south below the "hurricane belt."
Few things are more personal than what we eat every day. “What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?” asked writer Lin Yutang. So, what’s cooking in Costa Rica? Let me, a health-conscious cheapskate with gourmet tendencies, be your guide.
One marvelous example of a native heritage that can be known is found in the Boruca. This indigenous tribe is located in the far south Pacific corner of Costa Rica. About 2,000 of these indomitable people remain there on protected, reserved lands.
Sometimes life takes you in a direction that you could never have anticipated. This proved to be true for Cathy Carrolan Mata, when she decided to uproot and move to Costa Rica in 2003.
In the near decade since Madeline traded her home city of Portland, Oregon, for the sunnier shores of Costa Rica, she’s used yoga to sustain herself physically, emotionally, and financially.
When Jeanne Cordes discovered Costa Rica, she was living on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina with a successful real estate business. As a single parent raising two teenage boys, the family took adventure vacations at Christmas break and trips that fed their love of surfing, windsurfing, scuba diving, sport fishing, tennis, golf, and horseback riding on the beach.
Anecdotal stories are fun, but facts and actual numbers are the real deal. So, I did a big comparison of the cost of groceries, so I would know the truth of it. I did it just for me, since, well...I'm a nerd about these things. However, I'm going to share my findings with you—as it really is "insider" information.