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SCARLET MACAWS

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:56-04:00 February 24th, 2011|Categories: Tourism|Tags: , , , , |

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update:  Hotel on the beach in  Puerto Jimenez, gateway to Corcovado National Park- $125/couple

Waking up to the sound of the waves instead of an alarm clock is refreshing.  Waking up to the throaty, squawking sounds of Scarlet Macaws is magnificent.

I am watching them from my hotel porch as they glide from almond tree to almond tree.   They tear apart the outer shell and recklessly devour the nut inside. 

Their vivid colors streak the sky with splashes of red, blue, and yellow.  It’s nature’s way of saying,  “Look at me, I’m not meant to be ignored! Don’t you wish you could look like this?”  I watch as they finish breakfast and fly off to another location.

This is how my morning begins in Puerto Jimenez.  All before my first cup of coffee. 

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POOL HOPPING…THE ECONOMICAL ALTERNATIVE

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:00-04:00 December 2nd, 2010|Categories: Tourism|Tags: |

Pool HoppingCosta Rica Cost Of Living Update:  Total to  fill up SUV gas tank- $70                            Total to fill up scooter- $6 (and much more fun to ride)

Every once in a while one wishes to stay at the $350 a night resort.  The ones with the state of the art fitness center, the luxurious spa, and the fancy swim up bars.  But we found a way around it since $350 is too steep for us.  We politely ask the manager if we eat lunch at their restaurant will they let us use the pool.  90% of the time they will say yes, especially if it slow and they want to fill some seats in the dining room.

I have floated in spectacular infinity pools, soaked in the most relaxing hot tubs, and enjoyed the greatest views.  All for the price of a turkey sandwich.

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SPUR OF THE MOMENT TRIPS

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:01-04:00 November 25th, 2010|Categories: Tourism|Tags: |

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update:  16 pound Thanksgiving Day turkey- $92 (I’ll be having chicken)

New Costa Rica Business Idea- Turkey Farm

The best thing about living in Costa Rica is at any moment you can get in your car and be at a beautiful destination in a couple hours. It feels like taking a vacation…from our vacation.

One day we threw a backpack of clothes into the car and headed out to the coast.  We ended up in Dominical, a surfing town on the Pacific side of the country. I didn’t bring any guide books and didn’t have a clue where to stay.  My husband came up with an idea to stop at a realtor’s office, since who would know better? And that’s when we heard of a luxury home so lovely it made my husband determined to get a room.  The only problem was you needed to rent the entire home for $4500 a week.  A little Brooklyn Razzle/Dazzle was in order. (more…)

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NICARAGUAN INVASION BASED ON FAULTY GOOGLE MAP

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:02-04:00 November 8th, 2010|Categories: Tourism|Tags: |

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update:  Average  cost of bribing Nicaraguan border official to let car into their country- $5

It’s not uncommon to hear about a country invading another. But Nicaragua based their decision on a Google map which makes me question President Ortega’s military resources. The video explains why Tico’s just roll their eyes when I ask them about this latest Nicaraguan temper tantrum.

Google responds to their involvement in this operation by issuing a public announcement, “Google maps are of very high quality and Google works constantly to improve and update existing information, by no means should they be used as a reference to decide military actions between two countries.”

Who knew an iPhone application could cause so many problems?

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A BABY SLOTH?

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:03-04:00 October 18th, 2010|Categories: Tourism, Uncategorized|Tags: |

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update:                   Rent for 2 bedroom 2 bath house on 2 acres with a view in a 500 acre reserve including several waterfalls- $450/month

Costa Rica is a country well known for its unique wildlife.  One great place to visit is a sloth sanctuary where abandoned and injured sloths are nursed back to health.  This is a perfect place to visit while driving south along the Caribbean highway. It is run by a husband and wife; two great people making a difference.

Change Pace at the Sloth Sanctuary of C.R. / Travel / Weekend / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times.

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