THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN SAN RAMON

There are a lot of things I’m learning to love in Costa Rica, and Christmas here is one of them.  There are a few similarities to Christmas in the U.S.A., but that’s about it.  I only started to become aware of Christmas in the shops about a week before the big day, when you would sometimes hear Christmas Carols, especially "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano.   Before that there was very little to remind one that Christmas was fast approaching, which to me is the biggest gift ever!  Christmas decorations are around, but to a far lesser degree than they are at home.  Some Ticos have told me that although presents are exchanged, it is not a given.   Some people have Christmas trees, but many do not.  When I do see more elaborate decorations and  reminders of Christmas, they are most often large Nativity scenes in someone’s yard or in a public space.  Christmas is seen more as a religious holiday and time off from work, (for some a whole week), to spend with family.  I am told Costa Ricans head for the beach en mass during the holiday.  After a Christmas Eve dinner tonight with new expat friends, I think I may join those masses tomorrow.  I can’t wait to get a deep breath of salty sea air.  The buses run all the time, even on Christmas!

CARLOS MARIO GONZALEZ "MR TACO",  SAN RAMON ENTREUPRENER

After several comfortable days in the “San Ramon Hotel”, I was referred by the owner, Don Alvaro Gonzalez, to his family, where I have taken up longer term accommodations.  I have a more than comfortable room with a private bath, use of the kitchen and living spaces, an internet connection, color TV with HBO and Spanish subtitles, (which are, by the way, a terrific help in learning the language)…what more could I want?  Grace, the lady of the house does my laundry and irons everything, even the underwear.  I asked her not to bother, but her son, Carlos Mario, (he has such great English!) told me “that’s just what she does”.  Most mornings Grace and I have very delicious Costa Rican coffee at the dining room table.  This is like a Spanish lesson for me and an English lesson for her.  I am pretty amazed at how well we can communicate.  

Carlos Mario, 23, is a budding restaurateur, owner operator of “Mr. Taco”.  He will soon introduce the “Coney” hot dog to San Ramon and I have a feeling they are going to go loco for it!   Grace’s 12 year old daughter, Sofia, is on vacation from school and she is a delight to be around.  She doesn’t particularly like to study English at school, so I am always  touched when she pulls out the family’s huge English/Spanish dictionary during our conversations.

On Christmas Day it was sunny and beautiful at Puntegeras, a beach lined with coconut palms on the Pacific side that is about a one hour bus ride from San Ramon.   Grace, Sofia and I took the bus there for a day of pure relaxation and calm.  The water was surprisingly warm, not the shock of cold you get in the Central Californian surf.   Most all the restaurants there and inland as well offer slushy frozen fruit drinks…everyone enjoys these, not just the touristas!  I think a main ingredient is a processed fruit puree, but many places add fresh fruit as well.  My favorite so far is the “Sandia”, or watermelon, which can be made for you with milk or water.  I like mine made with water, and I like it so well, I haven’t tried any other flavor yet.  But I’m sure I will in time!  I’ve also been consuming fresh green coconut water…I try to get one a day.  Dr. Mercola (mercola.com) says that fresh coconut water is packed with vitamins and trace minerals.  Many fruit stands have these coconuts with the husk still on.  They chop off the top part with a machete, stick in a straw, and there you are!  Depending on the location, these cost anywhere from 40 cents to one dollar.  On my finca I will be sure to plant some coconuts!  Ahhh…the life!

In my last blog, I made some misleading statements, because I didn’t take into account that one kilo is almost two pounds!  So actually, the fresh fruit and vegetables are sometimes about half the price that they are in the U.S.   Also, I’m looking at the meats in an entirely different light now that I’m using the correct measurements!  That being said, a decision to move to Central America should not be based alone on a less expensive cost of living.  I’ve been told that the difference is shrinking rapidly, and I can see now that this whole transition will run into thousands of dollars, given residency fees, etc.  However, if you are looking for a slower pace of life, a far healthier and simpler lifestyle, and a sane approach to healthcare that doesn’t drive families into bankruptcy, it just might be worth every penny.

LAURA (CARLOS' GIRLFRIEND), GRACE GONZALEZ SANCHO & SOFIA GONZALEZ SANCHO
LIVIN THE GOOD LIFE

I have discovered that there is a thriving ex-pat community here.  There is a woman’s group that meets at a Café every Thursday.  I was extremely lucky, when on my first day in San Ramon I met one of the members at the bank and she told me about it.  So I went last Thursday and met some truly interesting people.  Sometimes it is hard work being a stranger in a strange land, even if they call it “paradise”, and now it is so much clearer to me in a personal way why there were all the ethnic neighborhoods where I grew up in the Northeast (U.S.).  The Irish, the Italians, Puerto Ricans, Poles and Russians…it makes perfect sense that people cling to the familiar.  The women I met through this group are committed to their new community but also dedicated to helping the newcomers find their way around.  It’s hard to quantify how much that help is valued and appreciated.

SAN RAMON DRUMMERS HEATING UP THE TOWN PLAZA THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS

One of the women expats has a dog rescue mission and I’m told she now cares for 168 previously homeless dogs.  The San Ramon Women’s Expat Group helps out and once a month they go out to the shelter to help clean the kennels, wash the dogs, and give individual attention to these lucky dogs; some will be adopted out.  In addition, a lot of the expats in San Ramon make financial contributions to this noble endeavor.

Like myself, many North Americans and Europeans are animal lovers (and I certainly don’t mean to say that many Central Americans are not…there are many cherished pets here!).  But it’s painful to see neglected and homeless dogs everywhere.  There is no animal control that I know of.   Mostly the dogs prowl along the street with their noses to the ground scavenging for any morsel.   So any time I have leftovers, at home or in a restaurant, a doggie bag is a must.  In Costa Rica, usually the stray dogs seem to be in pretty good shape, although I have heard horror stories about dogs being found at death’s door.  In Panama, there were pitifully skinny and maimed dogs in every town.  I’ve seen a few with one of their eyes poked out.  Without Animal Control in the United States, we would also have a massive population of unwanted dogs on the street.  Although the good, dedicated people at the U.S. shelters do their best with adoption, the large majority of dogs picked up are euthanized, their innocent little bodies cremated.  Hence, no visible problem.   Cats are rarely seen here and I am still trying to find out why.

I hope you are enjoying the Holidays, and that 2012 ushers in a new, enlightened age for all.

RAINY DAYS AND RAINY NIGHTS

I have been in Costa Rica for nearly two weeks, and you haven’t until now heard a peep out of me.  Actually, I was just giving all the slow pokes a chance to catch up.  Only joking! 

Since being here in Costa Rica, with the exception of only a few partly sunny days, it has been raining. And I mean raining hard, like crazy hard, nearly non-stop.  If it had ever rained like this in California, it would have resulted in a hundred year flood!

La Fortuna in the Rare Time Between the Raindrops

I I I I had come to La Fortuna from the San Jose area, through Heredia and San Joquin Las Flores.  La Fortuna is a little town nestled beside the active volcano known as Arenal.  People come here to enjoy the protected wild areas around the volcano.  There is zip lining (sort of like zinging through the forest while your harnessed to a slippery line), hiking, white water rafting, and all types of other very adventurous activities.  I had hoped to do some bicycling and bird watching, but the heavy rain made those activities impossible.  I have seen some beautiful and unusual birds, though.   I figured there would be incredibly fertile black soil up here, and I wasn't disappointed!  After all, it is a lush, tropical rain forest, hence the rain.  The first three days were spent with some very funny and kind “Ticos”  (this is the term Costa Ricans use for themselves), Juan and Roger.  Juan is a business man and has a real estate development in the early stages that is slated to be a beautiful gated community with a river bordering the north and east perimeters.  They drove me out to this place and at first look, I was a goner.   There are two parcels together comprising almost an acre, all of it usable, flat,  fertile land, and the largest parcel follows the river’s curve.  Then, to seal the deal, there is an incredible view of the majestic Arenal volcano.  What was not to love?  Well, the price, for one thing.  I’m sure it is worth every penny, but it was unfortunately out of my ballpark.  And then, too, this is more of a residential development, when what I am really looking for is a rural tract, a small farm (or “Finca” as it is called in Spanish).

Even though I was not destined to own the property, through it all I did get to me these great people, including much of Juan’s and his wife Sade’s immediate and extended family.  Juan invited me to his son’s 3^rd birthday party, where I had a wonderful time, in spite of the language challenges.  Roger, Juan’s good friend, is a world traveler with fluent English.   Juan’s English, on the other hand, is about on par with my Spanish.  I know they were disappointed that I was not the buyer they were hoping for, but they were such good sports about it and I enjoyed their company tremendously.  We had some meals together, they helped me buy a cell phone (for local calls only…I’m using Skype for international calls), and they introduced me to a local Tico home builder.  Do you know that you can build a darling small home with one bathroom, all wood inside and out for about $35,000.00 U.S.?  An added plus: Ticos are known for their exquisite craftsmanship.  If anyone reading this is interested in owning a little piece of this paradise, Google:  Qintas Palo Alto, Costa Rica.  If the property/development does not come up, drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch with either Juan Jose Aria or Roger Mejias.  You’ll see that there are parcels of all different sizes and I think the terms are very generous.

If you are planning on visiting Costa Rica, or I’m told any country in Central America, one thing you have to be on guard about, is that the native merchants will almost always try to overcharge you.  I didn’t notice this quite so much at first, or if I did, I didn’t think too much about it , but after awhile it gets to be an annoyance.  It really started getting on my nerves after I had visited this one particular Tico  restaurant on a few different occasions with Juan and Roger.   While with them, I would think, “Wow, the prices here are great!”  But then, a couple times I went back by myself, and voila!  The prices jumped up on average about two dollars higher!  If you make a comment or try to draw attention to the discrepancy, they just ignore it or pretend they don’t understand you.  Now if my Spanish was better, I might be inclined to start a fight with the cashier!  But as it is, there is not much I can do except not frequent the establishment any longer.  Once you’re onto it, you’ll notice it happens all the time.  Often, businesses will not even have their prices listed anywhere.  So be forewarned, if you are a “gringo” and you go into a restaurant or shop where there are no menus or prices posted, you will be gouged!.

As long as we’re on the subject of money, here’s something else.  Most of you who know me at all know I am a comparison shopper, big time!   And just because I currently reside in Central America, that hasn’t changed!  I do confess, I am horrible at currency conversion computations.  Where the average person needs a couple of days to get the hang of it, I need a couple of weeks.  That being said, I have noticed that what all of the “Expat” sites have told me and you about everything being dirt cheap here IS A LIE!  I’m here to tell you the truth.  I am still inexperienced in a number of areas, but here is what I have found so far:  

Clothing is generally less expensive, but after looking in many of the local shops, I can see that much of the merchandise is at the lower end.  If there is higher end clothing, it is difficult to tell, because everything tends to be mixed together.  It is probably different in the malls, but I suspect that there prices will be comparable to the U.S.  

Imported items like Welch’s Grape Juice is a good 30% or more higher here than in the U.S. grocery stores.  You won’t find rotisserie chickens in most grocery stores, but the little “Soda” restaurants (this restaurant is a kind of neighborhood luncheonette specializing in quick and traditional foods) do sell them…for $12.00 in La Fortuna!   Surprisingly, vegetables in Costa Rica are not a bargain either, but I’m hoping I’ll find some good stores with reasonable prices just as I did in California, where vegetables have been going up in price steadily. 

Beef is reasonable, and grass fed!  The lush pasture lands in Costa Rica are just amazing to see.  Grass fed beef is selling at  a premium in the U.S., where health conscious people are shunning corn fed beef (due to the fact that most of the corn cows are fed is now GMO, thanks to Monsanto).  Mercola.com has been sounding the alarm about this for the last couple of years, and he claims that cattle on a grass diet are the best choice for beef.   It is leaner and the Omega 3's are much higher.   Americans here complain that the Costa Rican beef  is tougher, which it is, but I just had some tonight at a Columbian Restaurant, and it was delicious!

Farm Hand on the Arias Farm in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Labor is downright cheap, with most Costa Ricans earning extremely low wages.  It makes me wonder how they do it!  Luckily for them water, electricity, public transportation, cell phones….all of these seem to be very reasonable.  Most Ticos do not use air conditioning, which is a big savings.   Gasoline is about the same price or a little higher than it is in the U.S.  I am currently seeing it posted around town for about $3.80. regular.

One of the big questions in my mind during my planning stages was, what should I take and what should I leave?  Mostly the advice I read was to replace everything once you got here.  So far, I would say that advice is wrong.  Although I can’t quite figure out the pricing yet on furniture, (on every price tag there are several ways to buy…different financing options and it is hard to decipher the cash price), I have a feeling furniture and other household goods may be on the pricey side.    John Pennisi, a New Jersey expat who owns the restaurant “New York” in La Fortuna, agrees.   He told me that taxes on appliances and other big ticket items are pretty hefty.  By the way, during the week I spent in La Fortuna, I hardly missed a day without a meal at New York Grill and Pizza!  Not only were John & Priscilla “hosts with the most”, the food was outstanding!  Read my review in Trip Adviser under the name Alejandra, which is what Amy (John and Priscilla’s  5 year old daughter) re-named me.  I like that name!   


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g309226-d2363962-Reviews-New_York_Grill_n_Pizza-La_Fortuna_de_San_Carlos_Arenal_Volcano_National_Park_Province_of_Alajuela.html

John is also a remarkable guy and one of the best conversationalists I’ve ever met.  He is brilliant on electricity and is also a builder, welder, and project designer.   He and Priscilla have even done some farming.  I want to hear more on what he has to say about Tesla, and everything else, for that matter!  I have seen some of his work aroung town, and I am so impressed.  Priscilla is a native Costa Rican, but her English is absolutely flawless and without any discernable accent.  Although I haven’t yet had the chance to talk with her at length, I hope to know her better, too.

When all is said and done, what is really making this trip the exciting adventure it is, is meeting and having the chance to hang out with these beautiful people along the way!  Till next time, Adios, Amigos

PHOTOS

I have finally gotten around to organizing some of the pictures I've been taking, so this blog will be a short pictorial.  I am using an inexpensive little Vivitar 3 pixel.  It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done without me having to worry about losing or breaking an expensive camera, as I have done with others.  I hope to get better with it as I go along.  https://picasaweb.google.com/103787645092383625526/PANAMA

Down the road a bit, you will be seeing some pictures taken in Costa Rica.  Since my arrival in this heartbreakingly beautiful country, I have been staying at a terrific Hotel in Heredia (just outside of San Jose), called "Hotel Las Flores".  It is a family owned and operated hotel with the friendliest service ever.  Gabriella, or Gabi, as she prefers to be called, runs the little restaurant here where all of the guests congregate, since she has a vivacious personality and is a great cook besides!  Gabi has the most beautiful little girl, Isabella.   So, here is the first picture in Costa Rica, of Gabi and Isabella...oops, it looks like the picture didn't open.  Sorry, I don't have another with Isabella, so you're just going to have to see Gabi alone for now, until she sends me another picture!

El Valle and Bouquete

Readers, this is published accidently after the last post, when it should have been posted before:

Today I am writing from Bouquette, Panama, altitude about 3,500 ft.  I am on a converted schoolbus going back down to David (pronounced Da-veed), where I came from.  I’m guessing that the distance is about 25 miles, and the fare is only $1.70.   I intend to travel to Volcan, Panama, which is almost on the border of Costa Rica.  But like California, there are only so many mountain passes and the terrain makes it impossible for roads to be built in certain places.  As a result, I must go back down, then come back up on a different road to an altitude of about 5,500 ft, where Volcan is located.  This town is built on the site of Panama’s only volcano, which has been inactive for a very long time.

While in El Valle, which is situated in an ancient volcano crator… my first stop from Panama City, I stayed at the Santa Libre, a popular restaurant with a few rooms to let in the back.  It was recommended by the “Lonely Planet Guidebook to Central America” at $15.00 per night.  It was nothing special, I can certainly tell you that (and worst of all…no internet connection!).  But it had a gorgeous little herb garden in a courtyard just outside my rag tag room.  The little rooming house was also located near a terrific open air farmer’s market just across the street.  So while staying there I had my fill of fresh water, right from freshly cut young coconuts.  What a life!  But the best amenity was another guest in the room right beside me.  Her name was Aldima, a very chatty and friendly woman who was there to enjoy several consecutive days at the El Pozo Hot Springs.  She talked me into going with her to the springs the next morning.  It’s amazing that we were able to communicate as much as we did, since all we had was my Spanish English dictionary.  It worked very well, but as you can imagine, it is an exhausting exercise.   The Hot Springs were something to experience, the mud treatment and all!  We met four wonderful Columbians and had a great time talking and joking in the main pool, buoyed by the warm water for the full span of our allotted bathing time.  Juan Carlos Mancero, an IT project manager, there honeymooning with his lovely bride, helped the conversation along with his excellent English, translating some of the fine points I would have otherwise missed.  I think they pretty much convinced me that I absolutely should not miss Columbia!

Since leaving Panama City, it has been rain, rain and more rain.  We are at the end of the rainy season, but I was told by Leo, the very talented artist in the El Valle Market, that climate change has made the seasons unpredictable.  The last five years have been extraordinarily wet, to the extent that many crops have been ruined.  There is so much water, the plants simply drown.  That afternoon after visiting the hot springs, the rain literally came down in sheets.

Now, I promised to tell you about the harrowing bus ride to El Valle.  While in Panama City, I mostly walked or took taxis, but leaving, I took a Red Devil to the main bus terminal.  That was an experience.  These buses are unique.  They are old converted school buses painted in bright, almost psychedelic colors, have flashy exhaust pipes, and are usually packed to the top with riders.  These are only 25 cents to ride and what a gas!  But my good humor was not to be for long, because the next bus, a little white creaky van in which you are packed like a sardine, was the real devil, and the driver drove like a bat out of hell.  I could not believe it!  Here we were on wet mountain roads, young mothers and little children on board, just flying down the skinny little road!  What if a there was a horse or a cow around the bend?  My heart was in my throat for most of that trip and I could have kissed the ground when we safely arrived in El Valle.    Thankfully, I have ridden many busses since, and have never experienced such reckless driving again.