Costa Ricans Love Liberty,Peace, and Independance

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Why do Costa Ricans love liberty, peace , and personal independence?

Christopher Columbus arrived on the Atlantic Coast of Costa in 1502 at the present  town of Limon.  He found very little gold in this small mountainous country.   Therefore, few people from Spain came to settle here. By 1573 there were only 50 families and they settled in land near Cartago, and most of them lived on isolated farms in a state of grim impoverishment and working their lands as well as they could.  There was very little influence from Spain and very little influence from the Catholic Church of Spain.  The Spanish Colonial Government was set up in Guatemala and it was a three day trip by horse from Guatemala so Costa Rica was largely ignored.

Many Costa Ricans think that this point in history is the explanation for their love of Liberty, Peace, and Independence.  Beginning with the independent yeoman farmer  working is little plot of land , these people lived  a modest life dominated by the struggle to survive without outside help or interference.  No aristocratic social class arose and  there were no groups of strong and powerful landowners to try and put down the poorer class of farmers.

These farmers lowered their heads to the sun and dirtied their hands in the soil of their own fields.

Commerce grew slowly.  The first crop to be cultivated was tobacco but it was not  good quality so there was not a market for it.  The next crop to be planted was Cocoa which did not succeed either.  Pirates sailed in on the Atlantic coast and robbed the Cocoa crops.

In 1521 independence was Spain was declared by the colonial officials in Guatemala and it was one month before Costa Rica received the news by a courier aboard a mule.

Signs of prosperity were brought on by the planting of coffee which grew profusely in the rich volcanic soil.   Soon a small wealthy class of farmers arose from the sale of the coffee to Europe and they considered themselves the "high society" of Costa Rica.  They traveled abroad and educated their children in the Universities of Europe .   Their money built the National Theater in downtown San Jose, the capital city.  Operas traveled from Europe to Costa Rica to perform.

Today Costa Rica does not have a standing army, has a literacy rate of around 95%, and has a socialized medical delivery system.   Costa Ricans are considered among the happiest people in the world.  There is no separation of church and state.  The Catholic religion is taught in the public schools. Most Costa Ricans speak some English.  The family unit is very strong and old people are cared for in their homes instead of Nursing Homes.

So

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what are the negatives about living in Costa Rica?  Petty theft is a big problem. People have to have someone in the home at all times unless they  live in  a gated-guarded community. Driving is difficult because the young men especially speed and dont follow the rules of safe driving. Cost of living is higher than their neighboring countries of Nicaragua and Panama.

Tourism (eco tourism) is the number one money maker in Costa Rica followed  by coffee and bananas.  Also large pineapple farms are popping up in the north eastern part of the country.

Unemployment is not a big problem.

The Costa Rican government has placed 20% of it's land in National Parks and Wildlife Preserves.

If you would like help planning a vacation to this tropical paradise, contact Ann "the Costa Rica Expert " The Costa Rica Vacation Planner"  Go to her web site  www.costaricalearn.com

 

 

Costa Rica's Amazing Diversity

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COSTA RICA'S AMAZING DIVERSITY

Costa Rica is not an island in the Caribbean. It is located in  the center of the Central American isthmus.  It is a very small country with less than 20,000 square miles, bordered on the north by Nicaragua and the south by Panama.  On the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Caribbean Sea - Atlantic Ocean.  This is a complex area with perhaps more DIVERSITY  than any other place it's size on earth.   Costa Rica is divided into several distinct regions, each of them feels and looks very different from the other.

In the above photo you can see the major mountain ranges which  run (down the middle) from the north to the south of the country . Here are located seven different volcanoes.  Only one of these volcanoes is active and it is the Poas Volcano located in the central valley of Costa Rica

Costa Rica has attracted an international community of  conservationists, biologist, environmentalists, and over one million tourist per year. Tourist come to enjoy a multitude of outdoor adventure activities from birdwatching to zip lining-from surfing to snorkeling and scuba diving.  They come to explore the rainforests in the many national parks and wildlife preserves.

Cost Rica has  seven volcanoes.  The only one which is  active is the Poas Volcano located in the central valley-sixty eight miles northwest of San Jose,  the capital city.  This volcano has a crater one mile wide with active geysers which spew up hot steam and sulfur gases on a daily basis.  The Arenal Volcano is the most visited and  is located in the north central area of the country.  It ceased to be active in November 2011.  However tourist still flock to this area hoping that it will without warning start up again and spew it hot lava hundreds of feet into the atmosphere.

Most of the population of Costa Rica live in the Central Valley at elevations between 456 meters and 1,300 meters.  Temperatures here are very mild at between 70 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.  Costa Rica has an abundance of rainfall between the months of May and November.  So this tropical rainy climate allows for rich soil which grows coffee, bananas, sugar cane, rice, black beans, and hundreds of tropical fruits and vegetables. Pineapple and bananas are exported to the USA and also to Europe.

The highest peak in Costa Rica is Chirripo  mountain. (located in south central  Costa Rica.) It is around 12,000 feet above sea level with cold and brittle weather.   Tourist from all over world come here to hike  Chirripo.

The coast lines of Costa Rica are a very different story with hot temperatures with abundant  bright sunshine.  The NW Pacific Coast is the most visited with dozens of hotels with a price range and budget for any tourist.  This coastal  area in the north western side of Costa Rica is arid with small trees and less rainfall. In contrast, the Caribbean coast is very rainy all year, thus attracting fewer tourist. It is more tropical and lush with the  natural beauty of palm trees and coconut trees lining the pristine white sandy beaches.

To make one understand more easily, the temperature of the area you are located in Costa Rica is determined by the altitude.

Costa Rica has a dry season mid December until mid April..although on the Caribbean coast this does not apply because here it rains there all year round. Also the south western  Osa Peninsula gets a great deal of rain all year round. Rainy season in Costa Rica is considered May through November with less rain on the northwest Pacific Coastline.

For such a small country Costa Rica is filled with amazing DIVERSITY and climates. This is why North Americans and Europeans find retiring here very appealing.

San Jose is the capital city located in the central valley.  It is not an attractive city and we do not see the beautiful Spanish Colonial Architecture like we see in Granada, Nicaragua. Traffic jams are horrible in San Jose. There are "more vehicles in Costa Rica's central valley than there are roads".

Daylight hours are the same in Costa Rica all year round.  Sunrise -around 5:30 am and Sunset around 5:30 pm.  Twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness.

If you ask someone who has retired to Costa Rica-"What is your favorite thing about living here?"  The say "It is the beautiful weather along with it's Amazing Diversity."

Costa Rica has it all.  Plenty of water.  Veins of water come right out of the side of the mountains forming streams and rivers which run into the seas.  The soil is exceptionally rich due to the volcanic ash fallen to the earth through the centuries.

Geographically Costa Rica is mostly mountainous.  From the air one can look down and see mountains after mountains and all is GREEN and  lush.  This is why it takes so long to drive from the central valley to the coast.  You have to wind up and around the mountainous terrain with two lane often narrow roads.

If you are thinking of a vacation to Costa Rica contact Ann, "The Costa Rica Expert" She can plan your vacation (along with your input) and make the arrangements for you.  This can save you a lot of time surfing the internet and getting confused.  She has twelve years experience in VACATION PLANNING TO COSTA RICA.  You can read all about this on her website www.costaricalearn.com

 

Costa Rica's Treasure-It's National Parks

Costa Rica's people values it's national treasures so much that  20% of it's land has been set aside for  National Parks and Wildlife Preserves,  protecting and preserving them for vacationers to enjoy some of the most  beautiful  tropical scenery in Central America.

Located in the central valley sixty eight miles north the capital city of San Jose we find the Poas Volcano National Park.  Rising eight thousand feet above sea level with it's southern slope covered in vibrant green colored bushes known as coffee.  It is the most visited national park with over 200,000 people from all over the world visiting annually.  Poas' crater is one mile wide and easily viewed from a look out point on it's south face.  The gurgling steaming sulfuric blue waters inside the crater often spray upward forming a beautiful geyser-exactly what the visitors come to see!   It's last major eruption was in 1952.  However, frequently small eruptions occur shooting  steam and gasses into the air. There is good hiking  and the best is a thirty  minute hike up to Botos Lake (the old crater) which is very beautiful with cold green water. You hike a well maintained trail  through giant umbrella plants and small dense alpine forest.   The weather is cool, damp, and foggy giving one a mystical feeling.

Plan to spend at least half a day here.  There is a visitor's center with a small natural history museum, a great  gift shop, and the  BEST  coffee shop serving Costa Rican coffee grown here on the slopes of the volcano. Try to arrive early in the morning to get the best views.  Sometimes by late morning clouds move in and cover the crater.

What is unique about Poas Volcano National Park  for visitors to see?  It is the only active volcano in Costa Rica .  Vacationers can view from a look out point above the crater the steaming fumaroles and quite often a big burst of steam rising from it's hot blue pool of  sulphurous water. and gases.  In May 1989 Poas shot ash and hot steam one mile into the air.

Can I hike in Poas Volcano National Park?  Yes, the are two well maintained trails for hiking and you can see a rainforest here.  The trees are not very tall because it is  windy at eight thousand feet above sea level. Many wild flowers grow in the park and a great variety of moses, bromeliads, and ferns.  The giant umbrella tree is the most famous plant in the park  (pictured above).  Several varieties of hummingbirds can be seen and will buzz around you as you walk through this vivid landscape.

Xinia and I spent one morning in the park.  We left Alajuela around 7:45 am and arrived at 8:15 am  to the park.  We got a great view of the crater with its deep blue steaming water because the clouds had not yet covered it.  Cold and damp weather welcomed us and we were glad we had  our raincoats and comfortable tennis shoes. We hiked both trails and were quite tired so we descended and decided to stop at Fredda Fressas for lunch.  Located on the main road heading down, Fredda Fressas offers a typical Costa Rica Lunch.  We choose the Casada which is the most typical. It is  rice, black beans, cabbage slaw, piccadilla de pappas (potatoes finely chopped with sweet red peppers boiled with a little Salsa Lizano added).  Fresh strawberries in leche (milk) was our drink.  And three milk cake  (tres leches) was our choice of desert.  Everything was delicious.

I highly recommend Poas Volcano National Park if you are vacationing in the central valley of San Jose and Alajuela.  It is a great day trip.  The road is good all the way to the summit.  Coffee Plantations line the hillsides and are spectacularly beautiful.

The Park is open all year round.  Take a raincoat and  comfortable shoes.

If you would like help planning your vacation to Costa Rica contact Ann, "the Costa Rica Expert"  She will help you plan an itinerary that fits your specific needs and you will not have to deal with a lot of different people while planning.  Also you will save time not having to surf the internet hoping to find the hotels and tours.

Go to  www.costaricalearn.com    and read how Ann works and how she can help you plan your vacation to Costa Rica

 

 

 

 

Xinia's Visit to Alajuela's Farmers Market

Alajuela Costa Rica has a weekend farmer's market all year round starting on Friday afternoon at 2 pm and ending Saturday afternoon around 2 pm.  It is my and Xinia's favorite thing to visit on Saturday mornings.  We arrive early, around 7:30 am . I have posted  some favorite photos of Xinia at the market.

All the fruits and vegetable sold here are freshly grown by local small farmers and some are actually grown organically.  You name the tropical fruit and it is probably sold here.

Mangos, papaya, watermelon, cas, guayaba,  melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, bananas,  and many many more.  Grapes and apples are mostly imported, and are quite expensive.  Grapes often $4 pounds and apples are better prices at $2 pound.  Locally grown fruits are mangos 25 cents each, pineapple 75 cents each,  papaya $1.00 each, and bananas are super cheap at around 5 cents each.

Vegetables-well the variety is so great that I cannot begin to name them all.  Chayotes (pictured here)   are sold here by the dozens and very cheap.   Most Costa Rican families  eat  at least a dozen of these small round green vegetables daily. which grow on a vines and to start a vine you must have both a male and a female see of this vegetable. Chayotes are hard  to find here in the US.   To cook them,  mix with a small amount of pork, onions, chicken stock, sweet red peppers and serve with rice and black beans.

Another unusual vegetable is the peibaye (pictured below)  Costa Ricans eat it boiled,  peeled and with mayonnaise. It's a beautiful small red round vegetable which actually looks like a fruit.  And it takes awhile to get to like it  because of it's very bland taste.

I hope you enjoy the photos and if you are a planning a vacation to Costa Rica please contact me-Ann to help you with an individualized vacation itinerary to save you money and your time trying to plan it all yourself.   Email   anncreed23@gmail.com

 

 

Ann Specializes in Family Vacation Planning to Costa Rica

Thinking of taking your family to Costa Rica for a fun filled family vacation?  Contact Ann, "the Costa Rica Expert" to help you do just that.  She can design  an itinerary just for your family to fit your time frame and budget.  Why surf the internet and get confused.

Ann has 12 years of experience in Costa Rica Vacation Planning.  She can guide you to the best and most popular family vacation destinations in Costa Rica.

First--She recommends the Arenal Volcano area, home to Arenal Volcano National Park. So many fun filled outdoor adventure  things to do and see here.

Examples are white water river rafting,  zip line thru the rain forest, hiking the suspended bridges high up over the top of the rainforest canopy,  rappelling into a canyon thru waterfalls,  horseback riding around the volcano,  hiking Arenal Volcano National Park to see howler monkeys, toucans, and other wildlife. Hike along the Blue River

This is just a small sample of the many many options for day trips in the Arenal Volcano Area.   Ann can set up these day tours for you plus match you with the right hotel.  And  arrange your transportation from the San Jose international airport area.

So why try to do it yourself?  When you can contact Ann who will do the work for you and also save you time and money.

Beach destination.  Costa Rica has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world such as Manuel Antonio Beach in the central pacific or  or Tamarindo Beach in the NW Guanacaste Pacific province. So many beautiful beaches with pale white sand and palm trees swaying.  You can choose to surf, snorkel, go deep sea fishing, white water rafting,  scuba diving,  sea kayaking ,  or  observe turtle nesting at night.

If reading this excites you then get started now by contacting Ann    anncreed23@gmail.com     www.costaricalearn.com

 

 

 

Sweet Seduction, Chocolate Grows in Costa Rica

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Today  most of the cacao  plantations are found in Africa.   However,  Costa Rica has a number of small cacao plantations.  You can visit Sibu Chocolate factory, located in Sarapiqui, 15 minutes East of downtown San Jose.   Here you will learn all about how chocolate is harvested and how it is processed.  Best part is you can taste this chocolate.  It's delicious.

Chocolate has its origins in Mexico with the Olmecs and the Aztecs as well as the Mayans.  It was considered the sacred food of the gods.  Also it was used as a regional currency.

The indigenous people of this region consumed chocolate in it's natural bitter tasting form,  without sugar or other spices added.  It gave them instant energy and a sense of well being. The first Spanish explorers to the New World took cacao beans back to Spain where it was transformed into the chocolate we know today which has a sweet flavor because of the sugar added to it.

A few facts about chocolate: 

It is picked by hand from the cacao tree.  The pods grow straight out of the branches and also out of the trunk.  The pods are placed in wooden boxes and covered with banana leaves and left to ferment and afterwards placed in the sun to dry.  Then, it is roasted,  ground and pressed and shipped to the factories for processing.

The best commercial chocolate on today's  market is a mixture of the best cacao beans, sometimes up to 12 different varieties  from all over the world.

Chocolate causes the brain to release chemicals called endorphins which makes you feel good.

If  you are taking a vacation to Costa Rica and would like to visit a chocolate farm contact Ann "The Costa Rica Learn Travel Company"

www.costaricalearn.com   anncreed23@gmail.com

 

 

How to Retire in Costa Rica on Nothing but a Government Pension

How to retire in Costa Rica on nothing but a government pension.  Written by  John Newton and Loreta Yukeco.  They came to live and retire in Costa Rica from Canada.
There was a time when retiring in Costa Rica on a government pension was easy, but those days are over. After four years of continual study on how to survive in Costa Rica for less, we have learned the following;  First-take another couple with you and share the cost of renting a home and car for two or three months. Try eating the local foods and cut back dramatically on the air conditioning during your stay because the cost of electrical power in Costa Rica is very high for people who continually use AC. This rental experience will help you to determine if Costa Rica is really for you.
Do not even consider buying a home in Costa Rica until you have lived there awhile and "learned some of the ropes." The people who work in construction building  homes in Costa Rica earn as little as three dollars per hour, so how can the extremely high home prices be justified?  Most of the homes being offered to Gringos are  usually much too large for what you really need for comfortable living.  Two years ago, we bought a building lot in a gated community close to the ocean for just $15,000.  The location is central Pacific Coast not far south of the town of Jaco.  We are five minutes from the beach.  The cost to construct a new 24ft. x 16ft. home was just $30,000.  The home size might seem small, but a large outdoor covered area makes it seem much larger. We spend 90% of our time outdoors, including eating our meals. A large modern kitchen-living room combination and  good size bedroom with big washroom is all you need for two persons inside the house.
The cost of groceries in Costa Rica is about the same as in North America, but the selection of commodities basic.  Fruits and vegetables are fresh and relatively inexpensive and available year round.   If you shop at the weekend local farmer's markets you get more variety, fresher quality and much better prices.

The cost to purchase a car in Costa Rica is astronomical-often twice the cost of a car in North America due to the very high import taxes collected by the Costa Rica government. Renting even the smallest car can cost about $700 per month.  And gasoline at this moment is around $5.50 per gallon.  We use a local taxi.  From our development to Parrita, the nearest small town  is just $3.
The Costa Rican people are friendly, but there are a few who think all Gringos are wealthy, and they will inflate prices when you try to buy something. The government’s high import taxes on virtually everything results in many items being extremely expensive. The import taxes on a refrigerator is over 80%. If you build a home and need appliances, go to the Duty Free zone in Golfito located in the south western corner of Costa Rica near the Panama border.  There you can buy brand name items at North American prices.

Now to talk about costs of surviving: Health care in Costa Rica is good and cheap, about $50 per month. You can be part of the health care system by simply applying for Pensionado status which is a legal process which takes time and some money.  You will need a lawyer whom you trust to help you with this.

If you must take out a mortgage to buy a low priced lot and home, I guess it would carry for about $500 per month, or less. Grocery cost would be about $300 per month. Electricity if you use the AC only when sleeping, about $150 per month. Water is only about $8 per month. Yearly property taxes are about $250    The association fees in our gated community are $85 per month. My suggestion is to build a home with an adjoining self contained unit, and if you are in a high tourism area you can rent to the tourist and let them pay your entire mortgage and utility bills. You could add that rental unit for about $15,000.  Make sure that unit is attached to your home, so as to keep the taxes down, and  share the same septic system.
Warning: Costa Rica has become famous around the world for its past real estate scams. Many developers sell building lots that are not even registered with the government, and some buyers never ever see deeds to the property. Real estate agents in Costa Rica are not licensed, and since the recession many of them have become desperate to sell anything, and often do not provide full information about properties.  Also, never use the lawyer recommended to you by the seller.
There is so much more information I could provide to people who would like to retire in Costa Rica with only a government pension, but there is so little space here. I mentioned a few negatives about living in Costa Rica as I’m a person who hides nothing,  but I will tell you that there are many more positive reasons to retire in Costa Rica. Waking up each morning in Costa Rica is a great feeling.   Take Care,   John Newton and Loreta Yukeco