The Avenida Central in San Jose is plenty of places where gringos gather early in the morning over a cup of coffee.
Every weekday morning there is a group of 7 to 10 gringos who gather around a couple of front tables at MacDonald’s on Avenida Central in the heart of downtown San José. This tradition has been going on for over 20 years. I started going there regularly in the late 1980s when I lived in the San José area. Unfortunately there aren’t many of the original group left who used to gather there. Most have passed away or moved on.
I live in Heredia so I don’t get downtown that often. Nevertheless when I am in San José I make it a point to stop buy MacDonald’s and shoot the breeze with the new generation of characters who hang out there. The regulars are: Steve from Michigan via Florida, Ron from Florida, Mike from Canada, Mo from Florida, Paul from Kansas, Joe from New York and a few more expats who drop in from time to time. The group talks about a variety of topics ranging from politics to Costa Rica’s women to solving the world’s problems. I really enjoy the camaraderie and hanging out with this group once in a while. It gives once a sense of belonging and can relieve the feeling of nostalgia for one’s home country.
La Casita in Heredia another place where gringos gather early in the morning over a cup of coffee. It is located on the south side of Heredia’s Central market.
Auto Mercado is Costa Rica’s high-end market that carries most brand name products from the United States and Canada.
Last night I had a small dinner party for another couple and my son and his girlfriend. In all there were six of us. We had Rainbow Trout Lasagna as a main course. Yes, you heard right. Fresh trout and salmon are available in some Costa Rican supermarkets. We also had salad and garlic bread. For dessert we had passion fruit low- cal mousse.
Earlier in the day my girlfriend and I went to the supermarket where we purchased all of the ingredients for our feast. We shopped at the Auto Mercado which is Costa Rica’s high-end market that carries most brand name products from the United States and Canada. We bought a little over two pounds of Rainbow Trout, fresh vegetables, fruit and canned goods. The bill was a little over $30. For that amount, we received was more than enough food to feed six people. In fact, there was enough left over for lunch and dinner the following day.
My point here is that you can entertain friends and family for very little in Costa Rica even if you go to the most expensive supermarket. Imagine what you can save by going to one of the weekend farmers market and less expensive supermarkets where most Costa Ricans do their shopping. This is an example of how affordable Costa Rica is for foreigners, especially retirees. I always go great lengths to explain the affordability of the country to potential residents who take my monthly retirement tours and at seminars where I speak.
The Orosi Valley, southeast of Cartago and visible from the top of Irazú on a clear day, is generally considered one of the most beautiful valleys in Costa Rica.
Yesterday I went with some friends to the beautiful Orosi Valley which brought back a lot of memories. Actually I discovered this place on my first trip to Costa Rica over 30 years ago. At the time there were very few travel guide books on Costa Rica, but I just happened to find one where Orosi was mentioned. I had to take three buses to get there in those days but the trip was worth while. I actually ended up spending there nights there at the Motel Río which still exists today. I made friends with the owners and they invited me to there farm for lunch.
Getting back to yesterday’s excursion. We left Heredia at 9:30 am and were in Cartago about an hour later. Since it is holy week there is very little traffic and getting from one place to another a piece of cake. After leaving Cartago we passed through the town of Paraiso which means paradise. So you can actually find paradise in more than one way in Costa Rica. Then stopped at the Mirador (lookout) de Orosi which overlooks the whole Orosi Valley. The view is absolutely spectacular and has to be seen to be believed. Famed travel writer Christopher Baker describes the area as a Shangrela-like valley.
Next we descended into the valley. The verdant hillsides are filled with coffee plants. The rushing Reventazón River bisects the valley and empties into Lake Cachí. We took the loop around the whole valley and had lunch at the Casona de Cafetal restaurant situated on a hill over looking Lake Cachí.
After lunch we headed out of the valley on our way back to Heredia. Just when you finish climbing out of the valley heading towards the town of Paraiso, you can see the spectacular Velo de Novia waterfall. Legend has it that a couple of lovers through themselves over the falls because of a frustrated romance. A little over an hour later we were home.
The trip we took today is just one example of an exciting activity with a short drive of San José. Costa Rica is small but offers so much to see and do for retirees. I talk about all of this in detail on my monthly retirement tours.
Costa Rica’s national motto “Pura Vida” (pure life) is really true in a country that offer one of the best quality of life in the world.
It looks like Costa Rica’s national motto “Pura Vida” (pure life) is true. According to a study by the Inter American Development Bank (BID), Costa Ricans are the most satisfied people in Latin America. The study is based on the country’s educational system, health care and employment opportunities. Costa Ricans value their high quality of life above materialism. “At the end of the day it is not the number of toys a person has but one’s personal happiness and satisfaction,” according to Costa Rican economist Alberto Franco.
Not only do Costa Ricans enjoy a great lifestyle but the majority of foreign residents here are very happy. It almost seems that the great quality of life is contagious. The minute you step off the plane you are overwhelmed by it. I personally know hundreds of people who have moved here who wouldn’t trade what they have found in Costa Rica for all of the tea in China. On my monthly relocation/retirement tours one of the things I do is tell my clients about many options they have here and all that the country has to offer. I can see people’s eyes light up when the hear about all things that makes living in Costa Rica so fantastic. It seems that once foreigners get bitten by the Costa Rica bug there is no turning back.
As I have said in previous articles, “Costa Rica has something for everyone and everything for someone.” I feel truly blessed to live in such a wonderful country.
The annual Super Bowl parties are just one of the many activities available for retirees.
If you retire in Costa Rica you can attend a number of Super Bowl parties. The Tico Times newspaper (in English) always lists them. Interest is growing among Costa Ricans and La Nación newspaper (in Spanish) featured a couple of articles on places where Costa Ricans could go to watch the Super Bowl this year.
Every Sunday during the football season my friends and I view football games at the Fiesta Casino near Juan Santamaría International airport. The Super Bowl is no exception and marks the culmination of the season. We make reservations about two months in advance to make sure we don’t get left out of this annual event. This year there were about 30 of us who attended. Our group consisted of Americans, Canadians, Costa Ricans, men and women. I took my son and girlfriend to watch the game. I even ran into couple of former clients from my monthly relocation/retirement tours who had come to take part in the festivities.
The beer flowed and it seemed everyone was munching on something during the game: Buffalo wings, quesadillas, pizza, French fries, ceviche (a raw fish dish), tortilla chips with salsa and a whole lot more.
The game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers was one of the best ever. My friends and I were jumping up and giving each other high fives every time a spectacular play occurred. Everyone had a fantastic time and cannot wait for the next football season to start.
As you can see from the above there is no reason to be bored or inactive in Costa Rica. The annual Super Bowl parties are just one of the many activities available for retirees.
