Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Christmas traditions in Costa Rica are probably not what you are used to. You can prevent culture shock by learning what Ticos do during the Christmas holidays, where they go, and participating. Christmas Eve in Spanish is Nochebuena. This country is definitely not boring during Christmas time; there is plenty…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Traditional Costa Rican Christmas food is probably much different than what you used to eat during the Christmas holidays when you grew up. Getting used to local food in Costa Rica might be more complicated than you think, as Tico’s taste buds are very different from yours (and mine). The…
Though many would think that San Jose Costa Rica is not exciting, there are many things to do. Often, vacationers go straight to the beaches, or the national parks. So they don’t get even close to visiting San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. Many travelers flying to Costa Rica think they arrive in…
I’ve never been able to pronounce güiri güiri well. You probably won’t either. My wife makes fun of me when I try. That’s because you have to be able to roll your r’s. We Dutch have a hot potato in our throat, it’s an impossible task to pronounce güiri güiri correctly. In Costa Rica, güiri…
Most area rugs in Costa Rica have a problem with the humidity. Stop worrying about the area rugs in your house. You can now stop putting those beautiful area rugs away when you have guests coming in with wet feet. Traditional fabric rugs with fiber don’t hold up well in the tropical weather. And imagine…
In Costa Rica, you will hear the expression Mas Tico que el Gallo Pinto. Literally translated, this means a person is more Costa Rican than a spotted rooster. Does that make sense? Gallo is rooster and Pinto means spotted. Gallo Pinto is the #1 food for the Ticos. It is the famous rice & beans…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Costa Ricans use animals quite a bit in their expressions. The tiger is one of them. Pa’l Tigre means not feeling well, feeling sick, or not having done well. Estoy pa’l tigre = I feel terrible. Something that is not usable anymore, out of order, esta “pa’l tigre”. Esta…
Wondering if you can use your cell phone in Costa Rica while traveling? You need to be able to stay in touch with your family back home while having a good time, right? You live in Costa Rica and you have family and friends coming to visit all the time? Of course, they want to…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes You don’t want to be called The Mother of Tarzan in Costa Rica, you know why? In the past, I have been telling you about certain slang words used in Costa Rica, to give you the opportunity to go a little bit native when you move here. Learn the…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Have you ever been to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa? I went surfing. In my case, that means looking at how kids grab their surfboards, run into the ocean and jump on a surfboard to ride the waves for hours. It’s amazing what they do. I just watch. The last…