Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Pasta is an unusual type of food to have for breakfast and Ticos usually have Gallo Pinto at that time of the day as you all know by now. You might not know that soccer is almost a religion in Costa Rica. Last Friday, the Costarican National Soccer Team…
Now, let’s talk about being a homeowner first. When comparing with homeownership in North America, it is, perhaps, the largest single savings experienced. The cost of being a homeowner by comparison to the States is much cheaper in Costa Rica. It depends on what you buy and where you buy. Remember, the real estate saying,…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Inexpensive things are important if you want to keep your cost of living at an acceptable level. Here we go. I’ve been spending a lot of time and ink in the last four blogs talking about and giving advice on expensive or hard-to-find articles in Costa Rica. Therefore, I…
Sometimes it’s really hard to find articles in Costa Rica. I’m going to mention a couple of more non-perishables before leaving the territory of hard-to-find products in Costa Rica. Here’s an eclectic list of a couple of expensive and hard to find articles plus a bit about cellphones. Luckily, we shipped a couple of box…
The Cariari Golf and Country Club is the country’s premier and located in the most beautifully designed master-planned community in the Central Valley. This beautiful country club features the perfect location right between the cities of San José, Heredia, and Alajuela. Ciudad Cariari, a lifestyle community, is commonly called just Cariari. The community is wonderful…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I needed some specialty goods and really had a hard time finding them. There are other food items to cover on Costa Rica’s hard-to-find list. But I thought men are less interested in edibles. So today, as a men’s section of blogs, I’ll explain how I found a shortage of…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Jopco Costa Rica does not feel responsible for accidents that happen to their clients in their store. Would you buy anything from them? Haven’t we all heard of the “McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case”? Let me refresh your memory. In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck bought a cup of takeout coffee at…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are you a type-A personality or a type B personality? A move to Costa Rica is not for everyone. Maybe it is not for you? Moving to any other country is not for everyone, and certainly a Type A personality is one of those. It takes a lot of hard…
This week, I’m going to continue with a partial grocery shopping list of our hard- or impossible-to-find gringo food items. Again, I expect to elicit a sizeable reaction from readers informing me where they found gringo food items I said we couldn’t find or couldn’t afford. Maybe you missed my blog 2 weeks ago? Then, I’ll…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Today’s story is about this Euro savings account that we needed to open. This should be an easy task. But it is not! Banking in Costa Rica is not as simple as it is in other countries. Please do not see this blog as a complaint about Costa Rica banks…
Do you think you will miss your customary delicacies after moving to Costa Rica? If you are going to reside in Costa Rica, there is one adjustment you are probably going to be required to make. It is learning to find or invent substitutes for delicacies that don’t exist here. Other delicacies are so obscure…
When buying a condo, you might not realize it, but the condominium might have an underfunded HOA, or it’s almost broke. The problem is that you won’t find out until the HOA sends out a notice about an upcoming extraordinary assessment. With 30 years of selling properties in Costa Rica under my belt, I’ve hardly…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I couldn’t connect with a recommended English-speaking specialist for a medical appointment. You’ll see, I’ve learned to have patience. I was having a troubling medical situation. So now my Plan B is to attempt to see a GP in the town next to mine. I called and the receptionist connected…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes When moving to Costa Rica you’ll need medical attention. So what’s available when you retire here? While we’re still waiting for our “cedula de residencia” as “pensionados” we’ve kept our MediCare in the States. Just in case there is a real medical necessity. So, if something major required a return…
IVO HENFLING | APRIL 17, 2014 This week, because its Easter week, I had a real hard time coming up with a topic for a blog. But I was saved by the bell. Thank God for emails, what would I do without them? I received a request on a property for sale in Tamarindo that…
When you are living in Costa Rica, you soon might miss your countrymen, your own customs and traditions. Sometimes, it’s also fun to be able to speak your own language again. Some nationalities are well presented in Costa Rica and some are not. And they all have their own traditions. There might be certain food…