Truth is, your about 50X more likely to hear when people are displeased with you than when they are pleased with you. And boy, can some folks be harsh in their displeasure. So the fact Iris took the time to tell us how much she appreciated all our hard work to make her vacation to Costa Rica "the best vacation ever," well, it feels really, REALLY good. Here's what she said:
Hi michael alan, D'Angelo and Renee,
Things have been so hectic since I got back that I didn't have time to thank you as you deserve.
My cell phone was stolen at Madrid, so I lost all my contacts and some good pictures of Arenal….But still, we had the best vacation ever, and mostly thanks to you!!!!
We did not spend any precious time on looking for things to do or places to sleep. All activities were perfect for us and we were on a perfect mood for them…all guides were great guys and you were so helpful in solving problems on the spot. I have no word to tell you how great you did and how thankful we are.
I am going to put all that on the web when I will have a few spare minutes…I want everybody in Israel and the rest of the world to know that TravelCostaRicaNOW is the best option for Costa Rica and I will certainly be back!!!!
Thanks and a great 2013
Iris Y
Iris, thanx so much for the nice words and taking the time to say, we really do appreciate it and if your letter is any indication, and we think it is, 2013 is going to be GREAT for Travel Costa Rica NOW. THANX AGAIN!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Our La Fortuna, Costa Rica, vacation rental property is finally on Flipkey (HERE) and ready to ENjoY! *Flipkey is the owned by TripAdvisor and specializes in vacation rental properties (and no, we don't like TripAdvisor but yes, we understand the irony). We've been working feverishly these last months to be ready for the busiest time of the year here in Costa Rica which is the couple weeks of Christmas and the New Year. Sadly, we didn't really make it because it just wasn't ready, oh well. BUT now it's 99% ready to go and just needs a few minor touches, which I'm sure it will always need. We should have our last and final VIDEO installment done soon and when you compare the first with the last, I think you'll understand why we're so excited. But for the time being, here's a few pics.
LOT'S of Costa Rica style decorations...LOVE the Boruca masks.
Living Room area with a Volcano View and hundreds of birds just outside.
Hot Tub on the porch. The porch area s BIGGER than this, just need some more pics. Breakfast outside with the hummingbirds and the Arenal Volcano can't be beat.
AND if all that wasn't enough, a Japanese toilet seat... your genitals will thank you.... no really.
These pics don't really capture the house, hopefully the video will...but trust me, it's a very, cute cottage/cabin style house that sometimes I think we're crazy to RENT out. But if you're ever in the area and want a great experience... we're here.
Anyway, not a fan of Christmas but for those of you who are, I hope you have the BEST Holidays EVER!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
This is a VIDEO about the exchange rate and currency in Costa Rica.
First off, I know a LOT of travel books and resource information websites on the internet recommend you exchange your money when you first fly into Costa Rica. *This post(video) applies mainly to folks coming from the US, the rest of you really do need to exchange your money. That may have been true at one time but not so much now. Almost anyplace YOU go in Costa Rica accepts American money although it is true you will most likely receive change back in 'colones', which is part of the reason you don't have to exchange, you'll receive plenty of change in the local currency.
Actually, just CHECK this video out, it explains it all and is definitely a MUST SEE if you're coming to Costa Rica and don't know much about their money. ENjoY and hope it helps.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Deciding to uproot your life and move to Costa Rica is not a decision that should be taken lightly. The irony is that based on a lot of emails we receive about relocating to Costa Rica, many folks act as if they're merely moving 3 streets over in the same neighborhood. Like this one:
"Hey michael alan & D'Angelo. First off, love your videos. So thanx. I'm thinking about moving to Costa Rica, maybe on the Pacific side because I love the beach but what I want to know is if I can get a job there (I'm an unemployed bartender and also know alot about physical fitness) and maybe find a nice apartment for around $400. per month. I would like to come in a month or two."
Well, it's NOT easy to make it here and it normally requires a LOT of homework. Erick's story is definitely an 'exception'. Check it out to see how he came to live in Costa Rica these past 10 years.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
The gay owners of Joluva Hotel in Granada Nicaragua were found guilty of sex related crimes and sentenced to 5 years in a Nicaraguan prison. They're appealing.
Yup, unfortunately our friends, Jan and Francis, who entered the court case cautiously optimistic knowing they did nothing wrong, totally underestimated the corruption that IS Nicaragua. If you want to know the full story and why they are innocent, go to my post; My Friends in Granada Nicaragua Sexually Exploiting Boys?
Anyway, I decided to make this video for the sole purpose of getting their story out. This past September, getting the story out helped in the release of an American,Jason Puracal, who spent 2 years in a Nicaraguan jail, after being falsely accused of drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime activity.
After a two-year legal nightmare that landed 35-year-old Jason Puracal, a U.S. citizen, in a Nicaraguan prison on what he says were baseless charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, a Nicaraguan appellate court found procedural flaws in a criminal trial that could have landed him in prison for 22 years, and ordered his release. - Tico Times.
If you want to help, please post this video everywhere you can, Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc. And if you'd like to DONATE to the cause, visit Friends of Joluva. I'd appreciate it and I know Jan & Francis would.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
This is an open note from michael alan & D'Angelo of Travel Costa Rica Now,
Hey Everyone! First, our apologies if this letter doesn't come off as intended but if you received this link in response to an email question you wrote us, then it may apply to you.
D'Angelo and myself have worked extremely hard over the last 5 years to provide information for folks interested in traveling and/or living in Costa Rica. Yup, literally thousands and thousands of man hours (well, only 2 men actually) to produce hundreds of pages of written text and videos- with very little monetary reward and mostly at our own expense. And if you've seen this video of how we live here in Costa Rica, I think it pretty much confirms the fact we haven't made shit doing what we do. If it sounds like we're complaining, trust me, we're NOT. We wouldn't change this 'adventure' for ANYTHING in the world- we LOVE what we do and feel blessed everyday we're able to do it. But.... this cartoon kinda says it-
Ok, let me get to the point. We love, Love, LOVE your emails- comments, words of encouragement, feedback, perspective etc. Believe me, it's much appreciated, because without you we'd be talking to ourselves and we've always loved a little back and forth. And you have our word we will continue to put out videos, blog posts, website articles etc. in order to continue to provide YOU relevant and useful information about traveling and living in Costa Rica.
But we have a Travel Agency NOW and we can't do it for FREE anymore. Plus, you probably wouldn't believe how many emails we get DAILY. Seriously guys, we need to start making a little money for our work. So, if you're thinking about emailing questions to us about YOUR travel plans you have 3 options if you want a response. Without one of these monetary responses, we won't.
2. If you want our recommendations about what you should do or where to go in Costa Rica based on your likes and dislikes, but you want to book everything yourself, no problem, but you have to DONATE $150. for our expertize of knowing the country and sharing it with you. IN other words, we'll set the itinerary, you'll just BOOK it yourself. Believe me, we have no problem if you have the time to do your OWN homework and really, a LOT of it can be done on OUR sites, so have at it and save your money. But we don't give stamps of approval anymore.
3. General Donation to show some appreciation of what we do and get a few of your questions answered as well.
Please, please... and pretty please don't begin your email telling us how much you like our videos and then go on and on telling us every detail of your travel plans and expect us to answer the 20+ questions you have concerning them. You 'liking' our videos doesn't do shit for paying the rent and seriously, we get too many emails to respond to them all anyway with NO motivation to do so. It's not personal, it's business, because for awhile, we did answer them all and donations weren't exactly rolling in.
We're hoping you understand where we're coming from on this and also hope our hard work thus far kinda speaks for itself about our reasons for writing this post. If nothing else, we try to be up front and honest.
If you'd like to start on your homework, start with these videos. ENjoY! and hope they help:
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Things to do in La Fortuna Costa Rica- Party Boat on Lake Arenal.
I first wrote about our friend, Erick's, party boat on Lake Arenal, back in May- Lake Arenal Party Boat. If you want a little more insight, it's there. We've been out on Erick's boat many times since and finally have put together a video from all the footage we've shot. Really it's just a short little video to show how much fun an afternoon on Lake Arenal can be so if you're going to be in the area and it's something you'd be interested in doing...email us at info@TravelCostaRicaNOW.com.
CHECK it OUT, L@@KS FUN!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Our first video about our vacation rental property took some crap. I think it was something about, 'unprofessional' and of course the 'drinking/drunk' thing. Whoops! We didn't mean anything by it, just trying to show our real life here in Costa Rica- zits and ALL. I guess some folks don't like that, they'd rather see a glossed over picture of paradise. lo que sea.
I know this looks like FUN but this took 4 days with 3 people doing it...so glad it's done.
So, like the video below will show, we've been busy, VERY BUSY. BTW- the fist pic is a view of the back of the house. It's looking pretty good, but landscaping will be an ongoing thing, too many beautiful plants/flowers/trees and the plan is to LUSH the property out- we're well on our way. But really, we can't wait until our next video to show you the inside- COMPLETED.
Here's the second installment video of our vacation rental property in La Fortuna Costa Rica:
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
To the folks at 'Open Road Travel Guide' and specifically, 'Open Road's Best of Costa Rica' Travel Book,
You wrote this about La Fortuna Costa Rica:
Boring Fortuna. Fortuna is an uninteresting tourism-support town, which is useful for booking tours but not much else. Stay somewhere closer to the volcano, where you might see some action if the clouds ever clear up. The interesting places to stay are on the way to the lake, towards the town of Nuevo Arenal and beyond. Most lodges can help you arrange any of the local tours and activities. Without a car, transportation can be a bit of a problem.
First, I got to say, F**K YOU! You know, just so we're clear on what I think of your recommendation(s). After reading your BULLSHIT, my first inclination was to list ALL the GREAT things about La Fortuna but that seemed so defensive and grade-school like. So I decided to go with, "Sticks and stones may break my bones....." BUT really, you should be ashamed of yourself for writing such a blatantly untrue and deceptive review of La Fortuna. Obviously, I live here, I know you're full of shit...but most people don't have the foggiest idea of La Fortuna and they're going to take what you have written as the truth. Did I say , "fuck you"? For instance, your statement doesn't even make sense logistically for just the fact you tell people to stay in Nuevo Arenal and 'beyond' but do the tours in Fortuna... and you state it as such, "without a car, transportation can be a bit of a problem." NO SHIT DUMBASS. I could go on and on.....
I just want to know how you got the gig to write for a travel guide in the first place, you clearly did NOT spend time in La Fortuna, which makes your entire 'travel book' a little suspect to say the least. Really, I have so much shit I want to say,,,but I decided to take the 'high road' and make a video instead. But PLEASE, if you EVER want to debate 'boring' La Fortuna or your 'credituals' for that matter- I'm here, anytime. Anyway, here's the video.....
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Riding horses in La Fortuna Costa Rica under the shadow of the Arenal Volcano.
D'Angelo and I hadn't been horseback riding since we first came to La Fortuna about 7 years ago, so when we got the opportunity last week to check out one of the horseback riding tours here, we jumped at the chance to saddle up again... of course with cameras in tow.
Check it out, nice little video I think. Especially like the shot of the horse 'yawning'.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
The 'perpetual tourist' in Costa Rica finally catches a break, as long as they play by the rules that is. This just reported in AM Costa Rica:
Starting at the beginning of next year, the Dirección General de Migracion y Extranjeros will impose a new fee for foreigners who overstay a tourist visa, according to Mario Zamora Cordero, security minister.
Delinquent persons will have to pay $100 for every month over their allowed visa period at the time they are caught. If the person cannot pay, he or she will be denied entry for a period that is triple the time that they overstayed, he said Thursday.
“So if you stay one month more, you won't be allowed to enter for three months,” said Freddy Montero Mora, deputy director general of immigration.
But for us who are perpetual tourists', that's not the good news, THIS IS:
"If a person leaves the country within the visa period and has the correct documentation, immigration agents will not bar them from returning. A perpetual tourist is a foreigner who lives here and renews a tourist visa, usually every 90 days, by traveling outside the country.
“If you want to keep leaving and coming back, that's your decision,” he said. His comments were perhaps the most clear ever uttered on the subject by an immigration official."
WHOO HOO! Talk about a HUGE stress relief.
Technically, just so you know, they talked about the $100. thing back in 2010 but obviously couldn't implement it for whatever reason, but now they say it will take effect at the beginning of next year. No sweat for us, in the 7 years we've lived in Costa Rica, we've never overstayed the 90 days.
The fact is, perpetual tourism has been going on for years, but officially it's never really been made clear if leaving the country every 90 days and then returning within 72 hours was technically legal or not. I think most of us 'perpetual tourist' types were expecting to eventually get bitched slapped with some serious changes to the immigration law, especially after a lot of misinformation was spread about the supposed 'clamp down' on perpetual tourists back in 2010. So for a government official to actually come out and say, "If you want to keep leaving and coming back..." is just the clarity we've been looking for.
We made the video below back in January 2011 and I would encourage you to check it out, it's still relevant and has some information that you need to know if you're going to live the life of a perpetual tourist in Costa Rica.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica... it's all I hear- "I want to live in Costa Rica." "My wife and I want to retire to Costa Rica." "I want to start a business in Costa Rica." "I want to bring my family down to Costa Rica. Like I said, Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica... blah, blah, blah.
Okay, so you've decided living in Costa Rica could be an option. But where to start the research when there's SOooooooooo many Costa Rican websites to choose from. And if you don't know the difference between 'solid' Costa Rica info and 'sketchy' Costa Rica info, it can be veRY daunting to say the least.
I'm here to help. Take a few minutes and watch the video and trust me, it's worth the 6-minutes because you also need to know what websites to AVOID.
The Real Costa Rica and ARCR.net are not the only good websites, they're just a good start. And actually, ARCR has good info but they're totally out to rope you into their services (expensive I might add). Here's a few others that might help. And just so you know, I have NO monetary motivation... and more likely than not, this post will be a surprise to All the websites I mention.
Living Life In Costa Rica blog.Lot's of lists. Great INFO for people looking for the BEST places to find 'things'. She's done a LOT of research so you don't have too. Only thing I don't like, she's a little blatant in seeking donations. But then again, she probably deserves them.
US Expat Costa Rica: This is an 'aggregate' site and a LOT of info shows up on this site from various blogs. He also writes of his own experiences and musings. Good stuff.
Boomers Off Shore Lots of videos and information. Great thing is, the information is based on their own experiences. Solid information.
The Raw Food Family Lot's of videos and INFO about living a more organic and sustainable life in Costa Rica- family, beach style.
A couple blogs I check out:
*A Dull Roar Great info on everyday life and he's a good writer, especially worth checking out if you're thinking about coming to Costa Rica as a family.
De La Pura Vida Costa Rica This blogger writes about her 'observations' and experiences here in Costa Rica. Great writer in my opinion and good inside information.
Of course there's other great websites and blogs pertaining to Costa Rica and if you'd like to mention them, please do so in the comments, I'd appreciate it. This is just my short list.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
michael alan and D'Angelo (Travel Costa Rica NOW) have a vacation rental property in La Fortuna Costa Rica.
Yup, we now have a vacation rental property in La Fortuna, so we decided to do a preliminary video about it, which is below. We posted it yesterday and received this message on Facebook from a guy we don't know:
"This video is not professional and does not represent either of you or your business. Why would you want to show anyone the mess, refer to it as “this fucking house,” and expect anyone to want to rent anything from you? I would delete it immediately. When you sober up and look at it again, you will agree."
First I want to say, we put ourselves out there with what we do and realize we're going to get the spectrum of feedback, folks who love us, those that don't and everything between. In other words, we're fine with taking the good with the bad- to us it's all GOOD and if we can't take it, we shouldn't be doing it. And really, most of the feedback we receive is extremely positive anyway.
To be honest, this comment irked me a little and I'll tell you why. We have over 240 informative videos and THOUSAND + pages (blogs/website) about traveling and living in Costa Rica. We have maybe 3 videos like this one and I'm thinking if he knew our 'body of work' so to speak, he wouldn't be judging so harshly.
So we have this new vacation rental property that's about 2 months away from being ready to rent. We need furniture, decorations, a little minor repairs and landscaping (we're totally going to LUSH it out the grounds). We started the renovation but wanted to show you the place even though at this point it's basically a mess. We'll be doing 2 more videos as things progress and the quality of the videos will progress as well. But on this particular 'first video' we decided to do it raw. If this video was about the effects of Dengue on a 10-year old in Costa Rica, we would have been 'professional'
but to get friends to help you with your house for FREE, you need a LOT of pizza and beer... and we had it. D'Angelo and myself work very hard- everyday. Really. Everyday. And since we weren't doing a Dengue video, we had a little fun and yes, had a few too many beers. Work hard - Play hard. We deserve it from time to time. I guess what I'm trying to say is, D'Angelo and myself are 'real' people, living a 'real' life in a foreign country and struggling everyday to make it work. We're not trying to be 'slick' but it's true, we have a couple videos that are not very professional. So what? At least we're 'real' and we are honest. We don't have an agenda like most every Costa Rica website on the internet today, but even if we did have an agenda, we'd tell you what it was. And I got news for you, this IS us and we don't expect anything. I'm also sober enough to know I'd rather drink with my friends and be unprofessional from time to time then be who you think I'm suppose to be to make you happy. So the video stays. But really, feel free to stay off our channel and our sites and FaceBook.
Here's our video about our new vacation rental in La Fortuna. BE WARNED- If you don't appreciate beer and unprofessionalism, don't watch, you'll be so disappointed with us.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN recently did a story on Juan Sostheim owner of Rancho Margot.
Juan Sostheim (pictured above), is founder and owner of Costa Rica’s first carbon-negative company, a sustainable farm and eco-resort, Rancho Margot. Rancho Margot is about 40 minutes from La Fortuna, Costa Rica. *The above pic of Juan was done by CNN, I hope they don't mind me borrowing it.
Actually, I'm going to quit writing now because the CNN video on Rancho Margot speaks for itself. It's very nicely done and definitely worth 6 minutes of your time, especially if you're into ALL things sustainable. Our video on Rancho Margot is also below but keep in mind, we were actually video-taping a Cooking Class on that day and just decided we would do a quick overview of Rancho Margot. So, next to CNN, ours is pretty weak. Oh well. ENjoY!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Renting a car in Costa Rica can be HAZARDOUS to your wallet for a variety of reasons.
And when I say, 'hazardous', I mean it as more the RULE than the EXCEPTION. It's true, many car rental agencies in Costa Rica have become so deceptive, we decided to make a video about, 'Avoiding the Pitfalls of Renting a Car in Costa Rica' because for us, we can't imagine anything worse than debarking the plane, excited about your upcoming adventures in Costa Rica, only to find out when you pick up your rental car that there's literally hundreds of dollars in hidden costs. Talk about a budget BUZZKILL.
Anyway, I think the video came out well, it's informative and if you're planning on experiencing Costa Rica by rental car, you'd be remiss if you didn't watch it. And as LUCK would have it, it's embedded BELOW.
But really, that's not the point of this post. The point is, we actually got a video response to our video by one of the car rental agencies here, Vamos 4X4. *Now, it should be noted, we use Vamos and have even done a video about them before, but we didn't tell them about this video nor did we ask them to respond. They just did and we thought that was pretty COOL. Seriously, how many car rental agencies would take the time to respond, via video no less... obviously just ONE.
Check it out. The first video is ours, 'Avoiding the Pitfalls of Renting a Car in Costa Rica' and then the Vamos response. Seriously, don't miss this if you plan on renting a car while in Costa Rica.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
The owners of Joluva Guesthouse in Granada Nicaragua were found GUILTY on all charges.
It's TRUE. Our friends, Jan (standing) and Francis (sitting), the owners of Joluva Guesthouse will find out how long they have to sit in a Nicaraguan jail cell eating rotten rice, next Wednesday. Minimum 2 years, maximum 12 years. Are you f***ing kidding me?
Don't know what I'm talking about... the FULL, TRUE story is HERE. Don't feel like reading, basically, my friends were accused of 'sexual exploitation of minors', 'promoting sexual tourism', 'pornography' etc... but take my word, the entire thing was about being successful, gay, foreign business owners in Nicaragua. How dare they promote gay in Nicaragua...and be successful.
I'm going to hold my 'pen' for the time being and not write anything until AFTER Wednesday... but after that, it's GAME ON. I may not be the Huffington Post but I'll attempt to use 'whatever' means to get their story out. Although Jan and Francis are my friends and I would help them regardless, this SO could have been me and D'Angelo and a LOT of other folks I know.. and I just can't leave them hanging. In the meantime, I have some ideas of my own but if anyone else has some ideas as to what we can do, please email me- travelcostaricanow@gmail.com
I'm heartsick, this is SOOooooooooooo sad...... and if you knew them and the TRUTH, you'd know why......... a 3rd World jail cell............. have you seen those movies?
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
All inclusive in Costa Rica? Really? Go to 'Sandals' in Florida and SAVE your money.
I really believe if you want to stay ALL inclusive in Costa Rica you're wasting your time coming here, go to Florida or just about anywhere else in the world that does 'all inclusive', because really, they're all pretty much the same.
Coming to Costa Rica and not experiencing Costa Rica is SACRILEGIOUS!
Okay, I'm only half-kidding. Here's our NEW Video on the subject with a few considerations. ENjoY!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Travel Costa Rica NOW, NOW provides Costa Rica Travel Packages, travel itineraries, tours, transportation, etc. If it pertains to Costa Rica, we can make it happen- legal of course...hehe. *The VIDEO is below.
And just so we're CRYSTAL CLEAR, yes we're gay...but we're about as 'gay' as you are 'straight',,, know what I mean?
AND really, 'gay' only makes up about 10% of the videos and Costa Rica Travel INFO we share, (cruise around our sites, you'll see).- We provide COSTA RICA INFO for Everyone wanting to visit here, regardless- gay, straight, families... whoever.
We don't do travel packages per se because after 50+ emails are exchanged everything ends up a custom package anyway, so we ONLY do CUSTOM packages. If you're interested in having us help you- Go HERE to get started. Trust me, it's easy.
*We oversee all 'Travel Costa Rica NOW' travel planning and are highly involved in the process, BUT we do have help, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for us to personally correspond with everyone and plan their vacation... but again, we run the show so we know what's going on.
I suppose the bottom line is we're hoping you feel you know us through our videos, blogs etc. and trust us. That's it. Hope to see you soon in Costa Rica.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Travel Costa Rica NOW finally does Costa Rica travel packages.....WHOO HOO!
OMG! finally, Finally, FINALLY.
Hey Everyone,,,we're so excited to announce that WE at 'Travel Costa Rica NOW' (and I mean, 'Travel Costa Rica NOW as D'Angelo and myself) can now, FINALLY help you with your Costa Rica travel plans.
It's kinda been a natural transition for us..... after all, we do Costa Rica and why not share our Costa Rica experiences with you. So after 4+ years of traveling around the country and video taping our experiences we're hoping you have enough faith in us enough to TRUST us with your travel plans............ Anyway,,,here's our VIDEO. ENjoY!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
So, to all gay, gay friendly, friends of gay, or really, ANYONE interested in knowing about traveling and living in GAY Costa Rica, I have the blog for you.
After 2 failed attempts of having a gay Costa Rica blog, I'm finally back to my comfort zone, which is 'BLOGGER'. My first attempt at 'Blogger' was actually very successful until I made the mistake of posting 'Adult Content', got flagged and GOOGLE stopped crawling it, relegating my blog into internet, search engine, oblivion. My second attempt was 'Wordpress'... I hated it and quit posting about a year ago.
I'm back, so GAY Costa Rica will finally have a place to PLAY.
Renting a car in Costa Rica? Then you don't want to MISS these very INFORMATIVE videos.
All car rental agencies in Costa Rica are NOT created equal regardless of how recognizable their names may be in the States. So by the time you sign on the dotted line it could literally be hundreds more than you expected and can put a serious crimp on your travel plans, especially if you budget is tight. Don't miss this INFO and double especially the first video. It's a little long but loaded with relevant information that you need to KNOW.
*The only bit of INFO I probably would have mentioned in the first video is to really check-over your car, make sure everything works and note ALL scratches, dents, broken parts etc so there's no problems when you return the car. This has been known to be a problem with dishonest agents.
This next video is about a SCAM that's been run on unexpecting tourists for a LONG time but is totally avoidable for those in the know.
We like Vamos 4x4. But we're definitely not saying they're the only game in town. We stick with what we like. Check out the video to see why we like them.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Moving to Costa Rica? The BIGGEST question is shipping container or no shipping container? I know, I receive a LOT of questions- so many in fact I often dream about shipping containers… how sad is that? Anyway…
For me, the shipping container question was EASY. When I moved to Costa Rica, I didn’t come here to ‘re-locate’, I came here to live a different lifestyle. I was 44, but to me, I was thinking the world was my oyster, I wanted EVERYTHING new- whatever fit in my carry-on, if you know what I mean…… but that’s me.
I realize there’s many ‘moving to Costa Rica’ stories. We ALL have our reasons and a lot times, a shipping container IS the answer. It wasn't for me because I didn’t care about my ‘things’, but then again, for many, they want what they want and they want it here in Costa Rica, totally understandable.
Truth is, electronics, computers, tv’s… plug-in shit (and tools) and especially cars are expensive here….stupid expensive as far as the States are concerned. In the U.S., at BestBuy, we get a flat-screen for next to nothing, a DeWalt drill gun, buy one get one free, here it’s takes a 4-week paycheck. And cars, you would have never guessed how stupid expensive they are... no, really. So yeah, shipping containers can make sense.
Here's the answer if you're caught between, 'thinking I have shit, but not that much shit'... go here, they do containers, but they also have a GREAT alternative for MUCH CHEAPER- ShippingCr.com Check it out. Tell them I sent you, not that that will so anything for you, but say it anyway and see what happens.
Here's a video I did awhile back with my friend, Bill, about shipping containers and such. ENjoY!
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
First off, I want to say THANK-YOU so much for all the encouragement, support, feedback, opinions and suggestions concerning my friend, Ime’s, plight. And a TRIPLE THANX to all of you who shared some of your own personal stories- it was ALL very much appreciated. I received about 50 or so comments and personal emails, that’s a LOT for me. So again, thanx.
I can’t say I agree with everything that was sent to me but then again, you only know what I told you, so I feel obligated to fill in the many holes I left in the 'Ime' story. Not sure it will change anybodies mindset, but it might offer some new perspective. If I told Ime everything that was said, 'selfish, bored, arrogant, self loathing etc', he would probably agree. Anyway...
Let’s start with a few more ‘Ime’ details.
I mentioned that Ime is highly intelligent and he is. Actually, Mensa material, which he was. He kinda quit- got tired of everyone trying to ‘out brain’ each other, as he puts it. Whatever. He’s close to his mother and talks to her frequently. However, like I mentioned, he doesn’t discuss his kids so I think its safe to say, they’re estranged. His mom knows how he is. I probably should have wrote, he would like me to ‘reassure’ her, comfort her so to speak. Strangely, I’ve never meant her, but she knows of me, like I know of her, but Ime telling me to let her use my shoulder to cry on seems weird. I'm certain she would feel the same. It was my BAD for writing it like if he killed himself, it would be a total shock. I don’t think it would be. But even with that we discussed the ‘selfishness’ of it all on numerous occasions and on that point, I’m with Ime. Without getting crazy philosophical, think of it kinda like this. My mom and dad stayed together for ’the kids’, when they clearly should have gotten a divorce. They did NO ONE any favors by ’faking it’ for the kids…it sucked, trust me. And although Ime might be able to fake it,,,, should he really have too? Ime and I are in agreement that
ultimately it is 'your' life and really, to have control over your own death, is kind of the icing on the cake and during these specific discussions, I remember thinking of a quote from one of my favorite movies, ’Shawshank Redemption’- “Get Busy Livin’ or get busy dyin’”. So in Ime’s mind, he’s done, so get on with it.... I agree. Again, without getting knee-deep in the selfishness discussion, we both think Dr. Kevorkian got a raw deal and both believe in the 'right to die'. So lets agree to disagree on the ’selfishness’ factor since it's deserves a lot more debate and discussion than I can give it here.
“En vino veritas” - in wine there’s truth. I believe this is fairly accurate quote. I’ve been around drinkers and I would classify myself as such and your tongue gets loose, that’s a fact. While drinking, things often become over-dramatic as well, but like a TripAdvisor review, take out the highs and lows and the truth is there. Ime is not a dramatic drunk. He drinks, but it just makes him talk, it’s not like he starts crying…. And if you’ve ever been around a drinker, ’cryer’……OMG,,,,, I want to put them out of their misery myself, forget suicide, Ime is not that. If asked why he drinks, he would tell you he does so to “even the playing field”. Most find this a very arrogant statement, again, I see his point. He dumbs himself down in order to converse with the ’common folks’. Judge as you will, but the truth is, I think it’s difficult to be genius. You’re so abOVE other people’s thinking, there’s just no one to relate to……….. Now don’t get me wrong, I call BULLSHIT on him as well. Yes, it could be true about ‘dumbing down‘, but drinking is a little more complex than that… so believe me, I don’t let him off the hook. Beginning with, "Why do you drink so much.... bitch?"
However, he is not depressed as many of you suggested per your emails, although I totally understand how you came to that conclusion. Well, at least he doesn't fit the clinical definition of depression. He’s NOT crying for help mind you. Matter of fact, I’m the only one who knows of his intentions. It’s funny, serious cries for help are often mistaken as ‘attention seeking’…. Ime knows this, so he says nothing. He doesn’t mop around, he goes about his day…. Take my word, you would NEVER know.
Many of you suggested Ime needs a purpose. I agree. I think he's bored. HELLO, purpose is what drives most of us- a reason to live, to keep putting one foot in front of the other…… without purpose, we're Ime. I’ve talked to him about volunteering,,, sharing his knowledge…. ‘Hell, write a book, that will keep your ass busy for a few years….’. He’s not dumb, he understands this, but as he says it,……’There’s just no more gas in the tank….’
I'm in agreement. Get on with it. 'Get busy livin' OR get busyin' dyin'' What are you waiting for? BUT...
Whatever Ime. Now it's my turn. So check your 6000+ IQ at the door,, because here’s what I got for you.
First and foremost, I love you. You’ve been the best of what a friend is.. you’ve listened to my bullshit, talked me down, gave me perspective…and the discussions, the fucking DisCuSSIONs.... the conversations, just talking to you makes me question my every thought, I love the fact you keep me thinking, and I don't think you could be closer than a brother, I love you, for real. BUT, the fact you can summarize Steven Hawking's, “A Brief History in Time” in 15 minutes, doesn’t do shit for the fact you’re too pussy to tell your mother whats up.. Fuck you. You want to off yourself,,,, so be it. But your brainyness should tell you, you need to talk to your mother YOURSELF, and until you do…..I’m not on board with you. I love you, respect your ‘right’ to die blah, blah, blah….. Whatever. And when you do get the BALLS to tell your mother, I’ll load the fuckin' gun for your sillyass self..
Until then, we’re drinking rum and discussing why 9-11 was an inside job…….. Got me?
PS. Your IQ doesn’t mean shit unless you use it………
Love, your better than friend.....
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
