The United States could learn a thing or two about breastfeeding from Costa Rica. Mainly, it's not bad, a sin, disrespectful, sexual or inappropriate in anyway, anywhere. It is nature. Anyway, I did a little video about it. Hope you agree but if you don't, don't bother emailing me about it because I will turn my f**k to OFF.
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I'm not saying you couldn't ENjoY Costa Rica in a wheelchair, but...
...if you're traveling alone or with friends or family in a wheelchair, you better either be on your 'game' like the guy in the pic or really, really do your homework as to where, which tour companies and adventures are wheelchair friendly. Costa Rica is getting better at being more handicap and older folks friendly in the busiest places in Costa Rica but no where near where they need to be. But if you really, really want to visit Costa Rica and you are older, have health issues or handicapped in some way, I would go with a travel company that caters to such. Here's my video about the subject. Check it out or at least watch the ending, kinda funny.
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D'Angelo and myself last weekend at the Chili Cook-Off in Nuevo Arenal.
If you're not familiar with Nuevo Arenal it's located on Lake Arenal about an hour from where we live in La Fortuna and continuing on another hour to Tiliran. It's really the only road that connects our region with the Tamarindo (Guanacaste) area in the Northwest of Costa Rica. Not everyone spends a lot of time in Nuevo Arenal but just about everyone travels thru it. It has a fairly extensive expat community but more importantly, an organized expat community. So they often do things together, like the Chili Cook-Off. I would say their were about 150 people there and almost all of which were gringos. Not too many locals at this particular event. You would NEVER see this many expats doing anything in our town of La Fortuna. We are not organized nor do we even really hang-out together. I am not saying we don't have any gringo friends here, we do, we just don't seem to get together the way folks in Nuevo Arenal do and if we do, it's usually just a handful of friends. Probably the biggest reason Nuevo Arenal is organized and La Fortuna isn't is because a large percentage of folks in Nuevo Arenal are retired and older. A lot of gringos who live in La Fortuna, like yours truly, still have to work, so many of us are pretty busy doing are own things. Nuevo Arenal is much more blue-haired with obvious time on their hands and moves at a much slower pace than the more touristy, every gringo out for themselves, La Fortuna. Which brings me to the point of this post.. which isn't Chili.
When and if you ever decide to live in Costa Rica, you really need to consider the community or area you want to live in. Do you want a lot of expats around you for camaraderie and all that comes with it or is that what you basically are trying to avoid altogether. Many expats who come here would rather experience more of the local culture minus the gringos. D'Angelo and myself do a different COMBO. We don't want an over abundance of expats around but we also don't really associate with locals either. We love Costa Rica but basically do our own thing, preferring tourists over residents. Tourists come, we hang-out and have fun for a day or two and then they leave. Not much conflict in that. We have nothing against Nuevo Arenal, obviously many people love it there, cooler, beautiful surroundings etc, but we could never live there. Never, ever and I'm sure most Nuevo Arenal residents would say the same about Fortuna. There's a couple reasons why I say, never, ever. Both relating to the above. One, not much of a nightlife in Nuevo Arenal. Two, way too many gringos there. And although Nuevo Arenal residents are quite organized and do have a sense of community, they also have the bad that comes with it,,, backstabbing, gossip, meanspiritedness, warring cliques- think Hillary supporters living along side Trump supporters with few options to avoid the drama. Unless of course you become a recluse. I would have to become a recluse because I'm definitely not into the drama.
Really, my opinion is not relevant. Obviously it comes down to 'different strokes for different folks', just be damn sure you know WHAT you're moving into before you do it.
Fact is, the police in Costa Rica aren't going to do shit to help you if their has been a crime perpetrated against you. I'm talking mostly about the sort of crime that you have the best odds of being the victim of- robbery, theft, breaking and entering, simple assault etc. Yes, they can be friendly and nice, yes they will fill out all the appropriate paperwork, but unfortunately, that's where it STOPS. There's many reasons for their lack of any concrete follow-thru but that's for another video and another post. So, whether you want to travel to Costa Rica or live in Costa Rica, it's all about taking personal responsibility. Here's our perspective on the effectiveness of the police in Costa Rica.
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Robber and Thief, Juan Carlos Salazar Mena, has been a busy Criminal. From Pital, Costa Rica, Juan Carlos Salazar Mena robbed us about 10 days ago and after we posted the video of him breaking into our apartment, people have come out of the woodwork to email us and let us know they too were victims of Juan Carlos Salazar Mena's handiwork. We even got sent a video (poor quality but definitely Juan Carlos Mena) of him breaking into a business. He was caught, but Costa Rica being Costa Rica, nothing was done, so the owner was hoping to join forces with us and help put a stop to Juan Carlos Mena.
This picture is of Juan Carlos Mena Salazar and if you live in either Pital, Aguas Zarcas or La Fortuna, you might want to watch your back and your stuff, when he is around. He is very unassuming, skinny as fuck, kinda cute in a punk-kid kinda way but don't be FOOLED, he will seek out an opportunity. Check out the video below to see Juan Carlos Salazar Mena up to his old tricks.
If you have any information on Juan Carlos Salazar Mena, please email us. We'd appreciate it.
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San Jose Costa Rica is a city of barbed wire, much of it, of the razor variety. Iron bars on windows and doors are pretty much the fashion sense for every house and business in the area as well. A practical people, looks don't count for much here, as long as it functions properly, aesthetics be damned. Bottom line- razor wire and iron bars provide security. Seems obvious right? Protecting ones personal property and such. Obviously it's not.
This video was made after receiving the 215th email on the subject of how much barbed wire is used and seen in Costa Rica and how as a tourist, many were APPALLED.
This video has nothing to do with Costa Rica per se and shouldn't be viewed as a knock on this beautiful country.
This video is somewhat of a sarcastic slap in the face, to the many times, ignorant and arrogant thinking of North American tourists. Hypocrisy at its finest. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Lair Davis loved Costa Rica and Costa Rica loved Lair Davis. Unfortunately, Lair passed away some months ago. Lair was a friend of mine and I enjoyed talking about 'anything' Costa Rica with him because he had such an interesting and unique perspective. I knew I had to do some videos with him to get the 'Lair Davis' perspective out.
So here they are. *They have been uploaded to our YouTube Channel before so you may have seen them but wanted to get them all in one place.
The first two are interviews I did with him and if you're planning on relocating to Costa Rica you definitely don't want to miss them. The second two are parables about living here in Costa Rica. The last two were going to be used differently but time just wasn't on our side but they still work and are worth viewing.
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Everybody sells real estate in Costa Rica. This makes it difficult to get truthful, honest answers to your real estate questions. Took us 4 years to find someone who knew the biz but didn't have an agenda when answering my questions. So the video was never made. At least until now. Guys, these are the basics, real estate 101 for the folks just beginning their research. Trust me, we will be talking to Wendy again and asking even more detailed, specific questions. But this is a great place to start. ENjoY!
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Living in Costa Rica you had better learn to deal with the Tico culture if you plan on sticking around for any real length of time. Because if you don't, it could lead to serious frustration as well as take a major toll on your bank account. This is probably my BEST tip EVER- and you can take that to the bank. ENjoY!
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AM Costa Rica, 'Your English-Language New Source' on the internet has SUCKED for a long, L-O-N-G time. I remember when I first realized the fact when, Jay Brodell, the head honcho at AM Costa Rica was endorsing John McCain for President back in '08 and was using AM Costa Rica to do so. But it's not the John McCain thing or even the fact he used AM Costa Rica, it was the way he tore into Obama in order to bolster the image of McCain. Trust me, it was negative, negative, negative in typical 'right of Reagan'fashion. But really it's not even that, I mean, so what, he wanted McCain to win- no BIGGIE. AM Costa Rica SUCKS for a lot more reasons than that and here's our new video listing a few-
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The, 'Get the F*CK OUT of Costa Rica If You Don't Like It' video was one I wanted to make years ago for the sole reason I got sick of listening to 'gringos' continuously BASH Costa Rica. I know, weird right? So as these gringos would whine and cry in their beer, I'd be thinking, if you hate it so much, 'don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you'. But I wanted to do something more than just, 'think', so I finally made a video. Anyway, I already posted this video in a few places and it's received a TON of comments, mostly positive btw, so thanx. But for some of those who didn't really get it- a couple points I'd like to clarify. First, I'm not making fun of 'old' people- listen carefully to what I say. Second, I'm not angry, it's a video for god sake, just being a little dramatic for effect and really, so what if I was, are the points valid or not? So, without further ado-
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As far as Costa Rica is concerned, many folks from the United States can be somewhat annoying at times, while other times just plain stupid/ignorant. And since there's a lot of us who live in Costa Rica as well as visit, it's good that you understand a few things. I made this video. enJOy!
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Understanding Tico culture is very important if you're thinking about living or retiring in Costa Rica. Don't miss this interview with my good friend, Lair Davis- definitely a 'must see'. ENjoY!
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Sad days. Our friend, John Divita aka Pizza John, passed away 2 days ago succumbing to that Bitch, cancer. For those of you who had the pleasure of knowing John realize what a devastating loss this is and for those of you who didn't, your loss. Always a smile, always a kind word, and if he could help you, he would. The kinda guy who just wouldn't give you the shirt off his back... but his shoes and socks as well and a couple bucks to get you to where you were goin'. Quality guy. Personally, for me, it's doubly sad because I had just run into John at the bank a couple weeks prior to his diagnosis and he was so excited about his future plans. He couldn't tell me the particulars because he had a few things to iron out but man, was he giddy with excitement. Matter of fact, us doing videos for his 'secret' endeavor were also discussed. I was so happy for him.... and he had just recently gotten married. Fuck, this sucks.
'Pizza John', because he ran a pizza place in el Castillo about 30 minutes off the beaten path from La Fortuna. He catered to the backpacker crowd and if you've ever been to his place, great pizza and he use to let everyone who went there sign his wall, or should I say building.... hundreds and hundreds of remarks, signatures, quotes, well wishes etc., from people all over the world. We've even signed it. And I know whoever visited John's place were also touched by him- he was just that type of guy.
Gonna miss you man. I bought a bottle of Flora de Cana in your honor.... one shot for me and one shot for you by me- repeat again and again. And for the record, I don't really want you to rest in peace, I hope you get the fuckin' party started...
John was one of the first videos we ever did about 5 years ago. So in his honor-
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Can you experience Costa Rica without 'immersing' yourself into the culture or mastering the language? A lot of websites say, 'no'... I say, "BULLSHIT". Check out the video to see why.
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!
I try to stay in shape because sometimes Karma isn't enough.
First off, I want to say, "THANK-YOU!" so much for all the concern, support and well-wishes I received after I hurt my back 11 days ago. *If you don't know what happened, the video is below. The out-pouring of concern was truly touching and I can't tell you how much it was appreciated. It feels really good to know people cared and if I could hug each one of you, I would. M-U-S-H-Y, but true. Let me update my situation. So, I literally couldn't walk for the first 5 days and the difficulty/pain it took to take a shower, change clothes, go the bathroom (I know, tmi) was past intense and even getting out of bed was so difficult, I slept sitting up on the couch. To say I was a little worried would be a vast understatement. I didn't want to say it then, but I'll say it now, I knew I should have seen a doctor, but truth is, the money situation just isn't all that...enough said. Fast forward to this past Monday when I woke up and it was almost as if KARMA decided I had had enough. I don't want to say 'miracle', but kinda. I'm at about 90% and have even hit the gym these past 3 days. I attribute my quick rebound to Karma and the fact I'm in shape, I think out-of-shape may have had some serious problems. That fall may not look like much to some, but at 53, believe me, we just don't 'bounce' like we used too. Anyway, thanx again. And btw- I know a few of you thought the video was 'funny', so remind me to laugh when you walk into a pole.
The fire that engulfed 'Just Good Food' a couple weeks ago was indeed arson. *The video is below. The owner and our friend, Mike, is trying to figure things out, but as of this writing, it doesn't look like he will rebuild. Will post more on this later.
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Drinking and a jerry-rigged, backyard zipline and me do NOT get along. Tell me the video doesn't make you cringe a bit- I'm 53 not 13, I can't take 'hits' like this and I definitely don't 'bounce' like I use too. Well, needless to say, I totally f**ked up my back and neck yesterday. Seriously, can't even walk and forget about trying to change my clothes or go the bathroom, need help with that as well. I know, tmi. Sorry. I'm not going to cry and whine too much because folks everywhere deal with a lot more than a broken back. But boy does it hurt. The clinic is not an option for reasons I'll keep to myself so I'm thinking pain meds will mostly come in the form of a cheap bottle of scotch. K, I'm done.
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We LOVE you guys... but we're thinking you have NO IDEA how many emails we receive on a daily basis (which we really do love receiving) but please, READ ON-
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:
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A large percentage of Gringo's leave Costa Rica within 2 years of coming here. Seriously, why don't Gringo's make it in Costa Rica? Gringo pricing? Tico time? Red Tape? WHAT? Here's the answer.
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There was a fire at 'Just Good Food' in La Fortuna early this morning and just between me and you, it has 'sketchy' written all over it. I heard the FBI will be investigating so we'll see, but for now, I'll keep my thoughts to myself. If you don't know, 'Just Good Food' is a small, soda-style, pizza/hamburger joint where a lot of us gringos like to hang-out and drink too much. For the tourist visiting La Fortuna, it's cheap, decent eats for those traveling on a budget.
The owner of 'Just Good Food', Mike, is a friend and I feel bad for him and his family because really, it's been one thing after another since he took over the restaurant about 9 months ago so it definitely hasn't been the easiest of rides. Every time things seemed to be looking up for the restaurant- another issue. You know, 2-steps forward, 3-steps back.
Hopefully he'll rebuild, we'll see. The kitchen didn't seem to get damaged, it appears to be mostly the ceiling and roof area so to me it looks worse than it actually is.. but obviously that's totally speculative.
Anyway, the first video pertains to the fire, the second was made by D'Angelo and myself to help 'Just Good Food' get the word out and the last video is an interview I did with Mike about how things were going for him at the time. The last video explains some of the issues/problems he's had to deal with since taking over the restaurant.
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