Containers as Homes Businesses in Costa Rica the BASICS- VIDEO

Container homes are getting BIG pretty much worldwide and container homes in Costa Rica are no exception. Containers are used for a variety of reasons- homes, restaurants, hotels, shelters, storage, businesses etc. If you can think it, you could probably make it with containers. LEGOS have nothing on containers. lol. Here in La Fortuna we have quite a few container homes/businesses. But if you know nothing of containers, we did a video just for you. Below are the 'container' basics. We are talking to James, who owns a container business, business meaning he sells them. So if you're interested in knowing the basics of containers, prices included, you might want to check this video out. ENjoY.



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She Lives a Fairy Tale Life in Costa Rica

Annika and michael alan from Travel Costa Rica Now.
I think Annika joined D'Angelo and myself and the Travel Costa Rica Now team about 3 years ago- and what a FIND. Since then, she has become a great friend as well as business partner. Clients love her as well for her honesty, flexibility and knowledge of Costa Rica. But enough of the accolades. What I really wanted to talk about is Annika's story of how she came to live in Costa Rica... and trust me, it's the stuff of fairy tale endings and 'chick flicks'. I interviewed her last week. Here is her story-



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KNOW Your Community Before Deciding to Live There

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.

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The Police in Costa Rica Won't Do SHIT

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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Life in Costa Rica the Lair Davis Videos

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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TRUTH Costa Rica a Relocation Tour is NOW Available

michael alan & D'Angelo's TRUTH Costa Rica Tour is NOW here. Don't know what Truth Costa Rica is? michael alan & D'Angelo's Truth Costa Rica tour is a relocation tour for folks thinking about living in Costa Rica. Check out the video.

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Relocation Tour in Costa Rica by michael alan & D'Angelo

Thinking about moving to Costa Rica? Relocating to Costa Rica? Retiring to Costa Rica? Well, before you do, you need to do your homework- BIG TIME! Part of that homework should be to visit here and get a little perspective from some folks who actually live here and don't have an agenda to sell you something. Because when someone has an agenda, it obviously skews the information, which makes it difficult to make an informed decision. That's where we come in.

We've been doing 'living here in Costa Rica' videos for quite awhile now along with our 'traveling to Costa Rica' videos and the former have become somewhat popular based on the comments and emails we've received in the last few years. So, we've decided to conduct our own tours, which we call, 'michael alan & D'Angelo's Truth Costa Rica Tour'. The good the bad and the ugly of living in Costa Rica with no agenda to sell you anything. Our goal is to offer our perspective, experience and expertise of living in Costa Rica so the folks who go on our tour, by the end, will know whether relocating to Costa Rica is a good idea for them or not. That's it. Check out our initial video launching our new idea- michael alan & D'Angelo's Truth Costa Rica Tour. ENjoY!

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Finding a Reputable Lawyer in Costa Rica

Finding a lawyer in Costa Rica is a daunting task to say the least, although I'm sure finding a good lawyer ANYWHERE, considering the reputations of lawyers in general, is just as daunting. But finding a good attorney in a foreign land has other issues to consider. Like for us, they need to speak perfect English. Anyway, check out our video to see what happened after nearly 7 years.

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Happier Than a Billionaire in Costa Rica MY ASS

Happier Than a Billionaire in Costa Rica, a video featuring Nadine and Rob Pisani, is a total FLUFF piece- pure and simple. The much watched YouTube video, 'Happier Than a Billionaire in Costa Rica' is nothing more than a propaganda piece, a 28-minute infomercial geared to folks thinking about relocating to Costa Rica.

But before you get your panties in a twist, my rebuttal has nothing to do with Nadine and Rob personally. As a matter of fact they seem like great people and I know they had nothing to do with the editing, although they probably should have. Anyway, don't take my word for it, watch it for yourself. Can you spot all the fluff and sugar-coating.... I hope so. And after, watch my rebuttal to see why I have such a problem with it. ENjoY!



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Costa Rica WHIPS Greece Ass

Costa Rica WHIPS some Greece ASS! Yeah, I got it bad- World Cup fever and there's no place better to have it than in Costa Rica. Watching Tico's watch the World Cup reminds me of why I love it here so much. They are so proud of their country and their team and watching them watch the game is truly inspiring. Words can't really describe what I'm trying to say but think of a time in your life when you were most 'proud', that's every Tico's face here as they watch and root on their team. One BIG, happy, loving family....unified with unconditional love for their country. The US could learn a thing or two.

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Buying Real Estate in Costa Rica START HERE

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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Dealing With the Ticos - BEST Tip EVER

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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Travel Costa Rica NOW Boomers Offshore - the INTERVIEWS

If you're thinking about making the move to Costa Rica, you're not going to want to miss these 2 interviews. Seriously, they're PACKED FULL of very valuable, useful information.

We had a great day interviewing and being interviewed by our good friends at Boomers Offshore. So without further ado- here they are- the Travel Costa Rica NOW/Boomers Offshore interviews. ENjoY!





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Get the F*CK OUT If You Don't Like Costa Rica

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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Why Gringos Can Be Annoying in Costa Rica

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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Tico Culture From Gringo EYES

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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Pizza John Passes Away- so Sucks

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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It Doesn't COUNT Unless it's On TripAdvisor

I hate TripAdvisor but I wish this review of Travel Costa Rica NOW was ON TripAdvisor. Boy do I hate admitting that. But unfortunately it's true as SOooooooooo many people view TripAdvisor as the 'Bible of Travel' and 'reviews' on the much manipulated site can either bolster a business BIG time or leave it in the gutter for dead, nevertheless I do feel the need to have more good 'reviews' there- sad but true. Want to see what I really think of TripAdvisor...scroll all the way down and watch the video. Anyway, if only the folks who emailed us appreciating how much they enjoyed their Costa Rica experience we set up for them would post on TripAdvisor- we'd be set. Like this one that shows Travel Costa Rica NOW some serious love:

Thanks for your follow up email. I had intended to shoot you a message telling you what a great time I had!

First, many thanks to you (plus D'Angelo and Michael Alan) for custom designing an itinerary that fully achieved my travel goals. And everything pretty much went like clockwork, from the airport pickup to the pickups for the various activities during the week. Everyone was on time, as was I! None of this "Tico time" stuff you hear about. :-) I enjoyed all the tours/adventures (Poas Volcano, ziplining, rafting, Manuel Antonio National Park, etc.), so kudos also to the tour companies that you coordinated with.

Both hotels were also great. I loved the central location of El Presidente in San Jose (and you guys were right -- 2 nights in SJ was perfect), and the Villa Rocca in Manuel Antonio was also the right place for a solo traveler, such as me, to stay. Fantastic view from my room at the Villa Rocca! The staff and other guests were quite friendly, and I was easily able to join up with others for beach trips and meals (and I even got someone to go rafting with me). I would definitely recommend both hotels to others (and I already have), just as I will surely recommend your travel agency to friends. I definitely plan to visit Costa Rica again!

This was truly a relaxing vacation that also met all my outdoor adventure needs. As someone who enjoys traveling and learning about other cultures, for my return trip to CR I guess that I will also want to find a way to get off the beaten track and go beyond some of the tourist destinations and visit some local villages -- and meet some Costa Ricans who do not work in the tourism industry. There just wasn't enough time to do everything on this trip.

It was a pleasure to work with you, Renee, so thanks again for all your help. Pura Vida!

Pretty nice, right? It would look so GOOD on TripAdvisor. I suppose I should be careful what I wish for and if you watch this video, you'll understand why I say that. eNjOY!



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Moving to Costa Rica the RIGHT WAY- a video interview

If you're thinking about making the move to Costa Rica then you're going to want to follow in my friend, Lair's, footsteps. Personally, I don't know anyone who has prepared better. Lair did it right, he dotted the i's and crossed the t's for 20 years before deciding to make Costa Rica his permanent home. I recently had the good fortune to spend a little time with Lair and talk to him about his story. If you're thinking about making the move, I highly recommend you check out this video. eNjoY!



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Live in Costa Rica- the First 2 Rules

Live in Costa Rica on a permanent vacation...but first things first.
I can totally understand why you think you want to live in Costa Rica- hell, we all have our reasons. But before you do something life altering and may or many not work out, please, PLEASE take a few moments and watch these short but informative videos. The are appropriately named, 'Live in Costa Rica Rule 1 and Live in Costa Rica Rule 2. Trust me, these videos are a MUST SEE if you're thinking about making the move.

RULE #1



RULE #2


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