May 27 2018
Starting a new life in a different country is certainly challenging, initially it may all seem exciting and romantic, like a long vacation, but as time goes by you start falling into the realization that this is your new reality, and adapting to it might not be simple, even if you speak the language and …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/10-tips-on-how-to-thrive-as-an-expat-in-costa-rica/
Feb 27 2017
The kindness of Ticos never ceases to amaze me, but perhaps it should. They just keep proving to us over and over again how willing they are to help. Paul and I were driving in Palmares the other day, looking for a furniture factory to check out their sofas, tables, and chairs for our new …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/con-mucho-gusto/
Jul 12 2014
Literally, the expression “pura vida” means “pure life.” It describes a peaceful, tranquil and free-from-impurities existence. For the Costa Ricans, the phrase “pura vida” means much more: It has become the popular but unofficial national motto. This motto is associated with all Costa Ricans world-wide. Where did the phrase “pura vida” come from? Costa Ricans started using the expression “pura …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/were-costa-ricans-always-pura-vida-where-history-meets-the-movies/
Mar 11 2014
We love Costa Rica’s museums. We plan to visit them all, but so far we’ve only been to four of them: The Gold Museum The Numismatic Museum The Children’s Museum The Jade Museum One of the great things about them is that they are small – you can get through them in less than 2 …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/costa-ricas-museums-a-great-way-to-spend-the-day-in-san-jose/
Oct 26 2013
How you speak and what you say are all part of la buena educación, “good upbringing,” a very important trait in the eyes of Spaniards and Latin Americans. This is not related to schooling but how you treat others…Personal hygiene and courtesy are of primary importance, from the look of the fingernails to table manners …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/integration-101-being-bien-educado/
Oct 26 2013
by Ana Rodriguez Del Valle As an adult I always wanted to belong to a “community.” I left Cuba for the United States at 13, old enough to remember what it was like to walk everywhere, to know all your neighbors, to sit at the park with the street dogs running around, to buy freshly baked …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/community-lost-and-then-found/
Sep 25 2013
One of the biggest events of the annual Festejos Patronales in San Ramon is the Desfile de Boyeros (Oxcart Parade). This year we were both able to get up-close-and-personal with the boyes (oxen) as you will see from a couple of photos in this year’s video (starting at the 2:32 point…yes, that’s me looking silly …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/san-ramon-oxcart-parade-festejos-patronales-2013/
Aug 20 2013
Take a step into the Way-back Machine to get a look at Costa Rica 66 years ago. This video has already made it’s way around several of the Costa Rica blogs, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s definitely worth a view.
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/costa-rica-in-1947/
Apr 02 2013
Facts updated February 25, 2018 Recently, after one of our 5-hour San Ramon tours, our client, Steve F. said that we were not balanced enough, that we tried to sell Costa Rica and San Ramón. Granted, it wasn’t our usual tour since the only time they had available was a Sunday, so almost everything was …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/17-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-move-to-costa-rica/
Nov 30 2012
(Updated October 27, 2015) Jackie, one of our readers wrote, “I have read in your newsletter that Costa Rica is not for everyone. (Others) say the same thing… My question is, just what is it about Costa Rica that is not for everyone? In your opinion, other than the language difference, what are the three …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/costa-rica-isnt-for-everyone/
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