1. Maps2. Compass3. GPS4. Umbrella5. Sunscreen6. Sweatshirt7. Comfortable shoes that can get wet. Flip flops are big here. If you are going into the jungle, you need snake-proof boots. Do not mess around with anything less than good full-coverage boots. Don’t kid yourself: sneakers won’t do.8. NO JEWELRY. It could get ripped off your body. Leave it at home. You’ll live. As in no whining. I don’t mean "you’ll live" as in you don’t want to die over your jewelry. Dying . . . → Read More About Essentials
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Costa Rica time is GMT -6, what the U.S. calls Central Time without Daylight Savings. So summers we are two hours behind Key West and winters we are only one. Très confusing… Daylight Savings with a twist! On the simple side, Costa Rica is so close to the equator at latitude 9°, the sun rises around 5:15a and sets around 6p. Everyday. 365. You don’t get those delicious long evenings, but it’s predictable! For the longest time, we never went anywhere at night… we would fall asleep when it . . . → Read More About Weather & Time 30 September 2006
 3 comments - (Comments are closed)  CR: Weather, Criticia Voluptua Right-Right, Culture Shock, TimeWhen you make your plane reservations, try to time your arrival so you have plenty of daylight left, particularly if you are renting a car and driving off somewhere your first day. You want to do your driving the first few times (months?) before dark, no later than 6:30pm. Figure two hours for customs (just to be on the safe side, it’s usually about an hour), an hour to get the car, and an hour minimum of driving time (even if your hotel is "15 minutes from the airport"). This adds up to . . . → Read More About ETA: Daylight! If you are the adventurous type and will be driving yourself around Costa Rica in a rental car, bring a compass (we have the Brunton) and a GPS. Garmin is state of the art. We have a Lowrance Avionics GPS, big screen and expensive. Jal was taking flying lessons before our cute plane was swamped by Wilma. All we have left is the Lowrance and a brand new wing sitting in storage we’d bought to replace the one damaged in Dennis… Also arm yourself with maps. The . . . → Read More About Renting A Car For my birthday celebration tonight, we watched Franco Zefferelli‘s Romeo and Juliet. The boys are diving into a little Shakespeare in homeschool and this movie burned a place in my heart 38 years ago. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. Was I more in love with Olivia Hussey or Len Whiting? I saw it at least 10 times. It took my breath away. And did you know that Laurence Olivier did the narration? . . . → Read More About Oh Romeo, Romeo, dónde está, Romeo? "Today’s The Day!" - Mel Fisher Do you want your own website/blog? Now, you can have it all for $160: - your own domain name that you will control- one year’s hosting (renewal @ $30/year)- 100 pages (each additional 100 pages @ $10/year)- tons ‘o photos (and unlimited links to any of the free photos sites)- unlimited links to anywhere- 2 hours of design time (should be plenty!!!)- 2 or 3-column layout- your choice of colors from the html color palette- add’l design time at $30/hour- ability to add/edit . . . → Read More About Want Your Own Website/Blog? I turned 51 today. Emily never will. She was killed in Iraq on my cousin Celia’s 51st birthday two weeks ago, September 12. Like reading the names on the Key West AIDS memorial, like reading about those killed 9/11, painful as it may be, we must read about Emily and the men and women who died before and after. They have made the ultimate sacrifice. They deserve to be remembered. God bless them, each and every one. In the great landscape of Things To Know When Moving to Costa Rica, you start with Thing 1 and Thing 2. I have heard people say you do not need to learn Spanish to live in Costa Rica. They must be selling real estate. You absolutely DO if you are going to thrive here. Can you get by without it? Yes, particularly if you live in an area heavily populated by expats. Will your expat life be satisfying? No, it will be hellishing frustrating. You will miss 90% of the adventure because you won’t . . . → Read More About Thing 2: Hablando Español! 26 September 2006
3 comments - (Comments are closed) CR: Amistad Institute, CR: Communications, Culture Shock, Expat, SpanishAlthough we have never hired a car and driver, lots of people do and are very happy with the service. Jal, my pilot, uses a compass, a map and a GPS to get around. Now, we can pretty much get anywhere. But if you don’t care for the time buses can take (not to mention learning the routes) and don’t want to waste time trying to find places in your rental car (and you can waste DAYS doing that, trust me), consider a driver. Following is an estimate of prices by a long time resident who owns a . . . → Read More About Hiring A Driver Moving to Costa Rica? I just did and, gosh, I already have a couple of opinions. Surprise, surprise. There is tons to consider, of course, but in the great scheme of Things To Know When Moving to Costa Rica, the two most important are Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thing 1 addresses real estate in Costa Rica and the burning question: to buy or not to buy? If you haven’t already bought, there are critical items to consider before taking the plunge. We know too many people who bought before they had all the information they needed . . . → Read More About To Buy or Not To Buy? 25 September 2006
3 comments - (Comments are closed) CR: Cost of Living, Culture Shock, Real Estate, Recovering REALTOR® |
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