Category: Costa Rica

Posted on

Most Searched Travel Destination

According to Bing’s December 3 report on searches by people in the U.S. Costa Rica is the most

Sign on Playa Dominica

searched travel place in the world. Read the article. It also says that more U.S. citizens retire in Costa Rica than any other country. No surprise to me, but an interesting report.

These photos I made in August on our tour as we stopped by Dominica Beach in the South Pacific. I just liked their sign! This particular spot was near the mouth of a river, thus the drift wood abundance.

Playa Dominica

Posted on

Hoping for a Christmas Tamal!

Christmas Tamal, photo from Inside Costa Rica

I’m hoping to get a Christmas Tamal (in Spanish that is singular for Tamale) this year on Christmas or maybe even Christmas Eve when I arrive. Tamales are the big thing for all families at Christmas in Costa Rica with most families having their own special recipe. Unlike the Mexican tamale that is small and wrapped in a corn husk, these are large as a full serving and include lots of vegetables along with some meat. They are also wrapped in a large green leaf, said to be banana leaves, but more often another kind of leaf. Read this article about Costa Rica Tamales in one of the Costa Rica English language newspapers today, Inside Costa Rica.

Posted on

5 Suitcases Are Ready!

The 5 Suitcases Are Lined Up Ready To Be Packed

They have been lined up in my living room for quite a while and soon I have to do a dry run packing to see what will actually fit in them. I got the three hardbacks in a large size to go with my two life-time warranty soft bags. In the meantime I’m still trying to sell furniture and this weekend started packing my art collection. Books and art are what I really want to take. Furniture is so available there and with really nice woods. Though I may decide to stay with furnished apartments and not worry about furniture at all. Simplify! 

On the landing strip in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica by Charlie
Well, I’ve been including photos of Costa Rica, so I had to find one to go with these suitcases! How about when I don’t want to ride a bus to a national park across the country, I fly in one of these little regional airline planes? This is what I flew to Puerto Jimenez for my trip into Corcovado National Park. One of the newer regional airlines is called “Nature Air” which I like just for the name! 🙂 Most trips like this cost about $40. Not bad if in a hurry! But $5 for the bus is better!

The adventures are soon to begin! And I’m ready!

Posted on

Minimalist?

Catarata Falls, Trogon Lodge, by Charlie

In addition to receiving Christianity Today, now digitally, I also get their weekly blog which ties you into articles on their website. Today’s pulled me into this neat article about getting rid of stuff as I am doing right now: Stockpiling Treasures in My Junk Closet.

And if you guys prefer articles written by men, check out this minimalist blog by Joshua Becker, Becoming Minimalist, who in this post points us to 8 other simple living blogs. Wow! Too much, but my new simple living seems to be popular again. And it is fun to read how others are struggling with it too.

I sold my wonderful Relax the Back Zero Gravity Recliner tonight to the nicest young man who was buying it for his mother! He already has one! And it is fun meeting new people who are all so interesting! This guy has a small car dealership and gives a portion of his profit to give used cars to poor single mothers in the community! Now isn’t that neat!

What neat person will God bump me into tomorrow?

POSTSCRIPT: In 2021 a woman wrote and asked me to add this link to her site on how to ditch cable TV (I did) and yet get streaming or other valuable shows for free or cheap. I do that now in 2021 with no TV but streaming of free YouTube videos and a documentary streaming service called CuriosityStream. The requested link to add is: https://www.killthecablebill.com/ 🙂

Posted on

Costa Rica’s “Psychotropic” Pop Music

With Salsa music big on Costa Rica’s west coast and Reggae/Calypso popular on the Atlantic/Caribbean coast (for tourists in particular), and a world-class symphony orchestra in San Jose, I haven’t really experienced specific Costa Rican pop music. But one local band, Sonambulo, is trying to help the world experience it with a new album “Psicosonorama.” 
Read the Tico Times story about it or to just see the YouTube music video of one weird single, “La Maraca,” on their “Psychotropic” (Voodoo-like) album that is also being released in the United States. It is the most popular group among youth in Costa Rica, selling out all concerts. Interesting! Though not exactly my taste in music. (My age maybe?)   🙂  I suspect that U.S. youth will like it! 
Posted on

A Testimony of Living in Atenas

A Rural Road Near Atenas, Cost Rica (copied)

I’m guessing she is a 30-something girl who wrote this descriptive testimony of living in Atenas where I will live in less than 8 weeks.

Check it out to get a different description than I have shared yet. One of her photos is a road outside of town which I expect to find near my apartment. We’ll see!

This morning’s activity was another “Moving Sale” day in the McKendree Village Treasure Shop. I did fairly well, a little better than last Saturday.

This afternoon I will be doing laundry and culling down my files to what I really need to take with me to Costa Rica. And I saved one of my books from sale or disposal which I thought I might read first, Richard Foster’s Freedom of Simplicity (click for excerpts) then I discovered it is available on my new Kindle Fire which I got to avoid carrying so many heavy books to costa Rica. It was just instantly loaded on my Kindle – how cool this is! I’m going to live in the rainforest while building my new library electronically!   🙂   As usual, I’m as excited as a little kid about all of this!

And as has happened before, my post on His Spirit Blog today relates directly to this, the removal of stress by depending on God and simplifying my life as getting rid of all this stuff is doing already!

Posted on

The Move is Moving Along Faster!

It is like so much is happening every day that I have not been able to keep up with posting. I have buyers for my car (Dec. 19 release so money in bank that day), Washer & Dryer sold for Dec. 20 release, Office furniture and bookshelves sold and I’m letting go in the next two weeks when the buyer gets transportation arranged. In relation to that I just bought a new mega-laptop to replace my desktop which comes in next Wednesday and two days to get it setup and my desktop cleaned off for selling. Whew!

And before he gets my credenza file cabinet I have to refile everything for (A) Going to Costa Rica and (B) Going in storage. Whew again! I’m still moving books and little things to The Treasure Shop here at McKendree for about 3 more Saturdays of selling stuff though it is slowing down and is much less money.

I’m also looking at the new T5i Canon Rebel since the two I have are really getting old and worn but I will keep and use. If I get the new one I may start trying little short videos and even start a YouTube Video Channel. We’ll see.

Turrialba Volcano on a Pretty Day

And for those interested, another volcano erupted this week in Costa Rica, again not close to where I will live. Here are some nice still photos:
http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/10/31/turrialba-volcano-eruption-in-costa-rica-photos-from-the-web?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=Daily%20RSS%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email

Posted on

Car Paved Around in San Ramon & Theater Anniversary

A Lack of Communication?
I guess in the states the car would have been towed – maybe – but in San Ramon, Costa Rica this guy leaves his car parked on a street on paving day and the workers just pave around it. A little funny from Costa Rica!

See Tico Times article

It is exciting to see how Costa Rica is celebrating the 117th Birthday of the National Theater tomorrow. I look forward to hearing the national symphony or some other performance in that beautiful theater! And by the way, you did know that Nashville, Tennessee’s Symphony Director,  Giancarlo Guerrero, is from Costa Rica? Didn’t you?

Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica
Posted on

Church Possibilities in Atenas

“Atenas New Community”

About 4 or 5 blocks from my apartment in Atenas is a non-denominational Bible Church Iglesia Biblica Atenas. 

They have Sunday morning services in Spanish language that I’ll attend.

Iglesia Biblica Atenas

Connected with it is an English-speaking Atenas New Community with Bible Study on Tuesday night and English Language Worship on Wednesday evening in the same building.

Both the Tico church and the English speaking community are somehow affiliated with LifePoint Church in Plano, TX and the English leader, Steve Lucas, was formerly on staff at that Plano church. The auditorium above seems to be used for Spanish on Sunday morning and English on Wednesday night.

40 minutes away in Escazu is the large, English-speaking International Baptist Church if I really get in the mood for a larger North American style Evangelical Church, though I expect to stay close to Atenas at first.

International Baptist Church
Escazu, Costa Rica

Click the links to each church above to see what I have to look forward to. The two in Atenas just have Facebook pages, but IBC has a full website and busy program. Christian fellowship and worship is important to me. I may try others I discover in Atenas.

And oh yes, I have already been invited to the Atenas New Community Christmas Eve service in English if I get in and settled in time. I am to arrive at airport at 2:00 and service is at 5:30 – so we’ll see!   🙂

Posted on

Atenas Listed as #1 Place to Retire in Costa Rica!

Central Plaza of Atenas
My photo of us walking through in August
I’ll live 8 blocks from this plaza.

Today’s edition of InsideCostaRica Newspaper in an article by Jason Holland,  International Living Costa Rica Editor, lists the five best towns in which to retire in Costa Rica and my choice, Atenas, was ranked #1. It is also interesting to note as the headline says, none of the top 5 are on the beach!

Also see my September 21 Post on AARP listing Atenas as one of the best places in the world to retire. I also included several links to sites about Atenas in that post where you can learn more about my coming new hometown. I’m excited to be moving to such a highly rated place! Just 11 weeks from this Wednesday!