Just Another Friday in Paradise - Our Life in Costa Rica

It's Friday in Grecia

And...I think summer has finally begun

It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside. 

As is our routine, every Friday we go into town for errands and shopping. 

First stop was to pay our electric bill at ICE  - Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (English: Costa Rican Institute of Electricity).

This is the first time we have paid on our own. The bill is in our landlord's name so he gets the invoices each month, however each month the ICE rep comes to our gate and honks his horn. Lavanson goes out, opens the gate and he advises us (in Spanish) that he is here to shut off our power. 

Every month Lavanson tells him we do not pay the bill and he calls our landlord who then pays the bill.  The rep (who is very friendly) drives off on his little scooter 

and we then reimburse our landlord when we pay our rent. 

However, that is a terrible way to deal with a bill. So we finally got our account # from our landlord and went into town to pay the bill BEFORE the deadline (which is the 4th) 

This will be our practice from now on. Although all transactions are handled in Spanish, we just show them the account # and they show us the amount owing, 

we pay and get a receipt.

Most small neighborhood pulperias/stores (ours pictured above) and many other stores and establishments in town have windows where you can pay utilities. 

Our local pulperia takes payments too but keep in mind we do not have a car and a short distance can become a much longer distance when you are going up and down steep hills!

After paying our bill we stopped at Aeropost where I pick up my mail (my mail is being forwarded from the US as there are no street addresses here -- so therefore no mail delivery). 

Kind of nice in a way if you think about it. 

A quick stop at Peri Mercado (grocery store) for some cheese and a 7Up for me

Next stop-- the feria for produce

BIG crowd of expats there probably because it is (what we all hope anyway) is the beginning of summer and the dry season!!

Nativity scenes are very prominent here (missing the baby Jesus - he arrives on Xmas Eve just in time for his birthday)

Here is the one at the feria

Next.....

It's HAPPY HOUR TIME!!!

Every Friday @ Isabel's

Located on our ridge in San Luis - a meeting place for expats on the opposite ridge El Cajon and any others who want to come

Across the street from Isabel's

 Further up the hill (although we are now close to the top here - some 5,000 ft up or so 

Neighborhood Tico house decorated for Xmas

back down the street but up a hill towards home

(we live at 4,300 ft) My ears also feel the change in altitude

Dinner and drinks (BYOB) with the expats. We get picked up at 4:40.

Here is a drink I was told about and am going to try out

We're home by 7pm (I guess that is what you do when you are getting old-er)

A proper Tico Xmas tree all decorated by Isabel's kids for the restaurant

Very pretty