Caribbean Journey - Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Last day in the Caribbean - Video only

Caribbean Journey - Puerto Viejo from Devon on Vimeo.

Our Plans to Attend the Calypso Festival (Update) - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

We love the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, and we try to get over there as often as we can - which usually turns out to be -- once a year. This year we planned to attend the 5th Annual International Calypso Festival. 

La Terraza Travel put together an exciting 2 day, 2 night package which was to begin this past Saturday. 

We awoke on Saturday morning to a light rain in Grecia, but it had rained very heavily the night before. The weather alerts called it a tropical storm front. At any rate, all 14 of the participants arrived at our pick up point in Grecia, on time - bright and early - at 7:00am.

We enjoy meeting new people and we were looking forward to hanging out with some of the new folks (we had not met at least 6 of the people going). Once we arrived we heard the news about the flooding that had occurred on the Caribbean.

Ruta 32 between San Jose and Limon is closed after heavy rains battered the area on Friday night.

Once we came to terms with the fact that we wouldn't be going anywhere close to the festival that day, we regrouped and made a new plan. Our van transportation was already paid for so we would reschedule the trip. The hotel agreed to honor our reservations and allow us to change our date to 8/4.

With the new trip plans in place, several in the group decided to meet at our house for margaritas in the afternoon and later in the evening have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, La Casa de Miguel. This trip was also a special occasion for Ernest & Elise who were visiting from North Carolina and were married in Costa Rica last year.

They had returned to celebrate their One Year Anniversary!!

Here's a little bit of our day in video

International Calypso Festival - First Try from Devon on Vimeo.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Check traffic congestion before you head to the airport or make a trip to the beach.

There are some stretches on a number of Costa Rican roads that have no cell service which means they are effectively invisible to WAZE traffic updates.

There could be 500 cars sitting perfectly still on the Guapiles Highway in the mountains of Braulio Carrillo and WAZE would show no problem because none of the phones have signal to update WAZE. 

Panama Jammin 7 - A Border Runs Through it

Well that's all folks! 

We have come to the end of our 7 day Panama Jammin Tour!!
Hope you enjoyed the videos!! If you have not seen all of them you can find them all here along with all my other videos. If you subscribe, you will get videos first, as soon as I release them.

This was really a fun and informative experience -- if you are interested in taking the Panama Jammin Tour I will update you here when we are ready to launch.

Now, Let's Talk Borders --

I would like to mention to any of you Costa Rica expats or potential expats -- if you do not have Costa Rica residency you can only remain in Costa Rica for 90 days on your US passport so you will need to make an exit from the country after 90 days.

If you choose to exit to Panama by land, you can use one of 3 borders.

Most travelers use the Costa Rica southern border at Paso Canoas on the Pacific side as we did or the Sixaola border near Puerto Viejo (which I highlight in this video) and the one we used on our return.

The Pacific border is the busiest border in Costa Rica because most of the commercial traffic exits there. At the Pacific border we were sent to a "special" room where our baggage was searched.

The Caribbean border at Sixaola is crowded as well with long lines (this border is mostly used by tourists and lots of young backpackers). At this border you will need to walk across a bridge from Panama to Costa Rica (or vice versa). The good news is--the bridge isn't as scary as it used to be! Both exits were quite an experience (which is one reason I prefer flying)! LOL I am not a big fan of border crossing, however, there is no way around border crossings if you leave the country (resident or not) so it is something you will need to adjust to. I will say that it was made MUCH easier on the Panama Jammin Tour because we had a Spanish speaking tour company/driver which instructed us and helped us with all the paperwork and dealt with the border people for us.That will be a BIG plus for folks taking this tour in the future! It was very hot outside and there were several very long lines at Sixaola and we got to move to the front of the line!

There is one other border, Rio Sereno located in the mountainous range somewhat in the middle of the Pacific & Caribe borders (it is the least trafficked border with no cargo crossings) if your paperwork is in order you can breeze through in less than an hour.  On the Panama side you will find the roads paved from Sererno to David, however coming from San Vito (Costa Rica), the road is a rather rough rocky road…which is probably why this border is still not widely used and quiet. 

My advice for smooth (land) border crossings is -- Be Prepared and Go By Bus (big or smaller as we did) Much less hassle. Just Sayin!!

Big Thanks to everyone for following along!

Check out our departure and border crossing in the video below
and I will see you back here soon for my regular postings!

Panama Jammin 7 - A Border Runs Through It from Devon on Vimeo.

Consider the possibilities - Our Life n Costa Rica

do your 

R e s e a r c h 

🖥📚

Lavanson & I had the pleasure of meeting up with Noah & Adero the other day at a Due Diligence breakfast meeting held at La Terraza B&B in Grecia.

I had communicated with Adero via my Aspiring Expats Facebook page back in March. She followed my advice and stopped in Puerto Viejo for several days and then made her way to Grecia. We had a very interesting and hopefully informative discussion with them about their plans to relocate. Jeanetta Owens (owner of La Terraza) imparted her knowledge of living in Costa Rica for some 15 years and shared her perspective as a business owner.

Adero is a yoga instructor and I think the 2 are planning to make their home in Puerto Viejo sometime next year -- their decision now based on having experienced 2 very different sides of Costa Rica.

We loved meeting them!

Hope to see them again soon!

Reggae on the beach in Puerto Viejo - Our Life in Costa Rica

There are many places to go in Puerto Viejo for nightlife and music. 

A few of these places are located directly on the beach. 

When we were in Puerto Viejo in 2015 we went to Koki Beach & Lazy Mon. On this trip we enjoyed the daytime vibe, as we lunched at Lazy Mon and did a bit of people watching. 

No place better for that!

For evening, this time we chose Salsa Brava, the perfect spot to watch the sunset and enjoy food, drinks and LIVE music with DJ.  The drinks were pretty good as was the food (which was very affordable I might add). 

We did not have a chance to check our Koki Beach on this trip.

Sample the music @ Salsa Brava in the video below

Email subscribers please click the link below for the video

Reggae on the Beach in Puerto Viejo from Devon on Vimeo.

Bread & Chocolate - Our Life in Costa Rica

We met up with our old friend Jessie & Abbi Girl @ Bread & Chocolate (a tiny cottage-style cafe just off of the main drag in the center of town), for a final good bye breakfast.

Jessie lived in Puerto Viejo for about 2 yrs. Her daughter Abbi was born there.
Jessie also was our long distance Spanish teacher before we relocated to Costa Rica.

It was so nice to catch up with her and also to see how big Abbi has gotten. 

Abbi age 2 1/2

Gerald

Verdette, Jessie & Me

Email subscribers please click the link below for the video

Before I let you go - Puerto Viejo Costa Rica from Devon on Vimeo.

Making Waves in Puerto Viejo - Our Life in Costa Rica

So we went to Puerto Viejo! 

And....

In case you didn't know, 

Puerto Viejo is one of my most favorite places to be.

We would be living there today if it were it not for --

1) The hot and humid weather. This trip it was not excruciatingly hot but the humidity almost reached my tolerance level (Smiling)

2) Poor infrastructure (including cell and internet service)

3) Proximity and access to services (such as medical) There are medical clinics in town, however the hospital is in Limon (about 30 miles away) and I would say that hospital is not equipped to handle many of the emergencies that might arise. The San Jose Central Valley area is 4 1/2 hours away. In an emergency you would need to be airlifted out. Not something I want to worry about at my age.

5) Housing choices - when we looked before we could not find any homes built to US standards for rent. Most of the houses are open plan indoor outdoor and very minimal. I can live without the animals and insects having access to me  24/7 thank you! 

However.....NONE of this takes away from how much We LOVE it there. The sense of community and the diverse population (and did I mention the food?) cannot be beat!!!

We had a TERRIFIC trip! We are going to attempt making the trip to Puerto Viejo at least quarterly

Ladies only pictured here

This trip we were a group of 7 (the Cal 5 plus 2 as our friend Gerald refers to us) Five of the group hailing from Northern California (Bay Area) and 2 from Chicago.

I would say that the trip was partly fun & relaxation and partly a due diligence tour for the newbies as they formulate their plans for relocation to Costa Rica. 

Due Diligence is #One in making a successful move.

Get the facts 

Research - Research - Research

Go there and check it out 1st hand

Expect the unexpected

Will this work for you?

If not, go back and revise

Always have a Plan B

Puerto Viejo - Our Life in Costa Rica

We have folks here visiting from the states, and we just returned from one of my most FAVORITE places

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica (located on the Caribbean side)

 We hired a driver to take 7 of us on the 4.5 hr journey.  

If you are deciding on where to live (or vacation) in Costa Rica, 

I recommend that everyone go to Puerto Viejo,

 at least once!

I will be posting some more photos of our trip over the next several days

#The Cal Five plus Two

Let what you eat and drink be your medicine!

I have not written here for a little while. I've been doing some serious research and study on plant based medicine and essential oils. I plan to become proficient enough on the subject to change my life in the way I eat and live and also help other people who want to make the change to a healthier lifestyle (more on this later)

In the meantime.....

Back to basics in Costa Rica

Few beverages on this planet are as biocompatible to the human body and its hydration needs as coconut water.  Indeed, coconut water has been reported to have been used for intravenous hydration and resuscitation of critically ill patients in remote regions of the world for over half a century. It is also an excellent preserving medium for avulsed teeth (and semen!), besting even Hank’s balanced salt solution, a commonly used medical solution.

While some are concerned about the sugar content of this slightly sweet beverage, recent research shows it actually exhibits blood sugar lowering properties in an experimental model of diabetes.  Additional animal research shows coconut water prevents and reverses high blood pressure associated with fructose feeding-induced hypertension, as well being able to reduce oxidative stress and insulin resistance.

Perhaps one of the most amazing properties of coconut water is its superior lipid modulating activity in the animal model vis-à-vis the cholesterol-lowering statin drug known as lovastatin.]  Which means we can, in clear conscience, modify Hippocrates’ famous saying to: “Let What You Drink Be Your Medicine.”

read the rest of the story

Our stop @ Banana Azul for a bit of aqua de pipa (coconut water)

Plant based medicine

While medicinal plants are the actual plants themselves, plant medicines are preparations made from those plants. Plant medicines are the most widely used medicines in the world today. An estimated eighty percent (80%) of the world's population employs herbs as primary medicines. And while drugstore shelves in the US are stocked mostly with synthetic remedies, in other parts of the world the situation is quite different. In parts of Europe, for example, pharmacies dispense herbs prescribed by physicians.

For 5.1 billion people worldwide, natural plant-based remedies are used for both acute and chronic health problems, from treating common colds to controlling blood pressure and cholesterol. Not so long ago, this was true in the US as well. As late as the early 1950's, many of the larger pharmaceutical companies still offered a broad variety of plant-based drugs in tablet, liquid and ointment forms.

The replacement of herbs with synthetic drugs is a relatively new phenomenon, less than a century old, born largely out of economic opportunities afforded by patent laws. Drug companies can't typically patent commonly used plants, but they can develop patented, proprietary synthetic drugs, often reaping billions in sales. Since the 1940's, chemists employed by pharmaceutical companies have developed novel synthetic molecules which have replaced plant medicines, and are sold both over the counter and by prescription.

But these drugs are often dangerous –

 See more at: http://www.medicinehunter.com/about-plant-medicines#sthash.2hICYi9T.dpuf

The endless possibilities of living in a shipping container - Relocation to Costa Rica

At our last several weekly meetings, we have been discussing housing options using alternative construction based on repurposed shipping containers thus reducing environmental impact. Since we will all be downsizing to make the move to Costa Rica, the container home will challenge us to be effcient. We wanted to come up with a relatively inexpensive plan for sustainable housing in a community setting so that we could all live in close proximity to one another. Materials will be renewable, reusable or recyclable. We also plan to utilize solar and incorporate a pool.

Abron, the architect set out to draw up the plans, which he presented to us on Sunday.

We were all pretty impressed and we will begin the search for land (and that perfect spot) when we are in Costa Rica in July

Besides providing food, the roof top terrace also helps to keep the dwelling cool by blocking sunlight from hitting the metal container directly.

Abron is our architect and drew the plans

Container Facts:

Shipping containers are flood and fire proof, making them a great home-building material. Ranging in length from 20 to 30 feet, shipping containers are typically only used for 10 to 15 years, but they can last much longer. A 20 ft shipping container is about 160ft of living space. (I think I heard Abron say that our containers are 40ft but don't quote me!) It is estimated that there are 24 million empty shipping containers in the world that will not be used for cargo again.

Container Plans for Costa Rica pt4 from Devon on Vimeo.

Where will we build?

Container Plans for Costa Rica pt 2 from Devon on Vimeo.

There are 4 short videos all total. If you are interested in hearing a bit more of our container discussion meeting check them out on Vimeo. 

Puerto Viejo - a journey through my eyes - Black in Costa Rica

I shared this video with my friends at our Easter photo reveal but wanted to tell you about how much I enjoyed Puerto Viejo before I posted the video for you.

Expats who move to Costa Rica (in search of beaches) seem to fall into 2 groups, those who go west to the Pacific and those who go east to the Caribbean then south to the beaches (more go west than east).  Since I live in California I liken it to the 2 camps in California - those who Love LA (south) and those who Love San Francisco (north). Both are a part of California, but the 2 cities are completely different.  Almost polar opposites.  

And so it is in Costa Rica.

I've lived in Southern California and it's a very nice place, so don't get me wrong. Very trendy chic and Hollywood.  Lots of beautiful houses and even more beautiful people (thanks to an abundance of cosmetics and doctors). But I'll take the Bay Area any day. When I first moved to the Bay Area back in the 70's this place was really something special. A melting pot. Lots of diversity of skin color and sexual orientation, radical thinkers and intellectuals. Not so much anymore as it is fast becoming a place where only the elite will be able to afford to live. I see the changes everyday as I ride into the city to work and watch the cityscape change with the emergence of a multitude of high rise condos with prices starting at over $1million. 

Living in San Francisco means being torn apart. It means having people you love get evicted. Seeing cultural institutions replaced by trendy cocktail bars. Moving to this city for a job in technology and getting vilified for being the reason for higher rents, even though you can barely afford your own. Reading the news and getting sick to your stomach because the elderly and the mentally disabled and the working class and the creative class keep getting “displaced,” which is a euphemism for “thrown out of their homes in the name of greed.” It means reading the news and being enraged that a 98-year-old lady is getting evicted. It means reading the news and worrying about when you’re going to get evicted yourself.  source The Bold Italic

So, sadly, I will make my exit soon. 

As I mentioned before, Puerto Viejo isn't the place to go for lots of fancy posh beachfront hotels and there are no golf courses or fast food restaurants (think LA). There are several fancy hotels in the area but no hotel chains.

If you build in Puerto Viejo, you cannot build within 200 meters of the beach (Maritime Zone Law 1977) so you do it where there's room and you do it below the treeline, so when you're on the beach all you see are trees, sea, sky and sand. 

Puerto Viejo is the real deal! Reminds me a little of San Francisco in days gone by.

But, if you decide to move there it will help if you "like yourself"  because it's a place where you will come face to face "with yourself".  It's a great place to live a life completely different from the one you left back home. Back to a simpler time.

About the video
It's about 15 minutes long and includes live video and photos of the town. I was fascinated with the beautifully painted buildings and took this opportunity to showcase them.

(Note - if you don't like color - you probably won't like this video and you most likely won't like Puerto Viejo! Just sayin!)

Sit back and enjoy- Puerto Viejo through my eyes

Aspiring Expats - Puerto Viejo First Look from Devon on Vimeo.

The Top 10 Reasons we LOVE Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica - Black in Costa Rica

In my book there is no COOLER, more laid back, funkier little town than Puerto Viejo!!

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca gets my vote for the absolute "best damn place" we visited on our recent trip. It is like no other. I also now understand why so many people who show up there with round trip tickets, never use the return ticket. We were tempted, I just gotta say!

The tiny town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is situated on the Caribbean, right smack dab in the middle of a lush tropical rain forest.  Beautiful beaches abound.

Every plant, bird, bug and animal you can think of is represented.

do you see anything on this tree branch? Look closely

Puerto Viejo has a diverse international expat presence and a multi cultural vibe which consists of local Afro Caribbeans, Indigenous Bri Bri and Ticos.  

Puerto Viejo is off the beaten path, an authentic destination and the local community wants to keep it that way! They see no need for big resort hotels or golf courses. In my opinion this place is Costa Rica's best kept secret.

these guys go around the neighborhoods and deliver fruits and veggies

No judgement for what you do for a living, just a respect for who you are as a human being

and that respect for all living things extends to the animals and the environment. 

You gotta love this place!

Sunset in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica - Black in Costa Rica

I'm no expert photographer but these are a few photos 

I took on our 1st night in Puerto Viejo. 

As night falls and the sun goes down....