New Off Road Project

"The Real Costa Rica" 

I am working on an exciting new CR off road project which is a joint venture for a series that I am co-producing. I don't have a release date yet, but as soon we complete it and my partner gives me the "OK" we will have it available to share. 

Lots of interviews, videos and helpful info 

So Stay Tuned. 

I think you will enjoy it

We have Peru Dates - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

We bought our tickets to Lima Today!!!!!

and...

I posted the dates and updated information about the trip on the Jammin website blog.

Please go to the site and click BLOG on the menu. You will always find the most detailed up to date information there as I will continue to post updates. 

Also if you are interested in participating now, or in the future, please head over to the Member's site,  join and set up a profile - you can also sign up for a monthly newsletter there as well.

JAMMIN•JAMMIN•JAMMIN

Round trip Non-Stop $425. Yes Sir!!!

Jammin•Jammin•Jammin - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

Hey everyone

I have sort of been MIA the last week or so, but I have a good reason!

I've been putting together the new Facebook page as well as a brand new website for our 50+ travel group Jammin•Jammin•Jammin. 

We had such success with our Panama Jammin trip that we decided to branch out and make it an official group. The group is the brainchild of Jeanetta Owens and because she knows I love to travel, she asked me to team up with her for this new project. We are both pretty excited.

Here is the announcement from Facebook.

~~~~~~

Due to the overwhelming success of "Panama Jammin"
Welcome to our new 50+ travel group Jammin•Jammin•Jammin for the perfect mix of travel and music.

Our goal is to offer 2 trips per year.

Jeanetta Owens and I are planning the 1st trip for February 2019 - Destination Lima Peru. We have some exciting excursions and activities planned that will take you off the beaten path to enjoy the local flavor of Peru. You won't want to miss this!

You can be a member of the group NO MATTER where in the world you live and for those of you who are fortunate enough to live in Costa Rica we will offer some local trips as well.

Please LIKE & FOLLOW our page for details and updates coming soon!

In the meantime enjoy the videos and information on this page which will give you some additional information about the area.

and please check out our NEW website below

https://www.jammin-jammin-jammin.com

(the site looks great on a desktop with a wide screen but on my laptop the text needs to be adjusted. Will be working on that next - but in the meantime, I think you can get the drift)  

We'd be happy for you to join us, so let us know!

Lima video below

Caribbean Journey - Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Last day in the Caribbean - Video only

Caribbean Journey - Puerto Viejo from Devon on Vimeo.

Saturday at the Pure Jungle Spa - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

While on the Caribbean Coast, we had the option to select a spa treatment from Pure Jungle Spa in Puerto Viejo. Some chose the couple's massage, the chocolate facial, deep tissue and more. I opted for a mani-pedi.

The Pure Jungle Spa is the cutest little place. Very tranquil and serene. They also have natural products available for sale.

They served me hot herbal tea and organic chocolate. I would definitely go back and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys being pampered! 

Spa Services

Welcome to Cahuita, Costa Rica - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

 The Magellan Boutique Hotel - Cahuita Costa Rica

Really enjoyed the hotel with it's picturesque setting and would definitely recommend it.  Sunny - the owner -  is an expat from the US. She purchased the hotel and renovated it (almost a complete re-do). She lives on the property with her 10 yr old son. There is a also a pool and yoga studio on the property. 

They serve a delicious breakfast! There are 6 rooms w/air conditioning.

(One hotel was not big enough for our entire group so the rest of the group stayed nearby at the Caribbean Coconut - more on that hotel in a separate post) 

and just what are we all looking at?

 This little lady - a female sloth  - one of 2 living at the Magellan Boutique Hotel

We also met 2 very interesting ladies (Stacey & Chyrel) from the states who were on a Costa Rica due diligence mission! 

They joined up with our group at the Gecko Cafe & Grill. 

Once we had lunch and were all checked into our rooms   

we were just relaxing on the patio outside 

and we got to talking...

Stacey & Chyrel owners of 

Sacred Naturals

See additional pics of the hotel grounds and learn the history of Sacred Naturals in our interview 

with Stacey & Chyrel below

(we already have a list of things we want to order!!) 

Sacred Naturals Interview from Devon on Vimeo.

Limón Costa Rica - Day One - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

Here's a little bit of the backstory -- in case you are new to the blog, or just missed my previous post.

Originally there were about 12 of us who were going to the Caribbean Coast to attend the annual Calypso Music Festival in Cahuita. Unfortunately, that weekend, there was a TERRIBLE storm which closed the road and flooded the area. 

So, we rescheduled for the weekend of Aug 4th. 

And that brings me to today's story...

Lavanson and I have visited the Caribbean Coast four times and we have NEVER stopped in Limón longer than a few minutes on our way to Puerto Viejo.

I have to ask myself "why"?

Statue of Christopher Columbus who was the 1st European to set foot in Limón on his 4th and final voyage in 1502

One of the reasons is pretty obvious, Costa Rica tourism is directed to the Pacific Coast to locations such as Playa Jaco, the posh beach town of Manuel Antonio and points north in the ritzy areas of Guanacaste, such as Playa del Coco, the famous beach town of Tamarindo and the very popular tourist area of the Nicoya Peninsula, and there is very little press about the Caribbean Coast -- home of the Afro-Caribbean people (except maybe to warn people of the "dangers" there).

Limón has a rich history! 

.

On this beautiful day, we spent an afternoon in Limón. We walked along the ocean, drank coconut water  marveled at the beauty of the central park and had a very nice lunch at nearby Cafe Gecko.

There is a walking tour available for  Limón where you can learn more about the history - unfortunately the tour can only take 10 people and we had over 15 so we could not take it on this particular day, however on our next trip, it is Number 1 on our list!!!

The Caribbean has some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, EXCELLENT food and a laid-back Caribbean vibe! The Caribbean Sea shelters coral reefs and tropical fish and its sands are where four different species of turtle lay their eggs each year.

Be sure to check it out on your next visit to Costa Rica!

Oh and BTW - Puerto Limon is the largest and most important port in Central America for commercial use!

Below is a short recap of the day.

Day One - Welcome to Limon from Devon on Vimeo.

There's No Place Like the Caribbean! - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

Hey guys

We finally made that long awaited trip to the Caribbean! Fifteen of us set out on the journey. La Terraza Guest House B&B did not disappoint as they sponsored a wonderful 3 day excursion. A good time was had by all!!

In the coming days I will share some of our experiences with you, along with photos, videos as well as information re this beautiful part of Costa Rica.

Stay Tuned!

I hope you will find it helpful.

<
The Journey Begins! from Devon on Vimeo.

It's A Family Affair - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

For those who do not follow me on Facebook

Family has arrived in Costa Rica!

A BIG Welcome to Russell!!

Photo of Lavanson and Russ at the SJO Airport on Wed.

My brother Russ is here! 

He has visited Costa Rica often back in the 80's,mostly the Tamarindo area so now he can also experience the Central Valley. 

So Happy that he's here!!!

Friday trip to the feria for fruits and veggies

Friday night @ Isabel's dinner toast

New Color Design at La Terraza B&B - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

La Terraza gets a punch of color with a beautiful mural 

painted by Pucho Colors of San Ramon Costa Rica

🙌

We have some very talented artists here in the Grecia area

This beautiful piece was completed in only 1 day

Before

After

I was at La Terraza yesterday and took these photos myself

Close up

This is the side (which is one of the apartments available when you stay at La Terraza)

Hmm...Wishing I had a wall for him to paint!!

From the Atlantic to the Pacific - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

wall mural @ Playa Jaco

Since our trip to the Caribbean was canceled unexpectedly due to weather, we decided to make a trip to the Pacific Coast instead. Playa Jaco is only about 1 1/2 hours from Grecia and can easily be done as a day trip.

We left at 8:30 am and were home by 5:30.

Two of the couples were celebrating their anniversaries and we could not let them leave Costa Rica without seeing at least one beach!

We walked around a bit in Jaco and then spent several hours relaxing on the beach

We had a very nice lunch at one of my favorite spots, The Green Room.

We stopped in at my friend Craig's shop, Jaco Fine Meats. I bought some smoked bacon and Charles's bought some ribs (cooked and ready to eat) 

Craig

Then we loaded ourselves back in the van and headed home.

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. 

More Adventures in San Jose - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

Más Aventuras en San José

We officially completed 2 years in Costa Rica on June 1st so we are beginning our 3rd year but we like to celebrate our CR anniversaries on July 4th. We call it our "Independence Day" -- independence from the USA that is! 

This might also be a good time to remind you to get your passports - if you already have one, make sure it's current. Things are getting kind of crazy!! Nuff said!

So on July 4th we took the bus from Grecia to San Jose to catch a live jazz performance by our expat friend Bertie (I wrote about Bertie recently). Since the show did not start until 9:30 pm and the last bus back to Grecia is around 10, we decided to spend the night in San Jose.

The performance was at El Sótano. El Sótano is named for its cellar jazz club, where people crowd in for frequent performances including intimate jam sessions. Upstairs, a cluster of elegant high-ceilinged rooms in the same mansion have been converted into a gallery space, a stage, and a dance floor where an eclectic mix of groups play live gigs.

outside

We also arranged to meet up with another expat family (we had not met them before). Originally from Los Angeles, they have been in Costa Rica for 1 year and live near Escazú.

Eldred, Dee and their son Eldridge who was visiting from the US

We really enjoyed the show. The admission price was $5 mil colones (or about  $8.80 USD) There were 3 different groups performing. They have a restaurant (no complaints about the food, very tasty complete with vegan options for those interested) and a nice bar (but no chardonnay 😒 ) I have decided that their chiliguaro shots are now my fave!! 

In case you have never heard of the Costa Rica Chiliguaro - it is a shot of guaro, which is Costa Rica’s national firewater, (guaro is sort of the "poor man's drink" and is made from left over sugar cane). The Chiliguaro is guaro mixed with tomato juice, any kind of hot sauce – think tabasco or something like that – and lime juice. It has a warm feeling going down and a kick! They actually go down pretty easy, maybe a bit too easy. I had two! (please do not confuse the Chiliguaro with a Bloody Mary). I am not fond of Bloody Mary's and they do not taste the same! 

If you are in Costa Rica, give the Chiliguaro a try. I think every bar in Costa Rica offers them. 

El Sótano is a really cool place. It reminded us of clubs in Greenwich Village NYC back in the day, or if you are from the Bay Area, think Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. We will definitely be going back!

Bertie was up first. She has an amazing voice!

2nd up were these guys! They were very good as well. 

Since we couldn't get back to Grecia, we stayed at the lovely Radisson Hotel (yes membership does have it's privileges!!). We booked a room on an upper executive floor (card entry only) - The room was very nice - premium king size bed with sleep number. Complimentary happy hour on our floor - with all liquor and NO WINE! Breakfast was included. They have a pool and gym as well. All for $122/night. I thought that was a great deal.

The hotel was only about 5 blocks from the club so that made it even better.

We got caught in the rain - well...it IS the rainy season!

The Radisson in San Jose was a very nice Hotel but just so you know, NOTHING can come close to my experience at the Radisson Blu in Dakar Senegal! I don't know, maybe it's because it was in Africa? No, that's not it -- but at any rate, to this day the Radisson Blu is my number 1 favorite hotel of all time!!

Lobby Radisson San Jose, Costa Rica

I am also putting together a video of our time in San Jose complete with the music from the show. If you are interested stay tuned for the post, coming up in a day or 2.