Photos of our “home away from home”
Thought you may want to see what you can get for $900 US a month. Although this house is not perfect, we are very comfortable here. Our biggest complaint is the poor lighting. While not so bad during the day, at night it’s downright dark in this home. Not sure if it’s the type of bulbs that are being used, or if this is typical but definitely much less light than I am used to in the evening with no options to make it brighter! That being said, we are thoroughly enjoying our stay here. It is so peaceful and we are constantly being serenaded by all the tropical songbirds during the daylight hours.
If you are looking for a place to completely unwind, I highly recommend this home!
Pura Vida
I’ve discovered Lizano Salsa!
We got back last night from our seminar and this morning took our first trip to the Feria in Grecia, held every Friday and Saturday.
I’ve never been to such a huge farmers’ market! We were astounded at the selection of fruits, veggies, poultry, fish, baked goods, even clothes! We didn’t find any staples there, like coffee, rice and beans, so had to go to the supermarket for those things. It’s a lively and noisy place, and if we move down here, likely would be a regular stop for us on Saturday mornings. We stocked up on plantains, yuca, chicken, fish, salad fixin’s and eggplant. When we went to the supermarket to pick up some coffee, our host Dave suggested to us that we pick up a bottle of Lizano Salsa. He described it as the equivalent of our A-1 sauce but different flavor.
When we got back to the house, I had planned to make arroz con pollo since I spotted a good sized crock pot. When I got everything out and ready to prepare however, I found that the crock pot was missing the insert 
So, with some of the spices we had on hand, I roasted two chicken breasts and made some rice and salad. The chicken breasts were enormous, so much so that Steve and I split one! He grabbed the Lizano and decided to try it on his rice. He told me I needed to taste it immediately, that it was so different.
So I gingerly put a few drops on my rice and when that mouthful hit my tongue, I was in heaven! The flavor is not hot, but such a wonderful combination of spices and vegetables. I poured it on my rice and over my chicken. This is definitely something we’ll be stocking up on to take home with us. We can get it in Austin, but I’m guessing the price will be significantly higher than what it costs down here. Lizano Salsa will be a staple in our home from now on!
Pura Vida!
Costa Rica here we are!
Hola! I meant to make a post a few days ago, but Pura Vida got the best of me 
Our trip down went fairly smooth and got through customs with no problems whatsoever. We were met at the airport by a wonderful couple Dave and Marcia, who live next door to the house we’re renting and also care take the rental for the owners, who still reside in the States. Dave and Marcia have been a Godsend. They have been so hospitable and helpful, both with little things and insights living in Grecia. They have been a huge part of making our stay here as comfortable as it has been.
We are very happy with our accommodations and location. We are literally on a hillside smack in the middle of a coffee field. There is a river way down below us that we can hear (but not see) and when we look out our bedroom window, we see a steep hillside full of coffee plants. It is serene and the birds are lovely to listen to. The weather has been very rainy since we arrived, which is what we expected, since it’s Green season. Yesterday, it poured most of the day, but we were perfectly content since we have a terrific internet connection It was actually chilly yesterday once it got dark, so much so that I was wearing my winter jammies and grateful I had thought to bring something a little on the warm side.
Today we took the bus down to San Jose, the capital, from Grecia to attend the two day ARCR seminar. Dave was kind enough to drive us into downtown Grecia, rather than have us wait for the bus near the house. Thanks to his map, we were able to get to the correct stop and to our destination without a hitch!
The ARCR seminar is a must in my opinion, if you are considering a move to Costa Rica. This organization provides a great deal of resources for foreigners here. Costa Rica functions in it’s own unique way, and navigating through the process of establishing residency, or buying property, cars etc can be daunting when doing it on your own.
ARCR offers great assistance in getting through the bureaucracy, which, from the sound of it, could prove very frustrating at the least. Even though we haven’t decided to move here yet, we have decided to become members of ARCR. The fee is well worth it, for if we do decide to move, they can provide us great services on insurance, document prep for residency, and lots more at discounted rates that they’ve negotiated with the various service providers.
Steve and I both feel much more comfortable being here this time than we did last year on our first trip,
One major conclusion we have come to… we MUST learn Spanish! To move to a country and not attempt to communicate in the native language and get to know the culture makes no sense to me.
So what’s left to decide? Right now the big decision remains open.. can we adapt to a climate that can have days on end with little or no sunshine? So far so good, but we’re early into the trip.
Pura Vida!
