Being a former restaurant owner and foodie, I love learning about local foods. Costa Rica is blessed with some of the best fruits, vegetables, fish etc. in the world but local cuisine is sometimes lacking creativity and strong flavors. Since moving to the country, my neighbor Mariellas has been inspirational in teaching me some local favorites. We just planted an organic vegetable garden that both our households will share and we also have plenty or oranges, limons and bananas on our land. On a lazy Sunday, our neighbors invited us over to make cheese empanadas. Their family has cows and makes the local cheese which is a fresh cheese that looks like a cross between tofu and feta. Often the corn comes from our garden. A couple of weeks before, Mariellas taught me to make fresh ... read more

Today is Costa Rica Independence Day, a festive colorful celebration. San Ramon is rocking with parades, costumes, music and general festivities. On this day in 1821 Costa Rica declared it’s independence from Spain. It is a treat to live in a country that has used it’s independence to create a vibrant democracy with no military, national health care, and education for all. It is neither dominated by a super power nor dominating events in other parts of the world. Pura Vida! The annual celebration began on Sunday night with a children’s parade. The kids dress up in adorable traditional dress and carry homemade candle lanterns throughout the town. This replicates the scene in 1821 of people walking with lanterns from the Central American capitol in Guatemala to spread the word to Costa Rica and beyond of ... read more

As someone who has spent most of his life in cities and college towns, it remains an unexpected turn to own an organic coffee and fruit farm. These are THE crops of Costa Rica and before tourism and foreign investment became such a powerful part of the economy, coffee and bananas ruled. My farm in El Empalme has an amazing ocean view and the sunset in the Pacific is an inspiring experience. El Empalme is one of the highest altitudes in the area making it ideal for coffee farming. It is also part of Costa Rican history. During the revolution that formed the modern Costa Rican state, El Empalme was where the rebels gained their strategic advantage over the government troops below due to its long views both towards Puntarenas and the Central Valley. A former ... read more

In Costa Rica there is only one sport … soccer/futbol. So, watching the NFL is an exotic mysterious thing for Ticos. For me, and a very small group of friends, it is a pleasure when it is time for the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl. Here’s an idea of what it’s like…? Last Saturday, after a hard day of working, I went home to watch the Patriots and Jaguars game but things don’t always turn out as planned. When I arrived home and popped a beer, I discovered that my cable was not working and there was zero reception. I assumed it was out only in my house or neighborhood so we raced into town to watch the game at Club d’Amigos only to learn when I arrived that cable was out in the entire city ... read more

I don’t consider myself a funny person but when I met my first and best friend here in San Ramon, Pablo Hidalgo … making him laugh was a joyful part of our time together. Now, many years later, our friendship has deepened and the laughs are a regular part of our day. Here in San Ramon, making people smile and laugh is held in higher regard than showing how smart or knowledgeable you are. The other day my Chinese friend Kenneth asked us to take a look at a property he owns and try to help him sell it. Kenneth speaks no English (although he plays excellent English music at his bar Sol Naciente) and I speak no Chinese. Our mini global group got in the car and Kenneth and I did the talking … him ... read more