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 [View Full Entry]

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Thursday Costa Rica had a major earthquake. The current information is 23 are dead, 11 are missing and 2,300 people have been left homeless. The epicenter was near Poas Volcano just a few hours from my home in San Ramon. President Arias declared some areas uninhabitable in the future. There were photos of people walking away with just a garbage bag filled with a few possessions with all else lost. The planet seems to be reacting strongly with extreme weather all over the world and natural disasters on a regular basis. Fortunately, there was no damage or impact to the people, [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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I’m heading back to San Ramon tomorrow, July 4th after spending some time in my other home, Ithaca, NY. I’m in NYC at the moment, the ultimate contrast to San Ramon. When I was growing up in the 1960’s, the United States and NYC was the land of opportunity for working and middle class people. Now the rich are richer and life is challenging for most. Watching the news leaves you with a bleak scenario for the American Dream moving forward. During this time in the USA, it felt like a scary time economically. The stock market is tanking, gas hit [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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Here in San Ramon, people live by the wisdom of living in the mild weather of the Central Valley and vacationing at the beach. Most locals and tourists visit the Pacific beaches such as Samara, Jaco, Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio but the Caribbean beaches are a whole other experience … and worth the trip. The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is not Latin, but rather settled by Black and Indigenous peoples. Much of the Caribbean feels like a different country with a culture and vibe in contrast to the typical Tico lifestyle in the rest of Costa Rica. Even the language [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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While there’s something charming about a white Christmas, it’s way overrated. I barely escaped a week of snow and ice storms in Upstate NY to return to the mild weather and festive Latino scene here in San Ramon. Our partners Pablo and Mary welcomed us back as family and our neighbors and friends shout their greetings as we walk the streets of San Ramon. After 6+ years here, I feel accepted as a Ramonenese (San Ramon person) and more like a visitor in my home of origin. This year all the trees in the central park are decorated with lights as [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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While many foreigners are buying up land and houses at the beach, my San Ramon friends always share their wisdom of living in San Ramon (the mountains) and vacationing at the beach. There is some special connection between Samara and San Ramon for many Ramonense (San Ramon folks). Many families from San Ramon also have houses at Samara and the standard joke is during Christmas or Semana Santa you can find more of your friends in Samara than at home in San Ramon. After experiencing over 50 Costa Rican beaches, Samara is still my favorite one to spend a few days. [View Full Entry]

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