Costa Rican Houses (written by Amanda)

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Here in Costa Rica the houses all look the same. All of them have security gates and these gates can be tricky getting into. On the inside the houses are smaller than what most Americans are used to. Most U.S. houses have 2-4 bedrooms, all of a good size. Most have 1-3 bathrooms with at least 1 being really big. In your kitchen you have 2 sinks, a large stove and a big fridge. Your living room can accommodate more people than your household or maybe you have lots of room to put things.

Now take all that and cut it in half. In my Tica house here we have 4 small bedrooms with 1 bathroom. The kitchen has 1 sink with a small stove and fridge. The living room can hold 5 people with no room to place things.

Here in Costa Rica most families sit down for dinner together and also watch TV together. In the U.S., most families do not sit down and eat together or may not watch TV. It seems like the motto in the U.S. is “the bigger the better.” Here in Costa Rica the families get by with each other and the small things of life.

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Photos

Amanda and Friend
Amanda, author of this entry, and her host family cousin.

Living Room
This is the living room at Amanda's host family's house. (All photos in this entry by Amanda)

Rest of the Living Room
This is the rest of the living room.

Bedroom
This is Amanda's bedroom.

Rest of the Bedroom
Amanda has a little bit of storage space in her bedroom.

Dining Room
The dining room is attached to the kitchen.

Kitchen
Everything in the kitchen is on a small scale.

Kitchen
Another view of the kitchen.

Bathroom
Amanda shares this bathroom with the family.

Parents' Bedroom
This slightly larger bedroom is where the parents sleep.

Child's Bedroom
This bedroom belongs to Amanda's host brother.

Relaxing At Home
Part of Amanda's host family relaxing at home.

Exterior Corridor
There is an exterior corridor that connects Amanda's house to a relative's house.

Shared Patio
This patio is shared by relatives' homes that are more or less connected.

Typical Costa Rican House
Most houses in Costa Rica have gates and fences for security and look a lot like this one.