Blogs from San Ramon, Alajuela, Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean - page 14

The days seem to roll by with each one filling up even if we didn´t originally have any plans. We´ve spent a lot of time looking at real estate, you can see some of the pictures below. Our friend, Ben Cart, has many lots for sale starting at 1.25 acres. Prices are much less than you´d pay in most parts of the States. There are many, many gringos buying and building here. Below is a photo of the ceiling of the house Ben is currently building. The woods they use here are incredible. That ceiling is composed of many different varieties of woods used here in construction. The chandelier was handmade by a local ironworker. It´s all so beautiful! Other days have been spent going to the many festivals that have been taking place around the ... read more

Hey Folks: Per my email, here are some pictures of our first 20 days in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is great--to us, it´s like a cheap version of Italy, similar culture and lifestyle, people are out and about every day of the week from the crack of dawn, 6:00 until dark. For those of you that don´t know, the sun is up from 6 am til 6 pm every day of the year. At 5:30 exactly, here comes the rooster crowing, even though we live in the middle of the city (we´re not exactly sure where he lives, but it´s close). The couple upstairs get up and and begin singing opera. We get up too and make coffee in a ¨sock¨, held up by a metal wire (picture below). We mix the coffee in boiling water ... read more

Today I write you from Bogota, Columbia, yes, BOGOTA. I am visiting a friend here. Yes, my travel blog is primarily and usually about Costa Rica but it’s my blog and I’ll write what I %$$#%%# please! Actually, I figured since I was away from the farm (literally) for a few days, why not write about a different place and then be fresh next time for another entry on Costa Rica? So here goes…. I didn’t know much about Bogota or Columbia in general before visiting here except some of the intimidating things I’ve heard about: 1. 1/3 or more of the country is controlled by so-called “narco-terrorists;” 2. It is the leading producer and exporter of cocaine; 3. It has over 25,000 violent murders a year—more than any other country; and the State Department does ... read more

This blog entry does not have a theme—not that any of my other blog entries have had themes—rather, it is a collection of ideas or items that I have noticed this past week. PLEASE NOTE: I have a new email address: ANDREW4CR@GMAIL.COM More on the people… I again this week have focused my thoughts on the people who live around me, mostly by observing and wondering what they are thinking, and of course, what they think of me. I have come up with a few conclusions this week. I don’t know how accurate my conclusions are, and certainly others’ opinions will differ, though one’s impressions cannot easily be judged I suppose. In the greater San Ramon area where I live, there seems to be something more innocent about the people here, particularly the younger people—guys and ... read more

This is a multifaceted blog entry, yes by choice, not by necessity. I think it is because I have been thinking about many things as of late and wish to share them. If I get long-winded, someone let me know! San Jose trip I know I mentioned numerous times that I would be spending a few days in San Jose conducting meetings regarding our bed & breakfast. That was last week. It was a good week overall though a few things made it tough to get through. For one, I developed a rotten cold just before leaving on this trip so I was not in a terribly festive mood, considering I also wanted to have some fun in the “big city.” Then, and not unexpectedly, it rained almost the entire time I was in San Jose, ... read more