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LIFE Really IS BETTER in Costa Rica

The Costa Ricans have it figured out... what life really is about,

and how to live a long, happy and healthy one.

The famous Costa Rican expresson "Pura Vida" is something they truly live by.  Pura Vida  (literally "pure life") means "full of life", "this is living" or "it's going great". It's used frequenty as a greeting/farewell, to express satisfaction or thank you. To Costa Ricans, it's a philosophy of community spirit, enjoying life slowly, and celebrating all of life's good fortunes, big and small.

Since I've been here, I've met many Costa Ricans (aka Ticos), from simple farmers to the very well-to-do, and they all seem to enjoy a peaceful, happy life. Friendliness is a common trait: When I pass people on the street, they make eye contact, smile and say hello, when I ask for directions, they offer to walk me in the right direction or help call a cab; after meeting someone for the first time, they invite me to their home. Attitudes are always positive, I have never heard a Tico swear, yell, argue or complain; any of these negative responses have only been witnessed from North Americans (unfortunately).  The teenagers I've seen are content, and even though some have attitudes, it's more of a cockiness, not like the angry or distracted moods of the stereotypical teens back at home. Makes you wonder...

"Road rage" in Costa Rica: the driver looks at his passenger, shakes his head with a smile and says "can you believe that guy", and they both laugh. Believe me, the driving here is insane, and any of our true Road Ragers would have a break down here.

People here value their time with friends and family. If Sunday is their family day, that would not be traded for any work opportunity. Children here are highly treasured, and are made to always feel special. It's easy to make friends, people seems genuinely interested to meet you, and I've never come across a snobby or fake Tico.

I have several active 85-90 yr men and women in my exercise classes, and come to realize that this is not unusual, Costa Ricans have one of the longest, healthiest life spans. Exercise, whether the daily walk to/from school, a moutain hike, or yoga class, feels natural and enhances my lifestyle here,  vs. at home where it was used to relieve stress of everyday life.

Costa Ricans make much lower salaries than we (North Americans) do, pay 2-3x the price for luxury items (electronics, computers,  toys, shoes...), but that does not seem to create stress for them; whereas we earn much more, have more, want more, and stress over how to achieve it.

I've also meet many ex-pats (Americans, Canadians and Europeans) who have settled here, and they all say they have no desire to go back to their old lifestyles. I now understand why, and dread going back to that life myself. I am still as busy as I was in Toronto, but am not stressed out. I have a sense of peace and calm that I've never experienced back at home. My children also are different here, they are very happy, confident, adaptable, always excited to go to school and see their teachers and friends. They tell me everyday that they love being in Costa Rica. When I return to home, I will have remember the simple lessons and not let societal expectations distract me or my kids from living the Pura Vida.

Life really is better here, metally, physcially and emotionally, and social connections are strong and meaningful. We, from the advanced, world class countries in North America, have much to learn from the  "PURA VIDA"  lifestyle. 

THE WEATHER

The weather here is PERFECT.

Imagine the nicest summer day you've ever had, it's sunny, comfortably warm-hot (23-27 degrees Celcius), no humidity, with gentle warm breezes.  

This is the daily weather in the Central Valley, which has been ranked by National Geographic as having the Best Climate in the World. I'm sure this plays a role in Costa Rica being the "Happiest Country in the World" (see my posting: "Why Choose Costa Rica..."). The majority of homes don't have heaters or air conditioners, neither are neccessary, as it never gets that hot or that cold...   as I said, it's PERFECT!

The temperature does change by location, so it may be quite hot in one area, and a short drive up the hill and it will be much cooler, another few hundred meters, and suddenly it's misty rain. It's interested how the climate/temperatures change by region and elevation. Each region is fairly stable in their weather, so people often choose where to live based on the climate/temperature they prefer. 

Manuel Antonio beach



If you want to experience extreme heat, go to the Beach, those regions are HOT! It's usually in the high 30s-40s, scorching and humid. Our first time at the Beach, it felt like being in an oven, even the ocean water was hot. On the 3rd day of this heat, we couldn't handle much more, and were relieved to go back to the Central Valley.

In Costa Rica there are two seasons: Rainy: from May-November (winter), where it rains for most of the afternoon; and Dry: December - April  (summer).  I've only been here for the dry/summer season so my comments are based the summer months.

The town I live in, San Isidro,  is up a hill and cooler (low 20s) than I'd like. The days are pleasant but in the evenings you'd need a sweater. When I walk into town, it gets progressively warmer (mid-20s), and then going into the city, it'll be nice and hot (high 20s). We've actually had an unusal 'cold' streak the last week. The temperatures were in the mid-teens, with some rainy days, it was the main topic of the news. Now we are back to normal, and everyone is back to being the happiest people in the world!



Views of San Jose



Visual Beauty is Everywhere

There is so much visual beauty in Costa rica, everyday I stop to admire pretty and intersting flowers, views of mountains and volcanos which change throughout the day, colourful butterflies and hummingbirds. As you probably figured by now, I'm never without my camera.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

For more photos, please vist my flickr photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/c-ing/

 

"How to be Productive in Costa Rica" - UPDATE

In a previous post (Jan.6) I had listed some goals I want to fulfill in Costa Rica.

Here is an update, on my 2nd week here:

 

1. Become Fluent in Spanish - I'm speaking Spanish daily, but still need to improve my grammar and vocabulary. I often get lazy and just speak quickly without thinking of tenses, conjugations, etc...I'm still understood, but getting sloppy, and need to focus more. Watching TV in Spanish helps with listening and stimulating thinking in a different language, so I'll start watching the news.

<>

 

One of the many Courtyards in my School



2. Teach English - I've had 3 interviews on my first 2 days, was offered 2 full-time jobs (which I passed on since I only want part time), and last week I landed a part-time job with the school of my 

1st choice. I'll be starting this week! Yeahh!

   

 

3. Start a Blog

You're looking at it!

 

Entrance to my Yoga Studio

4. Do more yoga - I've  found a great yoga studio in Heredia with an incredible teacher, and plan to go 3x/week.



5. Find a good school for the boys to attend during the days, while I work on all of the above.



Montessori School for the Kids





They will be starting at a Spanish Montessori school next week right in our town of San Isidro. 

The cost of private schooling here is 1/4 of the price I'd be paying in Toronto (Canada), and they will have the benefit of a new language. The staff are great, the grounds are beautiful, and it is walking distance from my house!   

Ants are Everywhere!

Just got my hair done

Ants are one of the most social animals in the world, and their activities can be witnesses here. Ants of all sizes are everywhere in Costa Rica, and I have learned to appreciate their incredible feats. I first saw leaf-cutter ants in the rainforest, and was amazed to see how they travel in a single row for long distances, each carrying their own piece of leaf. These ant highways not only exist in the rainforests but also anywhere there is grass or soil. In town, I noticed tiny red particles moving along the ground, it was a parade of ants, carrying red flower parts,  marching across the entire soccer field.



You can`t tell by this photo, the ants are walking in
a continous line, over 1 km ( half-mile long)



Ants are also good housekeepers. If a dead bug or piece of food lands on your floor, you will see tons of ants swarming it, and check a bit later, there will be nothing there - no bug, food or ants. They do their job and leave. Living in Costa Rica, you just have to get used to the ants, they won't harm you if you let them be.

San Isidro de Heredia - Small Town Charm and Convenience

Central Soccer Field - San Isidro

We are staying in a charming small town, 

San Isidro in the province of Heredia. The location is perfect  for convenience,  one of my main priorities as I won't have a car. Our house is a 10 min walk into the town, which has every shop, service and convenience one would need. For food there are 2 grocery chain stores (Pali and MegaSuper), numerous butchers, small grocers, fresh fruit markets, and bakeries; and various bars and sodas (eateries which serve hearty homemade meals, 'casadas', for under $5). If I want to go into the main cities of Heredia and San Jose, buses run frequently, costing only .45cents. Taxis are also cheap and plentiful. The rainforest can be reached in less than an hour, a scenice walk, or to the famous Braulio Carrillo National Park by car. 

San Isidro, Heredia