Costa Rica Food: How to make Gallo Pinto like a Costa Rican.

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Costa Rica Food: How to make Gallo Pinto like a Costa Rican.

September 23rd, 2010 | Costa Rica - Culture, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, The Best of Costa Rica, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

What is Gallo Pinto yo u say? Only Costa Rica’s favorite breakfast. Costa Rica food usually consists of a combination of rice, beans, meat, and vegetables. The typical Costa Rican breakfast is called Gallo Pinto, this meal exemplifies what Costa Rican cuisine is all about. Most families in Costa Rica eat a full serving of Gallo Pinto every morning before heading off to their daily activities. Most tourists have it at least once during their stay. If you’ve ever tried it you’ll want to have it again. If you’ve never had it, it’s so easy you need to make it yourself. So, here’s the recipe to make Gallo Pinto like a Costa Rican.

Gallo Pinto

2 Cups of cooked Read more

Rio Celeste and Northern Costa Rica

September 1st, 2010 | Costa Rica - Adventure, Costa Rica - Culture, Costa Rica - Family Friendly, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Must See or Do, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Rio Celeste is a wonder of nature hidden in the northern part of the country within the Volcan Tenorio National Park close to the towns Guatuso and Bijagua in the province Alajuela. The neighbor town Fortuna gets tons of tourists visiting the nearby Arenal volcano. Rio Celeste, however, is in a rural area and visited by few tourists.

Rio Celeste is no ordinary river. Clear water runs races through the forest and then two rivers meet and sulfur and calcium carbonate mix to create a single bright, shocking turquoise river which then feeds several hot springs and a large waterfall. To get to the waterfall you’ll have to hike about an hour and a half through the national park Read more

The Party Beach

August 17th, 2010 | Costa Rica - Best Shopping, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Jaco is famous as Costa Rica’s wildest party beach. The beach at Jaco isn’t great for swimming – it’s too rough. The waves are big, and have called to surfers all around the world for years. Nearby Playa Hermosa has some of the best waves in the country for surfing, and a black sand beach. There is now an annual surf tournament at Playa Hermosa. When the surfers are done for the day, the party begins at night. If you’re looking for young partying surfers and backpackers, foreigners and Costa Ricans coming down from the city, then Jaco is where you want to be. Lots of celebrities choose Jaco as a vacation spot. You never know who you might Read more

Playa Hermosa Costa Rica

August 10th, 2010 | Costa Rica - Family Friendly, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, The Best of Costa Rica, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Costa Rica is famous for its beautiful beaches, Playa Hermosa Costa Rica is no exception. When planning your vacation to Playa Hermosa it’s important to know that there are two beaches by the name Playa Hermosa. One Playa Hermosa is in Guanacaste, the other is in Puntarenas. They are equal in beauty but the appeal of each one is quite different. Which one should you go to?

Playa Hermosa Guanacaste is a gray-yellow sand beach, perfect for walking, fishing, beginner surfing and water skiing. Accommodations are easy to find and there are lots of options ranging in prices and quality. One popular hotel for the locals is Condovac. If you live in Costa Rica you can purchase Read more

Advice for Potential Expats on Relocation

July 20th, 2009 | Costa Rica - Business, Costa Rica - Culture, Costa Rica - Family Friendly, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Relocation, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, The Best of Costa Rica | No Comments »

The amount of time I could spend talking about the things you should or shouldn’t do when thinking of relocating are endless. I have been trying to shorten my list to include a few essential do’s and don’t’s for those considering making the move to Costa Rica. Here is what I have come up with.

DO take your time in deciding where you want your home in Costa Rica to be. (Or if you want to stay here permanently at all… this is not something to rush into.)
DON’T buy the first piece of land or first house you see.
DO Rent a place in that area before you buy!
DON’T expect things to be the same as they are

Why Rent a Villa Instead of Staying at a Hotel?

July 13th, 2009 | Costa Rica - Business, Costa Rica - Family Friendly, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Must See or Do, Costa Rica - Places to Stay, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, The Best of Costa Rica | No Comments »

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica? I strongly recommend going with a villa or vacation home rental as opposed to a hotel or an all inclusive and here’s why:

Vacation Villas offer a more private vacation experience.
Villas accomodate larger groups and families better than hotels.
When split among a group a villa rental is a more economic option than multiple hotel rooms.
If you get a villa rental with a pool, you don’t have to share it!
With a villa or vacation rental you can do your own cooking in the kitchen. (Some vacation villa rentals offer an all-inclusive package, for those who don’t like to cook.)
Vacation villa rentals are more secure since no one is entering into

My Favorite Pizza in the San Jose Area

June 25th, 2009 | Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Places to Stay | 1 Comment »

Want to get out for the night and eat out somewhere other than your typical haunts in San Jose? Head east to San Pedro, to La Posada de la Pizza in the Calle Real commercial center.

La Posada de la Pizza, which translates Pizza Inn, not to be confused with Pizza Hut, serves up all your traditional Italian and pizza restaurant favorites: pastas, calzones, salads, and of course, specialty coffees and homemade desserts.

If you are looking for real delicious pizza, then I suggest coming to this place. Toppings include your traditional pepperoni, ham, bacon, mushrooms, pineapple, and olives, but also extend to coconut, fresh tomato, ground beef and salami. There are a number of vegetarin options, including a vegetarian Read more

American Football Comes to Costa Rica

June 23rd, 2009 | Costa Rica - Family Friendly, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Must See or Do | 8 Comments »

Congrats to Season 1 of American Football in Costa Rica. That’s right folks, no longer is American Football only played by a large group of American expats on the beach, there is actually a Costa Rica Federation of American Football (ACFA). It’s amazing how the times are changing!

The season officially began for the American Foodtball league in Costa Rica back in March 2009, when the first game was held on a Sunday afternoon. However, the teams started training much earlier than that.

The league is made of up 6 teams and 80% of the members are Ticos. The teams started training for that Sunday in March back in October of 2008. Unlike American football, the Costa Rican version gets Read more

Getting Fit at the Fitsimons Gym in San Jose

June 15th, 2009 | Costa Rica - Business, Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Relocation | No Comments »

Ask around in the expat community, there are plenty of gyms to choose from in Costa Rica. If you want to just pump some iron, then look around the barrio, more than likely you will find a small gym without any cardio equipment, just some free weights and benches, no membership fees and all the sweaty buff Ticos the place can hold. (Not suggested for women looking to get fit!)

If you’re like me though, you need more motivation than just looking at other guys with muscles twice the size of yours flex in the mirror. I need the energy found in large commercial gyms with trainers, good looking women barely breaking a sweat on treadmills, and TV screens on Read more

Rancho Tipico Zarcereño, my favorita Soda

June 1st, 2009 | Costa Rica - Gringo Favorite, Costa Rica - Places to Eat | 2 Comments »

If you are Zarcero and you want to eat at the best Soda I have ever been to please stop and visit Rancho Tipico Zarcereño. Located just outside Zarcero on your way to Naranjo on the right hand side is where you can find some wonderful typical Costa Rican food. With many benches to sit at its all wood furnishing and its climate you may find this a perfect place to stop to eat.

I ordered a dish called Olla de Carne which is a soup that consists of beef and a variety of vegetables with a side of white rice. When I ordered at Rancho Tipico I received what must have been a punch bowl filled with the Read more