Christmas greetings from Costa Rica

Our sincerest greetings for a Christmas filled with joy, friendship and love go out to all of our friends and neighbors back in Arizona and elsewhere. We miss everyone and wish you all the best. Christmas traditions here are much like those in the States. You see many homes with decorated Christmas trees on their front porches (houses are much smaller here but almost everyone has a front porch). Their are also lights decorating many of the homes -- not quite as elaborate as some of the displays "back home" but festive nonetheless. Familes and friends get together to share food and libations. We went to a "pot luck" party last weekend and some tico neighbors invited us to their home for a delicious traditional lunch a couple of days ago. They also invited us to their parents house on Christmas eve where we had some delicious home-cooked tamales. Here they are wrapped and steamed in banana leaves instead of corn husks. Yum. Although the language difference still makes it difficult to communicate as well as we would like, we are still able to socialize. Thank God. Today we are going to an expat friend's home for a Christmas meal -- and more libations. She spent most of the day yesterday cooking so I guarantee we will be well fed this holiday season. Merry Christmas, keep in touch and make it a New Year's resolution to visit us down here!!!

A very unexpected visitor

It was a quiet, peaceful morning. The sun was shining. The dogs were quiet. There was no TV blaring unpleasant news. All was well with the universe. Gordie was relaxing in the living room playing a video game from the comfort of his favorite armchair. Patches, the cat, was on the front porch frolicking with a bug. A Norman Rockwell moment, indeed. When suddenly, without warning, something fell from a rafter onto Gordie’s back. He turned around to look and saw that it was a snake. Yes, another of those 135 species of snakes that live with us in Costa Rica. Gordie jumped up. Quickly brought Patches in to take care of the situation. The cat was intrigued and initially played with the snake but lost interest when it slithered behind a bureau in the bedroom. Thinking all was safe it then slithered out and into a plaid bag that was on the floor. Our advantage. The bag made a convenient carrying case as we brought our visitor down to a neighbor’s to see if it was poisonous. Neighbor #1 thought it might be but decided to check with neighbors #2 and 3 who confidently declared the snake to be harmless. We let it free and now our unexpected visitor is slithering its way through the jungle -- never to return – we hope.

New addition to the family…

Right before we left for our 6 weeks in AZ, one of the dogs brought a tiny, baby kitten home in its mouth. The poor little thing appeared to be not more than a couple of days old and our attempts to feed it drops of warm milk failed. Luckily our new neighbor, Alfonso, heard the kitten’s cry and came by to tell us (in Spanish of course) that he had the mother. He told us we could keep the kitten when we got back so we gave him some money to feed the mom and babies while we were gone. When we returned to Costa Rica the house next door was empty and Alfonso was gone but there was a cat hanging out at our house…our new cat, Patches. Patches was anxious to impress us during her first few weeks…she would hunt down anything that moved and even caught a bat mid-air as it flew through the house. Patches hangs out with the dogs and has now become a full-fledged member of our menagerie.

What are the odds?

Today I read that there are 135 different species of snakes in Costa Rica but that the likelihood of a face-to-face encounter with one of them is rather small. Well, statistics aside, yesterday I came face-to-face with boa number 2. This one was compliments of a young neighbor who brought it by the house for us to see (the arm in the photo is hers – not mine). So, although I have been told that the boa is not dangerous to humans, odds are I will do a lot more reading about this animal before my next encounter.

What’s a visit to Costa Rica without monkeys?

Early each morning before 5 and each afternoon about 4, we can hear the unique roar of howler monkeys who live in the jungle canopy near our home. Although we have become accustomed to their daily chatter, hearing these characters for the first time is a memorable experience for visitors. And, naturally, they want to see the monkeys in person. We have found two places nearby that are almost guaranteed “monkey sighting” spots. One is at Cahuita National Park, and the second is on a side road near Punta Vargas (halfway between Cahuita and Puerto Viejo). Since the National Park was closed because of the heavy rains and flooding when the family was here, we took them to the spot by Punta Vargas. High in the trees on one side of the road were white-faced capuchins (the organ grinder type) and on the other side were howler monkeys. One of the capuchin monkeys looked as if he were posing – complete with a banana in hand. Better than a zoo any day.

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s Lili…

As long as I can remember I have had a fear of heights. I don’t do roller coasters. Ferris wheels frighten me and I have been known to scream driving up or down steep hills. So, why on earth would I fly over the tops of trees hooked on a cable? Sometimes there’s just no turning back, I guess. After a long hike, all uphill, we arrived at the canopy tour and gazed out at the first cable which I now understand is 935 feet long and 262 feet high. Lucky for me, one of our guides, Pablo, agreed to go with me on the first cable (and several of the longer, scarier ones that followed). Soon we were deep within the jungle and began zipping from platform to platform. The platforms were hand-built around trees hundreds of feet above the jungle floor. What a view! Robin and Danny were “naturals,” zipping over trees and through them. Robin even rode one cable upside down! Me, not so natural…a little, no, make that a lot of practice on “braking” will make my next trip smoother. All in all it was a thrilling adventure that I would highly recommend to anyone in the area.

Lazy afternoon at the Sloth Refuge

Yes, on occasion we can spot a sloth in the trees around our home. And, yes, we have had them in the yard before. However, the family was here as was the rain so a day at the beach was out of the question. We decided instead to hop aboard the local bus and head to Aviarios del Caribe to get an “up close and personal” look at this adorable but often misunderstood animal. Since Aviarios del Caribe is the only sloth refuge and rehabilitation center in the world, and is only 30 minutes away by bus, it sounded like an interesting place to spend the afternoon. Gordie dropped us off at the bus stop where several others were already waiting for the bus. Our intended bus never came. Possibly it was running early and we missed it, possibly the schedule changed due to widespread flooding and washed out bridges. Guess we’ll never know, but luckily a bus did show up an hour later and Steve, Megan, Danny, Robin and I hopped aboard eager to learn everything there was to know about the sloth.

When we arrived at the center we were directed up to the main building where we were informed of the $25 (each) tour fee. I thought I had read that it was free but what can you do -- we had already spent an hour-and-a-half getting there. We paid our fees and boarded a canoe for a lazy trip around the lagoon and along the canals of this 104 acre reserve. We saw several species of birds, some crazy iguanas and lizards, sloths in trees and caimans hiding in the brush. The still waters surrounded by stands of bamboo and covered in jungle vines and foliage made the hour plus ride well worth the admission price. When we returned to the dock we were brought over to a small auditorium where we were shown a movie about sloths. Our guide from this point on was the very knowledgeable grandson of the refuge’s founder.

The majority of the sloths that come here are rehabilitated and returned to the wild as quickly as possible, but due to various injuries and circumstances there are some “long term residents.” We were able to visit with many of these sloths, cage doors open, up-close and personal. It was quite an experience. Our final stop was at the “sloth nursery” where we were able to see several babies that are currently staying at the refuge. The visit was great. The 2-hour return bus trip – well, I hate to change the mood of this happy adventure so I will save that for another story.

What do you call a “baby” crocodile?

Something nice, I hope! Since coming to Costa Rica I had heard stories from friends, neighbors and strangers about caimans, a subfamily of alligators, that inhabit the local rivers around here. I was told that they look like “baby” crocodiles and won’t hurt you. Someone even told me you can pick them up and put them back in the river if you find them in your yard. Not sure I would want to try that trick. Anyway, I finally got to see these little guys in action while on a canoe trip at Aviarios del Caribe, a privately operated wildlife refuge (see related “sloth” story). We were trying to get a closer look at a colorful bird by the river’s edge, and apparently spooked it – just in time. The bird flew off and at the same time a well-disguised caiman snapped its jaw in anticipation of a little afternoon snack. It took us several minutes to spot him in the water – only his eyeballs were showing above water. A little farther downstream we spotted another, slightly larger caiman, this one sunning himself in the reeds.

…10 days and nights of rain…

…was not going to stop us from having a great time when the family visited over the Thanksgiving holidays. By their second night here (6th straight day of rain) we were without electricity, there was no water at the house and the telephone was down. Seemed like a perfect time to head over to the neighboring town of Cahuita – maybe we could even catch the monkeys howling at Cahuita National Park. As we arrived we soon discovered that high tides had caused the beach and bridge accesses to the Park to wash away. Pura Vida as they say here, not to worry, there was electricity AND water in town as well as stores, bars and restaurants. A clean, inexpensive, convenient hotel WITH hot water topped off the night. The next morning we took advantage of a temporary break in the weather for a stroll through town. We spotted a pickup truck near the school that was attracting a lot of attention and decided to see what all the excitement was about. To our surprise, there was a large – a very large – crocodile in the bed of the truck. Apparently, we heard, this critter had come down to the ocean by way of the swollen waters of the Rio Estrella. I guess there really are crocodiles in this part of the country and am very happy we did not run into him while surfing! I think I will limit my swimming to clear waters from now on.

…and it’s still raining…

Can’t remember if we are on day 4 or day 5, but the much-needed rains are still coming down strong. Based on our yard rain gauge it’s rained more than a foot this week. In Arizona that would strand us on the “wrong” (un-passable) side of Tonto Creek for many weeks. Here it’s an inconvenience if you were planning to spend the day at the beach or work in the yard, but so far no flooding or visible damage. Just lots of water. The photos were taken by our neighbor, Ruth, who ventured out to Puerto Viejo yesterday. Would you believe that the “boat parking lot” was a road in front of the beach just last week!

Getting in out of the rain…

I was sitting on the front porch this afternoon enjoying a much-needed rainfall when I noticed an animal by the front gate. At first I thought it was one of the dogs, but soon realized this matted-fur creature was a two-toed sloth looking for some cover from the elements. He climbed to the top of the gate and over to a mamon chino tree. The tall, thin branches were good for climbing but the tree lacked enough leaf coverage to keep him dry, so off he went, branch-by-branch, to an adjoining tree. This one, a cashew tree, had great overhead protection but lacked the tall branches that sloths seem to prefer to keep them safe from predators. Next he tried climbing over to the car. Now this place definitely looked safe and dry. But he soon discovered that his two-toed arms and legs that are so great for climbing throughout the jungle couldn’t help him get in or on a metal and glass car. He tried crouching under the car but that didn’t seem right either. The rains continued. Two-and-a-quarter inches in an hour. Another tropical plant was tried and rejected. Finally he was at the house which is built on stilts. Here he could crawl under the house to stay dry and curl up for some much needed rest, totally ignoring the 5 dogs that were also seeking refuge there. It’s late now and still raining. The only sounds we hear are the chirping of frogs and rain on the tin roof. All seems quiet under the house. We hope our new visitor has a safe, dry night and comes back often.

Would you believe Howler Monkeys!

The first time you hear these blood-curdling sounds you'll swear you are being surrounded by wild beasts. It's even more shocking when you discover the mighty roars that echo throughout the jungle every morning and evening are actually just the sound of monkeys -- average size howler monkeys. We brought our visiting friends on a hike through the jungle near Cahuita to see these delightful creatures up close and personal. Hope you enjoy our version of the "survival guy."

A fine-feathered friend...

A day after we returned to Costa Rica after a 6-week visit with family and friends in Arizona, we were joined by 2 AZ friends giving us an excuse to visit all of our favorite beaches and bars. Along the way we ran into this very friendly parrot hanging out by the entrance to Cahuita National Park. There was no owner in sight but not to worry -- this guy sounds like he can find his way around in any language.

More foods from Mother Nature…

There seem to be countless varieties of palm trees in the jungle. We have several coconut palms in our yard and have also added an unusual looking “traveler palm” – photos to come as it grows. One palm that has caught our interest over the past 6 months is a 65 foot tall, very straight, very skinny tree that is just on the other side of our property line. Right under the palm fronds there appeared to be a circle of “frisbee” looking discs with clusters of some type of berry or fruit under them – definitely not coconuts. Well, yesterday its secret was revealed! We noticed the next-door neighbor precariously perched in a tree next to the palm with a home made harvesting stick that had to be a good 40 feet long. He hung onto the branches of his perch while skillfully manipulating the “stick” to knock the fruits off the palm. A short while later he showed up at our gate with a bag full of the “goodies.” They are called “peach palms.” They are easy to prepare – simply boil and open, then scoop out the flesh. The taste reminds me of a sweet potato. The locals recommend you eat them with mayonnaise – surprisingly they recommend eating many things – including tacos – with mayonnaise.

Missed photo ops…

You just never know when a great photo opportunity will come your way…this past week presented two of them – and, unfortunately, I did not have the camera with me. The first “event” was at my Spanish instructor’s cabina on Monday. Perched quietly in the wood beams above our heads was a boa. The snake had been there for a couple of days already and seemed quite content to just relax a few feet from us. I brought the camera back on Wednesday but the boa had already moved on to another “home.”

On Friday evening we decided to stop at our favorite Chinese restaurant in Cahuita for a quick dinner before heading home to the hills. Almost all restaurants are “open air” meaning no walls just a roof. While we were seated there we happened to look up and notice a sloth making its way across one of the ceiling beams – he went the full width of the ceiling – hanging upside down of course, until reaching a tree branch and continuing his journey via trees.

To eat or not to eat...

We think these are edible "Oyster Mushrooms" growing at the base of a tree trunk in our yard....however, the "Mushroom Book" is in Arizona! We thought we would post a picture and see if anyone can identify these BEFORE we eat any. Any ideas?

Dog days of summer…

It seems like we went through 2 or 3 weeks of overcast afternoons, more rain than usual in the morning or evening and waves at all of our favorite beaches. This was great weather for the Puerto Viejo Pro Surf Tournament on August 9th, of course but not so great for casual swimming. Now we are in a period of perfect water – at least for those who like to swim and snorkel. We’ve spent 4 of the last 5 days at the beach and are planning another outing tomorrow. One day we brought Spot, Tiger & Blondie (3 of the puppies) to the Salsa Brava beach with us. They had a great time playing with each other as well as other people at the beach, although it did take a good deal of “encouragement” to get Spot and Tiger into the water. We stopped at Black Beach on the way out of town for a little more play time before heading home. As luck would have it we struck up a conversation with a young man named junior who was very impressed with Blondie. To make a long story short, Blondie now lives with Junior and we are down to 6 dogs. Since that worked so well we took two of the other dogs to a different beach today. They also had fun but didn’t attract any new parents…tomorrow’s another day and there are still more beaches to hit! (photo shows Brownie at Punta Uva today).

Custard Apples

Here’s another very strange looking fruit that is surprisingly tasty! The Custard-apple is a species of Annona. The tree that bears these fruits is a semi-evergreen tree sometimes reaching 33 feet.tall and a native of the tropical New World that prefers low elevations, and a warm, humid climate. I got this one from a neighbor so I am not yet sure what the tree looks like. The flesh of the fruit is smooth, sweet and tasty. It does have sizable seeds throughout the flesh but that is a minor inconvenience. This is one fruit I would actually plant!

Jungle Perils

Life in the jungle is not always easy. We arrived home from work one evening and were greeted by a neighbor who had found an infant howler monkey on the jungle floor. He brought it to us hoping we would be able to nurse it back to health or find a vet who could help. It was too late to bring him to the vet (about an hour away) so we gave him warm milk and a little plantain which seemed to give him some new energy. A few other neighbors stopped by – the consensus was that this little fellow was in pretty bad shape. There were several large growths where torselos had bitten him and laid their eggs inside of him. He was not able to sit or crawl on his own and appeared to have internal injuries. We made him a bed, wrapped him to keep him warm and hoped for the best. Sadly he did not make it through the night.

Sloth Alert…

We were sitting around relaxing after dinner when the dogs began barking with an unfamiliar bark. We ran out and there was a big old sloth – maybe 30 lbs – walking across our yard. By the time we got the camera he was leaving under the bushes so we only got a picture from the back. We have seen them in the trees but this is the first time we saw one on the ground and so so close. Very exciting!

Arroz con Pollo…

There’s a mama hen who brings her 4 baby chicks by several times a day to eat whatever food is leftover from the dogs. One of their favorite dishes is cooked rice – they hop right into the pan and peck away.

More strange and edible plants...

Here’s another unusual vegetable that grows locally. This one is called a breadfruit and can weigh up to 4kg. The photo shows it sliced in half (the beer in the photo is for size-reference but also makes a good accompaniment to the breadfruit). When mature but not ripe, the breadfruit is similar in taste and texture to a potato. Here I peeled and sliced the hard fruit, discarded the “core” and parboiled the “pulp” in salted water for a few minutes. I then stirfried the breadfruit in a butter/oil combination with some diced onions, garlic, pepper and salt, similar to preparing hashbrowns. It was very tasty and the half breadfruit made more than enough food to serve 3 adults. On the nutritional side, the breadfruit is rich in proteins and a range of amino acids. Like the potato, it contains a lot of starch and should be supplemented with green leafy vegetables to provide a balanced meal.

Everyday natural products…

This exotic looking plant is called a “shampoo ginger.” From what I have found out, it is believed to have originated in India and the Malaysian Peninsula and is also called a “pinecone ginger” in some regions of the world. Each flower cluster (inflorescence ) grows on its own “spike” or stem and changes color as the pinecone shape develops going from a pale yellow to a bright crimson. The tiny cup-like “bracts” that make up this flower cluster serve as a natural reservoir for a clear soapy liquid exuded by the flower. It is said that this 'shampoo' was used by Polynesians when bathing, both for the hair and skin, and is the ginger additive in several modern herbal shampoos. You can use the liquid fresh from the plant – there is more in there than you would realize. Cut the stem and pour out the liquid then gently roll the inflorescence between the palms of your hands to get the rest of the “shampoo” out. I have tried it once already and will probably continue to do so – my hair does seem smoother – see photos.

You can’t escape the high price of gas…

Even here we pay close to $5.00 per gallon for gas. Plus, the closest “regular” gas station is about 40 minutes away. There are also 2 people within a 10-minute drive who sell gas from their garages for “emergencies.” Even though our car gets decent mileage we thought it might be a good idea to have back-up, high mileage transportation. Here you see Gordie on our new Suzuki motorcycle. I am waiting for him to get some experience riding on the dirt roads around here and then he will be teaching me how to drive it. Should be fun!

More home improvements

We have added window planters to each of the windows and are experimenting with which plants grow best in this environment. So far we’ve only had to move 2 to new locations. Also finished the 2 large planters in front of the house. One is filled with tomatoes (now flowering), squash and a few assorted other plants. The second will have jalapeno peppers (almost impossible to find here) and additional flowers. The other exciting “improvement” is the addition of “window pane-frames” to each of the windows. NO there is NO GLASS. You really want all the fresh, cool air you can get. And, YES, we have added some very lightweight curtains to act as bug netting when we sleep. It looks great and seems to have reduced the bat and bug population at night without eliminating the fresh air.

Day trip to Anton Valley, Panama

We made a day trip from the resort in Farallon to Anton Valley (El Valle and Valle de Anton depending on the map you are reading) which is in the crater of an extinct volcano. We visited El Nispero, a small “zoo” with 100 species of animals and 180 species of plants. This is the only place in the world where you can find the critically endangered Panamanian golden frog. Then on to an area called El Macho Spring for a short, cool hike through the forest and across several suspension bridges to the 35 meter El Macho waterfall. Finally we visited the handicrafts market for a little shopping. The almost-perfect climate -- about 80F throughout the year, thermal springs, waterfalls, hiking trails and easy access to Panama City (about 2 hours away) have made Anton Valley very popular with city folks looking for a weekend getaway as well as foreigners looking for a peaceful retirement haven. The houses are very large and the grounds are immaculately manicured…our guide for the day said you could expect to pay about $70 per square meter for a property in town and as little as $10 m2 for one on the slopes of the volcano.

Vacation at the Royal Decameron on Playa Blanca

Every 90 days we need to leave Costa Rica for a minimum of 72 hours to maintain a visitor status. So, after spending 3 months with no windows, hot water only in our “suicide shower,” and an outdoor “bathroom suite,” we decided to spend a week at the luxurious, all-inclusive resort of Royal Decameron in Farallon on the Pacific coast of Panama. We took one bus from Atlantic to Pacific side of the country (there are no roads going down the Atlantic/Caribbean side of the country) and spent the night in David. The next morning we took a second bus to Farallon – an enjoyable and scenic 5 hour trip. The tropical resort features 9 pools, 9 bars, 2 buffets and 8 specialty restaurants (Thai, Seafood, Steak, Italian, Sushi, etc.), a casino, and of course the thatched palapas scattered along the white sand beach. In addition to trying each of the above, we also went ocean kayaking and scuba diving. The various pool and beach bars offered an array of fruit drinks as well as beer, wine (nothing to write home about), and just about anything else you wanted. Although I saw very few people who smoked, the bars also offered free cigarettes! It seemed that 95% or more of the guests were from Latin America with Spanish as the main language. We met one family from Florida and that was about it from the USA. Canada seems to be well represented in Panama as well as Costa Rica and we were asked on occasion if we were from Canada. We also walked down the beach to the fishing village of Farallon past a beach restaurant with a very large Canadian flag. Guess the Canadian dollar is still doing well. The photo showing thatched buildings on the beach was a view from our room. The other resort photo shows me in Lobby 1 with one of the “Carnival” characters. Panama is well know for their Carnival festivities in February – we’ll have to make sure to return and see the action in person! The last picture shows Gordie on the beach just past one of Noriega’s former weekend homes (he is climbing the rocks and is hard to pick out). When the US invited Noriega to live in Florida the people of Panama ransacked anything of value from this home which now sits in decay…the other homes in the neighborhood are fantastic however.

The “89” butterfly

Nature is truly weird. Here is a photo of a butterfly that was on the inside of our shower curtain (there is a clear section to the curtain). Gordie took the picture from the outside. You can clearly see the number “89” on the butterfly’s wing. Is that strange or what? I wonder if they each have their own number.

Our “new” security system

Well, it’s been almost 3 months since we moved in and as you can see all 5 puppies are fine and still here…oh yes, the “mom” is here most of the time as well. They do create quite a stir when someone walks or rides a bike by the house.

"Ice Cream Beans" -- Sweet treats from nature

Note: have found out that these are called "Ice Cream Beans."

The trees are very large, the pods are very large and although I have no idea yet what they are called, I do know that they are very popular among ticos. The pods are quite long as you can see in the photo. Once you slash the side with your machete you can break the pod open over your knee. Inside are dark brown seeds covered with a white "fuzzy skin." You put the whole seed in your mouth and eat the sweet outer fuzz (spit out the remaining seed. They really are quite tasty!!!

Saturday odds and ends...

We spent Saturday morning in Puerto Viejo starting with a visit to the local farmers' market. I was pleasently surprised to find homemade (and delicious) tofu, cheese and organic chocolate in addition to the normal fruits and vegetables. We then stopped at a new restaurant/juice bar at the beach specializing in fresh-fruit concoctions, herbal teas, coffees as well as more traditional selections. The food was delicious, the service impecable and the view excellent. We will stop back often! Also stopped at the ATM which is near the local emergency clinic. As you can see from the photo, this clinic handles all "normal" medical problems as well as some that are more unique to this area!

Across Panama by bus

We are back from our 3-day tourist visa renewal trip to Panama. We left by bus from Changuinola which is only a few kms across the border from where we live. For the most part the buses are 28-passenger vans – all very new and very comfortable. We traveled south along the coast sometimes parallel to the islands of Bocas del Toro. At Chiriqui Grande we headed up through the mountainous rainforest and the Comarca (autonomous territory) Ngobe Bugle. There were several “villages” along the sparsely populated trip. Almost all homes included a thatched building (see photo). We reached David (our final destination) in about 5 hours. The provincial capital (Chiriqui province) of David is a major shopping and transportation hub. Food and lodging were very inexpensive…basic hotel room with private bath but no A/C ran $16.50 per night, breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, coffee was less than $2.00 per person; another dinner which included one hamburger with fries, good-sized shrimp cocktail, garlic bread and 8 bottles of beer came to $13 plus change! Cold beer was available at the front desk of the hotel for 60 cents each which could be enjoyed on the balcony overlooking Parque Cervantes across the street (see photo). On one evening there was a free concert with regional musicians and dancers at the park. The trip was short but gave us an opportunity to see parts of Panama that we had never seen before.

What about mail?

As mentioned in the previous story, there is no delivery of utility bills. This is not that unusual when you consider there are no street addresses either. So what about other mail? Well, we have seen a “correo” delivery person go by on his motor cycle a couple of times since we moved here but so far we haven’t gotten any mail. To make it easier for the mailman, we decided to make a mailbox for our front gate (see photo). By the way this is the first mailbox we have seen anywhere around here. Next I decided to subscribe to the Tico Times, an English weekly newspaper out of San Jose. Surely this would ensure we received mail at least once a week. The gal at the newspaper’s circulation department was a little skeptical and promised 2 weeks free before she charges my credit card just to make sure the paper really makes it here. Week one has now come and gone and still no paper. Monday we are going to go to the post office in person and see if perhaps they have it there…I'll keep you posted!

Paying utility bills and other distractions…

Paying utility bills in Costa Rica is very different from the US. For starters, no one ever sends you the bill. That’s right, you never receive any type of notice that your bill is due or what the amount is…for those with accounts at the state banks in Costa Rica there is always an automatic payment option. And for the rest of us, well, you just need to check periodically with one of several designated locations to see if you owe anything and how much you owe. Where we live there are 2 such places, the first is at “Guido’s house.” If the gate in front of Guido’s is open you can stop in and tell him your account number and he’ll tell you how much you owe. So far Guido’s gate has always been closed when we went by so we have opted for place #2, a money exchange across from the beach in Puerto Viejo. We pay the electric, telephone and DirectTV bills here and are given a receipt…the best part of this arrangement is a stop at the beach. Photo is of Playa Negra at the beginning of town.