TWiCR 008: February 20, 2012

This afternoon on This Week in Costa Rica, Corey and Lisle talked about how to vote from abroad, getting a driver’s license, the live music scene, deep sea fishing, license plate restrictions, and had a live interview with Vicki from Eat With A Local.  Don’t forget to tune in LIVE every Monday afternoon from 4pm to 6pm EST and call us toll free at 855-655-2121 or add the studio on Skype at ORN LIVE.  Sign up for FREE and download all the archived episodes to put on your iPod, smart phone, or anywhere you like to listen!  

Nicaragua - Part 2

This Week in Costa Rica

The beach in San Juan del Sur is fine for strolling, having seaside cocktails, or watching stunning sunsets while feasting on the catch of the day.  However, for those that like an undeveloped shoreline, crashing surf, and endless stretches of abandoned sand, you’ll need to take a trip out of town.  Both North and South of the main harbor are a plethora of beaches with conditions and surroundings to satiate all tastes.  If you’re the type for wading calm pools of warm turquoise sea with white coral sand beach, or tearing a board across ripping curls of waves bashing a dirty, rock-laden cove, and anything in between, the West coast of Nicaragua has it.  I went for a beach just north of town.  Just about anywhere in San Juan you can set up a combo trip.  Many of the surf shops have options to be picked up at your hotel and dropped off at whichever location you choose and picked up again at a designated time.  Considering that we tend to travel light on these visa renewals, the tour guides and surf shops have thought of everything.  Not only can you get you transport set up, but you can rent a la carte your beach accessories and amenities on the spot as part of the package.  I went for the transportation with beach chair, boogie board, cooler with a midway stop to fill it with ice and beer.  This was all too easy, and about $20.

After a 20 minute ride up the main highway we took a louie and started down a bumpy gravel road back toward the coast.  We were inundated with jungle scenery yet again; howler monkeys could be heard in the thick, spider monkeys hanging from branches looking decidedly unimpressed with our passing.  The way began to open revealing the sound of the ocean beating the land.  There was a small thatched roof bar/restaurant, and a near empty beach.  The driver helped me with my things and confirmed with a nod, “a las quatro, verdad?”  I smiled and acknowledged my 4 o’clock pickup and cracked my first beer (it’s OK at 9am when you’re on vacation, wake up a 5am, and are in bed by 8pm).  Swimming was a bit treacherous at this locale.  The riptide was evident and the sea angrily sucked its visitors outward, only to roll them back in with each cresting wave.  This was clearly a place where venturing beyond where I could firmly plant my feet was unadvisable.  Considering there are no lifeguards, or other humans for that matter, almost drowning was not on the agenda today.  I spent the day sipping beers, cooling off in the ocean, walking for miles up and down the beach.  I stopped into the little restaurant to enjoy some fresh fish and chat a bit with the bartender.  It was simply perfect, pristine, and a much needed disconnect from the grind of San Jose.

Packing up my belongings and jumping in the truck back to town, I realized that I hadn’t booked nearly enough time in Nicaragua.  Fortunately, I planned to stay in Central America for much longer than initially intended.  This meant that another trip to Nicaragua was not only inevitable, it would be necessary.  With Granada, Ometepe, the Corn Islands, and more beckoning, I felt that my relationship with this strange land was only at the first-date, just kissed stage.  As the great Las Vegas performers always leave the audience wanting more, I couldn’t wait to hear the encore and get back to my hotel to start planning to buy my next ticket to see this magic show again.

I made my way back to another seaside restaurant to watch the sunset over a jalapeno steak dinner and contemplated that this would be my first, but certainly not my last, trip to a strange little slice of heaven so poetically hidden from all who dare not chance a bumpy jungle ride into the unknown.  

TWiCR 007: February 13, 2012

This Week in Costa Rica

Lisle and Corey spend another splendid afternoon fielding questions from listeners about living in and loving Costa Rica.  With Semana Santa rapidly approaching, these young expats shoot the breeze on golf, pickleball, earthquakes, and much more!  Corey gets “Japi”, should you ship or sell your stuff, and anything and everything Pura Vida!  Be sure to tune in LIVE every Monday from 4-6pm EST only on the Overseas Radio Network and join the conversation.  Until then, sign up for FREE and enjoy archives of this week’s show plus archives of past episodes. 

Shipping Your Possessions

4G Internet

Pickleball

Semana Santa

Earthquake Today!

Golf Costa Rica

Nicaragua - Part 1

This Week In Costa Rica

September 2006 rolled up on me rather quickly.  My 90-day visa was about to expire again and many of my colleagues had told me good things about their experiences traveling to Nicaragua.  Even before I’d arrived in Central America, Nicaragua was a scary place.  Perhaps it was hearing of it on the news during the Iran-contra scandal of the 80’s, remembering something about civil war and something something Sandinistas, or just that Canadians are by nature cautious, but I was indeed certain this was no-man’s land and not for the faint of heart.  Nothing (as I learned about many myths surrounding Latin America) could be farther from the truth.  Some fellow teachers told me of this magical harbor town just north of the border on the Pacific coast called San Juan del Sur.  Rumored to be a tourist friendly haven of expats and globetrotters with pristine beaches, superb seafood, and reasonably priced everything, this sounded like the perfect fit for a budget-conscious (poor) English teacher on a quest for that next stamp in my passport.  I learned of Ticabus, a company that provides quality bus service from Mexico to Panama, and caters to a slightly more affluent clientele.  A cheaper option to flying, this was an executive option for hitting up Managua or a comfortable trip for those making a long trek over land.  I bought my ticket in advance and prepared for the 6-hour trip. 

I was excited and nervous.  This would be my fourth country that year (yes, I counted stopping in Miami) and my first trip to the Pacific coast of the isthmus.  The bus ride was smooth, pleasant, and comfortable.  Upon arrival at the border the stark contrast to Panama was immediate and striking.  A nice young bus attendant circulated and took our passports for us to be stamped by immigration.  The bus then crossed into Nicaragua and we disembarked to wait 20 minutes or so.  He returned with our passports stamped and ready to go.  We jumped back on and were on about our way!  The first natural stop is a town called Rivas.  It sits on the edge of Lake Nicaragua.  You can clearly see as you approac this town two enormous volcanoes set in the center of this massive fresh-water lake.  I jumped off, grabbed my bag and split a cab over to San Juan del Sur a few kilometers away.  This was going really well.

Driving down into the town of San Juan del Sur you were treated by winding roads, endless, lush green jungle backdrops, humid warm air, and the clear sensation that you are indeed entering a magical place.  I, like a Canadian, made a reservation at a hotel.  I would learn to regret doing this for the most part as the best approach in countries as these is to grab your bag and follow your gut.  That said, I checked in and promptly set about the town to get my bearings and plan my first beach trip.  It was like a mini version of Rio de Janeiro, with a statue of Jesus on the mountaintop overlooking the town and harbor.  Restaurants lined the beach, hotels and surf shops throughout the town, and a laidback attitude from its visitors that emanated peace and serenity.  I hit a little tour shack to ask about beaches and things to do.  I was given a map that showed all the beaches north and south of town and made my way to sit down for dinner and plotting.  This is where Nicaragua’s reputation for value came to light.  I ordered pretty much everything and anything you could imagine.  If it was a drink, I drank it.  At the end of this feast I was presented with a bill that I calculated at least 3 times in my head in disbelief that the conversions I was doing were right.  They were indeed.  I was in paradise and it was well within my budget.  Drink, eat, be merry young man.  For tomorrow you are going to fight the mighty ocean.

I was learning

Contentment consist not in adding more fuel, but in taking away some fire. Thomas FullerThis Week In Costa Rica

It was starting to look more and more as if the six months to a year I’d initially intended to stay in Costa Rica was a gross underestimation.  After completing my first visa renewal, work and life started to show clearer patterns.  I am very much a creature of habit.  Living in Canada such a scattershot lifestyle of irregular sleep patterns, shifting jobs, unclear goals, wasn’t conducive to finding the inner peace and sanctuary I now know as habit.  This is not to the degree of obsessive, rather sinking into routines means that you can almost unconsciously take your bus routes to work and enjoy the scenery and splendor of Costa Rican mornings instead of watching intently for where to pull the magic string to signal a stop.  You can prepare your lessons and enjoy becoming a student as much as you are a teacher.  You can buy those six beers knowing that a given amount of money will fall into your bank account.  You can leave your house within a window of time and trust that you’ll arrive at class before 7am.  It’s this letting go of daily anxiety brought about by constantly struggling or unknowing and developing trust in a proven set of patterns you undertake.Sometimes the cure for restlessness is rest. Colleen Wainwright   This is where I think many expats start to show cracks in the seams.  I’ve often said that expats have a built-in 4 month expiry date.  If they don’t sour within the first 4 months and pull the chute, they will harden and develop and longer shelf life.  I was amidst those very moments and thoughts that accompany them at this stage in my detachment from my ‘first world’ expectations.  There comes a point in every expat’s journey that makes or breaks this enormous choice.  (40% leave within the first year)  For me, the X factor that sustained my interest in staying wasn’t the obvious – weather, beaches, cost of living, strong communities, cute girls.  What I loved about this place (besides the aforementioned perks) was the lack of safety net under me and the clean slate ahead of me.  I had to borrow money from my folks from time to time, but for the most part, it was all on me.  Succeeding in this career path was determined by sheer will, talent, and a little bit of luck.  I’ve always defined luck as intention and preparedness meeting at the same time.  There was a great sense of satisfaction in my work.  I felt appreciated in my job.  I saw that I was having a lasting, positive impact on those I worked with.  I began to envision growth, both personal and professional.  I was learning.  I started to like, and furthermore respect, me.  When an expat has this kind of experience at the 4 month mark, you can pretty much guarantee that they’ll be here a lot longer than one year.  I’m coming up on the 6^th.