PF Chang's opens today in Costa Rica - Relocation Costa Rica

I know people would be all over my case if I said publicly that I am just a "little" happy that PF Chang's is opening in Costa Rica.  I actually like PF Chang's and their high priced cocktails! 

Our neighborhood Pf Chang's

Now, I'm not saying that all change is good change. It's not, but there is still plenty of old world Costa Rica left. I see no issue with some home town eateries showing up. It's opening in the right place too.  Escazu is an upscale city where many other "US " style restaurants are also located. I admit it, from time to time I might just want to frequent something familiar. (if I were to say this on any of the Costa Rica expat forums - I would be barraged with sneering, jeering comments like "don't come here" and "stay home"  They will warn that soon Costa Rica will be a little "America" (Ok, Ok maybe that would not be good) But here's my point. It will be nice not to have to fly 3,000 mile back home for some China Bisrto.  And anyway, neither I nor them have any say in what types of places open in Costa Rica. (And I am happy to have my own blog where I get to say whatever I want) Just Sayin! 

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month - the horse is pink

Grupo Enjoy, an investor group in Costa Rica working with 100 percent domestic capital, is preparing to unveil its latest $2.5 million investment in early November. According to finance reporter Evelyn Fernandez of business weekly El Financiero, Grupo Enjoy will welcome diners to the very first P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in Costa Rica, located in the ritzy Avenida Escazú, on November 3rd.

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It's a Dog's Life, Day #3 Puerto Viejo Costa Rica - Relocation Costa Rica

It's all about the dogs!

I've mentioned several times that I'm a bit worried about the girls (Lily & Lola) living in Puerto Viejo ("if" we live there). I have read about the stray dogs that roam the streets and the beaches there. Mostly big dogs and my girls are very small. So of course I'm concerned.

I figure the best way to get accurate information is speak with pet owners who live there or have been there.

The central Valley is on our list of possible locations so I got some info from on the expats business owners who has lived in the Costa Rica for aver 10 years.

"There are no leash laws here, but you should not have any problem with your two yorkies. I would not leave them behind.  I brought my medium size Chow mix when I moved here (she passed away a year and a half ago 17 years old).  I never had any problems with her and she would sometimes walk around loose in the neighborhood.  A lot of the dogs you see around are not stray dogs they belong to someone but they let them out by themselves."

Ashlea and I have also discussed the situation (as she has a dog as well).  So since she was going to visit the area before I would get my chance to go, she agreed to give me some first hand information about just what the situation is on the ground in Puerto Viego.

"The dogs are all polite... Lol... They lay in the restaurants...bars...shops... Wherever they want to be but they never beg"

"They lay next to tables I guess hoping for food. They were on the DANCEFLOOR tonight... And I actually saw a stray fetch a ping pong ball from a match. Then he sat back down waiting for attention."

"To clarify on the dogs, they will try to get them away from the tables and the dogs do listen- but we said it was ok.

  "We were sharing a rib plate and I was excited to give them the bones and besides, I don't mind sharing space with dogs- they are all so polite!"

"Dined with THREE dogs....they sat and waited for a bite- one just rested his head on my knee."

"I met an American there, he had a dog that dined with us as well. So we were talking about the dogs...how docile. I watched a cat (also roaming inside) batting the tail of a dog...he didn't even bother- just looked at her."

"Saw a tiny Chihuahua with its owner- so we stopped him and asked
He said he's never had a problem. I told him about you.
I think this might have been a teacup
It was on a leash and walking... The dogs just ignore."

"The dog situation is amazing. I mean... Really."

Here are the requirements for bringing your pet to Costa Rica

Moving with your pets: A rabies vaccination is required for pets that enter Costa Rica, and it must be administered between 30 days and one year before departure.You’ll also need to have your veterinarian fill out and sign the APHIS 7001 International Health Certificate from the United States Department of Agriculture stating that your pet is in good health. Birds require additional paperwork.

This is how we do it - Day 2 - Relocation Costa Rica

It's day 2 and Ashlea, Tommy and Wanda head out for a full day of exploring.

They start the day with a meal of fresh fruit which they purchased from one of the local carts - the fresh fruit is wonderful. It can be cut for you and you are welcome to taste test fruits you might be unfamiliar with.  They buy Rambutan, Star Fruit, mini bananas and some sort of green orange. You can actually buy quite A LOT of fruit for $10!

Next they head off to rent bikes from one of the many bike shops. Bikes are a normal mode of transportation for tourists and locals alike. They rental rate is $7/ea for 24 hrs. They then head south  to explore the area south of Puerto Viejo. 

It's a scenic ride and they past by the Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel where we are going to stay and Ashlea remarks that "it looks awesome" (whew!). On the way they stop in Cocles at La Isla Inn located across from the ocean and booked their next two nights. The inn is owned by a very nice German lady. There are many different cultures in this part of Costa Rica. Ashlea is in love with melting pot of people who live in the area.  

As they continued their journey there were boutiques, restaurants, quaint hotels and grocery stores which dotted the entire ride. Ashlea and I had been a bit worried that there would be no cool clothing places but to our surprise there were many! She will send us some pics which I will include in a later post.

"Aqua de pipa" as it is called in Costa Rica is not to be confused with coconut milk. Drinking young coconut water provides a quick and easy source of nutrition without taxing the enzyme systems of the body. It improves the absorption of minerals, B vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as some amino acids.
Costs about $2.00 and can be found just about everywhere!

Along the ride they came upon a man on a bike...yelling "pahhhhty patty patty" so they decided to stop him and ask what he was selling. Homemade empanadas from a recipe originating in Jamaica...and fresh juice. He also instructed them that is they continued on their path, once they reached the town of Punta Uva (where a lot of the expats live), cross bridge and turn left they would find beach. After following the long road through the jungle and they arrived at a truly breathtaking beach. They swam...lounged about and then headed home.

Total miles on the bike....18
Now THAT is some riding!

Stay tuned for day 3 and it's all about the dogs!

This is how we do it! - Relocation Costa Rica

Tonight I am doing the happy dance.

This is how we do it

Montell Jordan

I've been chatting with my new friend Ashlea for several months now. We met on Facebook due to our mutual interest in relocating to Costa Rica (particularly the Puerto Viejo area located on the Southern Caribbean coast).

Ashlea and I had many really long, drawn out IM conversations on Saturday mornings. Each of us confessing our true desires (like possibly finding a boutique or some place to shop and how to open up a business) and our fears (like too many insects, wild animals and lousy internet).

Ashlea, her mom and a friend made plans to visit Costa Rica several months earlier than our planned spring time trip. So, she promised to report back to me and give me the 411 on the area.

Well, she arrived yesterday and is following through on her promise!

Looks like the only glitch so far has been the flight over (Spirit Air).  I have been very hesitant about taking advantage of one of the advertised "cheap" flights. They keep popping up on my fare alert. I think Ashlea took one of those flights and it was delayed in Miami.  The delay pushed them back a day. My plan is to fly Jet Blue to Ft Lauderdale and then on to Costa Rica.  Not the cheapest fare but reasonable if we wait for the right time to buy our tickets.

When they finally arrived in Costa Rica they made the 4 hour bus trip to Puerto Viejo. She reports that the trip seemed a bit long but explains it was due to their earlier flight delay.  A thumbs up to the bus and the beautiful scenery along the way.

The initial report was that the place is packed full of culture and pretty cool place despite the fact that it is also very hot and VERY humid. However, we both knew this going in.

Coco Loco Lodge

They stayed at the  his cute little place called the Coco Loco Lodge. A very nice, quite little place a bit off the beaten path and with no AC and mosquito nets--a plus.  On their 1st night they endured a power outage but were assured that although it happens from time to time (generally when it had rained a lot) It is not the norm.  In spite of this they were very happy with their lodging choice.  They did miss the earthquake that rocked Costa Rica the day before.

Our plan is to stay at Le Caméléon Boutique Hotel in Playa Cochles, located on a beautiful beach a few miles from Puerto Viejo.

They had a chance to check out Bread and Chocolate, a bakery and bistro in Puerto Viejo.  It's also on our list of places when we eat. The breakfasts look scrumptious.

Because we both have pets, Ashlea and I discussed the stray dog situation which I've read a lot about. The rumors appear to be true although she says the dogs seem friendly.

The local people have been very helpful and offering loads of info.

Last I heard from Ashlea they were are off to dinner and some music at The Lazy Mon.
Can't wait for the review!!
BTW - Our first stop in Puerto Viejo will be to the legendary Open Mic Night where you can jam out with musicians from all over the world every Sunday night!

Pura Vida!

Making new friends in Puerto Viejo

Thank you Ashlea, Wanda and Tommy

please stay tuned for more...

Wine in a box? Getting you "wine-on" Costa Rica style! - Retirement Abroad

I have read on numerous sites, from numerous sources, that wine is not a very popular drink in Costa Rica. Ticos seem to prefer beer or rum.

Now of course, just because they don't grow wine grapes in Costa Rica doest mean you can't get wine. Wine grapes cannot grow in hot, humid weather. That fact helps to drive up wine prices.  One way to keep prices down is to drink box wine.  Being a California girl I am not accustomed to sipping my wine from a box. So to find out what kind of wine my fellow expats drink...I took to social media and posted the question on one of the Costa Rica forums I belong to. And boy did I get answers. 
Two hundred and seventy of them to be exact!

here's what they told me-  Expats are, in fact, still enjoying wine and bottle wine is available. The most popular are from Chile, Argentina and Spain. However the cost can be double the price of wine in the U.S.  Many expats have moved to Costa Rica and are living on less money so they are not interested in spending so much of their disposable income on wine.  So they look for ways to budget,  I received loads of advice about which wines to drink and where to buy them.  One hint was to buy them at the duty free shop by the baggage claim.  There are also a few wine clubs which can help you save some money. 

One of the favorite box wine favorites is by Clos, an inexpensive Chilean box wine

A couple of commenters suggested trying a Malbec, bottle wine.  I've had Malbec before. So, later that evening we made a trip to our local Whole Foods to select a bottle of Malbec. 

While we were in the store, guess what we saw??
this brand new display!

Go figure! 

So we bought our first box wines (a mini Pinot Grigio and a mini Chardonnay).  We opened (and drank) the Chardonnay during the 49er game on Sunday (haven't checked out the Pinot yet).  I have to admit, it really wasn’t that bad (although my other half gave it a thumbs down). Certainly not anything close to that awful 2 buck chuck. I could actually drink this.  I’ve been paying a hefty penny for the Wente Brothers Rivas Ranch Chardonnay which I took a liking to after our recent visit to the Wente Vinyards.

The 500ml minis are priced @ $5.99 and the 3-liter is $23.99 @ Whole Foods

Great Wine Shouldn't Cost the Earth

About Bota Box

Premium wine in a box? You bet! Bota Box produces premium California wine in 3-liter box and 500ml Tetra Pak, both made from environmentally-friendly packaging. Bota Box 3L is packaged in 100% recyclable, unbleached, post-consumer fiber printed with soy-based inks. Using state of the art FlexTap™ technology, our wine is kept fresh for up to six weeks after opening, allowing consumers to enjoy a glass of our award-winning wine without worrying about waste or spoilage. Bota Box offers ten popular 3-liter wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Shiraz, Old Vine Zinfandel, and a red blend called RedVolution.

box wine missing the cap

But we had a little issue.  A problem with the cap. It came completely separated from the box and caused the wine to dribble down the side of the glass and onto the table. We finally had to resort to a funnel. Hopefully this was just a bad box, or possibly we removed the cap incorrectly.

box wine cap which came right out of the box

Now I dare say that I doubt the box wine they have in Costa Rica is as good as the Bota Box, but I’ll wait until I get there and can sample theirs BEFORE I make that decision. So stay tuned. 

As I was advised on the forum "don't knock it till you've tried it." 

Boomer Retirement Abroad - Secret restaurant dining in Buenos Aires

Across Buenos Aires, hidden behind nondescript front doors and in family living rooms, a host of homespun restaurants are the latest fad and a big hit. 

Have you ever heard of them? The trick is, finding them.

More and more of these closed-door restaurants, or restaurantes a puertas cerradas, have been popping in Buenos Aires and they're becoming the most sought-after tables in town. 

They are a cross between a restaurant and dinner party except they are more intimate and social than a regular restaurant.  

They give chefs more leeway to be creative and the menus change daily.

I'm looking forward to visiting the most well-known closed-door restaurant in Buenos Aires, Casa Saltshaker, which is run by Dan Perlman, author of the influential Buenos Aires restaurant review site at www.saltshaker.net. Casa Saltshaker offers a five-course tasting menu (optionally paired with wine) which changes from one day to the next. Every menu at Casa Saltshaker is themed. It seats just 12 people in the Barrio Norte apartment of Perlman - and his partner Henry Tapia.


For website and list of closed-door restaurants worldwide click here