Costa Rica 6.2 Earthquake ... January 8, 2009

Last Thursday Costa Rica had a major earthquake. The current information is 23 are dead, 11 are missing and 2,300 people have been left homeless. The epicenter was near Poas Volcano just a few hours from my home in San Ramon. President Arias declared some areas uninhabitable in the future. There were photos of people walking away with just a garbage bag filled with a few possessions with all else lost. The planet seems to be reacting strongly with extreme weather all over the world and natural disasters on a regular basis.

Fortunately, there was no damage or impact to the people, property and landscape of San Ramon and La Paz. Janet and I were out for a walk during the earthquake/terremoto and didn’t feel a thing. Others in our community felt the tremors, but fortunately little else. We were with our friend and neighbor Falo, showing us a property he wanted us to help him sell. A joyful afternoon of discovery followed while less than 50 miles away chaos ruled.

One thing I learn over and over again is trying to make plans in Costa Rica rarely works and is often frustrating. But lots of cool experiences occur when just taking a walk and being open. As we walked with Falo, he brought us to see the Trapiches in La Paz. Much of the Central Valley is planted with coffee but La Paz seems to be mostly sugar cane/cana. Our neighbors fill up their carts with harvested cane and with their oxen bring it to one of two local Trapiches. (Life and work here sweetly resembles that of 50 or more years ago.)

At the Trapiche the cane is pressed for the pure sweet liquid, then boiled and finally formed into cones of brown solid sweetness, tapa. Agua dulce is a traditional drink made by combining boiled water or milk with the dulce/sweet. At the Trapiche they also make candy that is mixed with yerba buena/mint. It was fun meeting more of my new neighbors and learning about what happens to all the sugar cane that grows here.

We walked home on a stone road thinking our day was winding down and in the middle of absolutely nowhere we discovered Panaderia La Paz. Like wanderers in the desert finding an oasis, we were greeted by 5 women baking and an assortment of sweet and savory breads just out of the oven. They offered us stools and we proceeded to sample their treats. We learned that they bake on Mondays and Thursdays and then package their goods and distribute them at pulperias/corner stores in the area. We now walk by on their baking days, hang out awhile and bring home a few bags of pastries and breads.


I thought I might get bored moving to the country after 8 years living in the center of San Ramon. I find with each day I’m enjoying my new life and connecting with my neighbors in La Paz, 20-30 minutes outside San Ramon. I’m learning a lot about simplicity, community, nature and a joy that doesn’t require a lot of money, things or complex thought patterns.

My New Home in La Paz

We just bought our 5th property in San Ramon, Costa Rica. Fortunately, we've sold a few of our properties recently to keep life manageable. We were going to list this property for sale for an 80 year old lady and her son, but one thing led to another and we ended up buying it.



Although it is only 20 minutes from San Ramon center life there feels at least 50 years in the past. Our neighbor uses oxen and a cart to transport his sugar cane harvest and there are more horses, birds, and animals than cars. Our neighbors are mostly from one family and 3 generations have welcomed us warmly.

For us, La Paz is a perfect complement to our home in the city. There is something about the air and vibe that is magical. It is the beginning of the rain forest without the tourists, buses and activity. Some Costa Ricans in the know have quintas/weekend houses there.

Our house has 2 floors, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths which should be good for entertaining and having friends visit. There are avocados, oranges, bananas, plantanos, limons and squash. We will work together with our nearest neighbor Hormidas Arias to recreate an organic garden so that we can grow all our vegetables on our land. As food gets expensive and travels thousands of miles for many, eating all our fruit and vegetables organic from our garden will be healthy and satisfying.


I really did not want to buy another house, but some places are so special. La Paz is one of those special settings that rivals any place I've ever been. As a guy born in NYC, my 8 year journey in San Ramon, Costa Rica continues to amaze me with twists and turns I never expected.