Bargain Airfares to Costa Rica

While most of my blogs are about the people and places of San Ramon and Costa Rica, the first step to discovering Costa Rica is getting there. I just got an email from American Airlines with some of the best fares I have ever seen. As of yesterday, there were still seats available for travel between October 1st and December 6th from many U.S. destinations at these crazy round trip prices, not including taxes:
Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica at $188.00
Orlando To San Jose, Costa Rica at $148.00
Washington, D.C. to San Jose, Costa Rica at $209.00

Follow this link to the American Airlines website for more information on the Costa Rican air fares sale: www.aa.com

And when you land in Costa Rica, come visit us in San Ramon.... Follow this link for directions:
www.costaricapm.com

Pura Vida and hopefully I'll see you soon in San Ramon, Costa Rica.

My 7th Winter (6 years) in San Ramon, Costa Rica

Winter is clearly a relative global concept. Here in San Ramon, winter means temperatures in the 70’s …. fresco. After 25 years of New York State winters … snow, freezing temps, days without sunlight … I’ll take this anytime.

Without freezing temperatures and extreme swings of light and darkness, there are 2 seasons in San Ramon with little variance of hot and cold. There is basically 12 hours a day of both daylight and darkness year-round. The winter is characterized by a few hours a day of rain most afternoons….while summer has months at a time of sunny days with no rain.

My Ithaca, NY life has darkness at 4:30PM in December and 9PM in July which puts a real strain on my body and emotions. I feel healthy and balanced here. My summer visits to Ithaca, NY are now totally exhausting by 8PM and I try to avoid winter visits for obvious reasons.

Many Ticos prefer the winter season here as everything is lush and intensely green with plants and other species boldly alive. For travelers, it’s a good time with fewer tourists, lower prices and less competition for hotels and other activities.

The winter strategy of locals is to wake up early, wash and hang your laundry by 8AM and then proceed with your errands and other outside projects. When it starts to rain at 2 or 3PM, it’s time to go home and take a nap to the sounds of the raindrops hitting your roof. Very peaceful … tranquilo.



When the rain stops, there is electricity and freshness in the air. I don’t know how to quantify it but the evening air is charged and inviting. Time to change into your nicer evening clothes and join your friends at Rincon Poeta (www.sanramon-costarica.com) or another favorite restaurant.

It is a joyful experience to see my friends and neighbors and enjoy drinks and dinner together in San Ramon centro. San Ramon has retained the local boca (small plates) style of eating, which helps me not gain weight. For between $1 and $2, I can enjoy fish, chicken or shrimp and salad. Janet and I rarely spend more than $10 for all the guaro, beer and bocas we desire.

Tomorrow … Another Day In Paradise.

The World is Flat

Living here in Costa Rica in Spanish allows me to be right in the Tico culture. It also tires me out by the end of the day. Like many ex-pats, having some great reads in English is a nice relaxing treat. As a New York Times devotee for most of my life, I easily devoured The World is Flat by Times writer Thomas Friedman.

I recommend The World is Flat as a must read for anybody wanting a big life that sees the possibility to utilize the whole world no matter where you are geographically. People no longer have to be in the same location to share information and collaborate. You no longer have to be a huge corporation to have an impact on people all over the world. An individual person's creativity allows growth, not just the amount of money one throws at a situation. This book basically describes our International life and the life of a blogger (as well as many other situations).

What a different world. I guess I'm old as I can remember living in a world without the internet and cell phones. When I traveled in Europe at the age of 17 in 1972, I used to mail aerograms to family and friends. They took about 10 days to arrive and were totally obsolete by the time they did. In a way, my travels in the 70's allowed me to really remain in my experience.... cut off from my familiar world....but in another way, the reality of living in Costa Rica is much easier now. I can keep in touch with family and friends, do business with internet banking, etc...

It's been amazing and fun for me to have readers from all the continents.... 25+ countries and growing. There was the nice note from Australia from a woman who had the same magical feelings as me about San Ramon a decade ago. She googled the bar/club Secretos and ended up on our blog and website www.costaricapm.com.

The funniest and biggest contrast was seeing that we have at least 1 reader in Baghdad. San Ramon and Costa Rica, a country without an army could clearly be the ultimate fantasy for someone living the violent insane life that exists in Iraq. It would be a total pleasure to find a home for someone in San Ramon after they survived the war in Iraq.

Life no longer needs to be a black and white choice of one thing or another but can be your own melange of what works for you. Enjoy the book, The World is Flat, and more importantly enjoy opening up your mind to how rich and global your life can be.

Mi Destino/My Destiny in San Ramon, Costa Rica

This will be my 6th Christmas season living in San Ramon, Costa Rica. Wow...I have grown, changed, been at emotional highs and lows ... and truly spent my years 45-51 experiencing things that I never imagined for myself. I'm thankful to the Ramonense (San Ramon natives) for taking me in and making me comfortable in this special town and country.

While the differences began as English/Spanish, snow/sun, expensive/inexpensive. I now feel the subtler differences... the ones that take awhile to get. Living in the present is a spiritual pursuit in the 1st World, while here it is intrinsically a part of life. A comical and sometimes difficult reality is that it's hard to make plans with people for days or even hours in the future. Punctuality and efficiently productive days are not a big part of the culture. When I walk down the street I shake hands with all my men friends and kiss all the ladies. This takes priority over rushing to accomplish and puts a smile on my face. Another way of saying this is... San Ramon and Costa Rica are more about being than striving. For most of us 1st World folks, this has the potential to create a happier and healthier life.

In the USA I had a series of careers...mortgage banker, vegetarian restaurant owner, CFO of a high tech company, restaurant reviewer for a newspaper, diamond sorter. I was born in Brooklyn, New York...graduated with a degree in International Politics from University in Albany and have lived in Ithaca, NY for over 25 years.

I spent the first years in San Ramon, Costa Rica renting a $70 a month apartment and living without car, phone, tv, all the accoutrements of my 1st World life. I walked the streets learning the language and little by little became a part of the scene. And I had my share of angels helping me make a life here. Pablo and Mary at the cigar store, Jimmy Lee the chiropractor, Sylvia (my landlady) and her family. Alonso and the folks at El Buho (now Rincon Poeta) and all the others who kept me here when the loneliness and the sometimes seemingly insurmountable daily challenges would have led most sane people to leave and go back to the comfort of their known life.

Now, over five years later, I have traveled Costa Rica from the Osa Peninsula to Guanacaste and been in every country in Central America. The nightime streets of Managua or San Salvador hardly resemble the Pura Vida of Costa Rica. San Ramon is clearly where I belong. For the last 2 years I have had a girlfriend and partner Janet with whom I own a home and other properties around San Ramon. You can visit our website at www.costaricapm.com to learn more. Feel free to contact me.

Costa Rica is a culture centered around the family while the USA feels like the ultimate expression of the individual. Having Janet here has connected me in a deeper way in San Ramon. This being Thanksgiving, I am thankful for how my years in Costa Rica have helped me to appreciate and connect with my own family. Now that I've given a little background on myself...I'll be regularly adding new postings, sharing my experiences and reflections on life in San Ramon and Costa Rica

Pura Vida
Steven

PS Subscribe to my blog below this posting and you will receive notice of new blogs. Thanks