Have you have ever received a friend request from a “person” like “Jake’s Bar” or “Johnny Tico”? Perhaps you knew that it was a real business or took pity on the owner and added them. Chances are you find it a little annoying. Animating a business as a person on facebook is counterproductive. It sends […]
Original Articles and Expat Advice for Costa Rica
Benefits to Citizenship: Less Hassle and Accountability
Naturalization is an option expats have after being a resident for seven years or marrying a citizen and living in Costa Rica for two years. Although being a citizen of two counties requires complying with two sets of rules, there is more flexibility because a dual citizen needs no ongoing permission to live in either […]
So, You Want to Move to Costa Rica? My Quest for the Ultimate Tropical Paradise
Written by a Canadian author, who is an expert in escaping the cold weather for half the year, So, You Want to Move to Costa Rica? is an excellent introduction to the concept of living in Costa Rica on a part time basis. This isn’t a book on how to relocate, pack all your earthly […]
Benefits to Citizenship: Immigration Law No Longer Applies
Naturalization is an option expats have after being a resident for seven years or marrying a citizen and living in Costa Rica for two years. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that citizens are not foreigners, who are subordinate to the authority of the immigration department, its police force, and its rules. For example, foreign residents […]
Baiting of the Bulls in Zapote
Bull baiting in Costa Rica begins on Christmas Day with the opening of the national festival in Zapote. The sport, which requires grown men to risk life and limb while taunting livestock is part of the rural traditions of Latin America. In Costa Rica, none of the bulls are killed, so the activity is considered […]
Offical Guide to Costa Rican Spanish
Although it may take a while to learn the pronunciation, this Spanish language guide by Chris Howard is designed to teach you to speak Spanish like a Tico. The book starts with a quick explanation of how to pronounce common constants and vowels in Spanish. It then moves into basic, “survival” Spanish phrases that you […]