(Repost April 17, 2017)

We must admit CR exceeded our expectations. True we went there with low expectation but we were pleasantly surprised with the results. It’s safe to say it’s more of a developing nation rather than a third world country. We didn’t see people bathing in the river with livestock or defecating in the streets. (aside we have seen the latter in NOLA, this is not only reserved to 3rd world living)

Pros:
Food – specifically fresh produce with organic options
Natural beauty – 20+ ecosystems
Critters – more species of bats, bird, etc concentrated in one country (plus animals that look like they were left over from the ice age)
Mountains – it’s like the Rocky Mountains moved to the tropics
People – warm, friendly and very helpful
Language & culture

Cons:
Petty crime – not accustom to living in high non-violent crime areas. the crimes where we live are mailbox bashing and cow tipping.
Tico time – blessing and a curse… this is something I am going to have to mentally prepare for…

Verdict:
CR felt like home. Despite the fact that we don’t speak Spanish we felt at ease shopping at the super market and going to the bank. For the first time in our lives being a double threat was an asset and not a detriment.

This first trip we have concluded that CR will definitely allow us to achieve our #1 goal of getting healthy while enjoying the things we love to do most. It won’t be something that is forced but more of a lifestyle change. We realized this after seeing so many people walking and riding bicycles around town, up and down the mountains. With the slow pace of living and the gas prices at $6 a gallon why drive when you can enjoy a more healthier commute to town.

In our short trip we had the chance to see an active volcano, tour a coffee plantation, enjoy the beach and watch the sunset behind the mountains.

We can’t wait until our next trip. We have a ton of things to do between now and then – get rid of all of our worldly possessions. We have to condense 30 years into 6 suitcases. Our second trip we will focus on the cities of Grecia and San Ramon. Our fallback place will be Atenas which we thoroughly enjoyed.