Total cost for 4 people, meals and drinks included: 23,000 colones, or $46 CAD. That is a just bit over $10 CAD per person. We each ordered the same thing - fish. The view from this place is amazing.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Yet Another New Place to Dine At!
About a week ago, our fellow Canucks took us to a really fabulous place to eat - the Mirador el Pueblo Restaurant.
Total cost for 4 people, meals and drinks included: 23,000 colones, or $46 CAD. That is a just bit over $10 CAD per person. We each ordered the same thing - fish. The view from this place is amazing.
Total cost for 4 people, meals and drinks included: 23,000 colones, or $46 CAD. That is a just bit over $10 CAD per person. We each ordered the same thing - fish. The view from this place is amazing.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
We've Been Busy
The time just seems to fly by. Looking at my calendar, we met up with friends on January 20 and they drove us around to Grecia and Sarchi, towns we had not yet been to.
Grecia is a town I want to go back to and explore a bit more. It's the capital city of the canton of Grecia in the province of Alajuela (thank you, Wiki). We stopped and saw the church (Iglesia de la Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes) and the park. Wiki has a lot of good information on this church - very interesting.
Then on to Sarchi, home of the world's largest oxcart (carreta), and famous for crafts and locally made furniture. We stopped at one of the tourist souvenir places - it even had a carreta with two oxen and a boyero (oxcart driver) so the tourists could take photos. Lance bought a map and, when paying for it with colones, was asked by a bus tourist, "What kind of money is that?" Ha! why, it's the currency of Costa Rica! and we use it all the time. Everything in this shop was priced in USD so I guess these tourists just get on and off the buses, visit the tourist places, pay in USD, and that's it.
We found a really good soda in Sarchi, where we had lunch. Across the street was an ice cream shop so we had to visit it, of course. I tried to order a bebida de frutas mixtas (mixed fruit drink) but ended up with a plate of mixed fruit. Oh well, I'll know better next time. It was still really good fruit.
It is so much fun exploring all the roads, seeing new towns and we are so fortunate to have such great friends.
Grecia is a town I want to go back to and explore a bit more. It's the capital city of the canton of Grecia in the province of Alajuela (thank you, Wiki). We stopped and saw the church (Iglesia de la Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes) and the park. Wiki has a lot of good information on this church - very interesting.
Then on to Sarchi, home of the world's largest oxcart (carreta), and famous for crafts and locally made furniture. We stopped at one of the tourist souvenir places - it even had a carreta with two oxen and a boyero (oxcart driver) so the tourists could take photos. Lance bought a map and, when paying for it with colones, was asked by a bus tourist, "What kind of money is that?" Ha! why, it's the currency of Costa Rica! and we use it all the time. Everything in this shop was priced in USD so I guess these tourists just get on and off the buses, visit the tourist places, pay in USD, and that's it.
We found a really good soda in Sarchi, where we had lunch. Across the street was an ice cream shop so we had to visit it, of course. I tried to order a bebida de frutas mixtas (mixed fruit drink) but ended up with a plate of mixed fruit. Oh well, I'll know better next time. It was still really good fruit.
It is so much fun exploring all the roads, seeing new towns and we are so fortunate to have such great friends.
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| Oxcart in Sarchi. |
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| The church in Grecia. |
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| Pizza Mangia in Sarchi - you must try this place. We ordered fish casados and an arroz plate. Lance, Diana and the owner of Pizza Mangia. |
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
My Hairdresser
I have found the most wonderful lady to cut my hair. Her name is Mariana and she owns Sala de Belleza Mariana in Atenas.
She has her salon in her home and the setting is very nice. Mariana also does massages, body wraps, etc.
Anyone who knows me also knows I get lost easily - so phone her at 8339-8000 for directions because if I try to give them to you, you'll end up totally opposite from where you want to be.
I finally phoned Mariana on my cell and handed the phone to a taxi driver and she gave him directions.
She has her salon in her home and the setting is very nice. Mariana also does massages, body wraps, etc.
Anyone who knows me also knows I get lost easily - so phone her at 8339-8000 for directions because if I try to give them to you, you'll end up totally opposite from where you want to be.
I finally phoned Mariana on my cell and handed the phone to a taxi driver and she gave him directions.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
CIMA - Our Experience
CIMA (Centro Internacional de Medicina), San Jose, in the suburb of Escazu, offers high quality medical services in a state-of-the-art facility.
Walking into the main building, it certainly did not look like any hospital lobby I've encountered in Canada. Off to the right was a nice open cafe with real linen tablecloths on the tables. We were early for my appointment, so we had breakfast. They didn't skimp on the fruit plate I ordered!
Unfortunately, the lady I was going to meet who would match me up with a doctor was unable to meet with me, due to no fault of her own. No problem - we were sent to the Public Relations office and the Co-ordinator had an appointment for me in no time. She cheerfully squeezed this unexpected snag into her already busy schedule.
She even went so far as to walk us over to the building where the doctors' offices are and even walked us another block to show us where Aerocasillas was located - another stop on our day's itinerary. We had two hours to wait before my appointment so we took a taxi to the Art Depot, where I bought some more acrylics and canvases. Also had time for bocas in a coffee and wine bar.
The doctor assigned to me was amazing. He spoke perfect English, which is imperative for us right now in a medical setting. He spent an hour and a half with both of us, explaining my condition in great detail, how he planned to treat it immediately and what tests he was planning for the future. I now feel as if I have completed Med Student School 101.
So - we had an hour and a half with a superb physician, an examination, meds - final cost: 45,000 colones or $90 CAD!!!!
Wait! There's more! I have instructions to call him back on Sunday (!) on his cell phone number and let him know how I'm doing. No doctor in Canada has ever spent this much time with me during an appointment - it was always more like "here's your prescription refill script, see you in 3 months, goodbye". We didn't feel rushed at this appointment. Furthermore, now my husband is involved too - I think that's important.
We highly recommend CIMA.
Walking into the main building, it certainly did not look like any hospital lobby I've encountered in Canada. Off to the right was a nice open cafe with real linen tablecloths on the tables. We were early for my appointment, so we had breakfast. They didn't skimp on the fruit plate I ordered!
Unfortunately, the lady I was going to meet who would match me up with a doctor was unable to meet with me, due to no fault of her own. No problem - we were sent to the Public Relations office and the Co-ordinator had an appointment for me in no time. She cheerfully squeezed this unexpected snag into her already busy schedule.
She even went so far as to walk us over to the building where the doctors' offices are and even walked us another block to show us where Aerocasillas was located - another stop on our day's itinerary. We had two hours to wait before my appointment so we took a taxi to the Art Depot, where I bought some more acrylics and canvases. Also had time for bocas in a coffee and wine bar.
The doctor assigned to me was amazing. He spoke perfect English, which is imperative for us right now in a medical setting. He spent an hour and a half with both of us, explaining my condition in great detail, how he planned to treat it immediately and what tests he was planning for the future. I now feel as if I have completed Med Student School 101.
So - we had an hour and a half with a superb physician, an examination, meds - final cost: 45,000 colones or $90 CAD!!!!
Wait! There's more! I have instructions to call him back on Sunday (!) on his cell phone number and let him know how I'm doing. No doctor in Canada has ever spent this much time with me during an appointment - it was always more like "here's your prescription refill script, see you in 3 months, goodbye". We didn't feel rushed at this appointment. Furthermore, now my husband is involved too - I think that's important.
We highly recommend CIMA.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Hammock Warnings
Today I fell out of our hammock and I hadn't even really settled into it when the tumble occurred.
It's a string hammock with stretcher bars and I've been lolling around in it every day for seven months. Where I went wrong was assuming I could get into it while holding a glass dish of tortilla chips - never get into a hammock holding anything because that means one hand is not available to steady the entry swing.
It happened so fast - the hammock twisted under me, the glass dish and chips went flying, and I hit the hard tiles with my left elbow and left hip. I hollered "OWWW" and Genny came running out to see what was going on. Lance wasn't far behind. Luckily for him, he didn't utter his usual, "Do I have to go to the bother of calling an ambulance?"
I'm kind of amazed nothing is broken but I'll be bruised and not fit to be looked at come next Beach Day.
And, everyone remember this - I had not had a drink!!!!
It's a string hammock with stretcher bars and I've been lolling around in it every day for seven months. Where I went wrong was assuming I could get into it while holding a glass dish of tortilla chips - never get into a hammock holding anything because that means one hand is not available to steady the entry swing.
It happened so fast - the hammock twisted under me, the glass dish and chips went flying, and I hit the hard tiles with my left elbow and left hip. I hollered "OWWW" and Genny came running out to see what was going on. Lance wasn't far behind. Luckily for him, he didn't utter his usual, "Do I have to go to the bother of calling an ambulance?"
I'm kind of amazed nothing is broken but I'll be bruised and not fit to be looked at come next Beach Day.
And, everyone remember this - I had not had a drink!!!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
More Good Things About Costa Rica
... the tomatoes! Today, I picked two fat, red, plump, juicy tomatoes from the plants I have around the outside of the house. The seeds came from either a packet of tomato seeds I bought, or from the seeds of tomatoes I bought at the feria. They are all mixed up now but so what - all are delicious.
Sliced them up, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper and basil (our own) - bought the basil seeds at a local Atenas feed store.
We also have sweet peppers growing and those seeds came from peppers I bought at the feria. When I cut the peppers up to eat, I throw the seeds and membranes out onto my garden area.
I throw all kinds of vegetable leftovers out there - even stale bread. The wrens and robins go for the bread and I think it also attracts worms so the cycle goes on. This is just outside our back door and there is no smell - everything seems to rot really fast.
The only thing that shocked me was this: yesterday the two ripe tomatoes were perfect, today they had insect damage on the outside of the tomatoes. How did those insects know my tomatoes were ripe for their eating? I wonder if I can cover the fruit with ..... something ...... before the insects get to it.
Oh, and I have also planted melon seeds from feria melons, and pineapple tops .... it is January, for goodness sake - unbelievable.
Sliced them up, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper and basil (our own) - bought the basil seeds at a local Atenas feed store.
We also have sweet peppers growing and those seeds came from peppers I bought at the feria. When I cut the peppers up to eat, I throw the seeds and membranes out onto my garden area.
I throw all kinds of vegetable leftovers out there - even stale bread. The wrens and robins go for the bread and I think it also attracts worms so the cycle goes on. This is just outside our back door and there is no smell - everything seems to rot really fast.
The only thing that shocked me was this: yesterday the two ripe tomatoes were perfect, today they had insect damage on the outside of the tomatoes. How did those insects know my tomatoes were ripe for their eating? I wonder if I can cover the fruit with ..... something ...... before the insects get to it.
Oh, and I have also planted melon seeds from feria melons, and pineapple tops .... it is January, for goodness sake - unbelievable.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Feliz Ano Nuevo
On this the eve of a brand new year, I want to thank all my blog readers, all our new and old friends in Canada, the United States and Costa Rica for being such great folks.
Thanks for helping us, for supporting us, for inviting us for meals and swims, beach days, giving great advice ... I could go on and on. Genny our cat thanks a very special person who went and visited her when she was boarding at the Santa Ana vet until we could pick her up after our arrival - you know who you are and we won't forget you.
Our first seven months in Costa Rica have exceeded our expectations - and we feel we couldn't have done it so well without our network of fantastic contacts.
Here's to a fabulous, wonderful 2012! Diana, Lance and Genny
Thanks for helping us, for supporting us, for inviting us for meals and swims, beach days, giving great advice ... I could go on and on. Genny our cat thanks a very special person who went and visited her when she was boarding at the Santa Ana vet until we could pick her up after our arrival - you know who you are and we won't forget you.
Our first seven months in Costa Rica have exceeded our expectations - and we feel we couldn't have done it so well without our network of fantastic contacts.
Here's to a fabulous, wonderful 2012! Diana, Lance and Genny
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