by Ivo Henfling

Over 200 future retirees attended the 2012 International Living Fast Track Conference from the 12th – 14th of November in the San Jose Marriott Hotel.

Many of those 200 have come by our table at least 4 times. My feet are still hurting, imagine my mouth! It was a lot of fun and both Rudy and I realize how enjoyable specializing in the Costa Rica retirement market is.

Costa Rica blogs

A future Canadian expat joined me in the bathroom while washing my hands, telling me how he loves my blogs, especially the one about Obama. And he isn’t even buying property in the Central Valley, the area we specialize in, but at Lake Arenal.

By Ivo Henfling

Working in shorts and on flip flops in Costa Rica

I just received some very cold looking photos of snowcovered roads full and roof tops and cars covered in snow from a friend and I am sitting here at my desk, looking over my computer monitor at the beautiful Escazu mountains on one side and the Heredia mountains on the other, with the sun shining in the palm tree in my neighbor’s yard. And I am sitting in shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops, enjoying the Costa Rica weather and the 78ºF temperatures that we have almost year round.

Don’t you just hate me now? I bet you do! Be smarter than that, move to Costa Rica just as I did many years ago and buy a property in Costa Rica from me. That way I can keep working in shorts and flip-flops. I still think it was the best decision I took in my life. God, I always hated the cold and I bet many of you do too. If you are still dreaming about moving to the tropics and get your taste of Costa Rica weather, keep reading. If you already did, read on and enjoy the fact of having taken the right decision by moving to Costa Rica.

By Ivo Henfling
 

Right now, while I am writing this blog, I’m having a tamal de cerdo, made by my mother in law and the rest of the family (see the picture on the left). This is a Costarican specialty that the locals eat for Christmas, but my mother in law makes them really well (I hope she reads this). I eat about 5 in two weeks and I’ve had enough, but I know people that eat between 5 – 10 a day. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like North Americans eat turkey for a week. If you want to feel at home in Costa Rica, you need to try one.

What is a tamal de cerdo

A tamal de cerdo is a steamed corncake made of corn dough, filled with all kinds of ingredients like cooked rice, pork meat (cerdo), peas and sometimes olives, raisins, carrots and many other ingredients, depending on how wealthy or poor the family is.

By Ivo Henfling

Only 3 weeks to go and its Easter Week vacation again. Easter is known to be the hottest week in Costa Rica. So you don't want to stay in the Central Valley though for sure the valley will be nice, quiet and empty during the week. You will need to book now as time will run out on you if you wait too long.

Some of you don't know that most of our Beach affiliates in the American European Real Estate Network also offer beach houses and beach apartments for rent by the week, which we call Costa Rica vacation rentals. This is a lot cheaper than going to a hotel. We have beach properties for rent in the Caribbean, around Dominical and Flamingo Beach. Make sure you take your beers and hard liquor with you because during Thursday and Friday, you won't be able to buy anything anywhere.