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Why do people move back after relocating to paradise? There are quite a few good reasons to relocate to Costa Rica. Try adventure, sunshine, lower cost of living, being happy, a better lifestyle, to mention a few. But what are the reasons to move back again? It is either a great decision or a horrible […]
by Ivo Henfling
I’ve never been able to pronounce güiri güiri well. You probably won’t either. My wife makes fun of me when I try. That’s because you have to be able to roll your r’s. We Dutch have a hot potato in our throat, it’s an impossible task to pronounce güiri güiri correctly. In Costa Rica, güiri […]
by Ivo Henfling
You probably think that the only traditional food in Costa Rica is Gallo Pinto. But Gallo Pinto is not the ONLY traditional food they have. The Spanish words traditional Costa Rican food is comida tipica Costarricense. Rice, corn, and beans are the main ingredients but there are many vegetables here that they include in their […]
by Ivo Henfling
Bajarse los Pantalones is to give in on a dishonorable negotiation. If someone has lowered his pants when he accepts conditions that are clearly unfavorable to him. Now, that we’re in a tremendously difficult market right now. But don’t feel bad. Is there a lot of competition in your price range? Or is your property […]
by Ivo Henfling
The Tica Zone, by author Allen Dickinson, was published in El Residente recently. I wanted my readers to also enjoy this beautiful story. Thanks Allen, for allowing me to share it. “You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries […]
Amarrar el perro is to tie down the dog. But in Costa Rica, amarrar el perro is something that might happen to you if you’re not careful: Someone you know asks for a loan but will never pay it back. There is a good reason for not making that loan. The reason is that you […]
by Ivo Henfling
When the food is awful, you say guácala. But when it’s great you say esta riquísimo! The word guácala means horrible, disgusting, distasteful, yuck, dreadful, gross or nasty. Even if you’ve never had anything like it, and they serve you a Gallo Pinto, don’t say guácala. Just tell the host or anfitrión, no, pero muchas […]
by Ivo Henfling
You’ll ask “what’s Guaro? And what’s Chiliguaro?”. Well, it all started with simple guaro. Guaro is a sugar cane – made clear liquor, similar to aguardiente. It was once the moonshine of Costa Rica. Now, it’s fabricated by the state-owned FANAL or Fabrica Nacional de Licores, in Grecia. It is marketed with the name Cacique […]
by Ivo Henfling
If you want to get along with your Tico neighbors, you really don’t want to commit una polada. You don’t want those Tico neighbors or friends to think that you a person of little culture and education. Because then you’ll be a polo. Polada = stupidity, an act of bad taste. Polo = A person […]
by Ivo Henfling
Yes, there is a marijuana friendly real estate broker in Costa Rica: me. I saw this article about Denver residential real estate agent Bob Costello. He launched a Marijuana friendly real estate broker advertising campaign in January 2014. That’s when the state of Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 and over. Great […]
by Ivo Henfling