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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 
As soon as you arrive in Costa Rica, you’ll hear the words Pura Vida all the time. Keylor Navas, the famous Costa Rican goalkeeper uses Pura Vida all the time. Costa Rica might be famous for its nature, the beaches, and its coffee, but everyone is learning about Pura Vida. Many expats and digital nomads […]
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 
Let me tell you all about kissing and greeting in Costa Rica. Not that I’m a kissing expert… But I do know that people kiss a lot more in Costa Rica than you might be used to. The title of this blog should really be “how do people in Costa Rica greet each other”, but […]
by Ivo Henfling 
Costa Ricans smell good, at any time of the day. Men and women alike, they always smell good, as opposed to some other varieties of humans. Now, you will probably say that you always smell good too and that you’re not a Costarican. That means you’ve either been living in Costa Rica long enough to […]
by Ivo Henfling 
Looking for free apps you can use in Costa Rica? If you’re a tourist or an English speaking resident, this blog should interest you! You’ll be surprised how much assistance these free apps can give you in Costa Rica. Many of us now live with our phone in hand, all day long. Even a lot […]
by Ivo Henfling 
When you are totally over your head in work, you can say “estoy hasta el copete de trabajo”. Then Ticos will understand you perfectly well. When you’ve had enough food, you can say estoy hasta el copete de la comida. Also, being totally fed up with someone’s behavior, you say estoy hasta el copete de […]
by Ivo Henfling