email at|puravida@happierthanabillionaire.com
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WHITE HAWK LOVES YOGA

White hawk staring at me doing yogaCosta Rica Cost Of Living Update Correction: 16 lb Turkey bought the day before Thanksgiving- marked down to $30

My baby hawk is not a baby anymore.  He swoops across the field and catches his prey with stealth precision. So I found it somewhat uncomfortable when I looked up during a sun salutation to find my friend staring down at me.

Almost every morning I can find him on his branch watching me meditate and perform my daily yoga poses. I’ve also seen him watching my husband play guitar. It would seem he’s fond of us but maybe he’s just plotting to eat my cat.

Does anyone know what kind of hawk this is?  There are more pictures at:                   Facebook  Happier Than A Billionaire

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:01-04:00 November 29th, 2010|Categories: Nature|Tags: , |4 Comments
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SPUR OF THE MOMENT TRIPS

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update:  16 pound Thanksgiving Day turkey- $92 (I’ll be having chicken)

New Costa Rica Business Idea- Turkey Farm

The best thing about living in Costa Rica is at any moment you can get in your car and be at a beautiful destination in a couple hours. It feels like taking a vacation…from our vacation.

One day we threw a backpack of clothes into the car and headed out to the coast.  We ended up in Dominical, a surfing town on the Pacific side of the country. I didn’t bring any guide books and didn’t have a clue where to stay.  My husband came up with an idea to stop at a realtor’s office, since who would know better? And that’s when we heard of a luxury home so lovely it made my husband determined to get a room.  The only problem was you needed to rent the entire home for $4500 a week.  A little Brooklyn Razzle/Dazzle was in order. (more…)

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:01-04:00 November 25th, 2010|Categories: Tourism|Tags: |9 Comments
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KRAMER WOULD MAKE A BETTER NEIGHBOR

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update:  Visit to the veterinarian that includes an examination and several shots for a dog- $25. Consecutive visits for follow up shots- $6

Just as I am about to sit on the terrace and have my first cup of coffee the phone rings. It’s Dolores, and she is crying that one of her dogs was run over by a car.

She is crying that a car fatally hit one of her dogs. The bad news doesn’t surprise me. For someone who loves and rescues dogs, Dolores is pretty careless. She doesn’t use a leash, lead, or even confine her dogs to her yard. They run freely in the road, so this was bound to happen. In between the sobbing, she asks if Rob will help bury the dog. I turn to ask him, and as always, he agrees. Rob’s heart is as big as the ocean is deep. Even though he almost broke his leg saving her bird, he knows a sixty-year-old lady should not be digging a six-foot hole in sweltering heat. He has one stipulation: he does not want to see the dog. He just wants to do all the digging and get the hell out of there. She agrees, and I tell her we will be there after we get back from doing a few errands.  (more…)

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:01-04:00 November 22nd, 2010|Categories: Neighbors|Tags: |10 Comments
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IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update:  Night at an air conditioned hotel on the Caribbean, with a gorgeous reef steps away, including breakfast and snorkel gear-  $95/night (and chances are you will have an entire beach to yourself)

Small things are often overlooked.  But in Costa Rica it’s worth looking over the small things. We have red and black ladybugs, but it you look closely, some also come in metallic green and denim blue.  A simple trip to the farmers market ends with me trying a new fruit, some with weird prickly skins that protect a  juicy plum inside.  And my favorite, enjoying coffee hand picked yesterday and freshly ground today.

Little things eventually become bigger things, like the baby turtle working his way to the ocean.  He’s small but determined, making one little floppy step at a time. This is a big day for him and another beautiful moment in Costa Rica.

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:02-04:00 November 18th, 2010|Categories: Nature|Tags: |0 Comments
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75 DEGREES…IT’S THE MAGIC NUMBER

75 Degree WeatherCosta Rica Cost Of Living Update:  Heating and Air Conditioning Bill-  $0/month

Costa Rica has a number of different micro-climates.  You can live at the beach and have 90 degree weather or climb to higher altitudes to enjoy a cooler climate.  Where I live I get to enjoy 75 degrees all year round.

All my windows and doors are open allowing the fresh mountain air to sweep through. It’s a freeing feeling knowing the temperature in the house is the same as outside.

75 degrees does something wonderful to your brain.  I think every one of my great childhood memories is wrapped around a 75 degree day: my first leap off the high dive, fire flies and fireworks, climbing trees, and bicycles with banana seats.  A 75 degree day makes me remember when Mickey Goldstein was dared to eat Jimmy Zuchowitz’s booger.  A feat so heroic, Mickey was quickly elected to represent the 8 to 11 year old demographic at our playground.  I think Mickey is now a councilman for the city.

Childhood does not fly by fast to the young.  Those Saturdays were long and thoroughly exhausting.  It’s adulthood that goes quickly, leaving only a small trail of dust in its wake.

75 degrees has a way of making you remember the good times.  And why not remember them as often as possible?

Costa Rica Travel Book

Read more about living, moving, or traveling through Costa Rica in The Costa Rica Escape Manual

By | 2018-04-15T18:20:02-04:00 November 15th, 2010|Categories: Nature|Tags: |37 Comments
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