Buying a Camera in Costa Rica

Those of you that know me know I like to take pictures. Until recently, I had two cameras, a little Sony P73 and an Olympus E-10. Notice I used the past tense. That applies to the Olympus. The Sony is just for “party use” and to grab for a quick no-brainer shot. The E-10 was my pride and joy. The big E10 is more for pros or serious enthusiasts (I fall into the second category) and requires setting lotsa stuff. Maria just wants to aim it a take it, so she uses the Sony.

When the E10 came out, it was REALLY expensive… like $4,000.00… and built for serious camera buffs. I paid a fraction of that from a good friend who wanted fast cash, but in my mind, it was ALWAYS expensive. It took incredible photos, and I had no desire to ever make a change.

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Just Exactly What Costa Rica Doesn’t Need!

OKOKOKOK

Maybe a better title is: Exactly What I do not Need!

Wendy’s and Cinnabon are supposedly going to be opening soon in Costa Rica. Now, I LIKE Wendy’s, and I can maintain some level of control. Cinnabon is a different story altogether. For you vast unwashed who know-not a Cinnabon, it is a bun glopped with a fantastic rich sticky cinnamon mixture and covered with icing, and while I have NO idea of the calories or fat levels, nor do I have ANY desire to know, it has got to be just enormous. Nothing can taste that good and be good for you.

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Pothole to Remember

Costa Rica is famous for its terrible roads and while the roads in and around San Jose are certainly not great, the real problems are on the coasts.

However, there IS humor in almost everything, and anyone who has had the pleasure of dealing with the thoughtful and always courteous taxistas in San Jose may well feel an upswell of emotion in this photo!

Photo copyright La Nacion

Visit the new Real Costa Rica

I am not sure what on earth possessed me to do an entire re-write of The Real Costa Rica, but I did and it is now online for your viewing pleasure or displeasure. The most obvious thing you will notice is the new color scheme and menu system. There are also a lot of new pages, new pictures, about 500 new links… ugh. I still have to install the new search engine though the olde one seems to be working perfectly. Go figure!

Thanks to those who tested the site. Reading the same old pages for errors is booooring, but you really helped!

Anyway… here it is: The REAL Costa Rica

Enjoy!

The REAL Costa Rica (redux)

Every since I published the Real Costa Rica web site, I have received a zillion emails and comments in the Guestbook. Most are complimentary and a few are from people who have really dug into the RCR and found errors (precious few!), typos (a LOT) and have made suggestions on how to better the web site.

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411? Anyone? Hello?

Costa Rica is getting a new 411 directory assistance system.

According to our friendly local monopy, ICE, you will now only have to say the name of the person or company they are looking for and the computer does the rest. Of course, when the computer cannot understand your request, the call will be transferred to a live operator. Continue reading »

Saved by a Knight in Shining Armor

On my second to last day in Monteverde, we took a horseback ride through the country to a coffee plantation in San Luis. Everything was absolutely beautiful! It was so beautiful, in fact, that I got lost while my head was in the clouds.
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Festivals, Bullfighting and stuff

This Post was originally in my personal blog, and is re-published here as I received a bunch of emails telling me readers here might find it interesting.

In teaching my son’s Costa Rican girlfriend how to prepare a Christmas turkey (with sage and onion dressing!) and how terribly important it is to use care in the preparation of these foods and to be especially careful of things like botulism, salmonella, athlete’s foot, and Chlamydia, I managed to poison myself (food wise) which is why I have not been writing. The good thing is that they have TV in hospitals, the IV thingy is pretty portable, and you can watch the bullfights between the bouts vomiting and diarrhea!
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Political Humor – Costa Rica Style

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Costa Rica’s Vice President, Lineth Saborío, but it is clear she has an excellent sense of humor… or perhaps an over developed sense of loyalty… or maybe she is simply as out of touch with reality as appear to be a great number of US pols and her boss, Don Abel.

According to Sra. Saborío the low popularity of the sitting president Abel Pacheco and his government is directly related to the high cost of gasoline. Say WHAT????
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Nicaragua Wants Guanacaste

Costa Rica has been disputing Nicaragua’s refusal to allow Costa Rica police patrol boats to carry weapons on the San Juan river that separates Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I guess they are fearful that our staunch Fuerza Publica will cross the river and attack their country. Continue reading »