Making Sense of Living in Central America

It's already racking up as a wet year along all of Central America... what do you think the traditionally-wettest month of October will bring?  Respite at last, or even worse downpours..???  Make your predictions now for your shot at immortality!

Cocoa is grown and made into chocolate right here, where I live, in Costa Rica's Caribbean. I recently went to an Indigenous, Bri Bri, Cacao House to see a demonstration of traditional chocolate making. You can read all about it and see photos here: travelexperiencecostarica.com/2010/…

Fellow Expats,

OK, I'm back again. I won't give up on you because I know that if you learn to speak Spanish, your life in Costa Rica will be better for the effort.

My blog www.spanish-online-free is dedicated to helping you do that in the most economical way possible. I've done most of the heavy lifting, selecting 5 of the top Spanish programs on the web . Then I negotiated the best deals with each. And, finally, I added an additional discount in the form of an instant 10% rebate . So before you shell out big bucks for Ros--ta St--ne, visit my blog.

Today I am inviting you to take advantage of this new program and begin doing what you have been promising yourself to do: learn to speak Spanish!

Adivarup
(pura vida spelled backwards!)

http://www.spanish-online-free.com/?page_id=6/top-five-spanish-programs

PS My blog is full of great resources, articles, links, books and gadgets that will hep you along your way

ALERT! Have you seen these people? They are wanted for serial killings in Bocas del Toro Panama, and may have obtained fake passports from and/or spent time in Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica, or other Central American or Caribbean countries. Their MO is that they "befriend" someone with property for sale, murder the property owner, forge papers, and steal the property, telling people that the property owners "moved away." Has anyone gone "missing" in beach or resort communities in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, etc. in the past few years? These people may have been working their way down from the US, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica and now, Bocas del Toro, Panama. At least 3 people were murdered for their property and an international manhunt is under way.
To read info and see photos please go to:
http://www.tvn-2.com/noticias/noticias_detalle.asp?id_news=35782
http://www.panama-guide.com/

From 'escapeamerica.com magazine'

http://www.escapefromamerica.com/2010/07/america-the-monster/

"America has become a monster and you are its next meal…

There was an old (now) song by Steppenwolfe of this name, i.e.,
“America the Monster” and as I began to consider the nature of this
country’s government …well, it seemed appropriate.

That said, America has become a monster. Like Goya’s mythical portrait
it devours its own children, 1 in 100 are convicts, education becomes
more and more expensive and thus exclusive, employment becomes scarcer
and less well paid, ”social safety net programs” expand, without
solving the problems, and it feels free to lay waste whatever sections
of the world it desires to . Been in Iraq for almost a decade and show
no signs of leaving Afghanistan. Not to mention the “bill” for all
this.

Ah, the “bill”. Well, the Government doesn’t have to worry about that,
does it? After all that part of the fun and games will be delivered to

I just got back from a great road trip, through Costa Rica's mountain highlands. I made a big circle around the country, starting in my home town, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.

I drove across Panama, back up into Costa Rica and into the highest mountains in the country. I went horseback riding in the Diamante Valley and saw the second largest waterfall in Central America. I drove the "mountain of death" - Cerro de la Muerte. And I spent a glorious few days in the "Saints Zone" - La Zona de los Santos, where I toured a coffee plantation and learned all about what happens before the cup of coffee gets to your table.

Hi,

I am and expat living in Costa Rica and have traveled extensively throughout Latin America. Like many I have struggled to learn the language. Recently I decided to start a blog featuring my favorite pick of Spanish programs - especially those offering free trials. It includes reviews from real people like yourself who have actually tried the programs and links to special discount offers for Spanish study courses. If you really want to learn Spanish, I invite you to visit my site at: www.spanish-online-free.com.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Alfredo Lopez several years ago. Alfredo began his career as a doctor working with the indigenous people in Nicaragua, working his way through medical school as a tour guide. At the time I met him I was suffering from a serious disorder and he offered to introduce me to one of the true remaining natural healers left in Central America. So we journeyed together up Rio San Juan to Rio Indo in nearby Nicaragua. What happened during my meetings with the medicine man is material for another post, but I know that his "prescription" contributed to my complete recovery.