Costa Rica!

I was first here in 1992 before tourism and big hotels, I loved the country, people were very gentle and would do anything they could for you, and my favourite hotel room was a down filled hammock on the beach! Well, not anymore, it is very expensive for the tourist and customer service doesn’t exist, example, on trip in mini van to National Park

with 6 other people we had 17 year old from Brussels that we picked up at Spanish school and was very new to city, she asked guide if he could drop her closer to where she was staying, answer was no, and it was 8:30 at night when we returned and dropping her at bus stop in San Jose was just unsafe, so I gave her money for taxi. We had paid well over 100 US dollars for day trip. (Oh, my beach bag also disappeared on that trip!!!)

Country is losing tourists and more will be lost to Cuba, closest beach to city is unsafe, has been taken over by Columbia Mafia, so drugs etc.

My hotel Ave Del Paraiso was very comfortable and more like staying in a home, located beside University.

People that live here are having very difficult time, too expensive, no jobs and corruption is major issue, talked to one young man, he was very excited he had just gotten job taking sports bets on phone bank for MBA games in Las Vegas and was paid 5 US dollars a hour, he thought that was great.

I think I did 5 talks some for BK’s and for business leaders, topics, happiness, and how to move forward in life, woman in business, life’s journey, travel etc. 2 young Sisters run the BK Centre in San Jose from Chile, Marianne and Claudia,

they have done amazing job of involving the community in their activities, they both work very hard and are totally committed, and as usual they took very good care of me.

I visited beautiful Ashram in Mountains for 2 days, which was very special, with community of 40 led by Spiritual Director Shunyamurti, the Ashram’s setting and facilities, are very beautiful (see picture)

and I visited wonderful development on the Pacific, called Hermosa Heights (villa development)

owned by Dr. Richard Levy, a Dentist From Washington DC, who decided to invest in Costa Rica both could be possibilities for my Mountain Top

Richard also had old redone Art Deco movie theatre, (see picture)

which, I would love to operate, the renter had disappeared.

San Jose, the capital is not worth the visit, old, run down, no culture, could be amazing city. Taxis as I have said before are just awful for the most part, airline called Nature Air flies within the country and is good, tourists pay premium price of course.

Extra:

It was difficult to get hotel to stay at in Nicaragua, they are very busy with tourists, so I have rented apartment for 3 weeks in Granada, on the main square (suppose to be beautiful city) that is my next stop!