Don Mateo

Beans, beans, the magical fruit…remember that little ditty? The more you eat the more you toot, the more you toot the better you feel, so let’s have beans for every meal! Besides the fact that beans are a legume, not a fruit, and “toot” is a weird euphemism (and for those of us who were partying in the 1980s, that word has a whole other meaning), I am otherwise in agreement with the message.

Feliz Navidad! Is it too early to say that? Nah– It is now officially Christmas season. Unofficially, it started sometime in October. I saw Christmas decorations in stores and the occasional house festooned with lights sometime before the first of November. The park in town got its lights strung this past weekend, and the Festival de Luces is only about a week away.

Facebook has numerous pages catering to the foreign community in Costa Rica. There are always a number of posts from people thinking about moving to or visiting Costa Rica, and their “what’s it like?” questions. Responses vary. One recent post caught my eye when a responder—almost certainly an estadounidense—described Costa Rica as a country of “extreme socialism.”

About five percent of the world suffer from anosmia– having no sense of smell. Everyone has likely experienced this at least once on a temporary basis when hit with a severe cold or sinus infection. One of the main side effects of covid as well, is loss of the sense of smell. This malady can greatly affect your health and general quality of life and it is always a relief when the olfactory system returns to normal.

Ditch the plastic bags for good and switch to reusable shopping bags. Find out how to reduce plastic waste with this eco-friendly alternative.

The Municipal Council of Quepos recently got a jump on the rest of Costa Rica with their unanimous decision to officially ban the use of noise-producing fireworks during the end of year festivities. There is currently a proposed law pending to make this a permanent ban on the national level, but it has yet to be made legally official. But for Quepos, this will be the first time for the annual fireworks displays put on by local businesses to be without the massive booms that accompany the colorful light displays.

the bittersweet story behind 'El Año Viejo', Latin America's beloved New Year song. From humble composer Crescencio Salcedo to international hit, a tale of music and loss.

A former hospitality worker turned New Year’s cynic finds happiest Costa Rica celebrations often come once raucous all-night parties cease and 2024’s promise of rebirth dawns.

When I go to the beach, part of my routine is a strenuous jungle hike every morning. While the distance covered is only about 3 kilometers (a bit less than 2 miles) round trip, the walk features no level terrain. From the moment I step out of the apartment and begin with a 100 meter uphill walk to the trail entrance, I traverse a series of valleys and peaks until arriving at a scenic overlook, that is the halfway point, and a nice reward for the challenging hike.

For the third time in my thirty plus years in Costa Rica, I was a victim of property theft. It happened two days before the new year. Two items were stolen– a four burner Atlas gas plantilla and the half empty tank of gas attached. These were kept outside, on a table in a covered open-air patio. The thief or thieves were stealthy, because I slept inside the house, about twenty feet away, but heard nothing.