Posts tagged Next Morning
Making Friends in Costa Rica
Jan 16th
Join a local soccer game
On the afternoon of my arrival in Costa Rica, I had three priorities: hail a taxi to my apartment, unpack my bags, and find some food. The next morning, a new priority topped my list: make friends. I was excited for this new adventure, but knew that a few good friendships would be essential to enjoying my new home.
During my pre-move research, I had read that Costa Ricans are famous for being friendly. I was prepared for big smiles and helpful directions, but I had no idea how genuinely sociable Costa Ricans could be. About a year before the “Big Move,” I had used a free website to find two Costa Rican penpals.
We corresponded a few times a week and they were both a wealth of information, helping me identify the best neighborhoods, prepping me on what to expect, and giving me tips on how to obtain a cell phone. After my arrival, we met in person and became good friends – one even introduced me to my husband!
As wonderful as my penpals were, I couldn’t rely on them to find friends for me. I knew I had to expand my social network, but I wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. I had no family in Costa Rica, no office job with coworkers as potential friends, and I wasn’t part of any student or alumni group. It was time to get creative.
As a member of Generation Y – also called the Net Generation – I grew up in a world dominated by the Internet and online social networks. So naturally, I decided to peruse the World Wide Web in search of groups and organizations that would introduce me to future friends. Three years later, I can happily report mission accomplished.
Most Costa Rican neighborhoods are full of friendly neighbors
Blogs: There is a huge network of English-language blogs written by expats in Costa Rica (such as ours!). Start by reading a handful, and seeing whose writing personality best fits your own. Leave a few comments. Send the author an email to introduce yourself and see where it goes. You won’t make friends with every blogger you contact, but if you make just one acquaintance, your time will be well spent.
Yahoo! Groups: There are several Yahoo groups populated by foreigners living in Costa Rica. Some, like Costa Rica Living, are general interest groups with thousands of members, while others, such as crgardening, cater to specific niches. Get a feel for which users seem like potential friends, and then email a few off-list.
Couchsurfing: Couchsurfing is an international hospitality community, and many members use the site as a social gateway. Couchsurfing’s Costa Rica network is very active and hosts regular get-togethers for all sorts of activities like potluck dinners, restaurant meals, and games. The community is on the young side – 20 to 35 is the median age – but there are some younger and older members, too.
Local Groups: What are your hobbies? Niche and interest groups are a great way to meet interesting people. An online search will reveal many Costa Rica-based groups; for example, the Little Theatre Group (Escazu) is ideal for live entertainment aficionados, while international communities like Ravelry (knitting & crochet) or Flickr (photography) have forums to find members near you. If you’re searching for a particular interest, try asking a blogger or posting on a Yahoo group – you’ll likely find that a group has already been established, or that there are other members interested in joining you in whatever activities you’ve suggested.
Church is also an excellent place to meet new friends
These methods can take time, and you can even begin before the move. Once you’re in Costa Rica, you’ll have an even easier time making friends – just step outside and meet your neighbors!
Smile: A smile on your face lets people know you’re approachable. You’d be surprised how many first meetings start with a smile and a friendly “hola.”
Learn Spanish: You don’t need to be an expert linguist to make Spanish-speaking friends. Learn the basics online, from a book, in a class, or from an audio lesson, and then get practicing. Costa Ricans are generally patient and kind to language learners, so even basic Spanish skills will be enough to get the friendship ball rolling.
Buy a soccer ball: Costa Ricans love soccer and every town has a soccer field. Take a ball to the main park and start a pickup game; by the end of the day, you’ll have a whole team of new friends.
Be neighborly: Ring your neighbors’ bells and introduce yourself. If you like to cook, take over something typical of your hometown or country. I’ve made cupcakes, banana bread, and even jelly for my neighbors, and they’ve reciprocated with fresh fruits from the backyard, typical sweets, and baked goods.
Read the paper: Local newspapers like La Nacion (Spanish language) and The Tico Times (English language) feature weekend sections full of upcoming activities. Look for something you enjoy, and while you’re there you’ll meet plenty of other attendees with similar interests.
Go to church, temple, or mosque: Join your local religious organization. You’ll discover welcoming locals and an established social network.
Return to Rincon la Vieja: Revisiting an Old Gem
Sep 3rd
Horseback riding at Rincon de la Vieja
It was the salad that first gave it away. I remembered that, six years ago, the salad had consisted of a pile of shredded and vinegary cabbage hidden under my grilled chicken. But this time, someone had painstakingly carved a flower out of a carrot and a cherry tomato and placed them in the center of the plate – as garnish. Something had definitely changed.
I was at Rinconcito Lodge, a pastoral slope of green dotted with cows and crowned with three rustic cabins where my then boyfriend and I visited nearly six years ago. Now engaged, we had agreed two nights before to return to this little-known spot and relive some of the butterflies, both the morpho and the stomach kind. But can you ever really return? Especially in a place where tourism is developing as rapidly as Costa Rica?
Our guide Alfrin
Thankfully, besides the salad, and a brand-new restaurant where it was served, the lodge seemed not to have been altered much. We were still picked up in Liberia by the owner in his Trooper that seemed to run on the white dust blanketing the road out of town. His sly grin and laconic answers still gave him away as a cowboy dabbling in the hotel business. We were again ushered into a cabin of rough-hewn logs that creaked with the night winds. And we delighted in seeing the familiar face, the lines set just a bit deeper, of our old horse guide sitting with a beer in his hand at the new restaurant.
We sat down to eat and discovered that with the new restaurant came a new manager. The manager was polite and made jokes. He spoke excellent English, had lots of ideas for improving and expanding the lodge and had studied tourism. He also tried to book a tour before offering drinks, but we took care of that in no time.
The next morning we were up early, excited that we had booked a horseback trip with the same guide, Alfrin, and that we would visit some new spots as well as some of the ones we remembered. Rincon de la Vieja Park is truly a natural marvel, filled with amazing wildlife (we spotted a coatimundi and a boa constrictor), fantastic horse trails and thrilling views. And of course, there are the mud pots and hot springs. Rincon is very volcanically active, and a great deal of the gas escaping from the vents and pools is sulfur. We joked that our first tour had been a trip from one stinky hole to another.
Rincon’s bubbling mud pots
This time, however, Alfrin led us to a new waterfall that the lodge owner’s son had discovered, complete with swimming hole and the cerulean flashes of morphos catching the sun. We then rode to a hot spring, dyed white and light blue from the minerals and, yes, reeking of eggs. But it was a wonderful, relaxing soak.
At the end of the day we galloped back to the lodge and dismounted, tired but happy. The new restaurant welcomed us with twinkling lights and we couldn’t resist having a beer before heading back to our cabin. As we clinked bottles and watched the setting sun, we realized that the pace of change in Costa Rica is fast and unstoppable. But that, yes, you can return to places of magic.
