The Spirit of Christmas in Jaco!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Jaco and Special Thanks go to the an energetic and  enthusiastic group of young ladies over at Jaco Living!  The special event held in Jaco's Central Park on the eve of December 8th was an overwhelming success!  Complete with face painting, dancing, Christmas carols and colorful mimes on skates, stilts and bouncing shoes the children were thrilled by the visit from Santa Claus (Known as Papá Noel in Costa Rica) accompanied by Mrs. Claus.  They all took a turn on his knee to share their secret wishes for what they would like him to bring to them for Christmas.

Funds for this event were raised with the Thanksgiving Cup, a charity golf event that took place in November in Los Suenos.

Kudos to Jaco Living for a job well done!  

We look forward to your future events and activities!

                                        

Illumination in The Park

For the first time the town of Jaco is putting on Christmas, the Christmas lights of the park throughout the month of December.The inaugural event will be the next December 8th at 5:00 pm and activities for children to tell the company in Pozuelo, a concert of carols by the choir of the Falcon School and the presentation of the Municipal Band. The hope

Jaco Living was founded in 2011 by three local enthusiasts and Jaco Beach, to create community events to benefit the people and the inhabitants of the Central Pacific. After many years of living in Jaco feel the need to create and bring more activities to the community for the welfare of its residents: activities for children, for the physical and social good are the reason for our company.

You can follow this exciting new group and their future events on Facebook @ JACO LIVING



 

To view more photos of this grand event please visit...

The Spirit of Christmas ~ The Lighting of the Park! 

Ho Ho Ho . . .  Merry Christmas!

An American Thanksgiving in Costa Rica!

The Pilgrims have traveled all the way

from America to join us in a Costa Rica style 

Thanksgiving Dinner!

 This dinner will be shared with friends 

from all around the world!

America 

~ Alabama, Tennessee, 

Florida, Georgia, California ~

Central America,  New Zealand,  Germany

and Canada! 

Our menu is growing daily!

 Grande Mimosas

Turkey & Dressing with Giblet Gravy

Honey Baked Spiral Ham

Green Bean Casserole

Dave's Special Dressing

Fresh Cranberry Sauce 

Gingered Pears

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Veggie Dish

Scalloped Potatoes

Veggie Casserole

Green Salad

Lima Beans

Corn Pie

Deviled Eggs

Pickle Tray

Pecan Pie ~ Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Cake

Amazin' Raisin Spice Cake

Ice Tea (Sweet & Unsweet)

Jack Daniels (An Alabama Tradition)

Guaro and Centinario 

(A Costa Rica Tradition)

Wine/Beer/Mixers

 

It will be a very special 

Thanksgiving indeed!

We will miss our amigos that will not be here 

to share this special day with us!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

PURA VIDA!

 

 

Sunny Skies Ahead!

Enjoy this great article in A.M. Costa Rica about the upcoming weather!  It is time to get ready to enjoy sunny skies, hotter temps with cool ocean breezes and fun times at the beach with friends!  A time when we can plan outdoor activities and not get pushed indoors due to the large buckets of agua being poured from the skies.  Adventure travels will increase with better road conditions and drier walking trails in the rainforest.  Goodbye mud, umbrellas and puddles. . . Come on AMAZING SUNSETS!

The end is in sight, weather institute promises

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The official word has come from the weather experts. The notification is what expats and would-be tourists have been awaiting.

The country has begun to enter the transitional phase between the rainy season and the dry, although that may not be obvious from the weather Tuesday.

The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said that everywhere but in the south Pacific, the onset of the dry season is delayed this year from five to seven days at least.

The weather institute released a list of probable dates Tuesday for the start of the dry season. As usual, the northern Pacific benefits from the northerly winds that drive away the rains. The institute estimated that the dry season would arrive there between Nov. 11 and 19. The normal date is Nov. 4, the institute said. The transition period is generally the week before the onset of the dry season. The transition period is characterized by alternating days of rain and days without rain.

In the Central Valley, the dry season should have arrived by Thanksgiving. The weather institute said that the likely time this year would be Nov. 14 to Nov. 24, which happens to be U.S. Thanksgiving. The normal date is Nov. 9.

The central Pacific is about a month later. The institute said that the dry season would arrive there in time for Christmas. The experts estimated from Dec. 14 to Dec. 24. The normal date is Dec. 9, they said.

Because of its location, the southern Pacific always welcomes the dry season the latest and sees it leave the soonest. This year, the institute estimated from Dec. 20 to Dec. 29. That probably means an early arrival when compared to the average date of Dec. 29.

On the Caribbean coast, where the weather seasons are reversed, November means the arrival of more rain, pushed there by the northern cold fronts. The weather institute is predicting more rain there through February and warns of flooding and other rain-related problems.

On the Pacific and in the Central Valley, the dry season frequently contains several cold spells that are amplified by stronger winds.

I have my beach chair, hammock, 

grill, ice chest, picnic basket 

and boogie board ready 

and waiting by the door!

Who is going to be on standby 

to join me!

PURA VIDA!

 

You may also view this article online at http://www.amcostarica.com/

Boys and their Toys! Costa Rica Cool!

They say that Costa Ricans are the happiest people in the world because they live a simple and pure life known as the Pura Vida....

But I have come to notice that "the Boys"  also known as Ticos are quiet fond of their Toys!  Oh yes there is the occasional fancy sports car to be seen, mostly in the city,  but the toys of choice here in this country appear to be motorcycles and off road vehicles.  We have a Defender Land Rover that turns a lot of heads when we are out and about.  It seems to be a very popular vehicle,  probably because it looks more like something you would take on a safari in the jungle and it is great for driving through water and down rough roads and river beds!  And if one of the male species visits our home and ends up in the garage there is usually a bit of a drooling session over the BMW RI200 that made it's journey all the way through Central America from Alabama.  I think it is a testosterone thing myself....the sound of the engine....the sparkle of the chrome....the SPEED!

Anyway, I was not at all surprised when we heard a horn going beep-beep in our driveway and went out to find our good friend German in this 1959 Restored Land Cruiser!  I am not sure if it was the candy apple red that got me or the big smile on Germans face as he showed me this amazing jeep but I got as excited as "the Boys" did!  I really could not believe it was as old as it is because it looks brand new and I can not even imagine taking something so beautiful into the mud holes on an off rode expedition.  Something tells me German might feel the same way, but I am sure his friends probably enjoy cruising around town and with the jump seat in the back it will take 4 for a very comfortable spin. 

They say that the Pura Vida is all about simplicity ....  but sometimes a little candy apple red antique cruiser can make it just a little bit brighter! 

PURA VIDA

to the 'Boys and their Toys'!

Enjoy the Ride!

Mamon Chinos! . . . Rico!

Mamon chino is an exotic fruit sporting a red shell with soft spines growing all over it. It resembles a fat, round, red caterpillar and has a large delicious grape like fruit inside its outrageously interesting shell.  It is also known as a Rambutan which means hairy! 

The tasty meat of the fruit, which is easily broken apart, is typically just popped in your mouth to suck and chew on the sweet juicy pulp, but be sure and spit out the large seed.

It is most convenient to just eat the fruit fresh as it is a lot of work to open and remove the seed from a large number of fruit.  Sometimes the fruit is used to make jellies and jams.  If you are patient enough to open enough of the fruit a jam can be made by cooking equal weights of the pulp and sugar together with sufficient lime juice (about 5%) or pectin to help the jam set.

And if you are interested in something really different try this recipe!

                                                                          Savory Stuffed Rambutans

• 2 cloves garlic, firmed.
• 2 teaspoons (approx) firmed coriander roots
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (or sage) vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce.
• 4 tablespoons palm sugar .
• 1 chopped de-seeded chili pepper
• 2 cups fresh or canned rambutans 

Drop the edible oil to fry the crushed garlic and coriander roots. When garlic becomes golden brown , add all the other ingredients except rambutans into this mixture . Cook well and stir until the mixture turns brown and fairly dry. Add rambutans into the ingredients. Cook and mix well for about 2 minutes. Serve as an entree or as a main course with rice...

Mamons do not store well, but if kept cool sealed in plastic with high humidity, they can be kept for about 2 weeks.

To learn more about this amazing fruit check out the Wiki article Rambutan. 

Enjoy your Mamons 

that are also rich in Vitamin C!

Pura Vida!