Tag Archives: Costa Rica

squares of colored wood

Waste Not, Want Not – Making the Most of our Wood and Rental Equipment

Our house building project officially began in March of 2012 when we bought enough electrical cable to make it up the hill. The water tubes came next so we could test the water pressure to what would become a two story bath. We inventoried the wood we had available, tallied the trees we would need

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Wood House Costa Rica

Why We Chose a Painted Metal Roof, Using Bamboo Poles & Water Problem

Why we chose painted metal roofing, how we used bamboo to help with building, and combating water stains from the incessant rain on our interior wood ceiling. Roofing Options in Costa Rica In Costa Rica your roof is, in my opinion, the single most important investment that you can make for your new home. If you

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Wood House Skeleton

Building Project Costa Rica – Part 4 – Tools & Torque

Our Building Project – Images of the progress since the last post (permission to project start), how very important a machete and rope have become and which brands of tools are taking a beating. We are officially deep in the throes of building. Not the sometimes you talk about “Oh yeah, 6 am to 6

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First Days Progress

Building Costa Rica – Permission to Project Start

Building Costa Rica – Obtaining Permission to Project Start Part 3 The waiting is over. We are finally starting our house building project. This article covers the steps we took to get permission, how we prepared the posts to go directly into the ground using re-bar and images of the site after the first day

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Wood Drying

Building Costa Rica – Building with Wood

Why are we Building with Wood? Part 2 Building Costa Rica. We chose to build our home with both wood and concrete. Wood will be our supports, buried directly in the ground, and serve as the material for the entire second level. Wood provides a cooler environment inside the house and reduces the likelihood of mold growth.

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Supermoon Costa Rica 2012

Latitudinal Adjustments – A Summary of Our Move to Costa Rica

Our move to Costa Rica This summary of our move to Costa Rica can be found at Living Abroad in Costa Rica a website/book/guide about moving to and living in Costa Rica. The fourth edition is coming out and our expat profile (a version of this article) will be included. by Erin Van Rheenen Kimberly Beck

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Photography Exposition

EXPO FOTO COSTA RICA

2012 | Photography Exposition at the Antigua Aduana building in San Jose Costa Rica As a photography company in Costa Rica we were compelled to go to the Photography Exposition or Expo Foto near downtown San Jose. The Antigua Aduana (Old Customs) building was just right for such an event. There was attended parking for only $2, beautiful

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Close up of Nance fruit

Nance Fruit Tree (Byrsonima crassifolia)| How to make Chicha de Nance

The Nance (Brysonima crassifolia) Fruit Tree (Nahn-C). How to make Chicha de Nance or Nance soaked in Guaro. The Nance (Brysonima Crassifolia) tree and fruits are used as far North as Mexico and as far South as Peru. It is a food source for mot-mot’s and robins as well as providing nectar for honeybees here in Costa Rica. The

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Neotropical Bird Snake curve

Neotropical Bird Eating Snake (Psuestes poecilonotus)

Three Neotropical Bird Eating Snakes, patterns colors & characteristics This Bird Eating Snake (Psuestes poecilonotus) was found on a farm that raises turkeys and chickens. The environment was perfect for the Bird Eating Snake but not so good for the humans, or the chicks for that matter. The first images show a puffing type of display that gives this

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Faroles in the Dark

Costa Rica Independence Day September 15th

Independence Day San Miguel Limon – Building a farol for the celebration Faroles or Lanterns are made by Costa Rican’s to celebrate their Independence from Spanish rule (1821). There was no electricity at that time so people walked to the towns center with homemade lanterns. While community leaders were discussing plans for the next day the rest of the

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Fresh Corn Cobs

Fresh Corn Corn Bread or Costa Rica Pan de Elote

Pan de Elote is Costa Rica Corn Bread using Fresh Corn from the Cob Growing corn in the rain forest is difficult. Growing corn in the rain forest without chemicals is near impossible. Bugs, worms, heavy rains are just a few of the many reasons we have only a small amount of corn this year. We planted about

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10 Degrees Above INBio

Biodiversity Park INBio parque

Biodiversity Park INBio in Heredia. We went for a mushroom festival and came out with so much more. A mushroom festival was mentioned in a local paper one day. It was going to be held at a place we had never heard of before, INBio Park. It peaked our interest because we had already started some shiitake plugs in a piece of a local tree (guachipelin) and

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Matapalo Beach Costa Rica

Matapalo Guanacaste Family Photos at RIU Resort

Matapalo Guanacaste, getting there during a violent strike in Limon. Arriving to find a seemingly friendly resort which is draining the local town of its water. “So let me get this straight. You want family photo’s taken of your vacation in Costa Rica at a big resort and you want to pay for us to

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False Coral Photo

False Coral Coral Falsa Snake (Erythrolamprus mimus)

False Coral Snake Coral Falsa Culebra (Erythrolamprus mimus) This False Coral Snake was crossing Barry’s path as he went to check on a leak in our water source. He was with a Costa Rican that wanted to immediately kill the snake thinking that it was a “real” Coral, which has an extremely deadly poison. Barry told

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Starting the New Business: Costa Rica

Starting a business in Costa Rica I remember talking up our business plan to anyone that would listen back in early 2010. “We are going to build our portfolio as we drive across the U.S.A. and then open a Bed and Breakfast that offers Photography Classes in Costa Rica.” The star-shine in my eyes must have

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