Who wrote The Real Costa Rica?

Well, that would be ME, but I had help from some contributors.

My name is Tim and I live near the capitol city of San José with my new (since 2005) wife, Maria Luisa, and I am a citizen of Costa Rica.

I am originally from Chicago, and I have kids living in the Chicago area and in London, England, plus grand kids in both.

Probably the best way to learn about me is to take  peek at my personal blog.  For those of you not familiar with the word BLOG, it is a (not very good) contraction of the words WEB LOG, and is really best described as an online diary.  Mine contains my personal information and the often goofy goings on in my Costa Rica.  I use an occasional bad word, so for you puritan types, beware.  None are really bad words though!  More PG maybe at the worst.

Don’t confuse that blog with The REAL Costa Rica Blog which is actually an important part of this web site! You should definitely click that link to take a look. It contains a wealth of information not available in this web site including updates.

I actually came here some years ago to retire.  Well that didn’t work!  I guess I wasn’t ready.   I now own and operate three businesses in Costa Rica and do business internationally, so I am familiar with both the personal aspects and the business climate in this country.  ML and I travel and spend weekends exploring so we know Costa Rica.

As I wrote in the home page, I want people to come and know Costa Rica either as visitors or as residents, but especially for you future residents, you truly must understand that there are TWO Costa Ricas.  The English speaking, tourist accommodating Costa Rica, and the normal Spanish speaking everyday Costa Rica with a beautiful centuries old culture.  The first one is easy!  The second takes some adjustment, but if you are able, it is SO worth the trouble.

Since around 2009, I have offered “tours” to teach folks what to expect and how to cope. Interested? Click here.

One of my (unpaid) jobs is a forum master for the ARCR Forums.  I recommend that forum as a good starting point for those of you considering the BIG MOVE.

The REAL Costa Rica is my baby.  I added a few Google ads and some nice folks are paying to have their ads on the web site. The ads you see will almost always be relevant to the subject (page) you are reading.  Cool huh?  I ask that you support them if they offer a service you need as it took almost three years to write The Real Costa Rica and it is costly to maintain.

Enjoy!

Tim and Maria Luisa
San José, Costa Rica