Homes for sale and homes for rent in Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica | Newsletters

Weather: The wind has been ferocious this past week. We can't begin to keep up with the dust and spend a 1/2 hr. each day picking up the empty bags of cement and debris blown over from the Kirebe construction next door.

Celestial Beauty:  A week ago Friday night we entertained on the terrace. I looked into the sky and saw an incredible sight: In a crystal clear, cloudless night sky, there was the sliver of moon with the penumbra showing and Venus right next to it..  It was amazing—so simple and so awe inspiring.

Comparisons: We leased unit 112 to a retired person previously living in Florida. He said the annual taxes on his condo were $32,000 and his monthly common element fee was around $1,800……. We just paid the annual taxes on the entire Los Jardines –all 29 houses-- including garbage pick up twice a week--$4,950 (average $170 per house). The monthly common element fee for the unit he leased--$250. Here he doesn’t have insurance and his associated expenses (Internet, phone, gas, electricity, and Cable TV will be less than $100—I doubt that Florida can match that. While the unit he’s leasing may not be as extravagant as his condo it’s certainly very comfortable… In my mind, it sure makes one think about what is really important.

Villalobos / “The Brothers” Case:  It’s gone silent again. I’ve responded to the government appointed agent responsible for trying to get agreement amongst the beneficiaries of the court award. Guess I’ll just have to wait it out.

Underpass disaster—in the making!: On the back road linking Pozos and Santa Ana, the one way underpass has been replaced with an additional tunnel allowing two way traffic. The one lane underpass has been a snafu for years and more so recently with the additional traffic from Forum II and elsewhere. The company building this additional underpass is the same company building the San Jose – Caldera roadway and which is actively widening the autopista between San Jose and the beginning of this new roadway. Back to the underpass: the new underpass is at least a meter lower than the existing one (for reasons which escape me) and on either end of this tunnel, the roadway has a steep decent from the south. I cannot find ONE drain in the new underpass. When the first rain comes, this depression will become a foot deep lake and will be impassable.  Pumps will have to be brought in to pump it out and new construction to figure out the drains.  I hope I’m wrong but ………..

Aged beef: Terry and I discovered what may be one of the best kept secrets in CR—even kept from the Ticos (our accountant had never heard of this place)…..a butcher shop which sells truly aged beef. Aside from CR beef not being the same stock nor finished the same as in N. Am., the additional and significant problem is that it is never aged long enough. Even Don Fernandos beef seems to be aged only 8 days.  This new find ages it for 13-14 days—they say—and the product on display supports that. The meat is dark red and dry. We tried a sirloin roast, New York steaks, and the lomito (tenderloin). The sirloin, never the most tender cut in N. Am. was delicious and tender even though we over cooked it—we wanted medium rare but got medium well. It was still tender and delicious. The price? Substantially less than Don Fernandos and AutoMercado. Prime Rib—bone in—Don Fernandos (aged 8 days) $8,000 kilo/ $8 USD per pound – USDA “Choice”  from Belca Purveyors--$12 lb. At our new butcher – C5,000 kilo / $5 lb / aged 13-14 days. Lomito and New York steaks  were around C4,000 kl / $4 USD lb.  We saw  4 butchers behind the counter plus a cashier and 8-10 Ticos being served. Name and location: In Escazu, one block up the hill past Time Out Tavern, on the right with slightly off street parking.  The name includes “….. Hermanos …….” And it seems to be known as “Hermanos”.  They had mostly beef—we didn’t see any pork or chicken but that’s fine since both can be readily available elsewhere.

Note: Terry tried the Delmonico steaks and  was disappointed—so perhaps they are not good on all cuts……

“KARMA”:  A new restaurant (Santa Ana).  When returning from Hermanos, we happened on a new restaurant—it had been open only 2 weeks and they were still putting the finishing touches on the parking area. We decided to give it a try. We ordered calamari—a good test for a restaurant. It was the best that either Terry or I could ever remember having!!!!!!!  Absolutely delicious. Served piping hot, it was lightly  battered, crispy, melt in your mouth tender, and served with what seemed to be a tzetsigy sauce and lime for the asking.  Karma’s has a small bar, indoor seating as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking Santa Ana—beautiful at night. The main waiter speaks a bit of English.  The menu is not all that explanatory and it will take some experimentation to understand what each offering is but it all seems to be casual food.  The calamari portion was small but so good we re-ordered and we weren’t even hungry. Location:  on the upper hill side of the old road linking Santa Ana and Escazu. If traveling east  towards Escazu, it is past Rock and Roll Pollo and Hacienda el Estribos  and on the same side of the street as Estribos. Look for a vinyl sign above the roadway—the entrance is sudden and a 90 degree right turn. If traveling west from Escazu, it is past Cebolla Verde and on the opposite side the road. The entrance is a bit sudden and requires a 90 degree left;  the road is rough (surprise, surprise) but there is parking on the upper level near the restaurant. A group is returning for happy hour Saturday afternoon / evening..... we'll sample some more offerings.

Brian, Lita, Hugo, irreverent Vicka, the pigeon toed parrot, and the newbies — Chico and Chica.

Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager
Hacienda El Dorado
Rio Oro, Santa Ana
Costa Rica

Web: www.eldoradocostarica.com
E-mail: info@eldoradocostarica.com
MSN: jan.kozak.jr@hotmail.com
Skype: jan.kozak.jr

Tel (US) (+1) 647-477-5825
Cell: (+506) 8345 8018