On Shopping (a gringo perspective for visitors or those moving here)

Costa Rica is not a "shopping country" except for the 3 weeks before Christmas when everyone has an extra month of pay to spend on the kids or on major appliances or mattresses. Christmas is a delightful and happy time of year here due to that 13th month of pay known as an "alguinando" (a legal requirement of all employers in Costa Rica).



The rest of the year there is no so called "disposable income" (what loony came up with that phrase?). As Costa Rica is a very "local environment" everyone tends to buy things locally. Since there are not that many stores and nobody has much money this tends to save a great deal of unnecessary expenditures (well except the month of December).

If you are a visitor to Costa Rica you should be aware that there are very few uniquely Costa Rican items anywhere in the country . . . but you may want to think about adding these to your itinerary to help support local folk (make sure stuff is made in Costa Rica).

There are plenty of souvenir shops but none like this one. In San Jose just north of the center you'll find a lovely shop called the Namu gallery - about 40 mins from here. They collect and sell only indigenous art from groups like the Borucans and the Maleku. Their sales help support these indigenous communities. Namu is a one of a kind in Costa Rica and is doing the right thing.

You can also visit Boruca - about 5 hours south of Alajuela (easy to get to, drive past Manuel Anatonio) and a spectacular visit in a beautiful village where most of the folk are somehow connected to the selling of intricately carved and painted masks and the police station is shuttered closed. You need a 4*4 to get to the village but worth the effort.

You can visit the Maleku if you travel to Arenal as do 80% of our visitors but nearly nobody goes another few km to the Maleku reserve. The Maleku can organize tours for you that your hotel can hook you up with to visit things like poison dart frogs, medicinal plants and a "museum" (really a twig hut but a great visit where you may be able to find a necklace made from Gar fish scales). The people are wonderful and need your support . . . they make some art such as rain sticks, iguana covered drums etc.

You may not have heard about the Chorotega? Yup right on your way to the northern and central Guanacaste beaches near Santa Cruz - distinctive pottery in pre-colombian styles.
You can visit the Bribri in the Caribbean zone . . . take a day trip to Yorkin (if your trip includes Puerto Viejo or Cahuita), a delightful indigenous group - and the largest in Costa Rica . . . the trip is by dugout and they make chocolate, bows and arrows as well as the occasional painting (which you should snap up because their output in nearly zero).

Many tourists also visit Sarchi, the home of the wood workers of Costa Rica just 30 mins from the Pura Vida Hotel. You'll find all kinds of local wood stuff and things like our famous rocking chairs (very good for pondering about peace) and ox carts and such. If you go, try and visit the last authentic waterwheel driven oxcart factory still run by the nearly octogenarian Alfaro brothers - find the big church/giant oxcart and wander around about 300 meters north and west of the church and you'll see their ancient factory. Make sure to leave a small donation in the box for using up their time showing you their wonderful ancient contraptions.

Finally, there are more but you'll also find interesting things in some hotel gift shops - look for locally produced items - often wood but sometimes some nice ceramics - in particular the famous PEFI ceramics (also at the Pura Vida) made by the daughter in law of Don Pepe Figueres (the guy who established modern Costa Rica and no doubt pondered peace in our time after he abolished the army in 1948 while sitting in a famous Sarchi rocking chair). You may have to work on these things but they'll be worth it :-)

For people moving here, we advise stuffing a container with good plumbing and electrical stuff. If you do not use it you can always sell it. Such items are expensive here but over the last couple of years have become more available. A few things like 3-way dimmers are impossible to find and some products seem to be being dumped here (such as safes where the keys don't work).

For housewares we recommend Cemaco - a local chain with branches around the country - good quality and selection. For gringos in need of a Home Depot fix, we have a smaller chain called EPA (3 stores - Escazu, San Pedro and Heredia - and growing) - but still most home fixit stuff is bought at little ferreterias on most town street corners. These little stores are troublesome if you don't speak Spanish and you need to describe a plumbing fixture to the runner who seeks such things. However, we highly recommend trying to support the local economies which is what we use local people and local businesses if we are going to build something.

For furniture we have most stuff made now through a local expert carpenter in our village and a guy with a shop in Sarchi (the woodworking capital). It is also good to be on good terms with a local welder - we have 2 or three we know - one who makes beautiful windows and doors. For kitchen stuff, there is a commercial kitchen supply house in Pavas called TIPS - they have the best selection and anyone can buy there. There is no real diferentiation or discrimination - if you can find a wholesaler you can often buy small amounts at wholesale prices.

For appliances we have a duty free purchasing area at Golfito in the zona sur - a long way from here. few people recommend this anymore as it is too far and the prices are not much different to places like Pricesmart in Escazu. All the gringos have a Pricesmart card - good prices on things like fridges, generators (yes, some people need them), dog food, rice and bulk stuff like that. An finally for our guest building a house in Dominical, yes we have a Walmart here - it is in Escazu and is disguised as a Hipermas store so nobody gets upset. It is a vast and sad place. I think the better options are above.

Finally when buying things that need fixing like lawnmowers and such, get it from the local store - they need the money more than you and they love fixing things. Every town has a fixit shop and they will fix almost anything you can think of. We just recently found a place for example that will put wheels back on suitcases.

Costa Rican Adventues . . . The last Oxcart "Factory"

Every month we try to get out and about and visit something interesting in our adopted home of Costa Rica. This time it started inauspiciously but finished perfectly.

Your Driver/Guide
Some months ago we had asked our long time driver/guide Sterling to concoct a tour of disappearing Costa Rica for guests with, like us, an interest in history. Our goal was not merely to provide a new tour but at the same time find new ways to support some of the old traditions. Perhaps some additional revenue for some ancient craftsmen might keep them in business for another generation for future visitors to learn about ancient crafts.

Another Tradition
Probably one of the greatest success stories in Costa Rica for the revival and development of an old tradition are the indigenous Borucans and their mask carving and painting in the southern zone of Costa Rica.

A Day Trip
But we needed something that would work as a day trip from the Pura Vida Hotel which began inauspiciously with the following conversation. I called up our trusty guide one morning i knew him to be free and said, "OK we're ready for the trip to the Trapiche." After a moments hesitation on the other end of the phone Sterling replies, "Um it's closed." "Ugh, too late!".

Fortunately there are 1 or 2 more "Trapiches" with public access not far from the hotel so off we went. NOTE: we'll get to the unique Trapiche later. The trip started with our English speaking guide, Sterling, picking us up after breakfast and taking us along the back route of picturesque villages and coffee
plantations to Sarchi, a 35 minute journey from the Pura Vida Hotel.

The Living Museum Tour Kicks into Gear
On the way we did a brief visit to the old metal church of Grecia (inaccurately attributed to a bad delivery destined for Greece) then on to the nicely tidy church at Sarchi, the artisan capital of Costa Rica.

Sarchi, Capital of Everything Wood
Sarchi is known for it's lovely hand painted ox carts for tourists, wood works, rocking chair makers as well as being the center of most other furniture making in Costa Rica. It is also home to what I have to refer to as "the living museum" of Elloy Alfaro and Sons.

Sarchi is a model of success when it comes to Costa Rican villages. Painted bridges, clean and well organized, souvenir stores, a nice church and so on. In the old days the oxcart was the only means of travel other than horseback along the muddy and deeply rutted trail from the central valley to the only port of the country.

Oxcart Breakdowns
On their first night out of San Jose the oxcarts had need of repairs and Sarchi was a 1 day oxcart ride from San Jose . . . and thus began the evolution of Sarchi into todays picturesque and "well to do" town of wood artisans.

Sarchi
Sarchi is really 2 towns Sarchi Norte and Sarchi Sur but you'll not know which one you are in . . . we made our way to the church, the center of nearly all Costa Rican towns. This now has an enormous oxcart in front but we had come not to tour but to visit with perhaps the last oxcart builder in Costa Rica.

Eloy Alfaro y Hijos
You feel like you should be tying up your horse or ox at the front "door" of the Alfaros oxcart "factory" rather than stepping out of a shiny 2009 Toyota Hiace. As you peer into the unlit rooms (unlit except for sunshine pouring through many "openings") You are reminded of Victorian era factory photographs.

Rubber Belts
Everything and I mean everything is in some way connected to a rubber belt or a wheel or a mechanical gear.
It is a fully equipped machine shop in every way except one. There is no electricity.

100% Green!
A long steel pole runs all the way down the shop connected to belts and gears and machinery for cutting, milling, shaving, grinding etc etc.  This pole leads back to a giant waterwheel driven by a rather small stream which has been diverted into a sluice that runs over the top of the water wheel.

Installed in 1923, rebuilt in 1934 and 1965!
An impressive brass plate shows this wheel was installed in 1923.  There is an "off switch" of course.  You pull on this wooden pole which diverts the water off the wheel and the whole shop grinds literally to a halt!

A family business
The Alfaro workshop is a family business and is headed up by two brothers Uriel and Fernando both now in their 70's. They are very happy to show you around and introduce you to everything going on in this busy place. Downstairs they make the wooden oxcart wheels including the steel hubs.  Their workshop though focused on the old arts of oxcart making in fact needs to stay afloat with other kinds of woodwork.

Costa Rican Adventures . . . "made in Costa Rica"

A question we get a lot is "where can I find the real thing?" (referring to stuff made here that you can take back).  Over the years we've had the privilege of being able to wander around the country and here's a small "snapshot" of places where you'll find just that.

There's really two parts to the question . . . for most folk the idea is wrapped around something authentic that represents the country they are visiting and the second part in the minds of many (optimistically) is the idea that perhaps you can support the local economy in some way.

There are very few uniquely Costa Rican items anywhere in the country because in large part, unlike a number of other latin countries, Costa Rica always had a very small indigenous population (the reasons for that means you're just going to have to visit to find out).

As you plan a trip to Costa Rica, you may want to think about adding these places to your itinerary to help support local folk.  You wont find a "hecho in Mexico" or "made in China" in any of these places.

In San Jose just north of the center you'll find a lovely shop called the Namu gallery - about 30 or 40 mins from here.  They collect and sell only indigenous art from groups like the Borucans and the Maleku.  Their sales help support these indigenous communities.  Namu is a one of a kind in Costa Rica and is doing the right thing - drop by and ask Aisling about the communities they support with their efforts: http://www.galerianamu.com

You can also visit Boruca - about 5 hours south of Alajuela (relatively easy to get to, drive past Manuel Anatonio) and a spectacular visit in a beautiful village where most of the folk are somehow connected to the selling of intricately carved and painted masks and the police station is shuttered closed.  You need a 4*4 to get to the village but worth the effort.  Local residents Mike and Lara are helping with a web site here:  http://www.borucacr.org/help.html

You can visit the Maleku if you travel to Arenal as do 80% of our visitors but nearly nobody goes another few km to the Maleku reserve.  The Maleku can organize tours for you that your hotel can hook you up with to visit things like poison dart frogs, medicinal plants and a "museum" (really a twig hut but a great visit where you may be able to find a necklace made from Gar fish scales).  The people are wonderful and need your support . . . they make some art such as rain sticks, iguana covered drums etc.  Not far from the Maleku reserve 9and a great local place to stay) you'll find our friends Steve and Debbie at : http://leavesandlizards.com/

You may not have heard about the Chorotega?  Yup right on your way to the northern and central Guanacaste beaches near Santa Cruz - distinctive pottery in pre-colombian styles.  Most people wizz right by  . . . here's a tale from one of our trips that brought us to Guaytil, the Chorotega village: http://puravidahotel.com/ostionalwebpage.html    - do drop by Fatimas "rural university" at the entrance to the village.  This would be a great stopover on your way to visit turtles at Junquillal and our good friend Joan's Hotelito Si Si Si here: http://hotelitosisisi.com/

You can visit the Bribri in the Caribbean zone . . . take a day trip to Yorkin (if your trip includes Puerto Viejo or Cahuita), a delightful indigenous group - and the largest in Costa Rica . . . the trip is by dugout and they make chocolate, bows and arrows as well as the occasional painting (which you should snap up because their output in nearly zero).  If you're in the neighborhood you might try staying at Wendy's here: http://www.cashewhilllodge.co.cr/  - a great base for exploring the area and visiting the Bribri

Many tourists also visit Sarchi, the home of the woodworkers of Costa Rica just 30 minutes from the Pura Vida Hotel.  You'll find all kinds of local wood stuff and things like our famous rocking chairs (very good for pondering about peace) and ox carts and such.  If you go, try and visit the last authentic waterwheel driven oxcart factory still run by the nearly octogenarian Alfaro brothers - find the big church/giant oxcart and wander around about 300 meters north and west of the church and you'll see their ancient factory.  Make sure to leave a small donation in the box for using up their time showing you their wonderful and ancient contraptions.

Finally, there are more but you'll also find interesting things in some hotel gift shops - look for locally produced items - often wood, some home made textiles but sometimes some nice ceramics - in particular the famous PEFI ceramics (which you can find at the Pura Vida and a few other nice places) made by the daughter in law of Don Pepe Figueres (the guy who established modern Costa Rica and no doubt pondered peace in our time after he abolished the army in 1948 while sitting in a famous Sarchi rocking chair).  

You may have to work finding these people, places and things but they'll be worth it :-), Berni