Where are yis going again?

Folks,

We’ve come to the conclusion that most people haven’t a clue where we’re going. I’ve been told that people have heard we’re going to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Porto Rico in the Canaries and to Middle America. We’re actually going to Costa Rica, so I thought I’d share some of the limited knowledge we have of the county so far.

Why did we choose Costa Rica?
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Well, first of all we were looking for a country that speaks Spanish. I have a little Spanish, but would like to use the time away to acquire the language properly. Spain just seemed a little too close. If we were taking this step, we might as well make it a big one. We also decided we didn’t want to be too far from the sea, and it has two coasts.

Where is it?
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Costa Rica is in Central America. It’s north of the Equator, so we’ll still be in the Northern Hemisphere. It has two borders, with Nicaragua to the North and with Panama to the south. It has a Pacific and a Caribbean coast.

How big is it?
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Costa Rica is about three quarters the size of Ireland, with a population of about 4 million. The capital is San José with a population of about 300,000. The major industries are coffee and tourism. Ecotourism is particularly big. Unusually for Central America it is a stable democratic country. It is the only country in the world without an army.

What’s the climate?
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The climate is tropical and sub-tropical. There are two seasons, the dry season from December to April, and the rainy season May to November. With great timing we arrive just in time for the rainy season. Although the country is narrow, there are very high mountains, and the temperature varies quite a bit depending on the altitude. There are occasional earthquakes, flooding and hurricanes, and a number of active volcanoes.

Where will we live?
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Probably in San José. That’s where all the language schools are. So after deciding on Costa Rica because it had two coasts we’re going to live in the equivalent of Athlone!

We’re busy at the moment ferrying our goods and chattels to my mother’s in Ennis. Don’t forget the booze-up – It’s this Friday in the Excise Bar in the IFSC (junction of Lr Mayor St and Mayor Square).

Adios,

Éamon & Jack