The   Bella  Blog

Hola mis amigos! For those of you thinking of relocating to Costa Rica, have you ever considered driving your car here? I can't say that we considered it "seriously", however, I did some research on the subject and watched several videos before I decided it was a "no" for us! I was surprised and extremely curious when I found out that a woman, her daughter and their dog, made that very trip to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica several months ago. She survived! We met for dinner here i

Well, we did it! I finally went ON-AIR with my very first show!! I'm like a proud mama. Hope you were able to catch it. The Caribbean Coast and specifically the Puerto Viejo area has become a Mecca for black people who are considering a move to Costa Rica -- but not much is known about the area because, well, Costa Ricans (with little positive input from Costa Rica Tourism & PR) have a fear of going there - yes, sort of a fear of the dangerous "dark side". Y'all know what I m

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Hope you are all doing well. This year we spent the holidays in Playa Jaco. NYE video below. I have another video to post catching you up on other things and..... I have even more videos that I will be posting starting next Sat Jan 8 So Stay Tuned!!! #ThatBellaLife #BlackInCostaRica #BlackExpatsInCostaRica

Good Morning As you may know, I have been working EXTREMELY hard (a big part of the reason I have been missing on this site) putting together our new internet radio station. I think you will enjoy the music mix as well as the talk shows we provide - many of which will be of help to those who are considering moving abroad. In the beginning we will cover, Costa Rica (our home base) as well as Mexico, Panama, and Tanzania E Africa. Our plan is to expand to include more location

Hello everyone - I know it's been a minute since I have posted but I wanted to stop in today and let you know that I am still around. With the whole "covid" situation, life has changed a bit for us here in Costa Rica, as I know it has for you in the states (and elsewhere). We have not done any travel outside of Costa Rica, which saddens me -- and our travel within the country (although allowed) has been curtailed due to driving and curfew restrictions. We've been doing a lot

We have always had an interest in indigenous cultures. Wherever we travel, we make it a point to search out those indigenous areas and connect with the local people. We have learned a lot! Recently Lavanson contacted an Ayurvedic healer/practitioner in our area and made an appointment for a treatment. He learned of this healing treatment called Rapé (which is also gaining popularity in the US) but little did he know what was in store for him. Remembering our connection with a

Ok y'all, I'm back with a new video! Finally got access to my editing tools. This video is from our last visit to Puerto Viejo (June 2021). We went to Puerto Viejo to attend a wedding and stayed at the beautiful (new) Umami Hotel Garden Spa. In today's video we are on a walk to find breakfast on the beach and ran into a very knowledgeable local who taught us a thing or 2 about medical plants! Many of the them just looked like weeds growing along the road but turns out that th

Hope you are all doing well. Have you been, wondering where I've Been? The answer is, nowhere, yet. But, I have been working on a couple of exciting projects. 1. First project is - a "Jammin" trip to Morocco Morocco Jammin 2022 The Morocco Grand Tour An 11 day group trip to Morocco which we are planning for Sept 2022 The trip is to 5 cities, as well as an overnight stay @ a luxury camp in the Sahara Desert More to follow - *If you are interested please drop me an email and I

We (Lavanson, Verdette and I) finally felt it was safe enough to venture out and make a visit to Jaco, where Lavanson's brother (Charles) lives. Jaco is about an hour and 15 mins from Escazú. Charles moved to a new condo about 6 months ago and we had not yet had an opportunity to see it. We spent 7 relaxing days there and had the opportunity to enjoy some of the beaches, meet up with some friends and also sample some of the restaurants. Sadly during Covid, many businesses, (i

Please join us in beautiful Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica on May 13 - 16th for the 1st Annual Black Expats in Costa Rica Meet Up Bridging the Cultures is our Theme for this year All the info is below Please Click #thatbellalife #blackexpatsincostarica #retiredblackexpats #retiredblackexpatsincostarica #blackincostarica #bridgingcultures #blackexpatslivinglifeabroad

In an effort to begin moving around Costa Rica again (on a limited basis) we have been researching some of the restaurants in the area. All are following social distancing guidelines and are open air locations In today's video review Located - Just 20 minutes from San José! Located in the beautiful mountains of Escazú, San José's upscale suburb. In a farmhouse setting you can experience an authentic traditional Costa Rican ambience. The Views are Awesome!!! #thatbellalife #b

It's no secret --- Costa Rica is NOT known for it's cuisine! I have nothing against rice and beans, and after living here for 5 yrs, I've certainly had my share. Gallo pinto is fine (gallo pinto is a mix of beans, rice, Salsa Lizano, chopped onion, chopped red bell pepper, and chopped cilantro. Usually served alongside a fried egg, ripe plantains, white cheese and homemade tortillas or a piece of toast). Casados are fine too (casados are always offered at sodas (a local resta

Just a quick post to say that the wrap up for our 4 day trip to Tamamrindo has been uploaded to Youtube Please check it out if you haven't already #thatbellalife #tamarindocostarica #blackexpatsabroad #blackincostarica #blackexpatslivinglifeabroad

Here are links for the last 2 days of our trip to Tamarindo Don't miss the gorgeous SUNSET on day 3 #thatbellalife #blackexpatsabroad #blackandretiredincostarica tamarindocostarica #blackexpatslivinglifeabroad

LIVE in The Clubhouse Monday March 8. Please join us. Let me know if you need an invite or if any men would like to participate. Remember you need to have an iPhone. #thatbellalife #blackincostarica #blackexpatsabroad #retiredblackexpatsabroad #retiredblackexpatsincostarica #blackexpatsdatingabroad

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We did it! We finally left our condo and ventured out on a trip! Four glorious days in Tamarindo. This was our first trip but will definitely not be our last! The weather cooperated and we have 4 very pleasant days. I was prepared for the oppressive heat and humidity but instead we had fairly hot days but cooling a bit toward the evening and a refreshing ocean breeze. Our condo had air (of course) but during the time we were inside I found it freeezing @ 72 and had to turn it

How many of you are on Clubhouse? How many of you know what Clubhouse is? Clubhouse is an invitation-only audio-chat social networking app launched in 2020 by software developers Alpha Exploration Co. As of December 2020, Currently available only to iPhone users. I was invited to participate as a speaker on one of the 1st Black Expat Relocation forums "Want to Quit America? Ask these Black Expats How" Are you interested in relocation to Costa Rica? Are you on Clubhouse? Join

Hey everyone! I know it's been a minute but it's been pretty quiet in our life and since we are staying home most of the time, I haven't had much to report -- but I'm back today with a few pics. Still loving our new city even if we rarely get out! The rainy season ended around the end of November and with it came the "dry" season and the wind! The winds can really get gusty during this time of year. Time to secure your plants and patio furniture!!! Its now offically summer