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Costa Rica is known globally as a true paradise. The country is decorated withbeautiful white sand beaches, lush rainforests and stunning sunsets. Peoplefrom all over the globe flock to Costa Rica year after year, bathing in the tropicalsun and sipping margaritas on the deck of a sunset cruise on the Mediterranean.These overworked pleasure seeking tourists fly in each year in search of trueparadise, and for a brief moment this is exactly what they find. However, the storyis much different behind the scenes. The true Costa Rica which lies just beyondthe surface is bewilderingly fascinating and more beautiful than anyone can everimagine.

The tourists relax in their inclusive hotel complex amid an environment which has been artificially created for them. Continental breakfast in the morning, beach stroll in the afternoon followed by a relaxing time at the wet bar back at the hotel. They then out they go in the evenings driving a rental car to one of the fine dining restaurants in town.

True, the lavish beaches and magnificent rainforests are a fine example of rawbeauty at its best, and Costa Rica is the place to come to see this. But I have found that the true beauty lies beneath a few thin but tough layers of confusion and frustration.

You see them but they don’t cause any reason for deep consideration. You will notice them passing on the streets, selling their handmade jewelry, sitting behind a small table of pineapples by the beach or relaxing by the side of a road munching on a mango. Wander the town of Quepos and there they are, chatting on the street corners, 16 year old kids smoking a cigarette while engrossed with his cel phone. This is the surface: boring everyday life.

The local ticos, minding their own business and perhaps involved in your business if you are parking your car and they want to take credit for its security throughout the day. You may come here and stay a week, maybe two, for that matter perhaps a month or so and this is all you seem to notice.

You see, this is oftentimes the modern day curse of humanity: our inability to “look”, and our amazing ability to ignore the obvious and only find the mundane, while the secrets of life thrive around every street corner.

Enigmatic Paradise - Continued

For some reason we seem to pity those whose standard of living falls short of ours. While a standard of living is nothing more than our perception of what comforts we should expect out of life. For some a kitchen without a dishwasher is unimaginable, for others a kitchen withouthot water is unimaginable and for the majority, a kitchen with four solid walls is unimaginable. We chase after such a high standard of living in our “developed” worlds that we have forgotten to chase after a high “quality” of life. Meanwhile in the barrios of Costa Rica the Ticos live with a quality of life many find difficult to comprehend.

I moved here to Costa Rica some years ago and stepped onto the local soil with no pre conceivednotion of what to expect but as we all do, I had a brain full of what I was used to accepting. I haddecided what was fair and what wasn’t. I knew the social norms and when to consider somethingreasonable or unreasonable… or did I? My world was about to be turned completely upside down. I hadstepped into a vortex that would challenge every frustration and push me to ask the famous question“Why?”.

It was this process of breaking through these thin but tough layers of cultural difference that brought me to where I am today, and it is these same layers that cause many to leave, unwilling to accept that anything or anyone would approach life with a mindset unlike their own.With each experience came a new question and a new challenge to understand. I want to share my experiences with you and give you a glimpse of my journey through this Enigmatic Paradise.

CONTINUED ON PAGE ## “Conflict Precedes Awareness”

Costa RicaAn Enigmatic Paradise

Conflict Precedes Awareness

This seems to be a general theme in life. Before any type of “revelation” or awareness we first have to endure a type of conflict. We never enjoy the view unless we first climb the mountain. Unfortunately there are many who endure the conflict only to become so discouraged at the end that they miss the newperspective that the experience has given them.

The situation is all too common. We arrange a meeting at a local “soda” or coffee house for 1pm, we eagerlyleave the house, jump in the car or bus and rush to our meeting, usually arriving 5 minutes early with a quiet satisfaction that thus far your day is in order. You order you coffee and sit patiently waiting forsomeone to arrive. We are perfectly accustomed to perhaps a 5 minutes late arrival. However 30 minutes later we are frustrated and feel disrespected. Our schedule for the day has been completely thrown off and the person who said they would come to see you apparently has no consideration for your valuable time. This peace of mind of being in control of our environment never seems to last long in Costa Rica. Is this because there is a “problem” with our environment here? Is this because we are seeking peace of mind by being in control and not from some other source?

Control suggests security and security for the western mind assures us of peace. Once we have our affairs in order and all unwelcome surprises have been all but eliminated, we feel that sense of control. Knowing where and when everything will happen, knowing the money is there, the dates are set, the mechanism of daily life has been carefully constructed and organized to fit our exact needs. All uncomfortable routines and tasks are somehow delegated or dealt with. The dishwasher is going, the recurring payments are set with the online billing system, the oil has been checked in the car, and my “I phone” has my agenda for the next week. With everything organized so as to maximize a stress free life, we still make that decision to escape and get away. And where do we go? Ironically many people year after year choose Costa Rica! Your dishwasher will break, your online payments won’t work, the mechanic says he checked your oil but he just used your car to go to the local store, and your I phone… has it been stolen yet? And I call THIS paradise? As I mentioned before, you never enjoy the view unless you first climb the mountain. The painful process of realizing that control is not the key to luxury or peace is not an easy one. Giving up control is hard; however embracing the new life is truly an unexpected and enigmatic paradise!

Costa RicaAn Enigmatic Paradise

Now, you have arrived, settled in and maybe you’ve been here 6 months, maybe a year. And you are beginning to accept the concepts I mentioned above. The control is slipping through your fingers and you may even be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. However.. this tunnel is deceptive! That light at the end of the tunnel was just your worker lighting up a joint outside your house. In other words.. its not over yet! As we adjust to the daily lifestyle routine challenges we face the next obstacle.

Why won’t they just tell me the truth?!The same word has now been poundedinto your brain time and time again“manana, manana”. Everything will beready tomorrow. The money you areowed, the car that’s at the mechanic, thepapers you need for you corporation, theelectrician, plumber, cleaner… It goes onand on. They don’t come when they saythey will. And they never seem to dowhat you expect them to do. It’s done inthe wrong way at the wrong time andthen you are expected to pay the“wrong” price for the job. Welcome toparadise! By this point 80% of those whohad decided to move here are leaving.Going back to the so called “comforts” ofthe old life. Now there remains that 20%.It’s a purging process. Everyone who liveshere will tell you “some people are justnot supposed to be here”. Paradise is notfor everyone. Sounds like a strange thingto say. In fact so far it seems that thisplace is pretty far from being paradise.Maybe the two week vacation with theprotection of the hotels boundaries andrental car is beginning to feel like theclosest you will ever get to living inParadise.

The true beauty of Costa Rica for me has been found in its unique way of reaching down inside of who I amand helping me come to terms with myself And what I REALLY want out of life. Now that I have finally let go,I manage to see life through such a different lens. The jungle is greener, the ocean is clearer, and every day Ilive in this crazy little town becomes an adventure.

I encourage you to tune in to my blog postings found by following the link on www.queposlife.com. Eachweek I will be charting the course and digging deeper and deeper into this enigmatic paradise of ours.Perhaps I can help you to find what I have found. Or perhaps, with your feedback, you can help me to goeven deeper.

Either you’ve never heard of it, or its your local hangout. There’s no in-between.It seems that for many, Mogambos is Manuel Antonio’s best kept secret. Above Rafael's Terraza, Mogambos Bar is fast becoming the favorite hangout of the Gay community.With a classic lounge type feel, great music, and friendly crowd the Bar has become the well known “pre party” hangout. You never know what might be happening at Mogambos, always celebrating birthday parties for the locals and occasionally hosting some great drag shows.