Finding Giacomin Cafe...and a night of Jazz at NavCafe

If you thought you would miss too much by living in Costa Rica, you perhaps have not been out enough, or yes...there's always the grandkids. I miss them too...but what a wonderful, full life, if lived. A Jazz band, good friends, great food, and even a date... Yes, strange in a place so far away from all the normal ways singles meet.

Knit-Ins are going great...projects being worked on, friendships being made and really a lot of fun too. This is holy week, and with Costa Rica being a Catholic country, everyone seems to have come out to church or will over the next week. The tradition of atonement, for a year of complacency, or just a remembrance of the symbolism. Many places will be closed over the next week, while some rest, others will vacation. This is a busy time at all the spots of leisure.


Thursday will be a little different, the place we normally meet to knit will be closed for the holiday. So, we will figure something else out...one of our homes, the park, or maybe somewhere else. Yesterday, the gals from Heredia met in a nice cafe, Giacomin, near the mall, Paseo de Los Flores to stitch n bitch...well, mostly visit. We had such a nice time and after meeting gals I had corresponded with for a long time, to finally meet them was a rewarding day. Knitters have a connection that goes deeper than just the projects we are knitting on. Making new friends, and sharing our lives, made me want to return and connect again. It is a very comfortable Cafe also, sofas, nice chairs and great atmosphere.

Friday was the date...dinner and conversation. Singles are a rare breed in Costa Rica, well, northerners that is. Another difference from those residing in the states, is that it takes a certain amount of grit to sell everything, or pack up ones belongings and move to a foreign country, especially for a single person. The fact that most people come here as couples, is not by chance. We all require support and a kinship that is not easy to replicate in a different culture. Many men come here in hopes of finding a beautiful, younger, often sub-subservient Tica to share their life with, and many are available. If that is what one's desire is, there are plenty of opportunities. For the single women, moving here, has a totally different draw. So finding a single available man, amongst us is rare. Developing male friendships is more difficult here. There's just are not many unattached men, even including the Tico male population.

Saturday evening several of us went to NavCafe for an evening of Jazz and relaxation. There are some retired Jazz musicians who have gotten together with other Tico musicians, and have practiced enough to produce a great sound. Coffee, food, bottles of wine and a wonderful atmosphere served to make for a great evening. The gardens at NavCafe are beautiful, and serene and with the orchids blooming, it took my breath away.

New "Navcafe" in Palmares

Saturday was the Grand Opening for this new shop in Palmares. Live music, performed by a local dual, presented a pleasant background for friendly neighborhood conversation. The young waiters/waitresses provided food and drinks in a festive atmosphere.

Palmares is a small, very tropical looking town. The streets are lined with palm trees, and greenery that make it one of the most inviting towns I have visited in Costa Rica. People are friendly, and the weather is warm and inviting all year round.

The store front was, in the past, called "One Stop", and offered an internet cafe. Now, after much construction and hours of painting and much work, it has so much more to offer. Murals line the walls of the cafe, providing a tropical forest atmosphere. "Navcafe" is a coffee brand from the local area and is served in many different blends of drinks in the coffee house. You may have tasted other Costa Rican coffees, but Navcafe is going to have you 'hooked'. You will love the delicate aroma and savor the rich bold taste of this coffee. Sweet delicious desserts and smoothies for the "non-coffee" drinkers are offered also. Not only is it an internet cafe, it has a butterfly garden, with many varieties of native butterflies. But the one major new addition is the "Smart Tours", featuring the many wonderful vistas and notable spots in the San Ramon/Palmares area. This is a great town to stop by on your way to the Pacific coast beaches, or if you are heading east to San Jose. It is located with easy exit/access to the auto pista, and will provide a rest during your travels in Costa Rica. The tours range from the coffee plantation, a cloud forest, culinary archaeology and folk roots, and a guided walk to study heliconias and gingers in the Avocado Mountains. These tours will not only explain the effect of "global warming" on cloud forest, and the co-evolutionary patterns of a neo-tropical forest, but the walk with bring you closer to nature than you have ever been before.

They have a web site which is under construction, and will have links to the coffee plantation, the tours, and other places of interest in the area. It should be ready soon. Book mark it for later reference, and call the number below for more information on tours.

http://www.costaricaonestop.com/ 506-452-1700