RAFAEL - SAN RAFAEL - Escazu - The "Beverly Hills of Costa Rica" - in the middle of the Concrete Jungle with EVERYTHING you could need!!!
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Welcome to our Photo Tour of pictures & info on the SAN RAFAEL de ESCAZU, Costa Rica area - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-SanRafael
Sorry - we lost the organized order of this which we'll be fixing soon, along with adding descriptions of many of the businesses/restaurants! Bookmark this & keep checking back.
WITCHES & ESCAZU:
WHY are we using the Witches logo for these pictures?? Well, there are MANY stories on what it's about - but the one that "FEELS" right to me actually is around the JEWISH community!! Supposedly ages ago a group of Jewish people would gather around regularly on Friday at dusk & they would do some strange "ritual" & speak in "tongue". Well - what they were REALLY doing is called "Shabbat" or "Shabbos" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat - a religious "ritual" that is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting prayers/blessing in Yiddish (hence the speaking in "tongue") followed by a ritualistic meal. People that are orthodox dress a certain way (often black) & wear "funny little hats"). Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labors of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. So can you see how people unfamiliar with these ways might think they are "witches"????? (of course my FUN Woo-Woo Spiritual side would rather go with the story of witches & rituals!!!)
SAN RAFAEL DE ESCAZU, COSTA RICA is located just 7 min. West of Sabana Park (Parque la Sabana [without traffic]) - San Jose.
Escazu is often referred to as "The Beverly Hills of Costa Rica" or "The Concrete Jungle". Yes, there is LOTS of $$ in this area, just about EVERY modern convenience you could need and MANY NICE homes, BUT, EVERY TIME I've gone into ANY of the restaurant or business here and 98 % of the time, it's Tico/Nationals and other Latins (all be many of them wealthier/more educated to be able to afford the restaurants which often are lots more expensive than in other areas).
On that note, part of why things are higher in Escazu is the rents are often higher. The Escazu area is often one of the first areas to get any new improvements/techniques!! I've also found you have MANY restaurants of higher quality and/or more unique ingredients in their dishes than you find in a Typico Tico Restaurant and we have LOTS more International Restaurants here!!
In this area we have over 50 Restaurants!!!! Everything from:
Italian - The fav or most of our guests is Sale e Pepe in the strip mall behind POPS! Cafe Torino in Plaza del Rio.!
Mexican - Los Antojitos on Calle Vieja is our FAV (make sure to have Alexander serve you!!) and La Fonda Mexicana on the North side of the street across from the church is tasty also and BOTH DELIVER!!
Chinese -
Vegetarian -
Sushi -
International -
Fastfood like Subway -
Israeli
& MORE
For more details on Restaurants and Food Related info, check out our "Costa Rica Eats" Restaurant Guide at http://CostaRicaEatsGuide.com)
Markets - 7 blocks to the East of The Fountains Guesthouse is Mas x Menos Market
Shops,
Gyms,
Dentists,
Doctors,
All forms of Transportation (just one Bus into San Jose's CocaCola Building or Santa Ana/Pieadades, LOTS of Taxis including many English-speaking & VERY service-oriented drivers & we are just minutes to the Pista/highway],
5 minutes to CIMA Hospital (the BEST & only U.S.-owned hospital in Costa Rica) & more!
THINGS TO DO IN/AROUND THE ESCAZU AREA:
MOVIE THEATRES:
Multiplaza Escazu – Cinemark - near the Food Court – on the South Side of the mall (2-201-5050 / http://cinemarkca.com [for movies & times - go here & towards the top right corner under Cartelera/Horarios – go to Costa Rica & which theatre) - 8 theatres. Movies don’t start till around 2pm weekdays & noon-ish on weekends.
TYPICAL TICO DINNER (CHEAP!!) - Depending on when you arrive, usually the first and/or last night(s) we usually go to dinner at LA CASONA DE LALY - Located in a 200 year old pueblo home with a cool open, VERY tipico interior, big aquarium and a bunch of caged birds located in Centro Escazu - the heart of the REAL part of Escazu!! It is CONSISTANTLY HANDS DOWN THE BEST TICO RESTAURANT I’VE FOUND and BY FAR my FAV spot to go for Tipico Tico food as it’s GOOD and REALLY REALLY CHEAP with food like REALLY TASTY CASADAS like fish (I LOVE mine La Plancha/grilled with LOTS of Ajo/garlic for ONLY 1,500-c [UNDER $3!!]!!), chicken or beef or pork chops grilled, fried or with garlic – YUMMMMM – and here they’re only 1,300-1,800-c!! I LOVE their CEVICHE (1,600-c). They have a BIG menu ranging from Bocas/appitizers starting at 880-c to 4,000 (averaging 1100-1500-c). I’m not a fan of their guacamole (I don’t believe they use Haas which to me makes a good guac but I’ve known others that really like it). Recently I treated a friend for her birthday (big spender me!!!) & she had one beer, I had a club soda, we split an order of YUMMMM ceviche and one of patagonias, I had the casada with chicken (rice, rice, beans, salad, platano!!) and she had the chile relleno PLUS they gave her a nice size piece of b'day cake!! $14!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! EVERYTHING I’ve had here was been REALLY TASTY!!!!!! Check out the fun painted wall in the women’s bathroom (I haven’t checked out the men’s so maybe they have something). HOURS: Tues.-Sat. 11am-11pm., Sun. 11am–6pm.
Local Feria / Farmers Market - WHEN: Sat. from 5am till around 1pm (though many leave around noon) – Here you can mingle with the locals, experience/see LOTS of new things (try MY FAV Agua de Pipa – young coconut water – GREAT for high blood pressure & dehydration & the pork on a stick at the booth next to him – my Sat. morning ritual!!), buy FRESH fruits & veges for REALLY CHEAP!! This is just a small Feria so if you’re wanting the REAL experience, the BEST is in Guadalupe (about a 30 min. taxi ride [about 15 on Sat. early morning).
Organic Feria / Farmers Market - WHEN: Wed. from 8-11am BUT they’re often sold out or limited things by 10am so best to get there early! They have the BEST organic things I’ve EVER seen!! More beautiful than most produce you find at the regular market.
Vege & Watch/Rent Videos/DVD’s - We’ve had some people donate some oldies (including LOTS of Barbra Streisand ones!), some modern, some Spiritual Cinema ! MANY video stores in CR pirate movies hence often carry things before they hit the stores. We have a few in the area or have it delivered!
DINE OUT (or have it Delivered!!) - Within 15 blocks any direction of us we have 50 Restaurants & MANY even deliver (including Goddess forbid – McDonald’s, Bagelman’s, Burger King, Domino’s, Pizza Hut & Papa John’s)!! CR is not really known as a culinary hot spot but our area has LOTS of variety to choose from with everything from Vegetarian (with an Asian spin), Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Continental, Americana, Steaks, Sushi, Jewish, Subway, Typico/Tipical CR fare !
NIGHTLIFE -
BARS - Just 3 1/2 blocks from us is Henry’s Bar/Restaurant – basically TGIFridays for Ticos (hence TOTALLY generic food & drinks at high prices). In the same plaza (Plaza San Rafael) is the new R&C’s Coffee & Lounge – A cozy place with NICE (cute) owners. 5 blocks up the hill we have Time Out Tavern – a TASTY (though not cheap) Gringo Sports Bar with the most screens we’ve found so far. Across the street at Café Torino (only till 8pm) they have a nice little bar in their back area with tasty pastries & gellato! Café Te Con Te across the street also has a small selection of drinks (both in Plaza del Rio ain’t cheap because you’re paying for the ambiance/high rent district). In a strip mall by the Pista are a few dance clubs & bars.
AMBASSADORS RESIDENCIES IN ESCAZU
We have 15 foreign Ambassadors living in Escazu:
United States (ON Calle Vieja - between Plaza Laureles & Paco Plaza), Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Bolivia, Germany, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Taiwan & Chile.
See other ESCAZU pictures at:
CENTRO Escazu - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-Centro
SAN RAFAEL de Escazu - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-SanRafael
SAN ANTONIO de Escazu - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-SanAntonio
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Read MoreWelcome to our Photo Tour of pictures & info on the SAN RAFAEL de ESCAZU, Costa Rica area - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-SanRafael
Sorry - we lost the organized order of this which we'll be fixing soon, along with adding descriptions of many of the businesses/restaurants! Bookmark this & keep checking back.
WITCHES & ESCAZU:
WHY are we using the Witches logo for these pictures?? Well, there are MANY stories on what it's about - but the one that "FEELS" right to me actually is around the JEWISH community!! Supposedly ages ago a group of Jewish people would gather around regularly on Friday at dusk & they would do some strange "ritual" & speak in "tongue". Well - what they were REALLY doing is called "Shabbat" or "Shabbos" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat - a religious "ritual" that is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting prayers/blessing in Yiddish (hence the speaking in "tongue") followed by a ritualistic meal. People that are orthodox dress a certain way (often black) & wear "funny little hats"). Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labors of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. So can you see how people unfamiliar with these ways might think they are "witches"????? (of course my FUN Woo-Woo Spiritual side would rather go with the story of witches & rituals!!!)
SAN RAFAEL DE ESCAZU, COSTA RICA is located just 7 min. West of Sabana Park (Parque la Sabana [without traffic]) - San Jose.
Escazu is often referred to as "The Beverly Hills of Costa Rica" or "The Concrete Jungle". Yes, there is LOTS of $$ in this area, just about EVERY modern convenience you could need and MANY NICE homes, BUT, EVERY TIME I've gone into ANY of the restaurant or business here and 98 % of the time, it's Tico/Nationals and other Latins (all be many of them wealthier/more educated to be able to afford the restaurants which often are lots more expensive than in other areas).
On that note, part of why things are higher in Escazu is the rents are often higher. The Escazu area is often one of the first areas to get any new improvements/techniques!! I've also found you have MANY restaurants of higher quality and/or more unique ingredients in their dishes than you find in a Typico Tico Restaurant and we have LOTS more International Restaurants here!!
In this area we have over 50 Restaurants!!!! Everything from:
Italian - The fav or most of our guests is Sale e Pepe in the strip mall behind POPS! Cafe Torino in Plaza del Rio.!
Mexican - Los Antojitos on Calle Vieja is our FAV (make sure to have Alexander serve you!!) and La Fonda Mexicana on the North side of the street across from the church is tasty also and BOTH DELIVER!!
Chinese -
Vegetarian -
Sushi -
International -
Fastfood like Subway -
Israeli
& MORE
For more details on Restaurants and Food Related info, check out our "Costa Rica Eats" Restaurant Guide at http://CostaRicaEatsGuide.com)
Markets - 7 blocks to the East of The Fountains Guesthouse is Mas x Menos Market
Shops,
Gyms,
Dentists,
Doctors,
All forms of Transportation (just one Bus into San Jose's CocaCola Building or Santa Ana/Pieadades, LOTS of Taxis including many English-speaking & VERY service-oriented drivers & we are just minutes to the Pista/highway],
5 minutes to CIMA Hospital (the BEST & only U.S.-owned hospital in Costa Rica) & more!
THINGS TO DO IN/AROUND THE ESCAZU AREA:
MOVIE THEATRES:
Multiplaza Escazu – Cinemark - near the Food Court – on the South Side of the mall (2-201-5050 / http://cinemarkca.com [for movies & times - go here & towards the top right corner under Cartelera/Horarios – go to Costa Rica & which theatre) - 8 theatres. Movies don’t start till around 2pm weekdays & noon-ish on weekends.
TYPICAL TICO DINNER (CHEAP!!) - Depending on when you arrive, usually the first and/or last night(s) we usually go to dinner at LA CASONA DE LALY - Located in a 200 year old pueblo home with a cool open, VERY tipico interior, big aquarium and a bunch of caged birds located in Centro Escazu - the heart of the REAL part of Escazu!! It is CONSISTANTLY HANDS DOWN THE BEST TICO RESTAURANT I’VE FOUND and BY FAR my FAV spot to go for Tipico Tico food as it’s GOOD and REALLY REALLY CHEAP with food like REALLY TASTY CASADAS like fish (I LOVE mine La Plancha/grilled with LOTS of Ajo/garlic for ONLY 1,500-c [UNDER $3!!]!!), chicken or beef or pork chops grilled, fried or with garlic – YUMMMMM – and here they’re only 1,300-1,800-c!! I LOVE their CEVICHE (1,600-c). They have a BIG menu ranging from Bocas/appitizers starting at 880-c to 4,000 (averaging 1100-1500-c). I’m not a fan of their guacamole (I don’t believe they use Haas which to me makes a good guac but I’ve known others that really like it). Recently I treated a friend for her birthday (big spender me!!!) & she had one beer, I had a club soda, we split an order of YUMMMM ceviche and one of patagonias, I had the casada with chicken (rice, rice, beans, salad, platano!!) and she had the chile relleno PLUS they gave her a nice size piece of b'day cake!! $14!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! EVERYTHING I’ve had here was been REALLY TASTY!!!!!! Check out the fun painted wall in the women’s bathroom (I haven’t checked out the men’s so maybe they have something). HOURS: Tues.-Sat. 11am-11pm., Sun. 11am–6pm.
Local Feria / Farmers Market - WHEN: Sat. from 5am till around 1pm (though many leave around noon) – Here you can mingle with the locals, experience/see LOTS of new things (try MY FAV Agua de Pipa – young coconut water – GREAT for high blood pressure & dehydration & the pork on a stick at the booth next to him – my Sat. morning ritual!!), buy FRESH fruits & veges for REALLY CHEAP!! This is just a small Feria so if you’re wanting the REAL experience, the BEST is in Guadalupe (about a 30 min. taxi ride [about 15 on Sat. early morning).
Organic Feria / Farmers Market - WHEN: Wed. from 8-11am BUT they’re often sold out or limited things by 10am so best to get there early! They have the BEST organic things I’ve EVER seen!! More beautiful than most produce you find at the regular market.
Vege & Watch/Rent Videos/DVD’s - We’ve had some people donate some oldies (including LOTS of Barbra Streisand ones!), some modern, some Spiritual Cinema ! MANY video stores in CR pirate movies hence often carry things before they hit the stores. We have a few in the area or have it delivered!
DINE OUT (or have it Delivered!!) - Within 15 blocks any direction of us we have 50 Restaurants & MANY even deliver (including Goddess forbid – McDonald’s, Bagelman’s, Burger King, Domino’s, Pizza Hut & Papa John’s)!! CR is not really known as a culinary hot spot but our area has LOTS of variety to choose from with everything from Vegetarian (with an Asian spin), Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Continental, Americana, Steaks, Sushi, Jewish, Subway, Typico/Tipical CR fare !
NIGHTLIFE -
BARS - Just 3 1/2 blocks from us is Henry’s Bar/Restaurant – basically TGIFridays for Ticos (hence TOTALLY generic food & drinks at high prices). In the same plaza (Plaza San Rafael) is the new R&C’s Coffee & Lounge – A cozy place with NICE (cute) owners. 5 blocks up the hill we have Time Out Tavern – a TASTY (though not cheap) Gringo Sports Bar with the most screens we’ve found so far. Across the street at Café Torino (only till 8pm) they have a nice little bar in their back area with tasty pastries & gellato! Café Te Con Te across the street also has a small selection of drinks (both in Plaza del Rio ain’t cheap because you’re paying for the ambiance/high rent district). In a strip mall by the Pista are a few dance clubs & bars.
AMBASSADORS RESIDENCIES IN ESCAZU
We have 15 foreign Ambassadors living in Escazu:
United States (ON Calle Vieja - between Plaza Laureles & Paco Plaza), Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Bolivia, Germany, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Taiwan & Chile.
See other ESCAZU pictures at:
CENTRO Escazu - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-Centro
SAN RAFAEL de Escazu - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-SanRafael
SAN ANTONIO de Escazu - http://SarongGoddess.com/Travel/Escazu-SanAntonio
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