Tank Tops Flip Flops Newsletter edition no. 90

The History of Playas del Coco – The reason why we did this newsletter in the first place is that our good friend Freddy Barahona just opened a new store called Solo Bueno in Playas del Coco.  Freddy was born and raised in Playas del Coco and his family settled here in 1956 as one of the founding families of what is now a modern, thriving quintessential Costa Rica beach town.

The concept of the Solo Bueno store is to only offer hand made, locally crafted goods.  He and his partner started originally producing hand-rolled cigars with local tobacco leaf and opened Artesanos Cigars that many have enjoyed over the years.  Just recently they created Cata Chocolate and decided to move to a larger facility next door that could handle the Solo Bueno store, Artesanos Cigars and now their brand new bean to bar chocolate production facility right here in Playas del Coco.

While Freddy was explaining the concept of the new Solo Bueno Store, walking us through the Chocolate making process and giving us the tour of Artesanos Cigars rolling process we realized that he was a veritable treasure trove of stories about Playas del Coco – How it was formed, what life was like in the old days and how it has changed from then to now.

Tank Tops Flip Flops Newsletter edition no. 88

Quality Time Left.  I was recently in the USA and Canada again visiting some friends, watching sports; the only reason I really go back anymore truthfully. I do my best to avoid North America from October to April as I just flat out, despise the winter. But the NHL and NFL are played in cold weather and they are two of my favorite sports so I suck it up for the sake of satisfying my cravings, and I try my best not to complain. My friends are all tired of hearing how awesome my life is, how gorgeous the weather is, and what an amazing place Costa Rica is to live, and they really hate when I bash the city they happen to live in; “What a dump!”  But heh; that’s their problem, not mine. They could come join me in paradise, just like you can, but for some reason, so many people just postpone. It is incredible how many people email me, looking for info, inquiring about properties, that I know are NEVER going to come here. There are so many of them that just keep torturing themselves, week in and week out, pretending that someday they will live the life, but never put a plan into place. Maybe they don’t have the fortitude, or the guts to pack up and come; maybe they are all talk and no action; I don’t know. But they keep scouring my website, reading my newsletters, sending me posts; “Don’t give up on me yet, Michael, I am coming.” Dreams just don’t COME true people; you have to MAKE them become a reality. Every time, it is one excuse or another; kids, college tuition, work, the Canadian dollar; blah blah blah. Thanks for the update, I tell them, and I go back to living the dream. They are in the bottom of a rut and won’t ever get out. But as I found out this past week, it can all be over in a minute. Would you be satisfied with your life if it was?