About Me

Ξ July 2nd, 2005 | → 29 Comments | ∇ |

Maria Luisa and MeProfiles seem weird. I hate writing about me, but if you made it here, I guess you really wanted to know.

My name is Tim and I live near San José, Costa Rica with my wife Maria Luisa (or just ML), one dog (Pirolina), two Abyssinian cats (George and Charlie), and a green parrot named QuiQui, that never stops talking in two languages.

I do not know the sex of the parrot as:

1. he/she will eat you if you try to ‘check’ and
2. as I understand it, it takes a DNA test to determine sex anyway.

I am originally from Ohio… near Cleveland, but lived in Chicago most of my life and moved to Costa Rica several years ago. The standard question I get is why?

I guess that it was basically the fault of Ernest Hemingway.

Sometime in My Youth, I read The Sun Also Rises and a few other of his novels, many dealing with North Americans leading a sexy expatriate lifestyle. All painted a wonderful scene of living in exotic places and enjoying intellectual conversations over coffee in some Bohemian haunt. Well, I have yet to have an intellectual conversation here and there are no Bohemian haunts to be found. However, it IS exotic here, and the coffee is first rate.

So if you really want to know more… it’s probably best to just start with the questions I receive most often:

Will you ever move back to the US?

Very unlikely. Costa Rica is just about as good as it gets.

Do you miss your family and friends?

Duh!

Do you miss them enough to ever go back?

Hell no. Let them come here. No snow. 🙂

Do you like to live in hot climates?

No. I hate it.

So why do you live in Costa Rica?

Because I live in San José which is in a mountain valley about 5,000 feet in altitude and has near perfect temperature and weather. We average 340 days per year of sunshine and daytime temps of about 78 degrees. Hard to find that anywhere.

I thought Costa Rica was hot?

Parts are! It is at the beaches. 90 plus most days and high humidity. We are only 10 degrees north of the equator, but the Central Valley is almost perfect!

Do you work there?

Yeah, I own several companies here.

Do you speak Spanish fluently?

Well compared to most Americans, I speak Spanish pretty well, but compared to a Latin, no. But I am way past the beer and bathroom questions.

Was it hard to learn Spanish?

Oh hell yes! That “old dog – new tricks” thing is absolutely true. Past age 40, it is damned hard to learn anything.

So how old are you?

Kinda personal huh? Let’s just say I fall into the old dog category!

Is your wife from the US?

No. She is a Tica (a Tica is Costa Rican woman… men are Ticos) and she speaks little English.

Is that a problem?

Not too much. We almost never fight! In my way of thinking, most fights start because the guy says something stupid or thoughtless. If you aren’t really fluent in another language, it is much harder to be an jerk. Of course if the woman is a bitch on wheels… LOL. But mine isn’t! She is sweet.

Is living in Costa Rica expensive?

Depends. If you eat at Tony Roma’s, TGI Fridays or a zillion other places catering to Gringos (North Americans), and if you want to live in gated communities with a bunch of other Gringos, then the cost to live here is about the same as Miami. If you live in a Costa Rican neighborhood (which is most of Costa Rica other than the Gringo hideouts) and eat Costa Rican food, the cost is MUCH less. I know folks living quite nicely here for $700.00 per month.

Where do you live?

I live in a mostly Tico neighborhood with few Gringos. I am about 7 km from San José, the capital of Costa Rica.

Wouldn’t you rather live with other Americans?

Not particularly unless they have learned how to behave themselves in another country. Also, what is the point of living in any foreign land if you’re just going to surround yourself with people from your own country?

How far is the beach?

Depends. About 2.5 hours from the Caribbean Sea and about 2 hours from the Pacific Ocean. Costa Rica is small and would fit nicely inside West Virginia!

What do you drink there?

Too much diet coke! Sadly, I can’t get my favorite here (Diet Dr. Pepper!), and an occasional beer. I hope the Dr. Pepper people read blogs and figure out how to send me a supply.

What’s a beer cost there and is it any good?

In the market? $.90 and yeah… it’s great! Some really excellent brews here!

Do you smoke?

I have almost stopped… it was getting out of hand!

What do cigarettes cost?

Cigarettes? $1.25 per pack for Marlboros

Can I come and stay at your house if I visit?

Maybe 🙂 and if I know you.

What’s it like living on an island?

Sheesh. You watch Jurassic Park and think Costa Rica is an island? It isn’t. It is a country in Central America, and if I want, I can drive 3 minutes from my home to the Pan American Highway and drive back to Chicago in about 8-10 days.

Got kids?

Yup! A son and daughter in Chicago and a son here in Costa Rica plus a gaggle of grandkids.

Tell me something nobody knows about Cost Rica who doesn’t live there!

Burger King and MacDonalds deliver to your home!

How can I write you?

Click the “Email Me Here” link in the sidebar at left.

 

29 Responses to ' About Me '

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  1. on September 20th, 2005 at 4:43 pm

    if not larger, section on living and working in the country, an excellent resource for anyone considering a permanent relocation. But I wanted to know more about the voice behind the site, so I contacted the Real CR and received a pleasant reply from Tim Lytle , who spent three years (about 3,000 hours!) creating the 400-page website. Tim is listed on the contributors page for the site, but nothing distinguishes him as the founder, so I was happy to learn a bit more about him. A native of Ohio and resident of


  2. on October 15th, 2005 at 5:30 pm

    […] But I wanted to know more about the voice behind the site, so I contacted the Real CR and received a pleasant reply from Tim Lytle, who spent three years (about 3,000 hours!) creating the 400-page website. Tim is listed on the contributors page for the site, but nothing distinguishes him as the founder, so I was happy to learn a bit more about him. A native of Ohio and resident of Chicago for many years, Tim moved to San Jose five years ago. Somehow, his early retirement transformed into entrepreneurship, and he now has five businesses in the country, including a web design firm. In addition to maintaining the Real CR website, he teaches a monthly seminar for others considering a move to the country, and is a forum master for the Association of Residents of Costa Rica. […]


  3. on July 5th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

    […] But I wanted to know more about the voice behind the site, so I contacted the Real CR and received a pleasant reply from Tim Lytle, who spent three years (about 3,000 hours!) creating the 400-page website. Tim is listed on the contributors page for the site, but nothing distinguishes him as the founder, so I was happy to learn a bit more about him. A native of Ohio and resident of Chicago for many years, Tim moved to San Jose five years ago. Somehow, his early retirement transformed into entrepreneurship, and he now has five businesses in the country, including a web design firm. In addition to maintaining the Real CR website, he teaches a monthly seminar for others considering a move to the country, and is a forum master for the Association of Residents of Costa Rica. […]

  4. Les Matthews said,

    on November 26th, 2006 at 12:31 am

    Tim–

    I was doing some browsing and came across your site and I agree with you that there is a bunch of garbage, but your site is top rate. I have been to CR on a few different occassions and have fell in love with the little bit of the country I know about.

    I am 34 and currently living in Seattle, but I am ready to bolt as soon as I can make it happen.

    I am coming in December for 10 days over Christmas and New Years with the intent of getting off the beaten path and learning more about the real Costa Rica because it is a place I think I would like to move to. I am starting to put my game plan together right now so that I can make the move within 1 year.

    I was wondering if you knew a good source I could go to find business/investment opportunities in Costa Rica that could qualify me for rentista status. I would only have the funds to qualify for the lower investment amount.

    I realize you probably get several of these inquiries and don’t know me from Adam, but any information would be helpful.

    Thanks for the great site.

    Les

  5. steen madsen said,

    on January 2nd, 2007 at 3:28 am

    Hi Tim!

    I am a danish guy who have spent some time surfing your “real costa rica site” – I have enjoyed it very much (I simply love your humour), any country should have such a site. We are considering to visit Costa Rica for a 4-5 week period with to kids (7 year old twins) – we have both been backpacking around the world (mainly Europe, Africa, Asia Australia/NZ)- but now we are looking for a new country which is safe, and quite easy (comfortable) to travel – would Costa Rica be a good choice – and when would be the best time to visit the country. If we should stay, travel and eat what would be your estimate of a daily cost (we will eat local, and stay in cheap/medium rated hotels)?

    Thanks!

    Best Regards

    Steen Madsen, Denmark

  6. Alexis said,

    on February 18th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

    I think the think i miss most about CR is that every place delivers to your door!! So after a night of heavy drinking at a bar, you get a taxi to your house & grab the phone and order… BK! Oh, plus! Underage drinking… lol. I’ve been going to CR for 3 months out of the year since i was 14 (am now 18) and i have never been turned down at a bar or in Mas por Menos or HiperMAs!! I love 3rd world countries! Maybe thats why I live in one (Miami)!

  7. Sergio Panu said,

    on February 26th, 2007 at 5:00 pm

    Hello Tim,

    It was a real pleasure to have had a chat with you this morning. Thank you again for your time as well as the vast information on your excellent website. It certainly filled in a few blanks.

    I tried to visit http://www.cellphones.cr but was not successful to go online. If you have a moment, could you kindly send me the correct address in case I spelled it incorrectly?

    Thanks again and many congratulations on a great site. Much success and happiness to you and your extended family.

    Best regards.

    Sergio – NJ USA

  8. Tim said,

    on February 27th, 2007 at 10:19 am

    The web site is http://www.cellphonescr.com

  9. donald kukla said,

    on April 4th, 2007 at 12:50 pm

    Hi Tim I am so impressed with the depth of ur sight.Great,great effort. I also was raised in Chicago ( Bucktown area),graduated from Lane Tech in “56”.I want to visit CR for 30 or 60 days to see if I would be interested in a permanent stay. Could you give me the name of the aparthotel you stayed at for 8 months at $1,100 per mth.And phone#. Also the name of the hotel with the great Sunday brunches.Maybe the name & phones of a couple of aparthotels in or near San Hose.I live on $1300 S.S. per month.Thank you very much….Don Kukla….ps. please use my email

  10. Tim said,

    on April 10th, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    Well that was six years ago, and I am about 200% sure that the rates have changed a lot since then.

    Where did you see a post on breakfast? Need that to refresh my memory.

  11. Angela H. said,

    on April 29th, 2007 at 10:40 am

    Tim,
    Thank you for your website “therealcostarica.” I’m a 40 year old taking spanish to complete my BA degree that I never finished when I was young. Trying to learn a foreign language that you have no experience with (I took German in high school) at age 40 is definitely tough, but rewarding. I’m researching Costa Rica for two reasons. First, I’m doing an oral presentation on Costa Rica and your website has given me a wealth of information to talk about. Second, I’m trying to plan a trip to Costa Rica in the next couple of years. The country was my first choice for my honeymoon when I got married 6 years ago, but we opted for a domestic trip to save money for a house. We hope to travel to CR within 2 years. Your website has really helped me because I don’t like to be a “tourist” when I travel. I enjoy doing what the locals do and meeting local people. Your website will help me do that when we travel. I will continue to visit your website and blog. Thanks again.

    Angela H.
    Fairfax, VA

  12. Carlin Corsino said,

    on May 9th, 2007 at 11:00 am

    Hey-

    My name is Carlin. I am graduating from college up in the U.S. in August. Me and my fiancee are planning on moving to Costa Rica to teach. I was just wondering if you had any insight as to how much we could expect to spend on rental apartments, etc, and if you find expatriating to costa rica to be feasible. Thanks.

    Carlin

  13. Tim said,

    on May 9th, 2007 at 1:49 pm

    Working in Costa Rica is covered thoroughly here:

    http://www.therealcostarica.com/residency_costa_rica/working_costa_rica.html

  14. Bob Furlong said,

    on May 24th, 2007 at 6:12 pm

    Tim, Would like an estimate about how many US folks live in CR. Best I can find is between 30-50 thousand. Thanks Bob

  15. Tim said,

    on May 25th, 2007 at 8:33 am

    About 8,500 as of July 2006

    See http://blog.therealcostarica.com/2006/07/06/how-many-us-citizen-expats-are-living-in-costa-rica/

    I am guessing there are maybe another 2-3000 max living here illegally, but most people think that is too high and it is more like 1,000 US illegals.

  16. Shawn said,

    on June 5th, 2007 at 5:05 am

    Tim, I come bearing good news!

    AutoMercado in Rohmoser has Diet Dr. Pepper! They’re only in the can variety, but they do exist!

  17. Tim said,

    on June 5th, 2007 at 6:49 am

    Thanks Shawn!

    I actually found it also at the AM in Santa Ana. I bought some, but sadly, it does not taste at all like the DDP in the US. I was really disappointed.

    I guess I should not have been surprised. Soft drinks here often do not have the same flavor.

    While Diet Coke is about the same, Diet Pepsi is NOT. It is much better here than in the US. Go figure!

    Thanks for thinking of me though.

  18. Shawn said,

    on June 10th, 2007 at 8:37 pm

    That’s strange. Did they have the import stickers, or were they bottled locally? The Dr. Pepper at this AM had the import stickers, and I must admit, the Diet Dr. Pepper tasted the same to me.. or at least, so close that I had a “Everything in the world is as it should be” moment. Then again, I haven’t had one in a couple months prior, so…

    The Pepsi Light, however, I agree is quite a bit better; I just wish we had more diet colas with Splenda available!


  19. on June 17th, 2007 at 10:37 pm

    What do cigarettes cost?

    Cigarettes? $1.25 per pack for Marlboros

    Yes they are expensive, not $.075 like in Nicaragua. 🙂

  20. Lonnie Waterhouse said,

    on July 26th, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    Hi Tim great site. Plan on moving in the next 2 years and hopefully buying a little B & B or couple of cabanis to supplment my pension. But have 2 dogs and do not think they can fly they have never been in a crate. Will be driving from Canada. Any suggestions on how to get a vehicle there and not having to pay the big tax on bringing a vehicle to CR. Hope to come in Feb for a month to look at some property.
    Thanks
    Lonnie

  21. Maxine Winder said,

    on January 16th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

    This is a fantastic website!! I have thoroughly enjoyed your writing style and your candid presentation of this useful information. We will be visiting Costa Rica in Feb/08 and looking forward to it! I am definately going to recommend this site to any others I know who will be traveling to CR.
    This gringo Thanks You for the work you have put into this site!

  22. Erwin said,

    on February 28th, 2008 at 8:55 am

    Tim, great site. I did not read about the culture from the dating aspect. Dating tica!

    thanks

  23. Rob C. said,

    on March 19th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    Great site! Just visited CR for the first time.What a memorable and beautiful place.The Costa Ricans are wonderful and helpful. We will come back again to visit. Thanks for the tips and information. Very helpful!! God bless!

  24. robert said,

    on May 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    Hi Tim am a Marine leaving active service in agust and moving to costa rica, you site has answerd many of my concerns thanxxx, maybe we can share som java when i get down there!!!

  25. Donna said,

    on May 24th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Greetings Tim,

    Just wondering why you decided to marry again?

    enjoy all your info about costa rica…never been there. sounds like you’re enjoying your retirement.

  26. Tim said,

    on June 9th, 2008 at 10:35 am

    Retirement? LOL. I have six companies here and I work more than I did in the USA 🙂 But working here is very different. My wife has asked me to sell one of them and I am complying. Up for sale now… so we shall see.

    Why did I marry again?

    I did not activate your comment as my first thought was “What business is it of hers?”. Then as I thought about it, why not? It’s not all that personal.

    So….

    Well certainly there was no pressure from ML. I think she would have just been OK with living together forever, but I am olde school. Regardless of age, I feel that when you love someone, you say it every day, you treat them like you love them (or try to anyway), and you commit to them in front of everyone.

    I am not a youngster and not too likely to enjoy roostering around. I like stability. I also have learned that people who think living together and marriage are the same have their heads buried so deeply that they smile through their navels.

    I know of no easy marriage. When there is no commitment other than just “lets live together”, it is just too easy to leave when the poop hits the fan. Marriage, I believe, makes you think twice before you do something dumb… not because of financial matters, but more because you gave your word in public. Your word is pretty much all you have.

    So if you’re a young person, you probably think I am an idiot. If older, who knows?

    Anyway, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

  27. Jeffrey said,

    on September 23rd, 2008 at 7:28 am

    Tim,

    Just wanted to say hey. I have read through most of your sight and agree. My fiance is a Tica and still lives there while I finish school in America. We talk about where to live and I know that I would rather be there. Hoping I can find a decent living there.

  28. Kay Spencer said,

    on September 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 am

    Tim,

    Stumbled across your personal blog via the ARCR forums. It’s a great forum for info, but I do like the smaller scope of your blog, which is also, happily, quite entertaining. I’ve been searching your blog for a direct email address but cannot find it.

    I am a writer, film/video – will be taking a month-long writing/relaxing sabbatical to CR in December, test for spending a year doing the same. I’d like to discuss ideas re living arrangements for the month I’ll be there. What I seem to NOT be finding in posting my needs in a forum, is the “genuine person” aspect. ie., lots of business/BB/hotel recommendations. Not what I am looking for.

    I don’t really want to go on and on about details like how I’ll be traveling solo, etc, online – obvious reasons (or maybe I’m just paranoid). Anyways – if I could ask you a few questions privately?

    Hope to hear from you. Either way, great blog. Regards to ML – empathy for the hormones – me, too.

    Kay

  29. harold aranoff said,

    on November 24th, 2008 at 9:45 pm

    I want to spend a month in C.R. with the object of seeing if I feel comfortable to relocate.I speak Spanish and have many questions.I’d like to set up a base in S.J. to explore out from and return to.I need all the help(info) I can get.
    Thanks

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