“The Pure Life”
One of the first things you learn when arriving in Costa Rica is that “Pura” means pure and “vida” is life and that “Ticos” are always saying “Puravida”. It is basically how we feel and how we live. Whenever you ask someone a question, almost all the time the answer is “Puravida”. Everything and everyone in Costa Rica is puravida. Everyone seem to enjoy life even though things are more difficult and move very slowly. A simple explanation why everything in Costa Rica is Puravida is that we are not too worried about anything. When someone says they are “puravida”, it’s because everything is OK.
It seems to me that for the locals, the essence of life is to take time to enjoy each unique moment and not to worry about what you cannot fix.
So my advice to you is, when you go to Costa Rica don’t get too upset about the bad roads, the awful traffic, the long lines at the ATM machine or the eight construction workers standing around “fixing” whatever is blocking your way. If you come to Costa Rica and expect everything to be efficient, and no hassle you will definitely be pura frustrated!
Remember that us ticos deal with this everyday and we still find everything to be Puravida.
About Me
- Andrea and Matt Conty
- We are the owners of Costa Rica Cellular Connection, the most affordable cell rental service in Costa Rica.
1 comment:
"Pura Vida" is the essence of Costa Rica. It underlies everything and is one of the main reasons Costa Rica is so different from other Central American Cultures. It is the reason the Ticos are so warm and friendly. It allows them to accept us uptight, wound-up, time consumed Americans so readily.
Even in the tourist areas, you can see "Pura Vida" in action. The very helpful staff, the drivers who will go out of their way to accommodate you and not charge you extra, the restaurant that makes sure your little one has a meal she likes, and so on. I left little bits of our stuff all over the West Coast, from Manuel Antonio to Puntarenas. Every single item came back to me. In what other country would that happen?
"Pura Vida" is a lesson we can learn from Ticos and apply to our lives here.
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