Times are tough these days for Nosara’s restaurants. Coronavirus drastically reduced tourism and making it to high season is proving difficult, if not impossible, for multiple locations.

Michael Streda from Beach Dog Cafe feels the restaurants helped shape the Nosara experience and are an important part of the community. However, his restaurant is struggling to remain open and he is starting a GoFundMe as an attempt to save his employees’ jobs.

In this episode, Mike shares his thoughts how Nosara is ‘on the cusp of turning into franchises like Subway and hotel based restaurants and losing part of what makes us special’ along with explaining his personal situation.

 

Here’s a link to his GoFundMe: https://gf.me/u/yrmkbi

Donate $50-$100 for a free lunch… Over $100 gets free T-shirt

***Personally, I agree with some of Mike’s statements in the video. So restaurant owners please feel free to reach out to me if you need some help. I am putting together an article for the Nosara Times soon and happy to include info for those working hard to make it. We can do quick podcast episodes too if you want to share your personal story.

Dr. Alejandro is back on the Nosara Podcast with mid July COVID updates and advice for residents of the Nosara area.

In this episode we discuss:

Significant COVID testing increases (including Nicoya)

Changes to our beach access

Challenges with epidemiological nexus

Total deaths

Nicaragua

2 more Nosara cases confirmed (in addition to Barco Quebrado)

Throwing of rocks at house of COVID patients

The crack down on crowded houses in Nicoya and Nosara

Be economical with expenses due to uncertain future

We are 2 weeks behind

Airports and August 1st plans for reopening

Mandatory masks and consistent hygiene measures

LIMIT YOUR NEWS INTAKE

Hydroxychloroquine

Vaccine timing and ongoing trials

Schools reopening

Constant changes and ups and downs

Construction crews

Blood tests, vitamins and supplements

What is Dr. Alejandro doing for fun?

Are COVID tests available to the public?

*The Spanish version will be posted this weekend. La versión en español se publicará este fin de semana.

Julian Hoeing is successful by most anyone’s definition. He’s got a beautiful family and his professional resume includes designing for Lamborghini and Audi as well as Apple. However, Julian essentially walked away all of this to design surfboards and surf.

For those who may be unaware… It is extremely difficult to make money in surfboards. The margins are small, and there is a huge amount of competition. Regardless, this Austrian born designer and engineer who grew up skiing and snowboarding decided it was time for a change towards all things surf.This podcast is one of my favorites in a while. I literally met Julian when we sat down for this episode and ended up making a new friend. He’s super funny (certainly by engineer standards anyway) and we covered all kinds of things.

We discuss surfboard design and go through a couple of his newer models, the time Kelly Slater reviewed his boards and shared some of his own, favorite waves and boards, some Nosara stuff, wave pools, and I ramble about how most everyone is riding the wrong equipment and tease Julian about yoga. But the main takeaway in this episode for me is how Julian left the definition of what most people call ‘success’ behind to live his life more based around what he really wants to do, which is all things surf.

PS – Many thanks to Denisse Lashley for introducing me to Julian and setting this up!

This episode of the Nosara Podcast is an update from Dr. Alejandro about the arrival of COVID 19 to the Nosara area. In 25 minutes he details our current situation and provides suggestions and insights.

Recent visit to Ministerio de Salud

Various rumors and speculation

2 cases in Barco Quebrado

What is your social bubble?

2nd wave has started as evidenced by the increase of cases

Areas with big spikes are on ‘Orange Alert’

What is Phase 4 and how can we avoid it?

Is COVID already inside Nosara or just extremely close?

It is up to us whether to spread this around Nosara or contain it

Health Ministry is doing a good job tracking the Nexus

Stay away from groups and verify hygiene measures if around one.

People not telling the truth is one of the main problems health officials are facing

There’s a reason for all of the repetition on health protocols… Now is the time Nosara should focus.

Phase 4 is ‘economic doom’

People on the beach need to use beach properly

Volunteers to help educate are needed if we want to keep the beaches open

Vaccine still in the works

Be kind towards others who are sick and don’t spread or encourage rumors on social media

COVID arrival to Nosara not a surprise

Are the beaches to blame?

CR overall doing well

Other sicknesses are causing confusion

1500+dengue cases already

The ‘new normal’

Herd immunity still not happening

I had a great time speaking with Henry from El Local and I’m happy to share his episode. This was our first time speaking at length outside of El Local, the restaurant he manages, and it was fun getting to know him. Initially, I didn’t know how much he likes to laugh and joke around.

However, we share lots of laughs throughout this 60 minute episode as Henry shares his background and journey to Nosara, how he brought El Local to the upper tier of Nosara restaurants, what challenges him the most and what drives him to succeed, his daughter, some Nosara ups and downs, his take on aliens, what his favorite restaurants are and a bunch more. I hope you enjoy Henry’s Nosara Podcast!

In this Nosara Podcast episode, Nicole Quesada Gurdian shares her journey to Nosara, why she opened her legal practice here, Nosara likes and dislikes, her 3 favorite restaurants, her family’s extensive background, her friend’s alien experience, why she created her residency guide, plus much more.

She’s excited to be living, and building her business, in Nosara and I hope you enjoy getting to know her in this episode.

In this discussion I ask Dr. Alejandro from Paradise Medical Services the following 10 questions:

Are there any confirmed cases in Nosara or Samara?

What are the National updates about how quickly cases are spreading across the country and what is your predictions about next week(s) and months?

What differences do you see week to week? As in what changed from last week to this week and what are you expecting next week?

When do you think we will have a COVID-19 case here in Nosara or do we probably have it here already?

What is your opinion about social media during this? There’s lots of information and advice shooting around out there…

What should people be doing proactively? What foods, vitamins, injections, etc.?

When should someone contact a Doctor if they or a loved one are experiencing symptoms?

What is your advice for people who have to go to work or go broke?

Is group immunity the tactic CR plans to use? What are the recontamination risks once people get back on the streets?

What misconceptions about all of this would you like to address while you have this platform?

These are very strange times. Many thanks to everybody following the guidelines of staying off the beach and staying at home and practicing social distancing. Hopefully doctors and other health care professionals will conduct telemedicine in order to provide the highest level of safety for everyone. Some practitioners have started this already as you heard Dr. Alejandro’s explain.

Today, April 20th is Jeff Grosshandler’s birthday. This means Jeff turns 40 on 4-20, the 4th month of the year April 2020. Seems pretty funny to me. So I figured we may as well release this episode at 4:20pm EST.

In this 40 minute Nosara Podcast, Jeff Grosshandler discusses COVID-19 Nosara today and the future, why Nosara at the moment is like being in a time machine, he shares insights (ex: Don’t make long term decisions based on short term circumstances), advises everyone to take advantage of these moments, and explains how he is happy about an incoming chamber of commerce for Nosara plus much more in this podcast.

Jeff is often a guest on the Nosara Podcast and one of the few people who are willing to speak on camera about controversial topics. Even when we disagree I always appreciate hearing his take on things.

I enjoyed this episode because it was positive and empowering and his vibe was about a community fully working together, friend and foe alike.

Denisse Lashley brings energy, positivity and motivation in this episode of the Nosara Podcast. Denisse is the author of Clean Food For Clean People and is constantly making the most of these times of isolation and encouraging others to do the same. She enjoys preparing food for others and is passionate about health and wellness.

In this episode, Attorney Carlos Araya speaks his mind on what Costa Rica is doing about the COVID-19 crisis and how he thinks things will play out both in Nosara and throughout the country.

My favorite quote from this episode is when he explains how his mind is blown by the Coronavirus situation as much or more than when the original Jane’s Addiction album was released.

*This was recorded just before Semana Santa started