So we decided after last winter we aren't doing the east coast/freezing/snow thing again this year and we are going to head to central America either in december or January. There's been a lot of going back and forth but we finally decided on Costa Rica, Santa Teresa, to be specific. It seems that this will be a good place to live and eat raw, but I was hoping to talk to people who've actually done it. I've already found one blog/youtube of one family and would like to hear from others...

Specifically I'm looking for:

Any good markets that would have raw produce, veggies, spices, etc.

Any good store in or around Santa Teresa that would have cookware (my boyfriend plans on eating cooked non-veggie foods), cutlery, cutting boards, etc. We will need to get all our supplies upon arrival.

A lot of this will probably just be obvious when we get there, but it would set me at ease to talk to someone who's done it, since because of my allergies I don't have the option of eating at restaurants and will be in desperate need to find raw foods as soon as we arrive.

Also, does anyone know if a lot of the produce is organic?

Thanks-

Sorry I can't help you with this one, Cora, but I am curious: what are you planning to do about housing? Do you have any ideas about where you'd stay and why that particular town?

I have been interested in Belize because English is the official language and it's likewise beautiful and probably easy to be raw. I am curious what kind of responses you get on this one. I love this sort of stuff

Friends have land there and tell me vegetables are not readily available and are expensive to buy, the diet consists of rice and beans mostly. You can get fruit and avos if you forage or plant your own trees. But it is beautiful. Have you checked out that wild Amy woman who lives there totally raw and owns next to nothing? There are youtube videos of her, there must be raw people connected to some sort of scene that can give good advice.

Well my boyfriend went two winters ago and he said that they had avocados for really cheap and pineapple, bananas, etc. So I know there's produce but I wasn't sure if it was organic. He loved Santa Teresa and said it had internet cafe's and other things he thought we'd need, but since he went alone then and didn't have a lot of concern for diet he couldn't remember certain things that would pertain to me and my lifestyle now...

We're probably going to find a little studio/bungalow type place to rent, plus some camping. He spent a lot of his time there camping on the beach (he's a surfer) so we'll be going to some surfer spots and guesthouses too until a longer term spot.

There are some raw retreats and permaculture operations there, you could look them up and see if there is a work exchange program you could participate in. That would be an ideal way to introduce yourself to the culture, you can find out all the particulars that would pertain to your situation from people who have been there a while.
Best of luck!