Everyone knows that Costa Rica is a paradise. But how does one find one’s way around when streets have no names and houses have no numbers? When does one shake hands, and when does one kiss one’s friends? "Tropical Immersion" is the wry and very personal story of a year in Costa Rica, the overland journey there and back, and side trips to Nicaragua and Ecuador. It details navigating the rough, narrow, busy Costa Rican sidewalks and learning to see doing so as a sport, eating fruit that sme...

What if you quit your job . . .Sold everything . . .and bought a small hotel on the beach . . .South of Cancun, Mexico and down a long narrow road ending in turquoise blue water, you will find Soliman Bay. Here is where most peoples dreams are found, a small bay, white sand and palm trees, and a reef just offshore full of colorful fish. If you are visiting, the dream looks real, but if you intend on staying the locals have one bit of advice - guard your sanity.

Happier Than A Billionaire: The Sequel continues the journey of one couple’s adventures in Costa Rica.Follow the author and her husband as they move to the beach to build their dream home. Although the seafood is fresh and the sunsets are golden, it doesn’t take long for Nadine to find that this process won’t come easy, even when living in one of the prettiest places on earth.In the midst of it all, Nadine entertains her parents and mother-in-law, kayaks crocodile-...

TWO PLANE TICKETS, NO PLAN, ONE DREAMHappier Than A Billionaire shares one couple's celebration of risking it all for the dream of living a happier life.In this humorous and witty account, Nadine Pisani shares what it is like to follow her dream of quitting her job and starting a new life under the sunny skies of Costa Rica. Along the way, she finds reliable utilities are not that reliable, quirky neighbors are unavoidable, and tackling red tape takes the strength of a line...

The Reluctant Mariner tells of an Australian couple's five-year circumnavigation of the world in a 12.2-metre long, steel-hulled ketch called Onawa. The author, Joanna Hackett, was once a self-proclaimed landlubber who had never even considered sailing off over the horizon in search of adventure but, having married a man keen to do just that, was willing to "give it a go". Her candid account, penned with dry wit and accessible style, made The Reluctant Mariner a sell-out when it first hit ...

As Seen on HGTVHays Pisani—author of the best-selling Happier Than a Billionaire series—takes you on a hilarious journey while trying to build a bed & breakfast in Costa Rica. In her distinct comedic style, she shares her frustrating yet funny experiences of building a home in a country known for taking its sweet time.She struggles to live with construction crews, invading critters, and a delusional husband who insists everything will work out fine.Nadine introduces...

In this latest edition of The Costa Rica Escape Manual, I dove deep… like middle earth deep, to bring you the most valuable tool for traveling through, moving to, or living in Costa Rica. The entire manual has been rehashed, reorganized and expanded, making it easier to use and more fun to read. With apps, checklists, pictures, a handy index (only in the paperback edition), and links to everything you’ll need this guide will have you smiling under a palm tree in no time!“More” is t...

The Escape Manual is your guide for moving to, living in, or traveling through Costa Rica.In this perfect blend of information and entertainment, Nadine Hays Pisani answers all of your questions in her patented comedic style.She introduces you to her colorful cast of characters as you laugh your way through reading how to obtain residency, avoid crime, get a driver’s license, meet a trustworthy attorney, find quality healthcare, choose an area that is right for you, and muc...

One minute you're relaxing by the pool in a luxury Thai resort and the next you're a gringo with a donkey on an isolated island off Brazil!When Tony and his wife Sue were caught in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami that devastated hundreds of thousands of lives, they wanted more than to return to the rat race of suburban life, they wanted to 'live the dream'. After careful consideration, or possibly in a moment of insanity, they decided that the dream was to run a guest house on a remote...

Have you ever dreamt of cashing in your chips and escaping to a tropical paradise? Faced with an imminent divorce, this non-fiction novel chronicles how Jimmy Lassiter does just that, taking the reader through liquidating the marital assets, purchasing a yacht, and sailing 'Down to the Tropical Sun'. Along the way he will experience two hurricanes, fall in love again, and embark on a new career delivering yachts.

When UK-born Australian author Sue Williams first got the travel bug, it took her across Africa, South and Central America, China and India. Travelling by every means imaginable - from converted garbage truck to banana boat, 'punted' railway wagon to the passenger seat of a racing driver's sports car - she survives adventures that range from the hilarious to the horrific.At various times travelling solo, with a companion and as part of a dysfunctional group, Sue encounters perils as...

After nearly a decade of work in Mexico insuring real estate properties to foreign purchasers, the same issues always seem to surface regarding second home acquisitions:"If I buy a house in Mexico, don't I get a 99-year lease from the government?""I understand that I can buy a residence in Mexico only if the title is vested in a Mexican corporation.""I didn't think Americans could own Mexican beachfront properties."All of these suppositions are incorrect. This...