Pura vida! Welcoming to Costa Rica, amazing home of volcanoes, rainforests beaches, large cities and tiny small hamlets. The people of Costa Rica are warm and welcoming and there’s plenty of excitement for everyone. The people are welcoming The scenery is breathtaking and the weather perfectly suited. It is an “green” place. The population, which is mixed with Spanish and Indians are referred to as Ticans. The language spoken is Spanish however, a lot of people are fluent in English. “Pura vive” refers to the Tican method of saying “Enjoy living!”
Day 1
While it’s a familiar place in several ways but the lifestyle that is Costa Rica has enough unknown aspects that make it fascinating. When we drove on the way from our airport hotel to San Jose, we saw an animal grazing near the bridge and horses trotting across the road.
The first day we spent in The Gran Hotel, luxurious 1930s type accommodation. The Gran Hotel is the sole hotel within the nation that is considered historic. For the meal and lunch, there was a concert by a pianist was on the go. It was very chic! Breakfast was typical Tican breakfast: rice, beans as well as cheese, chorizo, and beans along with strong coffee. The staff were extremely welcoming and accommodating. Our maitre de Rudolpho was extremely friendly. We went to the zoo, and the Musee Nacional, and a Butterfly Garden. Although everyone we spoke to was friendly and warm hold onto your camera and wallet. It is possible to steal. A Mercado in the open (or market) includes books, clothing souvenirs, purses, and much and more. Excellent shopping! We chose Nuestre Tierra for lunch. The lunch was cerviche which is an exquisite mix of fish and shrimp. The food was served by friendly staff. After a day of exploring and eating at the hotel, dinner was Robespierre an exquisitely delicate steak dish, that was flavored with thyme, rosemary and sage.
The cars were allowed to travel just on days that were alternate according to the last digit on the plate odd or even. This reduced the amount of traffic and pollution. We didn’t even need a car as we were walking everywhere! Be sure to stay in areas where that are populated and stay clear of areas that aren’t populated to avoid troubles. In San José, the city San Jose is vibrant, however, it is also packed. Many stores are open for business on the street. The shopping is varied, like what you can find in any major city. All over the city are cow sculptures, Chess cows dancing, dance cowsand pink cows. The parade is known as”the” Cow Parade. It’s very fun!
Day 2
We visited the tiny National Theater Museum, to discover the Broke&chick past of Costa Rica. The first people of Costa Rica wore stunning gold-colored ornaments. We visited exhibits on indigenous animals, as well as other. The plaza was perfect to watch people go by and feed the Pigeons. There are a variety of fresh produce stands and kiosks that sell magazines and snacks, toys and other items. It creates a vibrant cityscape! Parks offer green spaces and tranquil oases. They are also always visible. We visited the zoo where alligators, tropical birds big snakes, monkeys and cats and flowering plants with vibrant hues captivated us. Ponds and streams made an environment that is natural.
Spanish influence is evident in the elaborate iron and decorative wood. In the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica we were able to learn more about this stunning nation. The museum has dioramas from the early indigenous peoples and sixteenth century Spanish cannons as well as burial practices pottery, native animals, furniture from the colonial period and displays that highlight the sugar and coffee industries, and the artistic Oxcarts that form part of the cultural heritage.
Day 3
After breakfast consisting of fried yucca and sausages in tomato sauce which was extremely delicious and delicious, we headed out for the country, traveling on the two-lane highway, surrounded by hundreds of other vehicles. In an ice cream shop or snack bars we stopped for lunch. It was situated next to a serene river, and it was very relaxing. The majority of sodas have windows at the sides to let the breeze in. We had a great time riding taking in the views of the mountains, forests and small villages. Each includes a school, church and soccer field, as well as soda. We stopped by the Do It Center, a Tican version of Lowe’s or Home Depot. The experience of exploring it was enjoyable! There were toys for children as well as cookware and appliances. It’s a non-profit organization for community members. Our trip led us towards the Pacific beach at Playa Hermosa to the hotel, El Valero. The hotel we stayed at had an outdoor pool, a the beach was private, as well as open-air dining. It was a complete opposite to San Jose, being very tiny and peaceful. It’s paradise! Small animals made intriguing scribble patterns within the sand! We splashed around in the warm pool and then watched the beautiful red sunset. Because it’s near an equator it got darkness by 7 pm. The staff, again was very friendly. Dinner was delectable It was and the food was delicious, a Chateaubriand. It is made from meat, mustard and mushrooms, as well as sherry. Our room was nice and the porch was a great place to catch the ocean breeze.
Day 4
Another delicious Tican breakfast consisting of tortillas beans, cheese, and rice, accompanied by strong coffee to kick off our day. We enjoyed the morning swimming and snorkeling. We were practically all by ourselves at the shore! We saw beautiful fish, and even found some unique shells. The water was crystal clean and warm. What a fantastic morning to get started! We were intrigued by Play del Coco, a beach resort that is not too far. A quick drive took us to a lively and sleepy town. We browsed the Mercado (shoes as well as dresses CDs, masks, etc.) and enjoyed an enjoyable drink in the hidden garden of soda. One of the bars was named The Louisiana Restaurant and Bar. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel It is the Catholic Church in the city. It is open to the public and is a beautiful church, and is a great location to spend a peaceful time. We thoroughly enjoyed our walk along the beach. When we returned we stopped at an upscale supermarket. It was less crowded than an American supermarket, however, it included Costa Rican foods and so was the most fascinating.
Our dinner was tapas from Ginger close to the beach: salmon caprese, summer rolls, Azteca soup, and Ahi Tuna. It was all delicious! We tasted the indigenous spirit called guaro. It’s made from sugar cane and is which is very popular with the Ticans. It was very sweet and we weren’t a fan of the taste, however, when mixed with a mojito, it was much better. A nighttime beach walk and it was time for us to go to bed to sleep for the evening. Tomorrow, I will dive!
Today was an exciting day, as I did a dive! Marine wildlife was plentiful! We can count on many species of sea turtles and fish.