Day 6 - Monteverde —> Todo Bien

It’s no secret Mike and I L-O-V-E coffee and I recently learned that Costa Rica has some of the best! Not the most in the world by any means but high quality can-do-juice!

Classic example of Quality > Quantity. In fact, the Costa Rica government actually has strict laws on what kind of coffee plants can be planted to retain the quality of the beans produced. I’m thinking scarcity principle here … 🤔

It’s also no secret that Mike is theeee best vacation networker there is and always slips in an impromptu activity during travels. No exception this trip … this time … a private coffee farm tour!

So grab your coffee, slip into a comfy seat and let’s dive into what Day 6 had in store for us!

Easy … (Easy like Sunday morning 🎶 … ) to start the day today. Slept in … had coffee … and then after brushing the pearly whites, we loaded up for a late morning/afternoon downtown shopping experience.

Brunched at The Orchid where food was more than acceptable (Z may think different - poor kid can’t catch a break this trip). Then scurried around the downtown searching for the best souvenirs. I’d say a few real gems where purchased but you will just need to wait to see if you are a lucky recipient of one. Z and Matthew did some really big shopping!

Z was disgusted to see they can’t spell Gimenez correct and Mike found some jew-ree that really displayed his Lord and Saviour. Found it uplifting that Matthew too wears his faith … cause you gotta have faith, faith, faith … gotta have faith.

Mike then moved his shopping focus onto hats where he found Z trying on a few options himself. Both solid contenders but too many colones (local currency, btw) so we passed. #fixedincome

I found myself a hopscotch game and thought I’d check to be sure I still “got-it”. Maybe a little slower than 40 years ago but didn’t blow a knee so ta-da! Nailed it!

After our shopping experience, it was time to head back to the cabins to meet Mario for our coffee tour. This coffee tour was not a public tour, so not something you can sign up for. But with Mike’ vacay gift of networking, Mario (part owner of the cabins) offered to open up his coffee farm to us.

It exceeded all expectations! Not only did we get a tour of the place but the education and informational piece about what goes into growing these beans that bring us so much joy was outstanding!

Can’t go into all the details but I’ll do my best to…

First … coffee is a fruit! Those beans we all grind are actually the fruit’s seeds. 🤯 And when you take them out of their “home”, the slippery stuff is actually sugary sweet! It’s a whole process and way too much to type. But trust me, roasting of coffee is not only an art but is a science. 🧬

This coffee farm came to be as Mario and his partners joined their love of coffee, knowledge and resources to plant 2,500 coffee plants, nurture them (while retaining the natural slopes as part of erosion control), to then harvest to brew and sell. They aren’t in a position to mass produce but Mario seems content with that.

Mario sums it up best in one of the videos … where he says that coffee is more than the taste. I’m paraphrasing here but he goes on to say that coffee is about sharing a cup with friends, over food and also having that cup in the morning to get the day started. Coffee is wonderful for our species!

That was my God shot today. I wanted to high-five Mario right then and there. YES!!! Coffee is much more than the taste … it can be the thing that builds bridges and bonds between people. A cup of community one could argue. That’s why I’m always open to have coffee! There’s something about wrapping hands around a cup, and solving all the world’s problems with others, isn’t there? Amen, Mario!

What I also admired most about this operation is that Mario’s passion for coffee, has turned into his business model. He rises and shines to turn his vision into a reality … I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of his clear vision and tenacity to go after it!

His vision? Mario’s coffee farm will not be another coffee shop or farm tour. But rather a place where people will come to order a picnic and drink coffee in the midst of the coffee plants on the mountain side. And the food and conversation is so good … you drink all your coffee, to just ask for more and spend more time in the present. The present is a present, after all!

We got a little taste of that hospitality today, as we all sat down around a table, sipping Todo Bien coffee that Mike and Lexi brewed using Plinc (his coffee brewing dealio - https://plinc.cr/), with fresh banana bread, mixed-grain bread and fruit jam + homemade peanut butter that he picked up especially for us.

The goal is to fully open to the public in June … so let’s all wish Mario the best of luck! 🙏🏻 And if you are a praying man/woman, let’s send up a good word for him. I’m rooting for Mario and hope I can track his continued success! Some more of his coffee would be cool too!

After our impromptu coffee farm tour … back to cabins for a quick-change and dinner at Tarmonti - an Italian place Mario recommended (his mom loves the chicken there). Food was another acceptable meal!

And … another night to bed with full belly’s and full of memories!

Tomorrow we depart from the beautiful Monteverde, and head to Quepos for a change of scenery and new adventures.

P.S. I have SO much more to share about today’s coffee farm tour; about the coffee beans, the trees in the adjacent forest … I’ve posted a few pics but not enough. So … if you got time, how about we catch-up over a cup of coffee? Todo Bien will be coming home with us!

Much love,
M&ALæs mere