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Costa Rica

Dezember 2024 - Januar 2025
  • Jeff Joll
  • Eileen Joll
A refuge from January's cold Weiterlesen
  • Jeff Joll
  • Eileen Joll

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  • Costa Rica
    Our "front porch"

    Arriving in Costa Rica

    31. Dezember 2024 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    After spending a week in Cocoa Beach with our family, we headed to the Orlando airport to catch our flight to Costa Rica.

    After arriving at the San Jose airport about 45 minutes late, we sailed through customs & immigration. Rather than taking a taxi, of which there were plenty, I was set on using Uber. Three Uber drivers accepted our trip to Alajuela, only to cancel on us. When the 4th driver showed up, it was a quick 15 minute trip to Alajuela's town center and our hotel room.

    After checking in, we went out in search of dinner. Many places that Google said were open were, in fact, not. We were tired (the first airport run had been at 4:00AM ) and getting frustrated so we went to a bakery and picked up a couple of things, then made a stop for a bottle of wine. The bakery items were not very good.

    On getting back to the room, we tuned in the radio broadcast of the Penn State football game. Eileen started searching through the TV channels and found ESPN, so we watched the Spanish broadcast. We were both tired and falling asleep before the game was over. We ushered in the new year asleep.

    Wednesday morning was spent exploring Alajuela on foot. This included checking out the cathedral by attending part of the mass. The town looked better in the light of day and after a good night's sleep.

    Our hotel room included breakfast but instead of serving it there, they sent us over to another small hotel a few blocks away. Our place only had a handful of rooms and was family run. Not sure if there were any other guests in there place.

    Around 12:30 we got our bags and had an Uber pick us up to take us to Grecia, where we have a house for the month. On arrival, the owners and their grown son were there. The son, Christopher, lives on the same property and speaks excellent English because he went to grade school in Houston for a couple of years. Laura speaks a little English and we didn't hear a word from John.

    We were very pleased with the house which includes a kitchen, living area with multiple couches and a recliner, two bedrooms, San alcove with a desk, and a laundry/ miscellaneous area with treadmill and a desk, a "front porch" of sorts, and a small covered garden in the back.

    No sooner than we arrived, thunderstorms rolled in. During a break in the rain we headed out to a grocery store and walked by the main town square for a quick look. Our initial impression of the town is favorable. No sooner than we got back, the rain started and was pretty continuous until after 7:00pm. We did not venture back out.

    The forecast for the next week looks pretty rainy and this is not totally the rainy season -- confirmed by Christopher.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    Cathedral and park
    Park decorationsMarketMarketOur haul from the market. Healthy eating!Meal at Sopa la Benedicion $5 per plate

    Exploring Grecia

    2. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    We have spent the last couple of days getting to know our new little town. The main focus of the town is the cathedral and the central park. The park is decorated and lit up with holiday lights and looks very nice . We were there tonight when people got out of the Saturday service . People left church and went straight to the park. There is a playground with lots of kids, kids on bicycles and skateboards, and plenty of people just taking in the sights. Several blocks around the park is a major shopping area. The farther you move away from the center, the more residential the area becomes and it becomes hilly, much like home. All of the residences here are right at street front. Everyone has a gate to their property that is locked, including ours. We are about 6 blocks from the park . We know where the coffee shops are and have eaten at a Sopa. A Sopa is a family run cafe usually open early and closes early serving home cooked local foods at a cheap price. We also found a bar to watch the Steelers game.

    Yesterday and today we went to the market, open on Fridays and Saturdays. It was filled with tons of fruits and vegetables, some that knew and some that we didn't. We bought some of both and plan on cooking in some. There is no reason for us to not eat healthy while we are here.

    A few observations:
    - there is no hot water here. Dishes, laundry and showers all use cold water. We do have a shower heater that heats the water (slightly) as it goes through the showerhead. Yes, there are electrical wires that run across the top of the shower. (It was suggested not to shower in a lightning storm!) Unfortunately it can only heat a little water so we can get very low stream warm shower or full stream cold shower.
    - there are sidewalks everywhere which is nice for walking, but they can be uneven or broken, and the gutters between the sidewalk and roads are a foot deep so you need to be alert all the time.
    - this is not a tourist town so there is not a lot of English spoken. Some people speak some Spanglish, some younger people speak English, but the older people oblige the visitors by speaking slower. Fortunately, the son of our host lives next door and speaks English very well. He has answered a lot of our questions.
    - generally, food is not "cheap", although eating at La Benedicion was an exception.
    - lots of cars here, not many motorbikes, differing quite a bit from last year's trip to Valladolid.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    1
    Andres, Gustavo, and OliverCentral valley. Where we are staying is somewhere down there.1Coffee trees1Coffee farms in the distance. They look like vineyards from a distanceThe waterfall is manmade buy Starbucks for the experience.StarbucksA fern tree. There are 400 different species of ferns in CR

    Poas Volcano National Park

    5. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Today we ventured out of town on a trip to see the Poas Volcano. We booked this through Airbnb. It turned out to be a very small group (actually 2 small groups). The tour organizer, Gustavo, is a 31 year old dentist and started doing this while in school. Last evening, I received a message from him saying his Father, Oliver, would pick us up at 7:30.

    At exactly 7:30, Oliver and Gustavo's twin brother, Andres, pulled up. We originally thought that perhaps we were just going to meet up with Gustavo elsewhere since they were originating closer to San Jose. As it turns out, Oliver assists Gustavo when there are too many to fit in a single car - so they use both of Dad's cars. While we did meet up with Gustavo at the volcano and for lunch, Oliver was our guide and I think we lucked out. The conversation throughout the day was great and we learned a lot about CR and family life here. Andres was along "in training", so that he could assist in the future.

    One of the interesting things about CR life is that kids usually stay with their parents until marriage, and Oliver had 3 of his 4 grown sons at home, while the other worked in Qatar.

    We were fortunate that it was very clear at the volcano. Many days it is in the clouds (at over 8000 ft) and you can't see the feet in front of you. The volcano is "active" and continually lets off a sulfuric gas. While we were there, an alarm sounded and we had to leave due to increased activity. The area was then closed and no further visitors allowed.

    From the crater we did a 40 minute hike that took us past a lagoon, another crater filled with water.

    After leaving the park, we stopped at a market that specialized in strawberry products, which are grown in abundance in the area . We then met up with the other car for lunch. The other tour members were a guy from the US and a young couple from India. They both work for Accenture but he is here on a 6 month assignment . She was here for a visit. Eileen had olla e carne, a traditional beef stew and I had a pumpkin-like soup served in a bread bowl. Both were excellent.

    The next stop was a Starbucks farm that is used for a lot of testing. They have a big Cafe, the nicest Starbucks I have ever seen. They serve coffee prepared in all fashions (Oliver had his prepared Japanese style), while Eileen and I both had a Whiskey Cloud. While they offered tours, we did not do which was fine with us as we plan on doing one on another outing.

    The views of the central valley driving back down the mountain were fantastic. Along the road, many locals (ticos) were pulled off and having a picnic or just enjoying the scenery. We got back to our house in Grecia around 3:00 pm.

    It was a great day, highlighted for me by the all day conversations with Oliver and Andres.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    A pleasant surprise found along the way!Zoom in to see nice houseThe roads have deep gutters on either side. You have to be very careful walking.Well deserved after a long walk or while waiting out a short rain.1

    Around town

    8. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    The last couple of days we have just done everyday stuff and walked the neighborhoods. We've read, practiced, exercised, worked, and just enjoyed not having to do things . We have a small front sitting area that gets a nice breeze and a back garden area with lots of plants. The rest of our place had a fully stocked kitchen, living area, and two bedrooms. We have eaten out some and have cooked in eating plenty of rice, beans and the plentiful vegetables available here!

    We have also taken walks around the town. Grecia is in the central valley of Costa Rica so it is surrounded by mountains. Closer to the center is the shopping area but the father you out you travel, the more residential it gets. One walk took us up on the ridge where it has been said many of the expats live. On this walk we passed everything from shacks to very large houses with yards, not common here. On another walk we found some gated communities with nice housing plans. Every community has it's own little grocery stores, bakery and people selling things in there driveways. We also passed several schools . The country has invested a lot into their schools in recent years. School is required for 1st to 9th grade. After that, it is optional to go on to trade school, academic classes to prep for college or join the work force or family businesses. The schools are all on break until February. We also found a mall. It has a food court with many American fast food places - but we didn't eat there! The town is very clean and for the most part, the houses are well maintained.

    Tuesday, we had pizza at Il Forno. Jeff selected this because it had a 4.9 rating on Google and he was not disappointed with our veggie pizza. We had leftovers for the next day.

    On Wednesday, we during our walk we stopped in a bar / restaurant named "El Muneco" for a beer (we had 2). The place had only been open a week. Our waitress (age 20) spoke a little English. The owner's (female) daughter was at a table coloring. They were all very nice. While the place was empty when we arrived there was a handful of people at the bar when we left.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    1

    Thursday - headed to the beach

    9. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 79 °F

    On Thursday morning, we packed our bags for a long weekend at the beach and headed to pick up our rental car. Around 10:00, we started the 3.5 hour, 100 mile drive to Manuel Antonio. The trip included some narrow mountainous roads with one hairpin curve after another. Even the main roads were almost all 2 lane, with an occasional passing lane. Along the way, we pulled off to a small village for lunch. I think we were the first customers of the day. We also stopped at a coffee shop. Eileen ran in since there really wasn't a parking spot. She was gone long enough to make me think they were roasting the beans. Turns out they just had to grind them and did a very slow pour. However, it was worth the wait -the coffee was best I had in a long time.

    When we arrived in Manuel Antonio, it was pouring. We were having trouble trying to locate our place. It was a gated property, down what it essential a beach trail. When we arrived, the cleaning crew was still at work and not expecting us- a mistake of the host. While we waited on the porch, they brought us a cup of coffee.

    After the rain stopped, we headed to the beach. While it was mostly cloudy, the sunset hour was pretty. While walking, we saw a couple locals setting up a special scene for a wedding proposal. We stayed nearby to watch the couple come down the beach and the guy get down on one knee. It didn't appear to be a surprise, more of a staged photo opp, since there was a photographer there also.

    While out, we looked for a restaurant where we could watch Penn State play in the orange bowl. Right before game time, we headed to El Marlin for dinner and the game. Dinner was great, the outcome of the game a little less so.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    1A sloth high in a tree. The picture was taken on my phone but through a telescope.Native plantHumming bird through the telescopeThis snake was very small, picture again, through the telescopeHalloween crab, not through a telescopeTree bird, looks like an owl but not relatedSloth hanging out near the exit of the park. Taken on the phone, no telescope.Many of these monkeys are in the area outside of the park and steal food or go through garbage cansThe sloth in the back of the restaurant. We were surprised to know that they venture out of the park

    A walk in the park - Friday

    10. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    On Friday, we had tickets to Manuel Antonio national park. While it is the smallest national park in the country, I believe it is the most visited, combining beaches and forest.

    At the gate, we engaged a guide, Milton, to show us around for 90 minutes. It was a good call, as he was able to see and point out things we never would have seen. He also had a telescope that provided incredible views. Milton claims to have been doing this for 20 years.

    Manuel Antonio park used to be a banana plantation and other farmland. It was mostly abandoned before it ended up as a park.

    After our time with Milton ended, we continued exploring most of the other trails in the park. While there wasn't a lot of elevation change (a few hundred feet, mostly stairs), the was 85 deg with at least 85% humidity. Not only were we soaked, the conditions were kicking our butts, particularly mine (Jeff). Fortunately, there were plenty of places to refill water.

    Around 12:30, we decided it was beach time. Getting into the 83 deg water was refreshing, and certainly not chilling. We spent close 90 minutes plus at the beach, alternating between the ocean and the shade.

    Feeling refreshed, we packed up and headed towards the exit, covering some trails we hadn't seen.

    Once out of the park, it was refreshment time - we ended up with beer and fries, followed by a stop for ice cream. A lot of the white faced monkeys hang out in town. They can be seen running along the utility weird, swinging from yes, and going through garbage, it taking did from people. We witnessed a territorial fight in the streets. Two different tribes of monkeys (they all looked the same though) were going at each other, back and forth, knocking each other off of wires and squaring off in the street. It looked like a gang fight from West Side Story, with monkeys! Unfortunately, I (Eileen) screwed up the video . Back at our place we hung everything up to dry, and a late afternoon nap was in order.

    We topped off the day with dinner at a place called Buru's, right across from the beach. The tuna tacos and salad we had were good, but having a CR IPA to drink made it, since pilsners are the beer of choice here, and other options are rare.

    While we were there, the waiter said there was a sloth out back, so Eileen went off to see and take pictures. I continued talking to the couple next to us. They were from Milford, PA. They had bought about 1000 acres up in the mountains about 90 minutes away some 20 years ago. The guy, Jim, was almost 65 now and a motorcycle mechanic. They spend about 3 months per year here, although they don't live on their property, since things would be stolen in their long absence (even the kitchen sink, although it was subsequently returned). They live in a house in a family compound and supposedly pay $140 per month year round. They were in town just to spend a night and drink some IPAs    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    2Catching a wave1Women from Florida on retreatSand artwork created by sand snailsSand artwork created by out going tideOur Airbnb1There are both Eileen's. Happy Hour!!!A tree with buttressesA Central American AgoutiLeaf carrying ants. They were working very hard!1Sleeping with his mouth open?One view from Crocodile Bridge

    A day (or more) at the beach and ....

    11. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    Saturday and Sunday were beach days. Walking, enjoying the 83 degree, mostly calm water, eating seafood and a few drinks. No cooking beyond some oatmeal for breakfast.

    The beach at Manuel Antonio was great, the skies were blue, and the sunsets beautiful. Lots of families picnicking and enjoying the beach, especially on Saturday. There was a fairly constant stream of para sailing, with as many as 4 or 5 visible at times. We saw 35+ women from Florida in long, colorful dress celebrating life on a women's retreat. There was a wedding celebration with a DJ.

    On Monday, we got up and went for one more walk along the beach and one last dip in the ocean. After packing up, we headed back to Grecia. Along the way, we stopped at Carara National Park and hiked a couple miles. A short piece down the road from the park we stopped at "Crocodile Bridge" to view crocodiles swimming and sunbathing below the bridge.

    By 4:00pm, we were back in Grecia returning the rental car. A great few days in Manuel Antonio, but now it was time to shop and cook dinner.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    1Extracting juice from a sugar cane.Coffee plantsJose - he leads the tours because he speaks the best English!Machine that removes the shells which are saved and used for other things.Drying the beansBeans roasting. A dark roast takes about 25 minutes.A cocoa plantThe start of something sweet!Jeff hard at work.Our chocolates!

    Tio Jose Coffee Farm

    16. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Today we went to the Tio Jose Coffee Farm. It is a small, family run, functioning coffee farm that has been in the family for 3 generations. Most of the coffee farmers here in Costa Rica sell their beans to big corporations that do the processing, packaging, and selling. Tio Jose decided, about 5 years ago to process and sell their own coffee locally. They do all of the work in-house. After being on the tour, I truly appreciate my coffee more. The farm is run by Jose, his brother and sister and their families, and his mom. They recently added tours to supplement the business. We had a tour of the farm, the process, lunch, and made our own chocolate.

    Before we left the building, we had a blind taste test of three kinds of coffee - light, medium, and dark. We tried them again after eating something salty and then sweet. Turns out that eating those things affects what you taste in the coffee. Jose liked to say that there is no bad coffee, just bad ways to make it. The things that affect the taste of coffee are the temperature of the water, the ratio, the ground size, and the speed of brewing.

    The farm is only about 5 acres and while most of it is full of coffee plants, there are many other things growing there alongside the coffee. Jose and his family understand the farming business and how some plants help others plants. They don't use any pesticides but do use smart planting to limit the spread of bugs and fungi. They also grow banana, black beans, sugar cane, cocoa beans, herbs, and other things too. We saw the coffee plants and learned that the beans are handpicked. We saw how the beans are shelled, dried, and then roasted. It takes about 10 days of good, dry conditions for the beans to dry. The harvest season is only about 4 months long, so they work very hard then to make the coffee for the year.

    Upon returning to the house, some tourists left but four of us stayed for a traditional casada lunch - rice, beans, salad, plantains, and meat, in this case, chicken. We also wanted to experience making our own chocolate candy. Cocoa plants are native to Costa Rica but there is little demand for it since there is no major chocolate company in the country. We were given cocoa beans to shell and then crush with a pestle and could add whatever we wanted to it - sugar, dried milk, nuts, salt, pepper, etc . Mixing with a little bit of water, it made a small chocolate bar.

    Jose and his family are always looking for ways to use all of their resources to both increase their profits and to better the environment. Most companies throw away the shells of the coffee beans but they have started using them to make a delicious tea, jam, wine, soap and an after dinner liquor. All of this, along with the roasted coffee beans, are available in their little store. They are continuing the tradition of coffee farming and planning for the next generation to continue in their footsteps.    Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica

    Neighbors

    18. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    We are renting an air bnb and the son (Christopher) of the lady we are renting from lives my next door - we share a drive way. He is from Costa Rica but spent a few years in the states as a kid and has traveled to Germany extensively. He gives language lessons in German and is a guitarist. His girlfriend (Olla) is from Ukraine. She came here with her grandfather 5 years ago to visit an uncle who lives here and has stayed. They both speak very good English and have been very helpful in giving us directions and telling us about the area. Earlier this week they invited us over for coffee and danish and great conversation. Christopher is converting an area below their house into a practice studio. He opens it up to any bands who need a rehearsal space. It's not soundproof but the bands can practice quietly. There is not a lot of support for music in this town. You mostly have to go to San Jose to play gigs. Christopher practices with a band but he performs by himself. He has done a tour in Germany the last two years. Last night he offered to give us a private concert since his band had to cancel their practice and we were going to listen to them. He brought his guitars and music. At first he did several soft rock, 70's/8O's music where he played and sang. He is not comfortable singing so he was using us as a practice session. We knew most all of the songs and enjoyed listening to him. But then, he got it his other guitar and played what he does when he performs. He plays "percussive guitar" - using his guitar for both the melody and rhythm. It was extremely impressive. We have never heard anything like it. There is a short clip below but if you want to hear more, look him up on Spotify - Chris Montenegro.Weiterlesen

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  • Costa Rica
    Oxcart factoryInside factory2Botanical gardens1A family gatheringPlant sale1Mural of the history and culture of SarchiChurch in the town centerWorld 's largest oxcart1The detail!!!

    Sarchi

    19. Januar in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Sarchi is a neighboring town known for its artistry. It is the home of the oxcart factory. Oxcarts were used to haul the coffee beans out of the field after they were picked. Besides being practical, oxcarts became a way of displaying art. The cart and the wheel were hand painted with very intricate detail. The oxcarts are not used today in the field but they are still make them at the factory in all sizes from small decorations to large, portable bars. You can view the artists making the Oxcarts and other art designs, mostly out of wood. Unfortunately we visited on a Sunday and the artists were not working. The area is also known for its finely make wood furniture. To bad it would cost an arm and a leg to ship home!

    After viewing the artist sites, we walked 30 minutes out of town to the botanical gardens. This area is a garden, picnic area, and laboratory for plants. They were even having a plant sale. We hiked all through it. Because it was on a Sunday, there were many, many picnickers from just a couple of friends to a large family gathering celebrating a birthday. Many locals come here to picnic. On our way back to town we passed a very long (3 blocks long) mural depicting the history and culture of Sarchi and surrounding areas.

    Lastly we went to the town square where they have the world largest oxcart on display. The church was closed but the outside looked very impressive. We have seen the church steeples from Grecia where we are staying. We had a bite to eat and then got an Uber home.    Weiterlesen

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