Pura Vida in the Tropics (part 2)

Posted by: Maria in July 2021 (4 years, 6 months ago)

Pura Vida means amazing encounters

The highlight of Costa Rica are the animals that are vividly coloured like anything else in this little country. It is an animal lovers’ paradise - the biodiversity is greater than in Europe and the United States combined! Each national park has its own featured species.

In Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve you can admire the resplendent quetzals. With their majestic colouring, these creatures are considered the most beautiful birds in the world and are currently a “near threatened” species. The male quetzal has gracious long tail-feathers that can grow to be a metre long. The female quetzal does not have the beautiful long tail-feathers of the male quetzal, but is quite colourful as well.

You can spot many of them in the reserve, some taking turns into digging a nest - it is hard work which can take up to a month! Up to two baby quetzals will enjoy the cosiness of this home in the trees every year!

The resplendent quetzal is an important symbol in both Aztec and Mayan culture. Its name means “precious” or “sacred”. The quetzal is associated with the snake god, represented as a serpent adorned with the feathers of a resplendent quetzal. The lustrous tail-feathers were put by Aztec and Mayan rulers into their headdress and believed to protect them in battle. The birds being sacred, the quetzals were simply captured and set free after their tail-feathers were removed - the penalty for killing the bird was death...

Monteverde is also a great place to spot hummingbirds. Their name comes from the humming sound created by their beating wings, which flap at high frequencies audible to humans. They feed on flower nectar and insects. The view of this delicate bird in its tiny nest will definitely leave long-lasting memories!

Corcovado National Park is considered as the crown jewel of national parks in Costa Rica because of its wilderness and abundance of wildlife! All four Costa Rican monkey species can be seen within the park. The howler monkeys are amongst the largest monkeys in the Americas, live only on the trees and never get on the ground, and eat large quantities of leaves and fruits, which provide them with less energy than the food eaten by other species and make them rest and sleep all day long. They get their name from the loud and quite scary sounds made by the males that can be heard from several kilometres in the jungle.

Another species of monkeys, the spider monkeys, are famous acrobats! Their arms are significantly longer than their legs, and their tail can support the entire weight of the monkeys and is used as an extra limb. It is jaw-dropping to watch them swing effortlessly from branch to branch, including when carrying the weight of a cute baby spider monkey. However, pay attention as if they feel threatened, they can pee on you…

Corcovado National Park is also a great place to spot the queer-looking endangered giant anteater, commonly known for eating ants and termites using its long snout.

The park is also one of the final strongholds of the jaguar within Central America. I must admit that I am happy we had not come across this animal during our hike, as I am not sure I could follow the second rule on the sign that we saw in the park… :-)

I am also happy that we missed the boa constrictor another group saw while we were there... The park has several species of snakes….

There are also other species that you can spot in every national park and, of course, outside the parks as well.

The agoutis are related to the guinea pigs, but I think they also look a little bit like the Australian quokkas.

The white-nosed coatis from the racoon family can be seen hugging a tree, or looking for food on the ground. They are very cute and look a little bit like the Australian koalas. No, I am not trying to relate every single Costa Rican species to Australia… :-)

There are also tons of lizards, squirrels and, of course, birds.

You can spot the trogons from the same family as the quetzals - no wonder these guys are cousins, they are so colourful!

While simply walking on the beach, you can admire a perfectly symmetrical pod of pelicans in the sky and a majestic black-and-white hawk-eagle resting on a branch.

Another bird that you will see, but most of all hear, everywhere in Costa Rica and all the time is the scarlet macaw or ara. You can spot these noisy splendid creatures in Marino Ballena National Park or around your hotel in Osa Peninsula! Yes, they are everywhere and their striking rainbow plumage is breathtaking!

It is fascinating to watch a couple of scarlet macaws (they are monogamous birds) during their daily routine of arguing, eating or, the cutest of all, hugging!

While the parks are perfect for wildlife watching, our experience is that you will see the same animals and even more just wandering around your hotel or strolling along the beach…

Iguanas laze in the sun on your veranda in the morning, or hang out next to the swimming pool in the afternoon.

You can hear the scarlet macaws from far away and see them perched on the trees or flying in the sky above your head. You can spot a caiman looking for his lunch, while you are simply crossing a bridge to reach your hotel! This is the beauty of Costa Rica - the most amazing encounters happen when you expect them the least!

This country is a tiny piece of paradise! And the weather is definitely for something...

Pura Vida means warm and sunny weather

Costa Rica has a tropical climate with the dry season running from December to April, and the wet season from May to November. Even though it rains a lot, the sun is always around the corner. And the best part is that, unless you are high in the mountains, the average temperatures vary between 17°C and 27°C!

No mistake - you have landed in a tropical wonderland, away from any hassle and daily worries. The weather is always perfect enough for you to lay back and relax in a hammock, with a tropical fruit cocktail or a fresh coconut!

Your belly will not be disappointed either!

Pura Vida means deliciousness

The Tico diet is a healthy one, and consists of lots of vegetables and tropical fruits. Beans and rice are the basic elements of every meal, but if one day you are craving for some variety, you can change things up and have rice and beans instead! :-) And then there are the most famous and important dishes of all, at least for me - the patacones (twice-fried slices of plantain, a larger member of the banana family), the corn tortillas and, of course, the guacamole!

The Tico breakfast is usually “gallo pinto”, literally meaning “spotted rooster”, considered the national dish of Costa Rica. The name comes from the multi-colored appearance that results from stir-frying the rice and beans together, adding bell peppers, celery, onions and garlic, and seasoning the mixture with cilantro and a light brown sauce. It is usually served with eggs, cheese and “natilla” (sour cream).

For lunch you should definitely try “casado”, or the “married man’s lunch”. The name comes from the past custom of the wives packing their husbands a lunch in a banana leaf when the latter left for work in the fields. It (again!) consists of rice and beans (served side by side instead of mixed), topped up with a salad, a tortilla and some type of fish, meat (beef, pork or chicken) or eggs for the vegetarian option. It is delicious and healthy!

As always, you will find the most authentic and delicious food in a small shack far away from any civilization. We stopped at two real jewels somewhere on the road between San José and the south and in the tiny town of Puerto Jiménez in Osa Peninsula, that are ranked quite high in our personal Michelin guide!

In Costa Rica you will find the usual Latin American desserts such as “tres leches”, or “three milks”, but who wants a dessert when there are so many delicious tropical fruits and organic chocolate around?

Pura Vida means sweetness

Costa Rica is famous for its coffee, but also for its chocolate!

The cocoa fruit was consumed by the Maya in spiritual ceremonies thousands of years ago. Its botanical name “theobroma cacao”, given to it by a Swedish natural scientist, means the “food of the gods” in Greek - the guy could not get any closer to the truth!

You can go for a visit to a local farm (or “finca”), where you will make and taste your own organic chocolate! The process is exciting - you will actually find out that a large part of what we eat in commercial chocolate bars is unfortunately sugar and not chocolate! It is fascinating to follow one by one the meticulous steps of chocolate making.

The cocoa fruit (or cocoa pod) grows on small trees and is harvested with machetes when it is ripe. It is then sliced in half and the fresh white beans with the pulp are scooped out. Everyone expects that the beans would taste or smell like chocolate… Surprisingly, it is not the case, you need to be patient!

The first step is the fermentation of the beans in wooden boxes for a few days. The beans are then spread on large trays and left to dry naturally in the sun for a couple of weeks. The third stage consists of roasting the beans, which will already give you a delicious snack. The smell of chocolate is already here…

The roasted beans are then broken into small pieces, called cocoa nibs, and the skin - discarded thanks to the master movement of the farmer (that I tried to replicate without much success)!

Finally, the cocoa nibs are grounded using a stone grinder, and the cocoa paste is placed into moulds for a few hours.

The taste of a block of 100% cacao chocolate is surprising. It is far away from the ultra sweet flavour you would expect and is slightly bitter, but it is a healthy block of divine pure chocolate! You will realise that, after this step, everything is up to your imagination - you can add sugar, coconut, coffee beans, peppermint, lemon grass or sunflower seeds! The sky is the limit!

During your visit to the farm, you will also taste other delicacies, such as the white pineapple and the soursop tasting like a mix of pineapple and strawberry.

White pineapples are not widely known in Europe as it takes two years for them to grow, as compared to six months for yellow pineapples, but it is worth the wait - the flavour is sweeter and much more delicate!

Costa Rica is also known for its proud indigenous people and their striking art which reflects the colours of nature!

Pura Vida means art

If you are taking the Pan-American Highway from Osa Peninsula to San José, which climbs at 3,305m with stunning views of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean at the same time, you cannot miss the Boruca people!

This indigenous tribe of around 2,000 people who live in South-Pacific Costa Rica, not far away from Panama, is famous for its striking hand-carved wooden Boruca masks. They fall into three categories - a representation of the devil, the ecological devil (protecting the ecological system) or different animals. The Boruca view these masks, some of which may appear quite scary, as a protection from evil spirits. The colours of the masks are natural and jaw-dropping!