Monteverde reunion and a Tican goodbye

So I went to the internet to buy a ticket to Guatemala. I thought it would be nice to spend another week in Costa Rica, relaxing in Monteverde – one of my favorite places so far, which still had some interesting stuff to show, that I haven’t seen the previous time I was here. “So let’s go next Monday” the shap decided with a snap of a finger. Check the inbox – the eticket confirmation email was ereceived, and stated my eitinerary – Monday, September 11th, 2006. Quite the date to fly on.

Anyway, I left San Jose to Monteverde on a rainy day, and the bus ride will not soon be forgoten. A theif was on board, who tried to get off but was caught (not to worry, he didn’t get near the shap – he knows what’s good for him, he he he), and the beej-man!!! Let’s not forget about the beej-man, who got on board in the middle of no where. The beej is someone that a few of us – who went to the Hebrew University or hung out at night in Tel Aviv for the past 2 years – know, love, and get a kick out of spending time with, but 2 days with the beej were too much for this old chap. For a local Tican (short for a Costa Rican), even 2 miuntes with the beej could be a lifetime’s worth.

Short Monteverde summary: I stayed at a nice B&B -

took a nice walk (with the beej) on the jungle’s hanging bridges, a visit to the local orchid garden -

where I met Carmen, an american girl that works there as a guide. Took a very interesting tour in a coffee plantation -

 

where I got to taste a LOT of coffee, and a visit to the cloud forest reserve – a lush green part of the jungle, which has so many clouds inside it that the trees are all surrounded with a layer of green algae (I hope that’s the right word) on them -

And so, I guess the time has come to part from this magnificent coutry. It was a great place to start my trip from, for two main reasons – 1. From now on, everything would only get cheaper! 2. When compared to other places, there are no parties in Costa Rica (except, maybe, for Puerto Viejo). Places close at 22:00, when people are fast asleep. Indeed, this is the ideal location for a couple on their honeymoon.

But on the bright, really bright side – the volcanos, jungles, fantastic beaches, and the wildlife – they all comprise one of the most breathtaking natural places on earth.

As for the food, Dools - as I said before, it’s very healthy. As healthy as eating rice and beans for a month can get. The typical tican dish is called the casado – chicken, steak, fish or beef, with rice, beans, vegetables and a fried sweet plantain. A plantain is very much like a banana, only it’s not a banana. Avner – you should come down here and show them how to do it. Overall, the casados get an 8. The ones on the beach in Manuel Antonio get a 10 – they barbeque the chicken right in front of you. The local beer - Imperial – should get an 8 as well, because it did the job just fine. The ceviche – great fish ceviche, and why shouldn’t it be – two sea shores less than 400 km apart, should mean that you can get a fresh piece of fish just about anywhere. Sushi – not very common but was still checked out twice on an all-you-can-eat basis, and was very much liked. Mexican food is very popular, and the shap enjoyed some burritos, with as much guacamole as possible. A private culinary experience was the restaurant in Malpais, where we met Laura, the chef. She cooked a delicious pasta with baked tomatoes, hot red (chili) peppers, lots of coryander (the right word for cusbara?) and LOTS of fresh garlic. And last but not least, they really like fried chicken. I just wanted to know if what people told me was true… and I haven’t tried one in over ten years… Kentucky, fried chicken…

So before I move on to Guatemala, I´ll finish with a Costa Rican phrase which means “pure life”, and is used all the time to say sababa / achla / cool – Pura Vida!