Costa Rica!

February 23-25, 2017

We are finally here! We have one full day in the area of Alajuela which is near the International Airport for Costa Rica. As soon as we checked into the hotel at 10pm, I asked about tours the next day to a volcano or a nature preserve to observe some wildlife. Kenneth, at the front desk, told us to just ask the next morning as there were many choices and the nearest volcano was just 30 minutes away. So we slept in and went to the desk about 11am. The desk clerk told us we were too late for any tours. BUT she could arrange a private tour in a taxi wherever we wanted to go.  We climbed into Leonardo’s taxi and off we went to Volcano Poas which was about a 1 hour drive. It was a wonderful day and Leonardo was a delight. He told us his entire life story along with some bits about Costa Rica. He was born in Costa Rica but lived in the Los Angeles area for 30 years. He came back here to retire 5 years ago and now drives a taxi until he can start drawing his social security from his United States income.

Next Leonardo drove us by his favorite cheese vendor on the side of the road where he bought some fresh tortillas and cheese for his wife. He then stopped at a local restaurant and filled a thermos with a hot beverage. It seemed a little strange that he would do his shopping while taking us on a tour. But this was all for us, we learned a bit later.

A little further down the road Leonardo drove into a beautiful park like area with ponds, benches and various activities. Some people were just admiring the flowers and others were on the Zipline. He said it is very crowded on the weekends but for us it was a special day because there were no crowds. So we sat on a bench and he brought out the picnic for us. Fresh cheese and warm tortillas. The special beverage was hot agua dulce. It is a favorite beverage in Costa Rica and I plan to find it again. Very good. Like a sweet warm tea.

Farmers Market and Alajuela Town Square

Our final stop was the town square with farmers market, central park and a large church which is so typical of villages. Leonardo knows everyone in town and this was the highlight of our day. He smiled and chatted with shop keepers, people on the street and waved from his car window as we drove through the crazy traffic. Such a lively fun area. The local people are happy and friendly back to us also.

So this is the end of our first full day in Costa Rica. Tomorrow we take a short flight over to the Nicoya Peninsula and the town of Tambor. Follow along!

Author: Marla Vannice

Exploring the world has always been my dream. These aren't "vacations". They are travels to every corner far and wide. We are 'budget' travelers and always travel light. Our goal is always to get to know the locals and avoid tourist areas. We do use cruise ships but not in the normal way. We don't drink nor gamble so that saves us lots of money. We might only see each port for one full day but have been known to return later on our own. View all posts by Marla Vannice