Pura Vida, 👋 Costa Rica 🇨🇷

And did we sure hear that….mucho times — yeah yeah It’s Costa Rica.

Ok first things first that’s about where I’m at with Spanish — the funny thing about language (from Georgian, Turkish and Spanish) there is one universal language — body language and somehow that gets you pretty far albeit you could end up almost going for a root canal instead of a X-ray scan — what’s the worse that can happen. 🙂

Well ok, I’m lying (not about the root canal though) I’m not totally left to body language — Daniel wanted to find a reason to speak Spanish and the reason arrived. Gracias Daniel.

Good Morning San Jose

We arrived at night after a plus 20 hour flight — I mean who’s counting when you going back in time. From lively Istanbul this was surely different — peaceful and quiet city until it’s not. Feet on the ground and it was tropical weather, sun for days, lush greenery everywhere, birds chirping, early mornings was a breeze (unlike the humidity). Well the truth is out it’s perfect right Tico’s? Well it actually almost is — they run on 100% renewable energy you’ve heard me right. Spending time here for a month you learn that you are at the heart of the lungs of the earth and they feel it most when it’s being damaged year after year.

Preserving, protecting and spreading the word that’s their mission — they have such a beautiful natural country from Volcano’s, hot springs, Caribbean ocean, pacific ocean and the cloud forest with all it’s animals co-existing either in competition with each other or working together.

The Arenal Volcano — La Fortuna

It means fortunate — the towns before not so much. A volcano erupted and destroyed an entire town now only covered in lava rocks. This area was call this because of the soil — anything and everything grows here. A weekend in La Fortuna and you do count your blessings — a natural hotspring resting after a long day from walking to the Arenal Volcano to the most beautiful views of the Forrest from the hanging bridges learning about the difference between plantane and bananas fun fact bananas hangs downwards and plantane upwards to seeing coffee plants and walking through the secondary forest where it rains the most in the world and most humid too.

The cloud forest — Monte Verde

The strangle fig tree — no you hungry person not the fruit figgs. What an interesting story the only tree that grows from top to the bottom…wait what am I even saying? You heard me right. The tree exist by animals eating from the tree than pooping on another tree and then the tree starts growing from that poop high on the host tree’s leaves. The host tree doesn’t see it as a threat until it’s to late — true to it’s name it grows multiple “arms” roots as you will from the top and start to engulf and strangle the host tree to death. The strangle Fig tree then creates another entire ecosystem for animals and living creatures to live. This tree have no one root multiple roots and empty inside which makes it very hard for experts to determine it’s age. I can only imagine looking at these tree’s more a than all of us alive. These tree’s is what’s keeping the forrest alive. Besides the most unique orchids we’ve seen a sloth (you guessed it sleeping) a Tucan, viper snake and loads of hummingbirds.

The Caribbean beaches — Peurto Viejo

Swimming in the warm water of the Caribbean while the white beaches spreads out as it sparkles in the distance. Everywhere you go you can see the country preserving nature as much as possible there’s no “beachfront” properties here first comes the ocean then the beach then the jungle and then the buildings all one level or 2 at most. This little town is definitely a party town, a tourist escape from reality. Although it’s beautiful to see the Caribbean beach it’s totally unrealistic of what Costa Rica truly is but sadly this is what we see from the outside on social media. It’s a long drive from San Jose so do catch some water at the natural spring at the national park.

Sunblock and insect repellent becomes like brushing your teeth — a daily morning routine. The sun is real and it’s hot and humid — you realize you are in Central America.

The real Costa Rica

Is much more than just the “retreats” and hanging at the popular tourist beaches. It’s about survival and life of the earth’s lungs and they do everything they can to protect it. They don’t have any military which they use to fund for education, you are not allowed to have any wild animals as domestic pets, neither are you allowed to bring them in only cats and dogs allowed — if you mistreat or negelect your pet you also get a fine and go to prison for all the above, and yes they actually enforce their laws. You can not take anything that belongs to the wild — animals or plants.

Take time talk to the locals — you will learn so much more we were fortunate to have.

Ok fine food!

I would honestly say it’s not the cheapest place but the fruits I could eat for days — from bananas to pineapples and of course empanadas the coffee obviously did not disappoint. Yeah you can see who is writing the blog…not the foodie around here.

To summarize Costa Rica — It’s louder, bolder and greener everything is one step more.

You can’t leave here without a feeling a sense of responsibility — at the airport as you leave they’ve written on a poster — You have been branded — now tell the story. (paraphrasing unfortunately due to my lack of memory)

So let’s do it once more — Pura Vida mis amigos

Anina & Daniel