¡Pura Vida! and all the amazing eats

I got to visit Costa Rica, a breathtaking country in Central America, for the first time late last summer. I’m posting this blog months and months late, but it’s just in my time for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica next month. While I was there I got to experience and see some amazing things despite all during the rainy season. If you weren’t aware, Tico’s (or Costa Rican’s) are obsessed with this idea of ¡Pura Vida! or Pure life. They use the term for hellos, goodbyes, or to say things are rad, but it transcends these ideals and really is about a lifestyle. Tico’s don’t stress the way American’s do and strive to be relaxed and really have a simple way of looking at life.

And I think this is really an idea that we should all adopt. No stress, no worries, no big deal. If we could adopt the idea of Pura Vida the world would be a better place. I would be a better person. Stress rules too much of my life. It’s an idea that I didn’t know how to put words at previously, however, it was something I was actively trying to do. I can only hope I can one day be like my Tico brothers and sisters.

Anyway, Costa Rica was amazing. My bro, mom, and I rented a car and went to Manuel Antonio, Jaco, and San Jose. Did you know that Costa Rica has seven different climate zones? We spent most of our time in the hottest and most humid climate I have experienced. The rainforest on the Pacific coast is a hot moody bitch. We got blessed with little rain and beautifully hot weather.

We got to visit an awesome national park in the rainforest with breathtaking white sand beaches. In the park we got to hang out with monkeys, sloths, and all sorts of other neat critters. My bro and I got to take a private surf lesson with a really rad dude in Jaco, a surfer’s paradise, with black sand beaches and a crazy riptide. We visited La Paz, another park that is known for it’s five huge waterfalls. We tried to see Irazu volcano, but when we arrived the clouds had moved in. The clouds reminded me of a thick fog where you could barely see 10 feet in front of you.. like straight out of a horror movie. Super neat!

One of my highlights of the trip was the delicious food. Rice and beans is a staple of most Costa Rican meals. But damn it was some of the better rice and beans I’ve had. Plantains. So many plantains. Sweet plantains, savory plantains, patacones. MMM. So good. Amazing fruit juices and fruits I had never seen or heard of. We stopped at random fruit markets, and bought all the random fruits that we had never seen before. Our Spanish is at a toddlers level at best, and their English was nonexistent. I still have no clue half the names of the fruit we ate, but most of them were good. And the avocado’s there are GIANT. Though they taste more like a melon and less like a rich fatty avocado? So Weird.

Here are the best things I got to eat:

1. Patacones

You may have heard of this food by it’s Mexican name tostones. Patacones are fried smashed green plantains and make a delicious savory snack.

2. Gallo Pinto

It’s a delicious concoction that is also the national dish. Gallo Pinto consists of rice and beans mixed together and is served for every meal at breakfast.

3. Casado

A casado may be the second most popular Costa Rican dish. It is served at most restaurants for lunch and dinner. It typically consists of a choice of meat (chicken, steak, or fish), plantains, salad, rice, beans, and tortillas. You can’t go wrong with ordering this dish. Yummy and simple.

4. Empanadas and tamal

You can’t beat fried dough served with meat or cheese on the inside, which makes empanadas always a great choice. Costa Rican tamales are a bit different then Mexican tamales. They are traditionally wrapped in a banana leaf and the texture is a bit softer and smoother.

5. Fresh fruit juice

Costa Rica has amazing tropical fruits we don’t have here stateside. And a variety of fresh juices are served throughout the day. I had amazing soursop juice and a variety of delicious fruit juice margaritas.

Overall, I loved the cuisine and everywhere we got to visit. And I can’t wait for my upcoming trip. I’ll be heading to the Caribbean Coast this time which is supposed to have a different feel and flair both culturally and culinary.

COSTA RICA, PNW, AND ALL THE SUMMER ADVENTURES

This summer has been a wild ride. I’ve been slammed at work, as well as keeping an active adventure reel. I’ve been super fortunate to be able to do some awesome shit and go to some rad places. I bought a new car, partied at the lake, planned and drank my way through a float trip, went climbing outside of Denver, visited some of my oldest friends in Oregon, and drove around Costa Rica. And I’m going to Denver tonight!

I’m super blessed that I have had the opportunity and the funds to do all of these super fun things (though I’m definitely in the red, cash-wise, this summer). I’ve had an amazing summer and gotten to do and see so much crazy cool shit. Not too mention hang with some truly awesome people. I truly am lucky, and 2019 has been pretty incredible so far. I just wanted to share a brief highlight reel.

In my previous blog post, I talked about some of my climbing adventures and how climbing has changed me. And climbing out at Shelf Road outside of Denver was truly a terrifying and amazing experience. Thanks bro for always having my back and helping me crush climbs and workouts.

Getting to visit some of my closest friends in the Pacific Northwest was an awesome way to start the summer. We got to go on lots of challenging hikes, camp, have hot tub time, hang out at freezing cold alpine lakes, eat amazing biscuits and gravy, and celebrate my dear friend’s 28th birthday. An awful cold tried to stop me, but you only get so much time with your besties on vacay, right? And then there was the wasp that stung my right butt cheek. Not once. Not twice. But three times! Fuck me. Though, sometimes there has to be some bullshit to balance out all the great shit, right?

Then, there was floating and lake time. Getting to party and hang with all your homies on a body of water, whether that be a river or a lake, is like a beautiful rite of passage. Every summer that passes requires multiple booze-filled weekends of debauchery. Where the cold beer flows freely, the inhibitions are nearly non-existent and thankfully, the water is there to prevent death from that 100 degree heat. There were birthdays celebrated, going away parties to be had, many unfortunate injuries, rope swings, twerking, and way too much drinking. And I wouldn’t trade these crazy days for anything.

Finally, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visiting Costa Rica. It was a wonderful experience, and it was my first time in Central America. I got to travel around some stunning coastal cities with my bro and mom as well as getting to hang in San Jose. But damn, traveling with the fam did put a damper on my ability to experience that nightlife though. But, no partying made way for 6 AM wake ups and adventures. We had great weather for the rainy season, but I did come back with some gnarly heat rash on my face and chaffed legs. Despite all that, we hiked through the lush rainforests, hung with monkeys, surfed on black sand beaches, hiked around multiple gorgeous waterfalls, ate all the delicious foods, and tried with no avail to visit the tallest volcano in Costa Rica.

I hope you all have had a killer summer and have plenty of stories of your own to share. And even as summer is winding down, I hope that won’t diminish your adventurous spirit. Where to next?