Tasty Travels: Costa Rica

Hola amigos! Have you been wondering where I've been? Well I didn't want to rub it in your face before I left, but I can't keep it a secret for any longer: I went to Costa Rica for the first time!! And, I kid you not, it is one of the most fun, exotic, beautiful places that I've ever been. I'm already planning trip nĂºmero de dos to visit all of the places that I didn't get a chance to see.

While I don't want to stray too far from the point of this blog, I have a strong urge to share my trip with you. So, why don't want talk about Costa Rican cuisine? That way we stay on topic and I can brag about my wonderful trip!

Since I had never been to Costa Rica before this trip, I was not sure what to expect about the food. I knew rice and beans (or Gallo Pinto) is a very popular dish down there. Costa Ricans primarily eat this dish for breakfast, which I found a bit odd. I also assumed that seafood would be a big part of their cuisine, but I had no clue beyond that. Once I got down there and had the pleasure of visiting some amazing restaurants and trying traditional Costa Rican food prepared by a native, I was both blown away and pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the food.


First, let's start off with the La Mariposa Hotel in Manuel Antonio. Not only does this hotel have three infinity pools, two of which have pool bars, with picturesque views, but the breakfast served at this magnificent hotel is beyond delicious. They have the best Gallo Pinto with Lizano Salsa. The Lizano Salsa is what made the rice and beans. I am now on the hunt to find a recipe for this sauce or find a bottle at a local grocery store. I am determined to get my hands on it because it was life changing. And, to my surprise, I loved eating rice and beans for breakfast. Just ask my friends: I had it every morning. I might as well move to Costa Rica and call it a life; I'd fit in so well. ;-)

Moving along....

A fine restaurant that we ate at the first night I was in Costa Rica is this unique and colorful restaurant called Graffiti in Jaco. The atmosphere of the restaurant is unlike any other restaurant that I've visited, and the food is out.of.this.world. They have a set menu that is always available, but they also offer multiple specials that change every night. In other words, you could go to this restaurant many, many times and never try the same scrumptious dish. I think this is both very brilliant and very intriguing-it would certainly make me want to keep going back! While we were there, we ordered tuna tartar and shrimp and mushroom arranchinis to share. For my entree, I ordered one of the specials: herb crusted mahi over a truffled mushroom risotto. All of the dishes were amazing: 4-star quality without the 4-star price. And even though we were all stuffed to the brim, we decided to order the Elvis French Toast, which consisted of thick layers of french toast that sandwiched homemade peanut butter and sauteed bananas, with a generous slather of syrup all over top. Do I need to say it again? Ok, I will: it was AMAZING. If you visit Costa Rica and do not stop by Graffiti, you are surely missing out.


Last, and certainly not least, one of the excursions we did included two homemade meals. The traditional breakfast prepared for us included fresh bananas, pineapple, and papaya, along with a pancake-like food that was made of cornmeal and cheese and some type of cornbread sweet bread. It was all delicious, minus the papaya-can't say I'm the biggest fan. After the excursion was over, we were served a traditional Costa Rican lunch. This lunch consisted of rice, beans, homemade flour tortillas, broiled chicken breasts and legs with an amazing glaze (I wish I would have asked what the glaze consisted of), potatoes with a cheese-like sauce, and a fresh salad. The chicken was by far the star of the lunch. While I can't imagine eating rice and beans at nearly every meal, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the traditional cuisine is.

Long story, short: You all need to visit Costa Rica! If not for the food, go to see wonderful beaches, explore all of the interesting cities, stay at beautiful hotels, hike through rain forests and see a ton of wildlife (monkeys and toucans are everywhere), visit waterfalls, volcanoes, and other natural wonders, meet some of the friendliest people in the world, and work on your golden tan. And if you do decide to plan a trip, please allow me to squeeze in your suitcase.

Elaine

20 comments:

  1. hahah you did such a nice job summing up your trip! i feel like you should be running my blog!!! miss you already boo but so glad you came!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe, feel free to link to my page if you ever want to talk about Costa Rican food! I miss you guys too! Soak up some sun for me this weekend, wherever yall decide to go. :)

      Delete
  2. So jealous! I really need a vacation from the US.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was just what I needed, Shiloh. If you need a suggestion of a place to visit, I highly recommend Costa Rica!

      Delete
  3. SO jelly you went to Costa Rica! How amazing is that?! But eeek, monkeys on the beach? Is it weird I'm irrationally freaked out by monkeys, haha. But I love toucans!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha it's ok, I feel the same way about sloths. Is that weird?! They hardly even move! Other than the slightly freaky animals, Costa Rica was awesome. You'd love it!

      Delete
  4. I was in Costa Rica in 2001 for a month. Feels like a lifetime ago and I'm sure so much has changed yet stayed the same. I wasn't in Jaco, but Nosara, about an hour away. Thanks for the great post!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jealous. Boyfriend n I have been eyeing up Costa Rica for 2 years now.... haven't had a chance to make it over there yet. Sounds amazing! You should post more pics!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should definitely make a trip soon!! It was absolutely amazing.

      Delete
  6. Hi Elaine!! Glad to hear you had a great trip to Costa Rica. They really do have some good food even though they are sadly underestimated as having good cuisine! Next time you are there, make sure to try a Spoon cake or Pops ice cream. It is the best! And for traditional food you can't miss a Casado - it's as Costa Rican as it can be and pretty tasty and filling. My friends are always surprised that I eat so well here haha.
    If you ever visit again come to Playas del Coco! It has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country! You can check out my blog if you want to know more.
    Your blog is super cute and I'm definitely going to be a follower - keep up the good work :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Samantha! I have been dying to go back to Costa Rica the second I returned to DC. I'll definitely be making a trip there again in the future. I'll be sure to check out Playas del Coco! :)

      Delete
  7. The formula of your recipe is very amazing. It is as good as it takes to eat, it is also good to look at. You have been preparing more recipes like this.
    cheap escorts services in Gurugram
    call girl sector 24

    Sushant lok Escorts
    Russian Escorts Gurgaon

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was diagnosed of herpes 3 years, and ever since then i have been taking treatment to prevent outbreaks, burning and blisters, but there was no improvement until i came across testimonies of DR. USELU on how he has been curing different people from different diseases all over the world, then i contacted him. After our conversation he sent me the medicine which I took according to his instructions for up to 2 weeks. After completing the medication I went back to my doctor for another test and the virus was all gone and I was completely cured, since then I have not had any signs of outbreak. I'm so filled with joy. With herbal medication Herpes Virus is 100% curable. I refer { DR.USELU } to everyone out there with the virus. Email: dr.uselucaregvier@gmail.com Add DR. USELU on whats App +234 7052898482

    ReplyDelete
  9. HELLO VIEWERS

    TESTIMONY ON HOW I GOT MY LOAN 300,000.00EURO FROM A FINANCE COMPANY LAST WEEK Email for immediate response: drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com

    Do you need a loan to start a business or pay your debts {Dr.Benjamin Scarlett Owen} can also help you with a legit loan offer. He Has also helped some other colleagues of mine with a loan finance. Get your Blank ATM card or CREDIT CARD deliver to your doorstep that works in all ATM machines all over the world with the help of BENJAMIN LOAN FINANCE the ATM cards can be used to withdraw at the ATM Machines or swipe, at stores and POS. they give out this cards to all interested clients worldwide, If you need a loan without cost/stress he his the right loan lender to wipe away your financial problems and crisis today. BENJAMIN LOAN FINANCE holds all of the information about how to obtain money quickly and painlessly via Email drbenjaminfinance@gmail.com

    THANK YOU ALL

    ReplyDelete
  10. I got diagnose of herpes virus last year, and i was taking some drugs prescribed for me by my family doc the drugs could not work and the herpes in my system was very terrifying that i was so depressed the good news is that i never gave up in searching for natural cure for herpes virus ,cause i believe so much in herbal medication.. One faithful morning i read a comment from a lady called Destiny Hudson on how she was cured with natural herbs made by DR.OYAGU from somewhere is West Africa, i immediately copied out his contact email via oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com and explain all my herpes problem to him via his email. the big truth is that it took just two week for his herbal medication to cure me completely without side affect. Till date am herpes virus free and all thanks to Dr OYAGU for his good deeds for me, Once again am very happy to share this great testimony of DR OYAGU cure hurry up now and contact him via his email address (oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com Call & WhatsApp him on (+2348101755322 ) and see what he can do

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was cured of HERPES with the use of natural herbs. I love herbs so much. Most times, injections and drugs are just a waste of time. I was cured 8months ago, i suffered from Herpes for 2 years but with the help of Priest Babaka herbal medicine, I was cured within a few weeks of drinking the herbs He sent to me through courier delivery service. This same Priest also cured my Aunt from INFERTILITY, as soon as I heard she Been finding it difficult to CONCEIVE, i referred her to the Priest and she was cured after drinking his herbs. I have referred more than 15 persons and they were all cured from their various illness. Have you taken herbs before?. You have spent so much money on drugs, injections, surgeries etc and yet you have no good result to show for it. Priest Babaka is a Herbalist and a Spiritualist , I assure you of a cure if you drink his natural herbs and follow his Guidance. He has herbs that cures HIV, Herpes, Diabetics, Asthma, Hepatitis, etc. Contact Priest Babaka on email: babaka.wolf@gmail.com or Facebook at priest.babaka

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello everyone, Rustik Cyber Hack Service are the only true and guaranteed cryptocurrency recovery professionals. I want to tell you about how I almost had my life ruined by a man who conned me out of $509,278.10 after I fell for a romantic hoax. I fell for this con man, and it damaged my connection with my family. My life savings were stolen by this scammer I met on a dating website while he seemed to be in trouble, and I assisted him numerous times since I was continually sending money through Bitcoin and bank transfers. As a result, I had to declare bankruptcy. I borrowed money to help him, but I later learned that he was a con artist. After a buddy of mine showed me an article about Rustik Cyber Hack Service and how they are capable of recovering any crypto coins Bitcoin, USDT, ETH, Dogecoin, and bank transfer funds. from any type of con artist, i reach out to Rustik Cyber Hack Service discuss my situation, and send all the information of the transfer payment I made to the scam. In less than 24 hours I was able to get through everything and to my great surprise, they quickly retrieved most of what I had lost to my Bitcoin wallet address. If you find yourself in such difficulty, get in touch with them right away. to recover your scammed funds back to your bank account or to your bitcoin wallet address  Email: rustikcyberhackservice @ gmail. com all thanks to Rustik Cyber Hack Service Call/WhatsApp + 1) (3 8 6) 3 4 8 --- 7 8 3 8

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's commonly believed that once a victim's cryptocurrency is transferred from their wallet, particularly from a centralized exchange to a decentralized exchange or private wallet, the funds become irretrievable. However, there are companies and professional services like Wizard Asset Recovery that specialize in helping individuals recover their stolen Crypto. If you find yourself ensnared by a Crypto fraudulent investment company, Wizard Asset Recovery is here to assist. Their experienced team of cyber experts will meticulously review the details you provide and analyze the circumstances surrounding the scam. This enables them to swiftly take action on your recovery case, ultimately delivering a positive outcome where your funds are successfully recovered.

    If you've been scammed by bitcoin, it's crucial to take action promptly. Hiring the best funds recovery experts, such as Wizard Asset Recovery, can help you recover lost funds and reclaim money from binary options forex scams or any investment scam. To initiate the recovery process, visit their website or reach out to them via email at Wizardassetrecovery@gmx.us and via WhatsApp at +13157561228.

    ReplyDelete
  14. How To Recover Your Lost Bitcoin With Captain WebGenesis.

    Have you by any means invested your hard earned funds or Bitcoin with an Investment Scheme and later you find out you  have been duped, and you would wish to track down and recover your funds. Captain WebGenesis is a Cyber skilled Expert with special skills to help Scam victims recover their lost Bitcoin. The Expert contains all computer programs required to complete Recoveries from the start till you recover all your funds. Captain WebGenesis also specializes with Credit repair, have all the issues dealing with your poor credit score dealt with. Get in touch with Captain WebGenesis through the Email below;  
    Add; Captainwebgenesis@ hackermail. com
    Website Link; Www.captainwebgenesis.com

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
09 10 11 12
Blogging tips