New Eating Place in Atenas

We just had breakfast this morning at the a brand new restaurant in Atenas and boy, was it a treat! Called Nátural, it will feature as many organic and fresh ingredients as the charming young proprietress María can muster. Located diagonal from the ICE offices, the restaurant's open-air patio seating allowed fresh breezes to keep us comfortable as we enjoyed one of the best breakfasts we have had here in Costa Rica -- and that's saying a lot!

María at the feria

Our introduction to María and her excellent products came a few weeks ago at the feria, the local farmer's market where we pick up our supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. As we strolled the sidewalk where the vendors set up their stalls, we came to a new one. Just a simple table with small jars of green sauces beside a basket of torn bread chunks, it was staffed by a stunningly beautiful young woman. We stopped for a taste of the goods and were delighted with the incredible flavors of a dip made of several finely chopped herbs swimming in rich, buttery extra virgin olive oil. Next to the dip were samples of pesto sauce and marmelades, also quite delicious. But the dip, with its slightly picante or spicy flavor, was just addictive. We immediately bought a jar and proceeded to demolish it within three days. 

María told us she had recently moved to Atenas with her mom, who has always lived in the bustling capital city of San Jose. As they settled in, her mother was enthralled by the laid-back rural feeling in our little town. She felt like she had moved to the country, María said, and they both have fallen in love with our friendly community. At the feria that week, María informed us that she was planning to open a restaurant which would offer all natural, healthy foods. Well, we could hardly wait. After the closure a few months back of Cafe Cultura, the most recent effort to bring healthy organic fare to Atenas, we had almost given up on having a local eatery that would satisfy our desires for nutritious locally-sourced food. We love Gallo Pinto, of course, the popular beans-and-rice dish of Costa Rica and several local restaurants offer good food, but for us, nothing compares to the pleasure of knowing you are indulging in pesticide-free, unprocessed, all natural food.

Our waitress Margarita 

Well, it would seem that María is positioned to fulfill our wishes! Layne enjoyed a beautiful omelet made, according to our pleasant English-speaking waitress Margarita, with organic eggs and chock-full of perfectly sautéed vegetables -- mushrooms, red bell peppers, onions, carrots and spinach (did I forget anything?) -- luxuriously surrounded by a beautifully melted cheese, perhaps a Gouda. Gosh, it was good! Sharing the plate were three small slices of a dense, rich fresh-baked whole grain bread and a flawless salad in a light vinaigrette. Margarita even offered Layne a small dish of that fabulous herb dip we love. Although I stole some bites off Layne's plate, I only had a fruit smoothie because of the diet I'm on to help cure my eczema. But those tastes were enough to show what quality this place offers. And the prices were great as well. My smoothie, which was a beautiful combination of fresh fruits, not from concentrate, mind you, was only 1100 colones or about $2.25, including the tax, and Layne's omelet was just 2400 colones, a bit under $5.00. Very reasonable.

Layne's excellent omelet

Veggie-stuffed bread rolls

When we arrived after breakfast to pick up our organic veggie order from our friend Nathalie, we mentioned the wonderful food we'd just enjoyed. It turned out that she had had lunch at Nátural's the day before. She proceeded to rave about the veggie-stuffed bread

specialty that María had shown us just prior to popping them in the oven, as well as the apple pie, which Nathalie said was so good she had to have seconds!

We wish María every success in her new venture and want to assure our Atenas readers that you will not be disappointed if you walk the block and a half from the Central Park to enjoy a meal at Nátural, Atenas' newest and best healthy food restaurant. Buena suerte, María!

  

Celebrating a Saint, Costa Rica Style

In Costa Rica most every little pueblo has its own Catholic saint, no surprise given the number of towns with "San" or "Santa" in its name. You have our own Santa Eulalia, for example, along with dozens of San Rafael's, San Carlos', Santa Elena's, San Ramon's, Santa Cruz's and, of course, San Jose's, including the nation's capital city. Each year most all of these communities set aside a few days to honor their saint with a fiesta for the whole town and anyone else who wants to join in.

The church in San Isidro

Thus it was that most of the Santa Eulalia gang (minus Marc, who stayed home, and Eroca, who is currently back in Canada) made our way to San Isidro de Atenas last Sunday for the final day of their "saint's day" celebration in honor of Saint Isidore, the patron saint of farmers. San Isidro is a beautiful little barrio located at almost 3700' high in the mountains above downtown Atenas. Atenas is also the name of our canton, or county, so just as our barrio is Santa Eulalia de Atenas, so San Isidro needs that identifier to separate it from all the other San Isidro's in Costa Rica.

When we arrived by taxi, the church service was just finishing up and much of the town was out in force, on motorcycles, bicycles, cars and pickup trucks. Marcial and Seidy, it turned out, were acquainted with Doña Rosa, who had cooked huge pots of food for the event and we were ushered into her kitchen to tempt our palates for later.

Doña Rosa in the kitchen

As we wandered around we discovered one of the big attractions for the day was to be 4x4 mud races on a muddy track in a large open space, previously a soccer field, in the cradle of steep hills. Spectators were already perched around the sides of the basin ready for the day's action, but since we had a hike to do, we decided to return later when we were sure the races would still be on.

So with our intrepid leader Marcial in charge, we headed down the road, now bumper-to-bumper with fiesta-goers looking for parking. Marcial had spied a trail heading up the side of a hill across the way but we didn't know how to get there from here. Never fear! Having noticed what looked like a path beyond a barbed-wire fence, Marcial stopped and asked a fellow who was helping park cars across the road how we might get in. An instant amigo, the guy sent over another man to cut the fence and open a gate for us! How's that for friendly? He gave Marcial his name so if anyone stopped us as we hiked along, we could say Juan gave us permission.

Just cut the fence -- No hay problema!

Seidy and I are across, Marcial helps the others

We traipsed down the narrow path alongside the fence and soon came to the inevitable river to cross. But this one was shallow and easy so I just walked through the 3-inch water in my trusty boots. Marcial helped the others to cross safely. The trail took us up through coffee fields, shade-grown under a canopy of banana trees and other tall nameless greenery. 

Marcial and Chris far ahead, Sue coming along

Seidy picks culantro

Along the way Seidy noticed some native culantro growing on the sides of the path and began picking the tender leaves, explaining to me how good it was in frijoles or gallo pinto, the ubiquitous beans-and-rice dish so popular here. Culantro is similar in smell at least to cilantro, which Layne and I love, but I've not found the flavor to be quite the same. Still, when Seidy pulled up a small plant for me, roots and all, I put it in my backpack and have now planted it out back alongside my other herbs. 

Looks like blueberries, tastes like plum!

Marcial peeled a "potato mango," one of the many varieties here, and cut off pieces for us - delicioso! - and Seidy introduced us to tasty little berries that looked like blueberries but tasted more like a peach or plum.

On our return trip, Seidy and I stopped to look more closely at some rusted old metal and concrete structures. She described how they had been used in the past to press the juices from sugar cane, using the giant waterwheel to power the press. Then in large metal pans seated in the huge concrete bowls now filled with plants, workers had heated the syrup (miel or honey, as Seidy called it) to render granulated sugar. It was a fascinating taste of Costa Rican history.

The big rusted waterwheel

A press for the cane

What used to be concrete bowls for heating sugar cane juice

 Returning to the festivities, we found the 4x4 mud rally already underway. Chris and Sue, Marcial and Seidy and Layne all stayed to watch while I walked back to the churchyard to check on Bonnie and Stephen who had opted not to hike. They were enjoying some of the comida tipica or typical food for sale and shared a couple of tasty Chicharrones, fried pork, with me before they taxied back home.

The ever-popular 4x4 mud races

When I rejoined the others at the rally, the races were in full mud-spattered swing, with some of the cars stalling out in the deep murky pools of water and having to be towed off the tracks. But the crowd was enjoying the day with barbeques and picnics throughout the grassy hillsides.

Eventually Layne and I left the rally heading for the dance being held in the salon near the church. There we joined in the salsa dancing and even managed a waltz, which garnered us a nice compliment from a Tica, before Marcial and the gang joined the party. 

By then it was time for the entertainment to begin with dancers from San Ramón performing historical Italian dances and a group of colorfully-clad Ticas doing a spectacular full-skirted rendition of Costa Rican traditional dances. Once again we all reveled in the great opportunity to join with our Tico neighbors in a celebration of their history and culture.  

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 at Smashwords.com. High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570 

Hammocks, Horses and Crazy Geese

A milestone: Fabulista de Costa Rica has now passed the 50,000 all-time page view mark! A big thank you to my loyal readers!!

Time to bring you up to date on our busy lives here in Costa Rica. I say "Costa Rica" instead of Santa Eulalia because we traveled last week to a different part of the country, the Monteverde area, to enjoy Bonnie's 60th birthday with her and Stephen at a beautiful secluded rancho. Monteverde is a popular tourist destination, a remote mountain region of misty cloud forest, centered in the small town of Santa Elena almost 4700' above sea level. The weather there is chilly and predictably rainy much of the year. Fortunately for us, after one night in Santa Elena, we spent our next three nights some 3000 feet lower - though only 18 kilometers away - near the small village of Guacimal at Rancho El Rio, a working ranch and rental cottage located along the banks of a river, where the days were warm and sunny and nights crisply cool. 

Rancho el Rio

 

Bonnie and Stephen had discovered this little paradise by virtue of their friendship with the owners, Veronica and Alex Alvarado, who also own Casa Cielo, an A-frame cabin further up the mountain with spectacular views of the Gulf of Nicoya. Casa Cielo was the first place Stephen and Bonnie stayed when they arrived in Costa Rica two years ago and they quickly became friends with their charming hosts. With Bonnie's big birthday coming up, we all decided Rancho El Rio would be an ideal place to celebrate.

Hammock-time for Yours Truly

If snoozing in a hammock to the sounds of a rushing river, communing with chickens, geese and horses, hiking through pastures or relaxing with a book on a patio swing are your idea of a holiday, then Rancho El Rio is a great choice. Veronica and Alex have spent the last few months renovating a dilapidated cottage on the 112-acre property, creating a comfortably rustic and handicapped-accessible retreat. Bonnie and Stephen, who had seen the building before its overhaul, were amazed at the transformation. 

Geese pay a visit - watch out for that gander!

With a focus on environmentally friendly construction, the Alvarado's have built a snug two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow with a broad patio overlooking the river and a big open-air kitchen fully equipped for a comfortable stay. Having stocked up on food in Santa Elena and with Stephen's excellent cooking skills (with a little help from the rest of us), we took full advantage of the barbeque unit as well as the ranch fruits, which Veronica supplied on our first day. Other than my having to fight off the aggressive gander once or twice, our days were relaxing and tranquil. 

Stephen readies the BBQ 

Layne mounted and ready to ride

The highlight of the trip for me was our Thursday morning horseback ride with Veronica to explore the ranch. The couple has a string of mostly rescued horses that with their wrangler Memo's help, they have brought back to health and trained to be reliable but energetic mounts for guests. 

The Palomino mare I rode, Soñadora (Dreamer), was their newest addition and although she was still thin to my way of thinking, she was an enthusiastic partner as we cantered up the hills or trotted along in that smooth Paso Criollo gait. For me, there's nothing like the view from the back of a horse!

View from aboard Soñadora

Bonnie gets inspiration from "Spirit Rock"

We wound our way up a long hill to an unusual rock formation, a huge monolith sprouting straight up out of a level plain. We mulled the mystery of that rock in that position and agreed it was a very special place. After an hour or so of exploration, looking at the baby water buffaloes and the herd of cattle, we made our way to the river, tied up the horses, changed into shorts and waded out into the rocks for a cooling dip in the rushing waters. Wow! What fun!

Bonnie & Veronica - ride 'em Cowgirls!

A refreshing dip in the river 

Afterwards, I helped Veronica and Memo with the unsaddling and then led Soñadora to where dozens of ripe mangos lay on the ground. Veronica joined me with her horse Raya and we laughed as we watched the horses gobble up the delicious sweet fruits. Oddly, Costa Rican horses don't seem to like carrots (I've offered them to several), but they sure love mangos!

The next morning I took a long solitary hike along the dirt road and enjoyed the pastoral scenery of white cattle grazing on steep hillsides.
Along the way, I noticed a gorgeous Turquoise-browed Motmot in a tree down below and tried to get a good shot. Then I looked up and saw two of them perched just above me on the telephone line and another half dozen in trees nearby. Slightly smaller than the ones we have around our house in Santa Eulalia, they were still stunning with their iridescent green and blue coloring and distinctive long tail. 

The ubiquitous Iguanas were also easy to spot, such as this guy crossing the road in front of me.

He scurried up the steep side of the hill and disappeared into the roots of a large tree that seemed almost suspended above me.

Layne and I hiked along the river

The incredible variety and abundance of wildlife in Costa Rica continues to amaze us and we feel lucky to have opportunities like this to enjoy it.

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 at Smashwords.com. High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570 

      

A Festive Climate Fair and Oxcart Parade

Happy Birthday to our two wonderful grandsons, Kai turning 15 and Orion who is 12 today! Hope your day is just what you want it to be, full of fun, good food and lots of love from your family and friends. And we hope you both get to visit us in Costa Rica very soon!

Jumping right into my topic, last weekend was the Atenas Climate Fair and Oxcart Parade, an annual celebration in recognition of Atenas' reputation for having "the best climate in the world" and its historical significance as a key site on the road taken by the oxcarts carrying coffee to the port of Puntareñas on the Pacific Coast. Unlike our first year in Costa Rica, this fair day opened to a bright blue sky and the promise of a good day for the vendors in the central park selling jewelry, leather goods, clothing, knick-knacks and aromatic foods. There were trampolines and face painting for the kids and music and dancing for everyone.

Monumento de Boyero

But rather than head into the park, Layne and I had plans for a Sunday hike with Marcial and Seidy. Several of the "Santa Eulalia gang" were off on a trip to Nicaragua for their required "visa run" every three months so they can stay in the country legally, which left only the four of us for our weekly walk. So we gaily hopped on the Santa Eulalia bus for a quick ride into town, then hiked down the main road toward the Monumento de Boyero, dedicated to the oxcart drivers who plied their trade along this road since the time the trail was created in 1843. Although coffee transportation has evolved, the tradition of painting the carts and training the oxen has survived here in Atenas as well as in other parts of Costa Rica.

Along the way we looked behind us and saw a big group of Scouts, boys and girls, skipping along and singing. When we slowed near a bus stop to take a breather, the kids caught up with us and Marcial learned that they were in position to offer refreshments to the parade participants when they went by. It seemed the perfect photo op and the youngsters agreed, smiling and waving for the camera.

"The Last Supper" Bar

We were early for the parade so we continued down the side road into the barrio of Los Angeles where Layne and I lived for more than a year. Stopping at the local pulperia, or small grocery store, only a few blocks from our old apartment, I greeted the nice woman who works there and bragged to her on my improved Spanish language skills. After Seidy bought a bottle of water, we were ready to head back up toward the Monument where we planned to view the parade. But it being mid-morning and this being the remnants of "The 10:27 Club," somehow Marcial found a tiny bar right next door to the pulperia, with only a few stools. Indeed, being located across the street from the Catholic Church and having such limited seating, it enjoys a nickname: La Última Cena, or The Last Supper. Layne and Marcial enjoyed a beer (or two) but Seidy and I stuck to water for now. 

With most of the audience gathered in the Parque Central, the un-crowded Monument park was the perfect place to view the parade, especially since the route took the oxcarts down the main road to a turn one block away and back up on the other side. This being another refreshment spot where volunteers carried tortillas filled with grilled meat to each participant, we had ample opportunity to view the magnificent beasts and the colorful oxcarts, often filled with laughing occupants. There was even some dancing in the street!

Such a beautiful face... 

Atenas High School's Project Blue Flag, made from plastic bottles!

Another colorful cart

Docile oxen gets a pat from his boyero

Marcial chats with a boyero during the stop for refreshments

Beautiful detail in the cart wheel

After the last cart passed by, we trekked the mile or so back to town. Although alcohol is technically prohibited, Marcial and Layne managed to smuggle me a tequila in a plastic cup from the corner bar where they hung out while Seidy and I sat on a park bench and watched the last of the parade circle the park. 

Relaxing in our dead-end street

A visit from a Toucan

Always a thrill!

Catching a taxi back home, the four of us enjoyed the late afternoon view from our front driveway. We were delighted when a beautiful Toucan landed in the tree nearby, the perfect punctuation to a day of Tico culture and good friends. 

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 at Smashwords.com. High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570