Tour day 1

Today we did a tour of San Jose.  The day started off with clear blue skies and the chirping of unfamiliar birds.  We had breakfast in the atrium, provided by the tour outfit.  Mark the owner gave a spiel on the various tour packages, and I signed us up for the Highlight tour.

We began the tour at noon, and headed out in the tour van, driven by Hopper and narrated by the tour guide, Juan Carlos (the regular tour guide Christian is on vacation this week).  Driving in San Jose is an experience all its own, and I was certain we would be in an accident several times.  Very often we were within inches of cars or buses or motorbikes on either side, or in front or behind us.  Traffic laws are optional, it seems.  For instance, a stop sign ("Alto") apparently means "slow down and check for a gap."

We drove past several parks, a stadium, some residences of dignitaries, some historical buildings, and other interesting sights, all the while with Juan Carlos relating bits of Costa Rican history.  We hopped out (just by pulling over to the side on a busy street, cars honking their horns behind us) and walked down a busy pedestrian-only shopping street, then toured the National Theatre, which was very impressive.

Then the infamous tropical rain set in.  It poured buckets for a good while, and streets turned into rivers.  We snapped a pic of an "urban waterfall".  But the locals take it all in stride - what else can you do?  At least it was a warm rain.  Most people walk around with umbrellas, but still wear light summer clothing.

For dinner we thought we would try a nice restaurant nearby, only to find after slogging a few blocks through the rain that it was closed for another hour.  So we settled for Denny's, which was just across the street.  Oh well.  But the meal was tasty enough.  I had Tilapia Ranchero, with a delicious apple pie for dessert.  And a delightful mango smoothie - the hightlight.

Tomorrow:  Arenal Volcano and a Canopy tour.

Arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica!

Well, we made it safe and sound, without incident.  I am sitting in the atrium of the Taranova Villas Palmas typing this in, while Amanda and Ben are getting ready for bed.  John greeted us, but went right to bed - he and Jan are going to be up at 5:30 am for some birding.

The trip was fine, and we have all our luggage - except for the camera that I left on the kitchen counter.  Doh!

More updates later.

Greg

Trying some Costa Rican food

We read a little about Costa Rican food this week. Their biggest staple is black beans and rice, which they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner in slight variations. So it is no surprise that their national dish is Gallo Pinto, which is black beans and rice fried together with onions and seasonings. They also eat a fair bit of corn , which they make into tortillas, empanadas, and tamales. The kids were excited to hear that the exotic fruits and desserts are in plentiful supply. I let them eat some Dulce de Leche by the spoonful for dessert and they were in heaven!

We cooked Gallo Pinto and Olla de Carne (a beef stew) for dinner the other day. The Olla de Carne had all sorts of vegetables in it that I've never tried before. I went to T&T market to find them. They were:

1. Yucca root (also known as cassava or tapioca) is a white fleshed tuber with thick, waxy brown skin. I cut the ends off, then ran my knife along the outside to take the skin off. In some cases it had a woody core that needs to be cut out, in which case I quartered it length-wise and then ran my knife along the middle to remove the core. I then diced the remaining flesh and kept it in a bowl of water until I was ready to use it so that it didn't discolour.

2. Chayote is sometimes known as a "vegetable pear". It certainly looks like a wrinkly pear. It has very thin skin that comes off easily with a vegetable peeler. It has a bit of a core, so it too needs to be cut in quarters so that the core can be removed. The flesh has a crunchy texture, similar to a cucumber, but it is slightly sweeter tasting.

3. Taro has white flesh with purple veining running throughout it. I cheated a bit and bought taro that was already peeled and sectioned. Apparently you are not supposed to eat taro raw because it contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can contribute to kidney stones. Cooked taro is fine.

The Olla de Carne ended up being delicious. Everyone enjoyed it. I particularly liked Chayote and plan on using it again in my cooking.

Recipe adapted from http://enlacocina.michunche.com/2010/12/olla-de-carne-costa-rican-beef-soup.html

Olla de Carne - Costa Rican Beef Stew

2 Tbs oil 1 cup onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup celery, diced 2 lbs bone-in beef, cubed beef or rib pieces cut into about 2 inch pieces water ½ lb yucca (cassava), peeled and diced ½ lb taro, peeled and diced ½ lb carrots, peeled and diced ½ lb potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cups chicken or beef stock (or 2 bouillon cubes dissolved in water) ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ½ lb calabaza squash, peeled and diced 1 chayote, peeled and diced 1 green plantain, peeled and sliced 2 cups corn, frozen or fresh 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped 1 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped 1 tsp achiote paste (annatto) - optional Salt and pepper to taste

1 Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fry until they start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. 2 Add the garlic, celery, and 1 tsp salt. Cook for another 3 minutes. 3 Add the beef along with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes (until the meat is almost tender). 4 Add the yucca, taro and carrots to the pot along with the chicken stock. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. 5 Now add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, calabaza squash and chayote to the pot. Continue to simmer for 15 to 25 minutes. 6 Add the plantain, corn, cilantro, oregano, and achiote. Cook for 10 more minutes, or until everything is tender. 7 Taste and adjust seasonings.

Servings: 8

Toucan (Amanda)

Toucans are a kind of bird that live in Costa Rica. They usually live in forests or rain forests. Because they live in forests their wings aren't very big because they usually don't have to fly far and they don't migrate. Their bodies are mostly black with yellow, white or orange bellies. They have light-weight, colourful beaks, and depending on what species they are, the beaks can be any colour between yellow, green, orange or red. Their beaks are often longer then half their body length and their tongues are about half a foot long. Their tails have sockets so they can flip their tail over their back and onto their head and they usually do this when they sleep. They make a loud squawking sound. They usually lives in holes in trees that have been made by other animals. They lay 2-4 white eggs at a time. When the baby birds hatch they are completely featherless. The parents of the Toucan babies feed and protect the babies until they are older. Toucans usually live in pairs or in small groups called flocks. They mostly eat fruit, but they also eat bugs and small lizards. Some of the Toucan's predators are big birds of prey, wild cats and humans, while smaller animals like snakes and weasels sometimes steal their eggs.
                                                  

Toco Toucan

Keel-billed Toucan

Scarlet macaw (Ben)

The Scarlet Macaw is a large, red, yellow and blue South and Central american parrot that lives in Tropical forests. It has very long twin tail feathers. It`s very beautiful feathers are more beautiful on the under side. It`s wingspan is 44-48 inches long. It is 81 cm (32 inch) long from head to tail. It`s call comes out as screeches, squeaks and screams that can be heard up to 2 kilometers away. It eats fruits, nuts and seeds.

Quetzal (Ben)

Quetzals live in the cloud forests of central america.. They are what most people say is the most beautiful bird on the earth. In mating season male Quetzals grow twin tail feathers that form a train usually three feet (one meter) long. Quetzals have blue green and red colors that really help them pop out when flying, but hide in the rain forest. They eat fruit, insects, lizards and other small creatures. They use their powerful beaks to hollow out nests made from dead logs, trees and other soft wooded things.

Howler Monkey (Ben)

Howlers in Costa Rica normally hang out in mango trees. If you try to steal their mangoes, they will pelt you with mangoes and if you get too close, they will pee on you. A Howler monkey lives in a troop and only has one baby at a time. Howler monkeys are fruit and vegetable eaters. Their tail is so strong that it is as if they have a third arm. Their tail can even hold food. Howlers are some of the loudest monkeys on earth. They live in central and south america. 

This is a male mantled Howler.