Costa Rica – Coast to Coast

I thought it may be a good idea to list things here that may be a Costa Rican tradition, or observations I made about the country.

Climates
There are 12 climatic zones in Costa Rica. There is no summer or winter…only dry (Dec-April) and wet/green (May-November) seasons. We visited during the dry season, and definitely experienced different climate zones within the country. We did not experience humidity in any place we visited, but I know that can change, just as it can in the states (depending on the month). The most noticeable change was driving from San Jose to Puerto Viejo…about 30 minutes outside of San Jose, the temperature dropped by at least 15 degrees, but then went back up again a bit later. I felt that the sun was much hotter on the Pacific side of the country…it felt more powerful and really beat on us. Don’t get me wrong, it was still blazing hot in the Caribbean, but there seemed to be better ocean breezes to help cool us off. We did not really need a/c in the Caribbean. A light sheet was all we needed to sleep, and even that was too little on some nights. However, we needed the a/c our hotel offered in Samara…it would have been AWFUL without it!

The Lingo
Who are Ticos? Costa Ricans usually refer to themselves as Ticos. We were told that Costa Ricans typically use -ico at the end of words instead of the more-often used -ito.
Pura Vida!: I had read about Pura Vida on travel boards, and many people used it as a closing in a post. Literally translated, Pura Vida means “Pure Life”. My Costa Rican phrase book explains Pura Vida as “a more profound concept encompassing well-being, positivity, and harmony.” It really can’t be explained beyond that. You just have to experience it to understand it. I first experienced Pura Vida while sitting at a beach side bar with our new Tico and Canadian friends watching the sun set. One of my favorite things was saying Como esta? to a vendor or shop keeper, who would reply Pura Vida! It only happened once or twice, but that reply made me smile.
Tuanis!: Tuanis is a phrase I only heard from our new Tico friends in Samara. They explained that it is similar to Pura Vida. When I mentioned Tuanis to Roberto in Puerto Viejo (while at the jungle waterfall), he seemed surprised that I knew it and asked where I had heard it. He said it was a Costa Rican thing. 🙂
Soda: Sodas aren’t drinks in Costa Rica…they are little restaurants. Some of them serve only a few food items, while some serve many. Most of them are teeny, with a counter or a few tables.
Supers: The supers are little grocery stores (some aren’t so little though). I asked our driver (Leo) about the names…we saw Super Christian, Super Christian II, Super Sam, Super Martha…he said that they are named after the owner, the children, or another important person. Supers are great for stocking up on water, beer, and snacks!

Comida Tipica:
Oh my god. The food. It’s really great…especially if you love rice and beans. There are obviously other choices, but rice and beans is a staple and a cheap one at that!
Gallo pinto (Spotted Rooster): Rice and beans with some garlic, salt, and onion. Costa Ricans traditionally use black beans. I loved it for breakfast!
Casado (Marriage): Casado is a ‘marriage’ of some happy ingredients. Usually rice and beans, plantains, some sort of protein (fish, chicken, pork, etc), tortillas, and a small salad of cabbage and tomato.
Fruit: The fruit in Costa Rica is incredible. We had the best papaya, mango, pineapple, and watermelon for breakfast many times. Sometimes we had bananas and mandarin oranges, but not often. Definitely no apples or grapes, which seem to be a staple in fruit salads in the states. I didn’t really miss them. And by the way, pineapples do not grow on trees.

Cerveza and drinks
The beer in Costa Rica is cheap. I’ve heard tales of people finding it for less than 10 cents, but never found it THAT cheap. Imperial and Pilsen are the two Costa Rican beers that are very popular. Imported beer such as Corona is double or triple the price (depending on where it’s purchased). I think Andrea got one and it was 1400 colones. Still pretty inexpensive compared to the states (less than $3 US), but a lot more than the local beers.
Imperial: I actually really liked it. It is not a strong beer – maybe similar to Miller Lite or something like that – but it was cheap and available nearly everywhere. An Imperial cost anywhere from 550 colones (just over $1 US) to 800 colones (about $1.80 US).
Pilsen/Pilsen Red: I may have had one Pilsen and one Pilsen Red…I usually stuck with water or Imperial (or a pina colada). 🙂 The Pilsen Red has a bit of a higher alcohol content than regular Pilsen and it was actually really good. They ranged in price from 600 colones (regular) to over 800 colones for the Red.
Bamboo: Bamboo is a local rum and coke mix that’s ready to go in a can. We got these at our first hotel for about 750 colones (also available at nearly every Super we went to). If you like rum and cola, check it out, but beware because they are really strong. The sweet mix and intense heat made them go down really easy, which wasn’t a great thing for my stomach!