Costa Rica Vacation, Part II

On our scouting expedition thru the Central Valley of Costa Rica, we have visited many small and some bigger towns during our first week here. On Thursday, we went South thru San Jose (the capitol) to Cartago, Paraiso and Orosio. We didn't stop in San Jose as it was too big, busy and crowded and we have no interest in living there anyways. But driving thru we noticed that this city is just like any other big city with shopping malls, theaters, restaurants and lots of traffic and people. It felt very different from the other, smaller cities in Costa Rica, more developed. We stopped in Cartago for a few minutes, but didn't like the city much either and decided to move on. Except for the remains of the castle from earlier times, Cartago had really nothing to offer for us.

The castle in the middle of downtown and Ticos feeding and petting the pigeons.

Next, we arrived in Paraiso (not much there to see either except for the church and the park in the middle of town- this is how every city is set-up in Costa Rica) and decided to drive further to Orosio. There is a big lake near this mountain town, but due to construction on the nearby dam, the lake was drained and we couldn't really see it. But here is a snapshot from the river and the dam. Very pretty indeed. And we had a great lunch with a beautiful view in a restaurant on the side off the road in Orosio.

On our way home, we stopped spontaneously (restroom break) at a BBQ restaurant in San Jose and discovered a little gem. They had a really nice playground in the restaurant and while we waited for our food, the kid loved playing there. And since it was a BBQ restaurant, they had lots of decorative bulls and oxcarts there. Amelia was very fond of riding on them and loved standing next to X-large one at the front of the restaurant.

Every Friday there is a Farmer's market in Atenas, where local farmers sell lots of fresh produce, fruits, meats and such. Of course I wanted to go and check it out and while we were there, we sampled some fruits and cookies and even met some Expatriates (Americans from Arkansas). We also bought some great fruits such as those Lychees. Afterwards we drove up North to San Ramon and looked around that town for a while and met up with a Real Estate Agent. Again, there was a church and a park in the middle of the town, where the locals/ Ticos meet and hang out. 

Since we seem to like the North of the Central Valley much better than the South and it is a bit cooler there, we decided to check out Zarcero again today and weren't disappointed. When we arrived, it just started to rain a bit and the temperature dropped to 68F (19C) but then as soon as it stopped raining, it went right back up to 80F (25C). The air was very misty and the view up the surrounding mountains was just beautiful. This town definitely has something mystical about it, especially when you stand right in the middle of the park in the center of town.

And since our two little ones get restless driving around so much, we usually stop by at a playground in each town we visit. They love running and crawling around and get along well with the local kids. Language barriers don't seem to exist at that age. Whereas Elliot sticks out a bit with his blond hair and blue eyes, Amelia seems to fit right in with the Ticos.

 

And so we swing away on our vacation and enjoy our time being together.