The Gringa's Adventures in Costa Rica - Part 4 - Food & the Time Difference...

I took a few days off from this series.

Sorry, I got all caught up in summer fun & festivities are everywhere. What can I say....

Now for the good stuff.  The FOOD!!!!

I gained six pounds on vacation.

Thankfully, I've lost all 6 of those pounds and few more, in my quest to recover my former skinny self.  For now... Let's talk about - Food, Food, Food!
Oh, and the complications of the time difference & cultural eating difference.

I'm on the East Coast and it's currently Daylight Saving's time making a 2 hour time difference between New Jersey and Costa Rica.  I'm an early riser, so the 4 am sun rise in Costa Rica wasn't that big a deal to me.  I was up & ready for my coffee.  Except - no one else was, so I watched the walls for a few hours until I heard activity in the other room.

I don't eat as soon as I get up.  I have my coffee & then after I'm well caffeinated I'll eat something.  That's just how I operate.  I was already a little thrown off, time wise.

Breakfast in Costa Rica is simple.  You have to remember, it's a poor country typically - so the typical breakfast is gallo pinto.  Gallo pinto is basically the rice & beans from the prior night reheated & served with eggs.  Don't poo poo the left over thing... It's really good.  Especially the eggs!  Fresh daily & OMG delicious!  I don't know about you, but I do NOT have chickens running around my yard for daily fresh eggs.

Most of the food is VERY fresh!  Roadside, you are sure to find someone selling mango, papaya, pipa water, strawberries, potatoes, onions, guayaba, cheese just to name a few.

If you're local and someone knows you buy, they will come to your gate once a week or so to see if you want to buy that day.  It's not annoying, surprisingly.  It's not like here.
There's almost a respect, for lack of a better term.

We were out and about quiet often.  As I mentioned I woke at 4 am, out of bed at 6 out of the house by 9 every day.

While were out, it was my quest to eat typical Costa Rican foods.  We were usually mid sight seeing or adventure seeking by around 2 pm & by that time, I was FAMISHED!  Yes, I did mention the gallo pinto - but I'm not usually a breakfast girl - I usually had fresh papaya and coffee - maybe a small piece of bread.

Throughout the day I'd snacked on my regular course of chocolate covered coffee beans.  (two of a few of my favorite things)  Have I mentioned that the coffee there is absolutely TO DIE FOR??  To the left is just one of the coffee companies we visited.  Cafe Britt.
Fun & entertaining as well as knowledgeable tour.  Oh, and they give you coffee & chocolate.  Win/Win!  :)

Crater lake at Poas

Generally, we'd stop at a restaurant in the area that my brother in law was familiar with & knew had good food.  We didn't do the touristy spots, because they are generally over priced & the food isn't always as good.  I wish I could remember the names of the places.  On the way down from Poas, we stopped at Freddy's something.
The food was AMAZING, as was the service.  The ambiance also fun, light, traditional and comfortable.  You could see into the kitchen over a bar type serving area -  were the ladies cooked & you knew no one was spitting in your food if they didn't like  you.  (kidding) 
Wanna talk about FOOD!!  Holy guacamole!  Whoops, no - that's Mexican.

Holy big ol plate of food.  Arroz con frijoles, arroz con pollo, platano, sopa, ensalada, frutas, vegetales - giant plate of food!
Lunch is the big meal of the day in Costa Rica.  This was just fine with me, because like I said, I was famished!  I ate it all & then some of the fresh french fries from my kids' plates, hence the 6 lb weight gain. 

Good thing I did a lot of walking or I'd have gained 20 lbs in a heart beat.

The rest of our days continued to be traveled & there was, of course - a stop for coffee & bread.  

I say bread, because I never knew there were so many types of breads.

They are always having coffee & bread.

 

Since we stayed with my in laws, and my mother in law made us dinner.  Real dinner, big dinner.  Now, I can't resist my mother in law's cooking, so of course I ate another big meal at 6 pm, their coffee time - in the US it's 8 pm, my wind down, get the kids to bed have a glass of wine time.

Did I mention I'd gained 6 lbs there?  Is it all coming together yet?

By 8 pm Costa Rica time, I was ready for night night.  Sad, right?

With the exception of arrival night, I didn't have a glass of wine with my husband, I usually just showered & passed out!


Adventure seeking is tiring!


It was a huge adjustment, which I clearly survived.


My best advice, diet before Costa Rica and eat up while you're there!

...and as always

Thank you for reading my blog!

Smoochies!

~Jenn