Affordable Costa Rica Day 12
Affordable Costa Rica
DAY 12 - March 25, 2005
Transfer to San José/Free Afternoon/Farewell Dinner
We were up before the alarm as someone had made coffee in their room so I was ready to get up and out. The luggage had to be out at 7:30 but our bus did not leave until 9 AM. We had plenty of time to take pictures and walk around the grounds of the Villa Lapas. I had my computer with me and shared some of my previous trips excerpts after breakfast. Most people were very impressed and were looking forward to see the final product of this journey.
At 9 we left the resort and right away we stopped for a photo opportunity along the side of the road. All the photographers took pictures of the typical beef cattle raised here in the tropics of Costa Rica. Eddie took this opportunity to explain to us about the genetic breeding of cattle to maximize meat and milk production and minimize fat and tropical diseases.
On the road to San Jose we passed through acres and acres of mango and other fruit trees. Traffic was very heavy with so many families going to the beach and getting away from San Jose on the long Easter Weekend. During this time Eddie gave us a history and summary of the coffee business of CR. CAT is the magic word signifying Color, Aroma, and Taste. We stopped along the busy highway to walk into a coffee plantation on the hillside at an altitude of close to 4000 feet. Eddie explained the life cycle of the coffee plant as well as the white, green, and red stages of the berries. He also talked to us about the harvesting process and that the most premium coffees are grown in shaded areas. New blending of coffee gives better characteristics to final product. The next lesson was about the process of picking, washing, processing, drying, and then roasting the beans. Most of the CR coffee is sold to the US and other countries. Only 10% is roasted here, the major buyers of Folgers, Maxwell, and Starbucks buy coffee here and then roast and blend it with other coffee beans in the US. The poorest coffee is processed in to decaffeinated beans.
We drove through the town of Atenas, a very prosperous community, where we stopped at a local craft shop for a live demonstration of the traditional art of textile making by Kuna Indians. We spent an hour there, the longest shopping we have had on this trip and then were on our way to San Jose.
As we approached San Jose, we noticed that all of the stores, gas stations, and sodas (fast food shops) were all closed for Good Friday. Mario drove us to an AM (Auto Mercado) where we were able to buy coffee, typical candies, and spices to take home in the US.
Because no restaurants were open we bought some bread, cheese, ham, chips and sodas for our lunch in the room at the Marriott Courtyard.
Upon arrival we checked in, went to our room, unpacked a bit, uploaded Day 11's journal and had our lunch. Eddie came by to give us some evaluation sheets that Gennie was able to fill out while I worked on the computer using the free very fast high speed internet service provided by the Marriott.
At 5:30 we joined the rest of the group in the lobby to pay the bill for our optional tours, sign-up our email address that we will share with the group and to give Eddie and Mario their tips for the trip. We took time to talk to everyone - this group is probably the most compatible we have traveled with as everyone has been on time, we get along well and there have been very few problems.
At 6 PM Eddie and Mario took us to dinner at a very special restaurant overlooking the city. The view at night gave us a panoramic perspective from north to south. The whole valley was lit up. When we got to the restaurant we were the only group there. By the time the good meal ended there were no tables left available. As it was Good Friday, no alcohol was served. Mario drove us back down the mountain through very narrow streets and we were home by 8:35. We said our goodbyes to everyone, exchanged business cards, and wished all a good trip home.
Eddie had informed us all of our flight schedule on Saturday. We are the first out of the hotel at 5 AM. So the wakeup call is at 4. It will be a short night.
Accommodations: Marriott Courtyard
Meals: B, D
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