Gallo Pinto Forever - Costa Rica: Part 11

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We had been in Costa Rica for almost a week, with everyday filled with some sort of activity, adventure, or random act of stupidity. Steve had left town early on Thursday morning, and I believe this is really when our trip came to an end. Being that we were in Costa Rica in September, we had just hit the beginning of the rainy season. We already got soaked on the atvs the previous day, and the rain just did not stop. All day Thursday, it was nothing but terrential downpour. We couldn't go in the pool or ocean, or even lay out by the beach. Thankfully, a beachside bar at the resort and some British tourists provided the days entertainment. We chatted about all sorts of interesting topics like how cool Robbie Williams really is, and how the UK version of Big Brother is way better than the one in the US. I also discovered that one of the girls I was talking to was a big Arsenal fan...score! We decided that night we would hit up Tamarindo one last time with these British girls, which was pretty enjoyable. Towards the end of the evening, one of the girls ended up having a little too much to drink and left me to make sure her friend got back to our hotel. Of course, Jimmy tried to make a pass but failed. Poor Jimmy.

The next day was really uneventful, as it was basically our 5 1/2 hour ride in a van back to Costa Rica. Our driver Oscar and I made a connection (seeing as I was the only one who spoke Spanish) with our appreciation and enjoyment of bad 80s music. At one point, we were both singing "And I can't fight this feeling anymore...." Yea, good times. The drive back to San Jose did show us one downside of living in Costa Rica though. Because of the rain, a lot of the bases of the homes were flooded and residents were doing everything they could to get the water out. We finally made it back to San Jose to our hotel for the night, where we had a nice final meal. By far, this was the fanciest food of the entire trip, as my sea bass and gazpacho shooter was elegantly plated. A few beers, a couple cigars for the others, and we were done. Trust me, we were not about to go out in downtown San Jose.

We woke up Saturday morning knowing that this was it, and what better way to have a sendoff from Costa Rica than with a proper Costa Rican breakfast. One last time, I had the eggs, the tortillas, and of course, gallo pinto. No matter how many times I try to emulate it at home or have Chipotle do it, it doesn't taste as good as the real thing. We headed to the airport, where we hit a slight delay due to the rain, but boarded our respective planes and headed back to the states.

After several trips to Europe, Costa Rica was my first time going south of the border. Quite different than anything I've experience before, it was very different to go to a country that relies on our tourist dollars to thrive. Not glamorous or over the top, Costa Rica was a chill place where you can relax, explore, and immerse. Through many bananas, beers, and bowls of gallo pinto, we survived Costa Rica with stories and memories that will make us laugh and smile every time the trip is brought up. Pura Vida!

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Photos

The last meal
Gallooo pintoooooo