Today they are charging us the right to walk in the forest, they are charging us to pick the fruits of the forest. They try to play God and apparently the country is the owner of everything and we are maybe privileged to use the space. Who the fuck is the country than the people? So this is happening in Croatia and at one point if you pick a mushroom or walk around with your family you will have to pay.
But that said, before they close everything, at this point, I would love to share with you this little paradise of lush green forests and people with a constant smile on their face. Their motto: Pura Vida!
They call Costa Rica the Switzerland of Central America. It’s safe and it’s organized. Still, you’ll have the fun of a bit chaos every Central and South American country has, but you will be able to at least drink water from the tap and enjoy the time with the Ticos without fearing for your belongings, and most important, the country does a lot to preserve the nature’s treasures with forestation, green projects and protecting the biodiversity. That said, the opposite can be found also.
Ticos are how the locals call themselves in Costa Rica. This post is about the central highlands, the Talamancas where the jungle and lush green cloud forest becomes a high mountain with the summit Cerro Chirripo (3820m).
San Isidro streets.
The lovely central market in San Isidro.
Or even better, twice a week, the green farmers market, Feria verde in San Isidro. You can go to KFC or McDonalds but I rather filled myself up with papaya, mango and passionfruit fresh from the farms.
Some lime and yucca.
A bag of passionfruit.
And what I always wanted to try, palmito, the inner core and growing bud of the peach palm tree. You can cook it or even eat it raw.
San Isidro
Local medicine, all kinds of natural powders and similar at the San Isidro Central market.
The best food is always on the markets.
San Gerardo, the starting point for the hike up to the summit, Cerro Chirripo.
The hike is beautiful, starting in lush green cloud forest. You see how the vegetation changes with altitude, and there are butterflies, crazy colourful birds, monkeys, pumas, jaguars, tapirs, wild pigs and so on.
Everything is alive.
Puma shit.
These little fellows are everywhere.
The sunrise on Cerro Chirripo. Beautiful, astonishing, with a nice view of Panama, the volcanoes, the Pacific and the Caribbean sea.
Volcano in the distance.
Walk lightly on the world..so we can see this many times, in the best colours, alive and breathing..
How do you communicate with the Costa Rican? Did you learn Spanish or do they know English? Or are you using your hands and feet (old Croatia saying)? :D
ReplyDeletePuma shit:) was a nice detail, made me remember who is telling the story:D Luv'ye bro!
ReplyDeleteEpic...you hike barefoot or you just stopped to get rid of the smell?!
ReplyDeletedear Luka..i speak a bit spanish..and english is spoken on some places too.. :)
ReplyDelete