Our vacation home in Costa Rica is in Playa Bejuco on the Pacific side just below Jaco so when a trip is needed back to San Jose it takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  An early rising and on the road to begin the trip up and over the mountain which is traveled over a 2 lane very crooked road with lots crazy drivers that love to pass. There is always lots of traffic and since this is the primary road from San Jose to the coast it includes lots of tour and transfer buses and large tractor trailer rigs.  The scenery of course is beautiful with all of the planned and wild flora that includes rain trees, palm trees, tropical fruit trees and a vast array of flowering plants.

You also want to always keep a keen eye for the possible siting of a beautiful bird, sloth or iguana.  And there are many many "perros" (dogs) hanging out everywhere you go!

There is always plenty of interesting people to look at along the road as they go about their daily life routines which typically can include walking, riding their bicycles or motorcycles to their destination.  There are so many traveling in this manner that driving calls for extra caution to prevent running over these pedestrians who sometimes will be just sitting on the shoulders of the road.   The roadside fruit and vegetable stands are open and ready for a busy day and the open air "tipico" restaurants are busy serving breakfast.  We pass through several towns along the way that always seem to have something new to take in. 

On this particular morning trip we decide to have breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants on very top of the mountain La Casita del Cafe.  It is a small casual place with open air dining and beautiful views of the mountains all the way back to the Pacific Ocean.  The menu consists primarily of the typical food and frothy fruity drinks and of course hot Costa Rican Coffee and Imperial Beer. 

After enjoying our relaxing breakfast of Gallo pinto and eggs with fried plantains we thanked the parking lot guard for watching our car and headed on out to begin our descent down the other side of the mountain.   As I mentioned before there is always something new to see and when passing this beautiful wall of blooming flowers we had to stop and take in this beautiful cemetery in Atenas.  Atenas is known to have the most perfect climate in the world.  And of course it is very common to find the live/work situation in Costa Rica with homes above the storefronts below.  We were excited to sneak a peek at the progress of the new highway being built from San Jose out to the coast that will eliminate the need to travel the steep and crooked mountain road!  It should also shorten the drive considerably also.  And capturing a photo of one of the many interesting bridges is a must!

The interesting park above includes a statue of Jesus and overlooks the Power Plant for this area.  We of course have passed this many times and decided to stop and grab a photo.  You will find religious parks similar to these in many areas of the country.  Of course my theory is that it is a place to stop and pray before you start your journey over the mountain!

Arriving in the metro area of San Jose is always exciting.  We missed our turn and had to turn off the highway to go back and ended up in the driveway of what appeared to be a horse training stable.  This beautiful horse was pranced right up to our car!  Look the famous arches of Micky D's!  complete with an Auto-Mac and Mac Cafe!  It is not unusual to see a beautiful modern building on one side of the road and across the street a tin roofed building with laundry hanging on the railing!  And of course we had to go to the Hiper mas which is the equivalent to Walmart in the states.  There is also a Price Mart which fulfills my Costco addiction.  Fresh cut flowers are abundant and it is not unusual to find them being sold on the roadside out of buckets.  Small wagons selling a variety of fruits and vegetables are seen on many corners.  One of my favorites is the Aqua Pipa Fria which is cold coconut water usually served with a straw in a coconut or sometimes in a baggie!  Drinking coconut water has many benefits.  Coconut Water is naturally low in carbs, 99% fat free and low in sugars.  "It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak."

After our errands were run we decided we better eat before we started back over the mountain, so we went back to a restaurant bar overlooking the airport runway to eat a late lunch and watch the airplanes arriving and departing.   It was a fun experience and I got one of my favorites....whole fried fish!  The owner had a nice collection of old airplanes that had some interesting things painted on them.  It seemed like a popular place with the Ticos to bring their families to eat and watch the planes.

And then back on the road again...always trying to leave early enough to get over the mountain before dark, but being the rainy season it is not likely to beat the rain.  And as usual as we got on the road the downpour began!  It seems that Costa Rica is experiencing a drought this season and the rain did not last long this time.  It cleared up and we snaked back and forth on the winding road lined with beautiful palm trees and amazing flowering trees with the many signs reminding us of the Pura Vida lifestyle that can be lived in this amazing tropical rain forest.

And we made it back to the Pacific coast just in time to enjoy another beautiful Costa Rican Sunset!

If you would like to read my previous posts about Costa Rica click on the links below.

Have you ever thought about going on a tropical vacation and never coming back?

Pura Vida - continued

If you have been considering a trip to Costa Rica be sure to check out

Costa Del Sol Vacation Rentals Playa Bejuco Costa Rica

where you will find lots of information about the area and Rental Homes available in our neighborhood.

Or if you think you may want to purchase a home in Costa Del Sol contact Glory Rich with ERA Jaco Realty or Jeff Rich at ERA Jaco Realty .  There are still several lots available and you can build the floorplan of your choice!

About the Author

Debbie Hutchins a Certified Residential Specialist has been a licensed Realtor since 1987.  Serving the Greater Birmingham Area and specializing in Shelby County Debbie is available to assist you with your real estate needs.  We hope you have enjoyed reading and hope you will come back!  You may also subscribe to "debs doodles" and have it delivered to your email! And as always, you are welcome to search the MLS through Debbie's Re/Max website.