Pura Vida!
Just landed in Juan Santamaría airport in San José, Costa Rica a few minutes ago!
Got my macaw passport stamp and an OK from the immigration officer to stay for 90 days :)
Ah, it'll be good to spend a few days out of town and a bit closer to nature. Look how green everything is here!
The first order of business is to get some moooooooo-la!
Stopped at the local bank branch to exchange some American dollars for some colorful Tico Colones. There was a friendly neighborhood cow making foreigners like me feel welcome.
She actually called me over as I was walking by...had a Thick Italian mobster accent too; which was weird (not that a talking cow wasn't weird).
cow: pssssst! over here, next to the telephone pole.
me: you talkin' to me?
cow: yeah Bello, looks like you're trying to score some cheese
me: As a matter of fact I am! I was just about to walk into the...
the cow looks over her shoulder and whispers in my ear
cow: I'm talkin' 'bout some real clean, uncut, Costa Rican good stuff. Looks to me like you're lookin' for that kind of cheese.
me, stuttering, trying in vain to seem to sound cool: sss sure. I'm looking for some good stuff.
cow: Down the road, by the train tracks. Tell 'em CHOO-CHOO PIRELLI sent you.
Next stop: get some cheese!
After the tip from Choo Choo, we made a made a quick stop in Balsa, Atenas where Costa Rica's UTN (Universidad Técnica Nacional)'s college of agriculture is located.
We went past the abandoned train station
Where this amazing truck was parked. I wasn't able to find any brand or a clue about its origin, but it looks like some kind of soviet war vehicle.
If anybody has any clue about where this truck might be from, I'd appreciate the hint.
We made it to UTN
In the entrance there was a spectacular giant cenízaro tree (Samanea saman or rain tree) This was without a doubt the highlight of my stop here. I don't think these pictures capture all the beauty of this amazing natural wonder, but I did my best to take the best shots:
And there... under the tree and next to the fire hydrant...
There he was... waiting for us.
Gucci the Goat.
Gucci: Ciao! Amico! Choo-choo said you were coming. please.. come in.
The rain has been good to us this season.
luck for La famiglia, and lucky for you too.
Saved some prize cheese for a special occasion.
And right then and there, we were presented with two golden pounds of ECAG cheese. ECAG stands for (Escuela Centro Americana de Ganadería or Central American College of Agriculture The recipe of which is unique to the university and produced by its students:
There was also a plaque on the wall from the 2nd place won in the 2015 cheese producers contest:
The moment of truth
Rolled up my sleeves and stretched my business socks because it's business time.
I'm about to assume my role as cheese judge, and I take these things very seriously.
This cheese has definitely been aged. It has a sharp taste, sort of like English Cheddar and it's also somewhat crumbly. Absolutely delicious, and would be perfect with crackers.
The fun trip to find it made it even more delicious :)
Thanks for stopping by and reading today's story with me.
All aspects of this story are absolutely true, no humor or sarcasm was involved.
Also, all photos taken by me... except Gucci.