La Casa de Yadira

Here we are in our last few days in Costa Rica! What an amazing trip this has been! I can’t believe how much we have seen and done and packed into these past three months. It has been incredible and I loved every minute. We have been relaxing at Yadira’s the past few days and it has been a great way to wind up our trip. We heard about Yadira from our friend Kai who we road tripped with to the Osa Peninsula. He stayed with Yadira while having some dental work done in Alajuela which is just a 30 minute bus ride away from San Jose and also very close to the airport. Kai heard about Yadira from his friend Ana who also stayed with Yadira while traveling and doing some work here in Costa Rica. So it is through this chain of people that we have been lucky enough to meet and stay with the wonderful woman and her family. Yadira came highly recommended from Kai as being a great hostess and an exceptional chef. Katie and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to stay in a cozy Costa Rican home, practice our spanish a little more before heading home, and try out Yadira’s tasty food. 

Katie and I were so stoked to leave San Jose and get to Yadira's to enjoy her good food, quiet home and time to finish up our photo organization projects and blogs. We stayed at Galileo long enough to blast out another blog post, then joined the early evening commuters on their way from downtown San Jose to Alajuela.  Our directions from Yadira were to take the bus to the last stop in Alajuela and then call her from one of the payphones nearby.  The bus was already really crowded when we got on and since I had my beastly huge Jeep luggage with me I couldn't fit through the front entrance, so Katie stayed up there to pay for us and I dragged the Jeep up the back steps and found a place to wedge it and myself in the crowd of people standing at the back.  In the front of the bus, Katie found a seat next to a nice lady and gathered some valuable information.  First of all, we weren't quite sure how we would know that we were at the end of the line because some of he buses run in loops, so it's not always clear where the "last stop" is.  The lady told her that we would know it was the last stop because everyone on the bus would have to get off.  Secondly, we had seen temporary bleachers constructed all along Paseo Colon and Katie was wondering what that was all about as well.  That's when we found out about the Festival of Lights!!  Along with helpful hints about getting there early to find a good spot and not bringing a big purse with us because there could be lots of pickpockets in the crowd.  

After we got to Alajela the bus started to clear out so Katie made her way back to my little luggage camp and relayed the info to me.  When we saw everyone get off the bus we joined them and walked over to the payphones to call Yadira and let her know we had arrived!  We told her we would wait for her on the corner by the bus station, payphones, and Pali.  We were so excited to meet her and looked expectantly at every middle-aged woman who walked by. Could she be Yadira? Her? Who is this mystery woman inviting us into her home!? 

Even though we didn't know what we were looking for, we were sure that she would have no problem finding us.  We'd told her that we had all our luggage with us so we'd be easy to spot. We were having a great little time on that corner laughing about how easy we would be to spot because with all our luggage, purses, and of course our non-Costa Rican faces we were like a bright light blinking "GRINGA! GRINGA!".  There were a few police on the corner as well and they asked us why we were standing on the corner for so long (by now it had been about 15 minuets and we'd been expecting her in less than 5).  We told them we were meeting someone. No, we didn't know what she looked like. No, we didn't know her exact address.  They informed us that we were in a very dangerous part of town and shouldn't be standing on the corner with all our stuff.  We started to get nervous, realizing that our Gringa beacon could be attracting people with less positive intentions than Yadira.  They stayed with us on the corner, protecting us, while I backed up against a wall to protect the thousands of dollars of computer equipment I was carrying on my back and Katie got pregnant with a very misshapen purse baby.  We called Yadira again and it turns out she looking for us on a different corner, 3 blocks away, with a Pali, payphones, and bus station.  The tourist police sent us off to her with strict instructions to walk quickly and not talk to anyone.  We were so happy to see Yadira and her little 4x4 to carry us and all our luggage safely to our new home!

Yadira and her family host students who come to Costa Rica to study. Right now she is hosting one student named Jonathan. We haven’t met him yet but soon will because he is on his way back tonight. Yadira is the sweetest woman and boy can she cook!!! We have been so spoiled these past few days by not only not worrying about what to feed ourselves but looking forward to each meal Yadira prepares. She is truly a culinary artist putting time, effort, and love into all she cooks. In the past few days we have eaten like queens and while I am enjoying all the food I fear that I may be putting back on some of the pounds I lost while hiking around on this trip.

Every meal had been so delicious and no two plates have been the same! A far cry from most of the traditional Costa Rican dishes we have been trying at various restaurants which often are not too flavorful and always the same. We have gotten to try some traditional Costa Rican dishes prepared by Yadira including Olla de Carne (a soup made with beef and vegetables - YUM!), empanadas (some of the best we have tried except for the ones sold at the Caribe bus terminal, those are prettty delicious also), and Casados de Yadira (with meat, rice and beans, platanos, and salad just like the regular casados we have been eating at restaurants but 10 times more delicious because prepared by Yadira!). Yadira makes even rice and beans taste great!

After we savor the last bite of our delicious meal...

It's time for dessert!!

All this delicious food has been just what Katie and I needed to help fuel us through the end of our projects. As you know if you are reading this we have been keeping up on this blog and documenting our entire trip with tons of photos. Not wanting to go home without finishing the blog we have been working overtime to finish up the last of our stories. We have also been working really hard to organize the thousands upon thousands of photos we have taken in the past three months. Looking back on all the pictures of our spectacular adventures has been really fun but a lot of work and without Yadira’s food to power us forward I don’t know how we would get through it all! Our eyes have been straining to see the minute details in each picture to help us narrow them down into favorite folders we can share with family and friends upon our return home. Our eyes have been so tired that Katie has resorted to typing with her eyes closed which we have been calling zombie typing. It is a funny sight to see! Unfortunately, tomorrow we are heading back to San Jose to have access to the internet and blast all the blogs we have been working on. 

Our last meal at Yadira's. Sad but DELICIOUS!!!

We will miss Yadira and wish we could stay longer but are looking forward to a great feeling of satisfaction when all our hard work is done and we can sit back and pat ourselves on the backs for a job well done!