LA COMIDA . . . THE FOOD

RICE AND BEANS for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner.  .  . are you hungry at midnight?  Maybe they will offer you rice and beans. . . This is very typical of Spanish countries; to eat rice and beans for at least two meals of the day but I had never seen it or ate it for breakfast; at least not in my native country Colombia. 

ARROZ Y FRIJOLES PARA EL DESAYUNO, PARA EL ALMUERZO Y PARA LA COMIDA O LA CENA . . . TIENES HAMBRE A MEDIANOCHE? A LO MEJOR THE OFREZCAN  ARROZ Y FRIJOLES . . ESTO ES MUY TIPICO DE LOS PAISES LATINOS; COMEEER ARROZ Y FRIJOLES POR LO MENOS DOS VECES AL DIA PERO NUNCA HE VISTO QUE LO COMAN AL DESAYUNO. POR LO MENOS NO EN MI PAIS NATAL COLOMBIA. 

In Ecuador there's a saying (way back when I learned this in  college when I was studying Hispanic  American Culture) that says "Without rice there's no God". That's how we (Latino-Americans) think of rice: It is essential for our diet and here in  Costa Rica they seem to honor this belief even more. 

EN ECUADOR HAY UN DICHO (QUE APRENDI CUANDO ESTABA EN LA UNIVERSIDAD ESTUDIANDO CULTURA HISPANOAMERICANA) QUE DICE "SIN ARROZ NO HAY DIOS". ASI ES COMO PENSAMOS (LOS LATINOAMERICANOS) DEL ARROZ: ES ESENCIAL PARA NUESTRA DIETAY AQUI EN COSTA RICA PARECE QUE LO VENERAN MUCHO MAS. 

The food has been magnificent.  Besides rice and beans for breakfast we've had fresh scrambbled eggs, fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, bananas, pomegranates. . all kinds of juices such as blackberry, guava, kiwi, passion fruit, tamarind, guanabana and others that I had never tasted before.   All of these have brought sweet memories from my childhood in Colombia. 

LA COMIDA AQUI HA SIDO MAGNIFICA.  ADEMAS DEL ARROZ Y LOS FRIJOLES PARA DESAYUNO HEMOS TENIDO HUEVOS FRESCOS REVUELTOS, FRUTAS TALES COMO PINA, SANDIA, BANANO, GRANADILLAS. . . TODO TIPO DE JUGOS COMO MORA, GUAYABA, LULO, MARACUYA, TAMARINDO, GUANABANA Y OTROS QUE NUNCA  HABIA PROBADO. TODO ESTO MEE HA TRAIDO UNAS DULCES MEMORIAS DE MI NINEZ EN COLOMBIA.

For lunch and dinner we've had plenty of salad made of either lettuce or green and red cabbage, plenty of tomatoes, cucumbers, even little pieces of palm tree trunk and sweet peppers. the salad dressing was delicious; it was made in vinegar with shredded carrrots, onions and other condiments. 

PARA EL ALMUERZO Y LA COMIDA HEMOS TENIDO MUCHISIMA ENSALADA HECHA DE LECHUGA, REPOLLO VERDE Y ROJO, TOMATES, PEPINOS, HASTA PEDACITOS DEL TALLO DE LA PALMA. EL ADERESO HA SIDO DELICIOSO; HECHO DE VINAGRETE CON ZANAHORIA, CEBOLLA Y OTROS CONDIMENTOS. 

The desserts have been different every day. Sometimes ice cream; usually chocolate and vanilla, on top of some type of cake, and various flans such as caramel, coffee or milk and rice.

LOS POSTRES HAN SIDO DIFERENTES TODOS LOS DIAS. ALGUNAS VECES HELADO,USUALMENTE DE CHOCOLATE Y VAINILLA ENCIMA DE UNA CLASE DE TORTA O PONQUE, Y O VARIOS FLANES COMO DE CARAMELO, CAFE O ARROZ CON LECHE. 

Let the photos speak for themselves . . .  

DEJEMOS QUE LAS FOTOS LO DIGAN TODO. . .