The Mystery of San Isidro de El General...

There is a town in Costa Rica called San Isidro de El General. It is the largest city in the Pérez Zeledón canton with a population of about 45,000. A two hour drive from Costa Rica's tallest mountain- Chirripo (3,820 m), and 45 minutes from the popular beach resort town Dominical, but apart from a decent central market, there isn't much to do or see here. With one exception...San Isidro de El General is widely spoken of as home to the most beautiful women in Costa Rica. 

I was in a convenience store in the quiet, expat-friendly beach town of Uvita (a little over an hour from San Isidro) when I first heard this expressed. A stranger heard my friends and I speaking English and struck up a conversation. He had lived in the US for a few years, but his language skills were a bit rusty. He explained to us that he had lived in New Jersey for a while, and that there are actually many Ticos (Costa Rican people) there. In fact, this was echoed by many people throughout the country- a high population of Costa Rican men go to New Jersey for work. I'm not really sure why Jersey became the hub of Tico expats...I didn't think the small state had much unfilled labor need, but I guess once a significant number were there, it became the place to go. There is even a Tico newspaper published in New Jersey! This trend of going to the Garden State has had an unintended negative consequence on the women of San Isidro. It is rumored that a unusually high number of men from San Isidro have emigrated (at least temporarily) to NJ. I have heard estimations as high as a 3:1 female-male ratio! The lack of men and the stunning beauty of the women make San Isidro a favorite town to visit for guys in the region, and people like to joke about the poor lonely, beautiful Ticas of San Isidro.

Theories as to why San Isidro has such beautiful women include the idea that the lack of men makes competition fierce, so women work harder to make themselves look good (my theory). Also, I read that many of the people have German blood due to large waves of European settlement during construction booms just after WWII, so they are often lighter, sometimes blonde- a trait considered very beautiful in Costa Rica. 

I was in San Isidro de General for about 5 minutes and never left my car, so I can't personally vouch for the women, but it is definitely a widespread, well known stereotype. A friend of mine visited not too long ago and took a few pictures- in some of them you can see people! If you zoom in close, you can decide for yourself if these women look more beautiful than in other cities in Costa Rica...I think it definitely looks like they dress better, at least!

Additionally, I did some Googling and came up with these pictures allegedly of San Isidro girls. I can't vouch for the authenticity, but since our photographer (Victor) was too shy to get closer, I thought it would be good to add these. 

This is from a parade in 2006...they don't just go out onto the street like this everyday

Also this is a video tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkZIYdWAVEY  

Learning the Meaning of Pura Vida

Pura Vida!

The unofficial national saying of Costa Rica, and most Ticos' (people from Costa Rica) favorite saying. Literally it means "pure life" in Spanish, but people use it as a catchall phrase for dozens of situations, including...

• as a response to "how are you?"  (probably most common)
• before saying "thank you"
• before saying "goodbye" or "see you later"
• when something good happens 
• instead of "you're welcome"
• as a greeting when drivers pass each other in cars
• as a sigh of contentedness when everything is going right 

Jess displaying a very large, old tree in the forest of Arenal

Elyse is living pura vida

Before coming to Costa Rica, I thought pura vida was more of a tourism marketing slogan, that it was only used by people working in the tourism industry, expats, and tourists. In fact, Ticos really do use this saying ubiquitously! It expresses joie de vivre, casualness, relaxed friendliness, and honestly Ticos are just happy, friendly people. You do hear pura vida much more in touristy areas, but I think that's mostly because tourists usually go to these areas because they are gorgeous and wonderful, so anyone living there is living the pura vida life. It's used less in the capital of San Jose, and probably other cities as well. I think it does sound a bit provincial, but in a sweet, idyllic way. 

La Fortuna

Here are some of my personal favorite moments of learning how to use pura vida, and how to live the pura vida life. 

• Antonio lost his keys on the beach during the bonfire, and had to go look for them as we all waited in our cars. When he found them, I shouted, "pura vida!" and he was extra excited because his keychain is actually a mini surfboard with the phrase written on it. 
• As I followed Christopher up the inside of the strangler fig, he turned back and said "this is what separates a tourist from a traveler." We balanced ourselves in the tangle of branches on top of the tree, looking out on the night lights of Santa Elena- that was pura vida
• We lived pura vida one hot night in Uvita, dancing for hours to a popular local reggae band at the one bar in town with a mix of locals, tourists, and expats 

  

  Christopher is a cowboy
  on a steel horse

• Driving through the cowboy highlands of Guanacaste, the cloud forests of Monteverde and Arenal, and the lush jungle of Cartago while singing to old pop songs and eating chocolate and Twizzlers  
•  One night in San Jose we got a taxi at around 1am going from a bar back to our hostel. The driver ran through every red light with only a slight break check and a warning honk of his horn, shouting "pura vida!" every few minutes

And now this is kind of just devolving into a list of my favorite experiences in Costa Rica...which perhaps warrants a post of its own. (I'll link here if a write one!) 

Jumping off this was pretty exhilarating, definitely felt pure!

The gist of it is- pura vida is not just a tourism slogan. It is a way of life, a mentality, and a sense of peace, contentedness, and joy embraced by most Ticos. It is one of the reasons people tend to fall in love with the laid-back, welcoming, positive country, and saying it is probably the best way to make a local smile. So next time you're in Costa Rica, make sure to liberally apply pura vida (and SPF 50).

Costa Rica: Land of 1000 Injuries

Costa Rica is amazing. Every hour is some new challenge or adventure, the weather is lovely, the scenery is gorgeous, the people are as friendly as everyone says, and the girls I'm with are incredible. There is one pretty significant hazard to all this, however...feeling so happy and safe all the time combined with the dramatically beautiful and constantly captivating land makes you want to push yourself further and harder, exploring the hidden and taking advantage of every opportunity. So 7 days into the trip, our bodies are pretty beat up. It's impossible to let little injuries get you down, though! So we brush it off and keep going, and get cut up and bitten and bruised some more. 

On Tuesday night I climbed up the inside of an ancient strangler fig/ficus and got all cut and bruised going up and down it.Woke up Wednesday (which will from here on be known as the most incredible day ever- will detail later), with a bunch of mysterious bruises, probably from the tree climb, and then I tripped on some little stairs in the cloud forest and sprained my ankle. Yesterday morning we hiked for a bit and Jess was walking about a meter in front of me. She stepped on the end of a long log and the other end flew up like a lever and its jagged edge stabbed me right above my knee, so now I have a little cut and a big bruise there. Then we sat in a hot car most of the day getting sunburned, and layered more sunburn on top of that at the beach today. To sweeten the deal, all of our legs are coated in mosquito bites. Elyse is having some kind of allergic reaction to the bites and her ankle was all swollen up yesterday. On top of all the ailments I've gotten IN Costa Rica, due to having acrylics on my nails for a long time, the first half of my fingernails were super thin and brittle, and letting them grow out even the tiniest bit made them rip and so this week I've been going through various stages of nail tearing and having my nail beds exposed...especially painful when reaching into my backpack fishing for things or gripping branches and rocks while hiking...

PSA: 15 SPF organically grown aloe vera sunscreen gel does not work against Pacific sun. I am absolutely cooked. A random stranger just walked past me and said "looks like you overdid it"...so it's that bad. Most of my skin is speckled pink and red and white. This is one of the reasons I dislike the  beach (gasp!)...my skin is very pale and very sensitive and I am okay being pale! But peer pressure got to me this time, and I was stupid and thought this sketchy, low SPF sunscreen would be fine. It wasn't and now I am going to look like I'm 50 when I'm 30 and all my skin is going to fall off and I am going to get skin cancer and look like a piece of old leather and children will run screaming from me...was paradise worth it? Decide for yourself. Here are some pictures of Bahía Ballena (whale bay) and the cola ballena (whale tail) beach in Uvita where the massacre of my skin cells occurred.

the whale tail itself- we were sitting near the coconut
tree forest just to the left of the fork

Best part is looking up at those cool, misty mountains, imagining you're up there...

Rough Guides says about this beach: "Visitors here will be amply rewarded with wide beaches washed by lazy breakers, palms swaying on the shore, and a hot, serene and very quiet atmosphere. This will no doubt change, as more people discover Bahía Ballena, but for the time being it’s unspoilt." 
I agree with the description- the beach is beautiful and quiet and we had much of the high beach to ourselves. One interesting thing about this beach is that it is very wide. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the edge of the forest down to the whale tail area, and once you decide you're going to leave the beach, you have to walk probably another 15 minutes to the entrance, because since the entire beach is a national park, you have to pay a $6 entry fee and there is basically only one (non-forest) way off and on.  

Anyway, this is kind of a random collection of stories and advice and ranting- hopefully the rest of my posts will be a bit more guided, and more helpful for any potential tourists, but I just wanted to get some ideas on "paper"...pura vida! 

Quebec's Most Important Culinary Experiences

1. Smoked meats: In my opinion, the pièce de résistance of Montreal's food scene is smoked meats (locals usually say it in plural, but I've heard "smoked meat" as well). Wikipedia describes it as "a type of kosher-style deli meat product made by salting and curing beef brisket with spices. The brisket is allowed to absorb the flavors over a week, and is then hot smoked to cook through, and finally steamed to completion." I don't know the details of the recipe, but I can vouch for the necessity of including smoked meats on your edible tour of the city.
 
2. Poutine: When you think of unique Canadian foods, this is probably what comes to mind. The best poutine is thick, hand cut home fries "smothered" (this is always the verb used to describe poutine) in thick beef gravy and fat cheese curds. There are tons of variations, adding pulled pork, foie gras, or even sauerkraut! Particularly in touristy places, sometimes you find skinny, limp french fries, runny gravy, and plastic-tasting cheese, so choose your poutine wisely. I recommend Main Deli!  

good poutine

bad poutine

3. Fondue: Molten cheese- what could be better? Common dipping items are crusty bread, apples, and grapes. Pair a Swiss fondue with a crisp Niagara mineral white wine!

4. Beer: The Québecois love to make beer, and the microbrewery industry has exploded since the 1980s. There are brewpubs seemingly every few blocks and it's common to find bars with their own specialty beers. Whether it's a tall drought while watching a hockey game in a local bar deep in the French (East) side of Montreal, or sampling different beers with a cheese platter near Old Port, you wouldn't want to miss out!

5. Cheeses: Often the largest section of Montreal's pretty markets, cheese is a very important part of the food scene in Quebec. The most iconic cheese dish is raclette- a Swiss import made by melting a wheel of raclette cheese and scraping the soft, hot cheese directly onto the diner's plate, but make sure to try a local sheep's milk cheese or the nutty, bright orange (hard to find in the USA) mimolette.  

raclette

6. Crepes: You know what a crepe is. Sweet or savory, crepes in Quebec City are probably the best you'll find this side of the Atlantic. Perfect food after a night out  ;)

7. Quebecois pizza: I can't say that this is honestly much different than other pizza, but some of the best I've ever had is at Pizzeria Magpie in Montreal! I've also heard rumors of a poutine pizza, but I cannot confirm that.

8. Italian coffee: Coffee is important anywhere, but especially while on vacation. There's no such thing as Canadian coffee, as far as I know...but Montreal does Italian coffee particularly well. Check out Olimpico in Mile End!

9. Seasonal holiday treats: One of the most magical times to visit Quebec is during the Christmas/New Year's season. Quebec City is endlessly romantic, like the whole city was taken from the pages of a French fairy tale. Montreal, particularly old town, is also beautiful. A perfect addition to strings of twinkling fairy lights, glittering snow covered alleyways, and dripping icicles is buche de noel. This cake, charmingly made to look like a stick (okay, it's a yule log), it usually a yellow sponge cake roll with chocolate buttercream filling and icing. You're probably going to need two pieces.

Another Christmas tradition is tourtière. This meat pie is found across Canada and the north eastern US, but it originated in Quebec.

Also, I saw this 12th Day of Christmas/Epiphany cake a few places. I didn't try it, but it looks great- and it comes with a crown!

Honorable mention: St. Viateur's Bagels!

Top 10 Can't Miss Montreal

Any trip to Montreal will be defined not be the number of things you check off a list, but the people you meet and the memories you make! A good starting point, though, are the 10 things below. If you leave Montreal without experiencing the items on this list, you might just have to go back for round two! 

Here is my list of Top 10 Can't Miss Montreal!

1. Smoked Meats (and other culinary experiences)

To be honest, I could have just hopped from cafe to restaurant to bar my whole trip. Quebec is a culinary wonder, and Montreal is the meeting point of traditional French Canadian cuisine and modern creativity from the cadre of international chefs who call the city home. In my opinion, the pièce de résistance of Montreal's food scene is smoked meats (locals usually say it in plural, but I've heard "smoked meat" as well). Wikipedia describes it as "a type of kosher-style deli meat product made by salting and curing beef brisket with spices. The brisket is allowed to absorb the flavors over a week, and is then hot smoked to cook through, and finally steamed to completion."
I don't know the details of the recipe, but I can vouch for the necessity of including smoked meats on your edible tour of the city. The pleasures of the taste buds never end- find my list of the most important culinary experiences in Quebec, here. 

Smoked meats sandwich from Main Deli, Montreal

For the best smoked meats in the city, you'll find online that Schwartz's is the place to be, but the Main Deli, just across the street, is just as good, less crowded, and has the most incredible, garlicky coleslaw (and I don't even like regular coleslaw!), and has my favorite poutine in the city. 

2. Wander around Vieux Montreal
Old Montreal (vieux means old) is a handful of shop-lined streets clustered around the viuex-port on the St. Lawrence River. This is the most European part of Montreal, with cobblestone streets, 17th-19th century buildings such as Marché Bonsecours and the Notre Dame Basilica, and delicate classic French restaurants. Around the port, there is an ice skating rink in the winter, and in the summer you can rent bikes, skates, and even Segways! The paths are popular among runners and dog walkers. Don't miss the beautiful Montreal Clock Tower. 
In the summer, Place Jacques-Cartier overflows with tourists enjoying restaurants' outdoor terraces and enthusiastic street performers. In the winter, the area is quiet and rather empty, but the tableau of four-foot long icicles glittering in the yellow street lamps, snow crunching underfoot, and antique window panes glazed with ice is unforgettably lovely. 

St Lawrence River, Montreal, January 2016

Montreal Clock Tower

Ice skating at Vieux-Port

Vieux Montreal

The hostel I stayed in was located in the heart of Old Montreal, on Rue St. Paul, about a block from the port. 

Auberge Saint Paul

3. Experience the Nightlife
Montreal can mean charm, beauty, classic French refinement, but it can also mean wild, rambunctious fun. The city's nightlife is extremely diverse, there's something for everyone! 
You can find great energy somewhere nearly every night of the week- use this list as a starting point- there's something for everyone in Montreal!

4. Enjoy Downtown 
Downtown Montreal is where the French and English meet, it is tall buildings, headquarters of international companies, "Cafe Starbucks Coffee," glamorous people, and a mix of expensive 5-star restaurants and fast food chains. You can't miss poking your head into Taverne Square Dominon, a restaurant/bar that maintains the same rich elegance as when it first opened in 1927. The menu is quite pricey, but it's worth stopping in for a ($9-13) cocktail- I recommend the Rye & Ginger!

5. See McGill's Old World Grandeur
McGill University is one of Canada's elite universities, with the most rigorous admissions process in the country. It is an English-language university located a 10 minute walk from Downtown in the direction of Mount Royal. Founded in 1821, the oldest remaining building is the central Arts Building, built in 1843. The main campus is compact, you can tour the whole thing in less than 20 minutes, and it is absolutely stunning. The 19th century neo-gothic architecture is perfectly suited for an icy winter, and in the warmer months, the wide green lawns are filled with students throwing frisbees, reading, and picnicking. A stroll through campus is definitely worth your while. 

  
6. Mile End
This is the coolest neighborhood in Montreal. According to me...but I have a strong argument. 
Mile End is 10 of the most artsy, hipster (and non-hipster) friendly blocks in North America. There are little hand drawn maps of Mile End that many business hand out to customers, placing businesses into categories such as lunetterie (glasses shop), designers Quebecois (Quebec designers), magasin de chaussures (sneakers shop), and magasin de curiosite (shop of curiosities). Vintage shopping is particularly fun here, with at least 8 stores that sell high end and low end vintage clothing and furniture. 
Don't miss...

• St. Viateur Bagel
• Cafe Olimpico 
• Annex Vintage
• Dieu du Ciel beer pub

Mile End offers hours of gleeful wandering, discovering new treasures on every corner, as well as radiant night life. Check it out!

Cheese sampler at Dieu du Ciel

Cafe Olimpico, Mile End

7. Mount Royal

A big hill in the center of Montreal, for which the city is named. Mount Royal Park is a popular place for outdoor activities. You'll see women jogging behind baby carriages, families taking walks, and dogs playing. In the winter, people cross-country ski, snowshoe, and sled here. The autumn foliage is beautiful, and it is a great green escape from the concrete, steel, and glass of Downtown. 

8. Elaborate cathedrals
Some of Montreal's prettiest architecture come in the form of the dozens of cathedrals all over the city. In colonial times, only Roman Catholics were allowed to settle in New France, making Quebec unique among Canadian provinces with 84% of the population claiming Catholic heritage (2001 census). Some of the most stunning churches are...

Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Montreal

Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, Downtown Montreal

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, Old Montreal

Church of Saint-Pierre-Apotre, The (Gay) Village, Montreal

In addition to its 1850 elegance, the Church of Saint-Pierre-Apotre is also home to the Chapel of Hope, dedicated to victims of AIDS. 

There are also over 100,000 Orthodox Christians living in Quebec, worshiping at the Byzantine style St George Antiochian Orthodox Church and the 109-years-old St. Peter and St. Paul Russian Orthodox Cathedral, among others. With even more Muslims than Orthodox Christians (108,000 in 2001, but that number has shot up in the past 5 years due to asylees and refugees), there are a few mosques, but none of particular architectural significance.

9. Markets
Taste testing your way through several of the city's best markets is the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning. Gaze at mountains of fresh fruit and vegetables and display cases with dozens of varieties of cheese. Sample different types of maple syrup (yes, there are different types!), and grab lunch at one of the small restaurants where you can watch shoppers as you eat. While you won't have the adventure of seeing the shocking cuts of raw meat or unknown fruits of markets in less developed parts of the world, the markets of Montreal are clean and organized, and provide a very pleasant (window) shopping experience. You might even see some unusual local products, like bee pollen! I recommend Marche Atwater and Marche Jean-Talon.

Atwater

Atwater

Jean-Talon

Jean-Talon

Jean-Talon

10. Practice Your French
Québécois is the mother tongue of 22% of Canadians (7.3 million people), about 80% of Quebec's population are native francophones, and 95% of the population speak French as their first or second language.
Once outside of Montreal (or when you get pretty deep into the residential neighborhoods of the east side), there are plenty of people who don't speak much English, but within the city people are generally bilingual. Many shop assistants, bartenders, and waiters will address you in French first, and if you respond in English, they usually switch over with you- but not always!
If you speak French and want to practice, this is the perfect place to do it. Just remember, Quebec French is quite different from French in France. If you don't speak French, you'll be fine, and probably pick up a few phrases- qui lait cru!

Go forth to Montreal with this list as a guide, but don't be afraid to stroll away from the "highlights" and find your own top 10!