Today is our last full day here in San Jose so it’s only right that we do a cooking class. The meeting time for our class was early 9:30am and we were meeting at the exact same spot that we met at yesterday for the Bites and Sights tour. We didn’t bother with breakfast this morning since we’d be cooking so we were more concerned about leaving out on time. At the meeting spot we met Andrea with San Jose Urban Tours through Get Your Guide. Andrea explained we’d shop for all of our groceries in the Central Market and then we’d walk to the house to prepare everything. 

     We got a chance to see which vendors she stopped at and the items and how much of them she was buying. The fish that she used for the ceviche is called Marlin, we got some mangos for an alcoholic drink, plantains, sugarcane, chayote (like a squash) and cas to make a lemoade from amongst a few things. After buying everything we spent a good fifteen/twenty minutes walking to the house in which we would prepare everything at. At the house we met Gabriella and Erik who were great in pre-preparation and assisting with photos. We washed our hands, put on an apron and were offered drinks. 

     The first thing we did was cut up some onions, and peppers to mix with the fish for the ceviche. Some cilantro was cut up to add to the ceviche and squash dish. Once the ceviche was prepared to soak we made the mango drink called a Tropicalito which consisted of mangos, sugar, condensed milk and Cacique (it turned out like an alcoholic smoothie but was good). We then cut up the chayote into cubes and combined that with the onions and peppers along with some tomato paste in a hot pan. Some of the plantains were cut to make patacones which we fried then smashed via a tortillera and fried again and added salt. The rest of the plantains were cooked with sugarcane and then smashed, rolled into a ball and smashed via a tortillera. Cheese was added to the center and the plantain was folded and the edges were secured and then taken to be fried.

     The table was being set with food as things were done and in the end everything was set very nicely. Andrea joined us as we ate and we invited Gabriella and Erik but Erik had to leave for work and Gabriella needed to prepare for something else. The food was delicious and this was my 2nd time having ceviche and my mom’s first (she enjoyed it). The patacones were tasty and the squash dish we placed in tortillas and ate. The cas juice was amazing (all that was needed was the cas, sugar and water) and is a great lemonade alternative. We enjoyed the meal and chatted with Andrea and afterwards did a card game in which we answered questions.

     By now it had begun to rain outside so we stalled a little bit until it slowed down. Thankfully by the time we left it had stopped and our plan now was to go to the Artisan Market again (my mom wanted to get something else) and the Central Market again (I wanted to get a tortillera to take home and make patacones with). On our walk over to the market we passed by a unique shop which we decided to stop at and it proved to be well worthwhile as we both found some unique finds in the store which cancelled our having to go to the Artisan Market. We walked towards the Central Market and I was able after looking and asking able to find what I was looking for (a tortillera). 

     If I had the opportunity I wanted a small coffee maker to take home with me because after seeing how they made the coffee yesterday I knew that’d be ideal for me for whenever I do make coffee. On our way out of the market we stopped at a vendor that had some for a reasonable price and she customized it for me. My mom also bought a few souvenirs from the shop. We were done and ready to head home. We caught a Didi home and our timing couldn’t have been better because as soon as the Didi arrived it began raining. Although the weather called for rain everyday we have been very lucky with not getting caught out in the rain. 

     This might have been the earliest we’ve gotten in aside from the day we actually arrived but it feels good to be back in and still have a good portion of the day. Since there’s a washer and dryer in the unit we’ll wash clothes before packing to go home. I sat down and did reviews for all of the activities that we did while here. I had set my alarm to remind me to check us in for the flight and just got finished doing that and getting our boarding passes. I’m hoping with all of the new items we have that we’re able to manage closing our suitcase and not needing any additional bags because the carry on fees are ridiculous. Our airport food is packed and ready and leftovers will be our dinner for tonight. We have no need to go out anymore today and will spend the rest of the time enjoying the Airbnb.

     Costa Rica it has been a fun experience. Getting a chance to explore the city of San Jose while learning and doing different activities has given us a new appreciation of the history, culture and lives that we live. The people have been friendly, the food has been good and the memories have been everlasting. My mom and I definitely want to visit Limón if we ever return but we definitely enjoyed our time and got a much needed vacation away. We fly out tomorrow afternoon and arrive to Dulles late so this is where we will end with recaps. Thanks for following along and until next time (which will be in a few months when my mom and I go to Italy in November).