by Infocostarica Staff

When Ana went up to the gate, she looked for the bell, but there wasn't one, so she screamed out "Upe!", the Costa Rican saying for asking to be let in. Then, when Dona Mayela came out, Ana asked her "Como esta?" (how are you), and the lady answered: "Muy bien, gracias a Dios, y usted?" (Very well, thanks to God, and you?). If you're a foreigner and you don't know how to speak Spanish, it would be a shame for you to miss out on Costa Rican sayings and language in general. Even though a lot of people living in the capital city of San Jose speak some English, (especially those people in the tourist trade), you won't encounter many English-speakers in more rural areas. It's always advisable to learn at least the basics, so that your stay can be more enjoyable and less stressful.

Costa Ricans don't use the same Castilian Spanish that's spoken in Spain. The Spaniards lisp their c's and z's and they use the "vosotros" person, while Costa Ricans use the antiquated form of "vos", and the more formal "usted". They all mean "you" but they vary in their formality and they affect verb conjugations. Costa Rican Spanish is as dynamic a language as any other, and it's full of "Tiquismos" or unique sayings and argot. One of the common Tiquismos is the use of the diminutive- Costa Ricans are called "ticos" because they add this word as a suffix in order to create a diminutive. In other words, instead of saying "blanquito" (small, white), they might say "blanquitico" or "blanquititico", which means the same thing. Ticos also use tons of terms of endearment, which shouldn't be misinterpreted as mean nicknames. For instance, it's common for Ticos to call people "flaco" (thin one) or "gordo" (fat one) without intending any offense at all. People of other races are usually called by their race, as in "chino" (chinese) or "negro" (black one). I hate to think of what would happen in another country such as the U.S., which is full of more pronounced racial tensions if people were to call out these names to minorities.

Apart from the unique "Tiquismos", Costa Rican Spanish isn't really that difficult to learn. Ticos speak more slowly and clearly than in other Latin American countries. Ticos are also extremely patient with people who are trying to learn their language, and they will help and encourage them to do so. It's advisable to learn at least the basics of the language, since as was mentioned before, only some people speak English. The only large population of native English speakers is located in Limon, where people of Jamaican descent settled.

Costa Rican Spanish, as most Spanish in Latin America, is extremely polite and sometimes formal. Some key words to learn, in order to keep up with the politeness are: "Gracias" (thank you), "Por favor" (please), "Buenos dias" (good morning). Ticos also mention luck and God a lot in their speech: "Que Dios lo acompane" (May God go with you), or if you meet them for the first time "Mucho gusto" (It's a pleasure).

Language schools abound in Costa Rica, and they range from a few mediocre ones to a majority of excellent ones. Some are located in universities, such as the program for foreign students in the University of Costa Rica (506)207-56-34, in private institutions, like the Forester Institute (506)225-31-55, Intensa (506)225-60-04, and many, many more. There are even language schools in rural areas, near rainforests or in beach areas, that offer a good combination of exotic living and language learning for the more adventure-type travelers.

All in all, Costa Rica is an excellent option for learning Spanish in an easy and gradual way. There are intensive 2-4 week courses and semester and yearly programs for the more ambitious types. The best way to learn a language is to have a boyfriend or girlfriend that will teach you, but even if this doesn't happen,in Costa Rica, there are numerous language schools where you can learn and friendly people in the streets who won't make fun of you or loose their patience when you're trying to speak their language.

You wake to the soothing murmur of the surf as it spreads along the shore, to the sweet serenade of birds perched outside your door, as dappled shadows flit and flirt, bringing golden light to fading gloom, the sharp aroma of freshly brewed java gently wafts into your room.
So you’ve come in search of the perfect brew,
Yes, tis an elusive bean that gently beckons you,
so delicate, yet so wonderfully robust…
I dare say I’m not much the poet so I’ll leave the prose to Mr. Frost.
From an overly ”caffinated” Infocostarica staff member

As the ninth largest coffee producer in the world, Costa Rica is widely known for it’s high-grade mountain grown coffee. From the full-bodied Tarrazú, to the clean bold taste of the Orosi Valley blends, Costa Rican coffee has a smoky trace and distinctive acidity evident to many of its drinkers. Coffee is harvested from November to January and as in North America, the school holidays correspond with the harvest season. The cultivators are mainly small farmers organized into co-operatives which form a federation which is responsible for exports. Due to the use of high-end technology the yield obtained is extremely high.

Coffee’s aroma, body, and flavor vary greatly depending on how and where it is grown. In Costa Rica, the most famous coffees by region are Tarrazú, Tres Rios, Herediá, and Alajuela. Coffee from these areas is characterized by its distinctively clean, bold flavor. Most Costa Rican coffee comes from a hybrid called caturra and is characterized as bright and full bodied. Other popular varieties are Mondo Novo and Catuai. After being harvested, the cherries are immediately taken to state-of-the-art facilities, known as beneficios, where they are fully processed. The best coffees, which are grown above 3,900 feet, are designated as “strictly hard bean”. The “good hard bean” classification is given to coffees grown from 3,300 to 3,900 feet. Costa Rican coffees are usually identified by the estate, cooperative, or facility where they are processed.
There are two main varieties of coffee grown in the world… Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica Coffee beans grow in mountainous regions, usually at relatively high altitudes and are widely known for their full-bodied flavor and rich aromas. These trying conditions make them difficult to harvest. Thus the arabica’s are much more expensive to produce. Robusta Coffees, on the other hand, are grown in flat lowland regions where they flourish and produce abundant harvests. Robusta coffees are plentiful and inexpensive. Connoisseurs rate robusta beans less rich and aromatic than arabica beans and as a result, they usually cost less.
Costa Rica is the only country in the world which has issued an executive order banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica.

When purchasing Costa Rican coffee, make sure it is labeled “puro” (pure), as some non-gourmet makers do add sugar to the mix. Among Costa Rica’s most famous labels are Café Britt, Bardú Coffee, Café Rey, Café Volio, Doka Estate Coffee and R.F. Meseta. Many makers also offer organic coffee, which is cultivated without pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers.

Once you’ve settled on the beans, the next step is to delicately savor the rich aroma and enticing flavor of your pick. When brewing the perfect cup of joe, always start with freshly ground coffee beans, cold tap or bottled water (boiled water gives coffee an unpleasant “flat” taste) and the correct proportion of water to coffee ground. The industry standard is two rounded tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.

Coffee Tasting Terminology
For those interested in the finer points of gourmet coffee cupping (tasting different varieties of coffee), the following terms are commonly used for tasting and describing coffees.

Acidity
Coffees with low acidity are soft and smooth. High acidity coffees, such as those grown in Costa Rica, have a bright, crisp, palette-cleansing quality.

Aroma
Aroma refers to the fragrance or odor of brewed coffee combined with its flavor.

Body
Body refers to the sense of the coffee’s weight and texture (e.g., its oiliness and intensity) in the mouth. How it coats the palate, how it balances, and how it interacts on the four flavor zones of your tongue The brewing method also influences the body as a plunger pot or espresso machine will produce a heavier bodied coffee, while a conventional drip machine will result in lighter bodied coffees because the paper filters remove flavor oils. A coffee’s body can be: Light, medium or heavy.

Flavor
Flavor refers to a coffee’s intensity, the combined impression of a coffee’s aroma, acidity, and body. Specific taste flavors may suggest spices, chocolate, nuts, or even uncomplimentary flavors like straw, grass, or rubber.

Finish
This is a specific evaluation of how the coffee’s finish is in your mouth. Finish refers to the aftertaste, the feelings and flavors that are perceived after the coffee has been swallowed.
Once you’ve got these finer points down, you’ll be well on your way to finding that special brew. Remember, the sip is only half the fun! So….

let us continue our quest for the perfect brew,
and not give up, as some will surely do,
we shall give no quarter for we must not tarry,
not until we’ve found those fragrant berries.

Population: 4,331,000
Capital: San José; 1,085,000
Area: 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 square miles)
Language: Spanish, English
Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical
Currency: Costa Rican colon
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP per Capita: U.S. $8,300
Literacy Percent: 96

Anyone visiting Manuel Antonio National Park will surely notice flocks of brown pelicans gracefully soaring overhead, plunging headlong into the sea after fish, or maybe even "wind surfing" as they playfully glide along the face of a wave with a wingtip almost skimming the wall of water. Magnificent frigate birds - large dark birds with long pointed wings and forked tails - will probably grab your attention, too, as they effortlessly cruise on the slightest breeze.

If you are at all interested in birds, you know that most species are not as easily seen as pelicans and frigate birds. But for those who make an attempt to find them, the Manuel Antonio area harbors hundreds of surprises. More than 270 species, including migrants, can potentially be observed in the park and the surrounding area extending to Quepos and the local airstrip.

Despite the image of beautiful beaches that the name Manuel Antonio conjures up in most peoples' minds, the majority of its bird life is to be found in the forest - whether inside the park proper or in any decent patch of vegetation around your hotel. Screeching flocks of parakeets and parrots impart a decidedly tropical air to the birding here, as do the comings and goings of at least 15 different types of hummingbirds, including purple-crowned fairies, violet-crowned woodnymphs, white-crested coquettes, and blue-throated golden-tails.

If you come across a fruiting tree or shrub, you might be treated to a riot of color from a visiting parade of birds that could include scarlet-rumped, blue-gray, golden-hooded, and bay-headed tanagers; green, shining, and red-legged honeycreepers; and yellow-crowned, spot-crowned, and thick-billed euphonias, among others.

One of the biggest thrills in tropical birding is encountering a mixed-species foraging flock, because the action can really get fast and furious as the birds stream past, each one seemingly different from the next. In the forest understory at Manuel Antonio, insectivorous flocks form around pairs of black-hooded antshrikes and dot-winged antwrens, and the entourage can contain plain xenops, long-billed gnatwrens, chestnut-backed antbirds, rufous-breasted wrens, russet antshrikes, buff-throated foliage-gleaners, sulphur-rumped flycatchers and, in winter months, any of a dozen or so species of migrant warblers, vireos, andflycatchers.

Of course, trying to identify all those fluttering creatures can be terribly frustrating to the novice. But what's worse, too much or too little? After a flock has moved on, it can often seem as though there are no birds left in the forest. But even when you can't see them, if you listen, you're likely to hear birds. Perhaps my favorite singer in the Central Pacific forests is the black-bellied wren. From its preferred microhabitat of dense vine tangles, this difficult-to-see bird advertises its presence with an outpouring of rich liquid notes that are sure to stop any passersby in their tracks. Likewise, the clear tremulous whistles of great tinamous and the mellow phrases of blue-black grosbeaks are apt to please any human listener.