Discovering the Real Costa Rica

By Hannah Gieseket – Guest blogger studying in Heredia, Costa Rica
It is now my second week in Heredia. I think that the biggest surprise so far of this week has been the cold wind that blows through town most everyday. Before I came to Costa Rica images of beaches and intense sunshine pervaded my mind. However, I can't even begin to say how glad I am that I brought a small jacket with me. It has been used everyday. Some days there seems to be clouds with rain in the distance and even though the sun is shining here you can feel small drops of water touching you as you walk. Lately, I have been spending a good deal of time in the center of town at the park that is in front of town's large church. The park has a gazebo, many benches, and some trees to provide shade. This seems to be a major meeting point for locals and also a place to sit and pass time. After classes and other extracurricular activities I tend to go to this central location to people watch. It is interesting to watch the old and the young as they go on their daily routines. There are vendors selling drinks or desserts. There is usually a clown there that is selling balloons and children kicking around a soccer ball. It is a wonderful place to pass some time and write in a travel journal.
Yesterday a friend from school and I went in search of a supermarket and found another market where fresh fruit and meat is sold. We wandered through the many different, brightly colored stalls where you can see many fruits that are familiar and others that are not. She had been recommended a “manzana de agua” or a water apple. This fruit has a bright pink skin and a white interior similar to that of a pear. She described the taste as “something like a lemon”. The fruit also has a large pit in the center. I have yet to try this fruit as I am enjoying all of the fresh bananas that as so flavorful here. Many of the stalls selling fresh meat contained the whole animal or sausages made from different meat. There were also many places that were selling tofu and other soy products. It appears that this is a popular cooking ingredient here. In the market there were also small restaurants with stools around them that many people were eating at. There were these large pancakes that appeared to be made from corn that many were eating for lunch along with some salad. I plan to return to this market for lunch someday soon to try some of the different foods that are typical of Costa Rica.