Isla Finca

This morning we said goodbye to Nelsy and Leo our hosts in Alajuela for one night. Anael picked us up and drove us north to Aguas Zarcas. What a treat it was to have our own personal guide and we made lots of stops on the two hour journey to sample local produce.

Anael showing Freddy how to pick coffee berries.

Elliot has a try too.

We ate the berries and found the coffee beans hidden inside.

The lush hills are perfect for growing all kinds of veggies.

Cheers, Anael treats Freddy to a Pipas, a drinking coconut.

The beautiful mountain town of Zarcero in the Parque Francisco Alvarado. Amazing topiary gardens.

Just glorious hillsides.

We arrive at Isla Finca our home for the next 10 days. No sooner have we unpacked and Freddy spots a contraption in the communal area. Before you know it we are off to pick mandarins in the torrential rain so that the boys can make juice.

Using the fruit grabber.

Bananas!

Mandarins!

Go Freddy.

Picking fruit.

Cool, red, waterfilled plants.

Juicing.

                            

                              It's delicious.

Fred gets to work on the Anona we picked on the farm. A large green spikey fruit with pale creamy flesh, yum.

Today was definitely a day for trying new things. Aswell as the coffee berries we sampled cacao seeds, manzana de agua (water apples) red fruits with delicious, juicy pale flesh and a stone in the center, mancuya, yellow with thick skin and full of fleshy and deliciously sweet seeds. We also bought cafe Naranjo (best coffee in Costa Rica!) And the most delicious creamy, rolled cheese. Mmmmmm.

Stunning Blue Morpho.

Huge moth, we actually thought this was a bat!

Our guest accommodation at Isla Finca

Perfect!