Up in the mountains of the Turrialba valley, in a location where electricity still hasn’t arrived to every home and the roads are dusty and narrow, we found the warmth of a rural Costa Rican family.
The Aguilar Montenegro family opened the door of their little wooden house to us, after we had enjoyed a very thrilling canyoning adventure, which by the way, was a rush of adrenaline and fun.
With a beautiful view of the valley and the mountains in front of us, including the smoking Turrialba volcano, we were welcomed inside the house of don José, doña Marta and their youngest daughter María José.
Homemade tortillas
Homemade tortillas wrapped in banana leaves, white rice, fried homemade cheese, a very traditional vegetable mixture called picadillo, cabbage salad, recently boiled read beans and a delicious soup of meat and vegetables, were part of a very tasty lunch cooked in a wood burning stove.
The family prepared this special meal for us, and with kindness and smiles they asked us if we wanted to eat more.
Around the house, calves, hens, roosters and pigs were resting in separate places and making noises as soon as we went near them. It was truly a Costa Rican rural homestead, a rare scene slowly fading.
The canyoning guides Roldán and Sergio, the Serendipity staff, Jaime, Beto, Silvia, Julian, Pablo, myself and Lotta, as well as her husband Ricardo and their 12 year-old son Mattias, were extremely happy enjoying this atmosphere, but especially, appreciative of the warmth extended to us by the family.
For us this was the perfect way to end our canyoning adventure and a new Serendipity experience to remember for a long time.
The Aguilar Montenegro Family welcomed us to their home.