Tag: El Toledo

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Another Visitor from Tennessee

I like to include breakfast at La Casita del Cafe with a view to the ocean.

And we took the tour of El Toledo Coffee Farm, the only two on the tour!
We then ate Sunday dinner with his family and really enjoyed that as much!
That is John Rasbury on left from Williamson County, Tennessee.
Gabriel is the oldest son of the coffee farmer and does the tours now. My friend.

I also took John to Zoo Ave, City Mall, La Garita plant nurseries,
house hunting (his main goal), and lots of restaurants!  🙂  4 days here.

I did not know John from my many years living in Nashville but met him on the Chris Howard Relocation or Living in Costa Rica Tour in 2014. We have kept in touch since. He is not able to retire yet, but plans to come here when he does and is starting to invest in rental property here for his future income. Like Reagan, his favorite place was sitting on my terrace.

This is the main reason I went a week without posting anything on the blog, just too busy! Muy ocupado!  And I am very tired! Even took a little nap yesterday afternoon, which is rare for me! And I have my Visa renewal trip to Nicaragua Tuesday-Thursday, a birthday party at my house Sunday week, and CAJA application appointment July 8. So not slowing down much yet. But I will. 
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Coffee Farm & Begin Jungle Trip

Gabriel was our guide at El Toledo Coffee Farm

His Mom made the coffee samples

And we decided our favorite before he told us which was
dark roast, light roast or medium roast

Then we watched the beans roast

Which were earlier sun-dried like this

We learned how organic “natural” farming is better than just organic

The purpose of many different kinds
of trees among the coffee plants

And ate a typical Tico lunch at Gabriel’s aunt’s house. A great total experience!

Reagan continues to say that sitting on my terrace is his favorite place.
I never show the driveway in photos, he noted; so here it is! Not picturesque!
I only use it when I have a rent car, like this week. 

Tonight – Sunday night – we are at the Hampton Inn Airport where we will be picked up at 5:30 in the morning for our trip to Tortuguero on the Caribbean Coast. Our big adventure starts with the van trip to the boat dock in the morning, driving over a mountain range and into the coastal rainforest for and hour and half boat trip through the jungle to our Laguna Lodge.

We are suppose to have internet access in the common areas, but if not, no more posts until Thursday.

Follow Reagan’s Blog for his view of his visit here!



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Atenas Coffee Farm Tour

Gabriel (our Juan Valdez) teaches us about the natural way to grow coffee at
El Toledo Coffee Farm, Atenas, Costa Rica
Beans go through roasting machine to become
either light, medium, or dark roasted.
We tasted each and chose our favorite before knowing which roast.
The coffee farm pet Olive-throated Parakeets got my attention of course!
Then a traditional Tico Lunch of beans, rice, veggies, salad, plantains, fish
In Sarchi, Kevin got a taste of the rainforest after photographing
some of the colorful oxcarts made here along with furniture, etc.
A typical Costa Rican Oxcart made in Sarchi
Sarchi Church
Tico family in front of Grecia Church
Made of metal in Belgium in 1800’s
and reassembled in Grecia!

We got a little further away from Atenas today and will go even further tomorrow as we head for Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfalls.