Coffees and Swings

Starbucks is here !! Since Wednesday, July 20th, 7 am, Costa Ricans can now also enjoy Vanilla or Double chocolate chip Frappuccinos.

It's located in Avenida Escazu. 

Great news for mommies, because after your coffee date you can carry on with your play date down the street!

Opposite the play area is the small food court with Nova cinemas and IMAX upstairs.

http://www.novacinemas.cr/index.php

Omoa

Honduras is a lovely, hidden gem in Central America. Full of wonderful, historical surprises.
Near the port town of Cortes, lies a little town called Omoa. Known for the Castle where the Spanish settled when they invaded Honduras.

The walls made from coral because it won't be ruined by the climate...how clever!!

PS. getting a guide is definitaly worth it, to hear all the little stories and details about the castle.

Sunday Market



The best place to buy fresh, good quality vegetables for great prices!! This market is held in Santa Ana every Sunday and in the Escazu area on Saturdays during the mornings. Some of them already start packing up by 11:30-12:00.

Make sure to take your own bags or baskets.

Art in the Park

The anual International Art Festival is here again! The park in La Savannah is once again filled with clowns, merry-go-rounds and great art.

 

There is no entrance fee and tickets for the rides are sold everywhere. You can find a clown around every corner to get faces painted and there are tents with music shows or puppet theater.

It is also the perfect place to buy typical crafts from different latin countries. Jewelry, wooden crafts, nice fabrics, paintings or food.

Since it is at the big public park, a lot of people still take their dogs along. And a lot of children take their bicycles or skateboards.

The festival usually last for 10 days. Starting on a Wednesday and finishes on the next Sunday. Keep in mind that it can be very busy over the weekends. I found it easier to take the very little ones during the week. That way you don't have to fight to find a spot on the merry-go-round.

Make sure to keep an eye out for a nearby parking lot, since they close off all the parking areas inside the park or by the Art Museum. During the week there was one on the opposite side of the road, from the Museum. They charged 800 colones for the hour. On the Sunday we had to use one down the road, 3000 colones for the day.

Coffee, Ice Cream or Cake ?!

I made a wonderfully new friend. Another new expat Mommy to San Jose. So we wanted to go for coffee and get to know each other a little bit better. I suggested Da Noi Gelateria in Guachipelin (in the same little plaza as Fresh Market), since it is close to both our houses and I have been eyeing their big white egg chairs for a while.

Nice, relaxing atmosphere, incredibly delicious ice cream and the the creamiest, cheesiest mini bacon quiche. We talked forever and since it was a quiet morning the babies had the whole place to themselves, crawling around.

The place is known for their ice cream but also has some cakes and coffees. Some branches are bigger than others and each one has slightly different decoration.

These darling tables are outside with tiny chairs for the children

Lake Atitlan

I have always wanted to see lake Atitlan, so when my friends told me we are going for a day trip I was thrilled!! 

We left early morning from Guatemala City and on the way there we stopped at a restaurant called Rincon Suizo. It is a lorge swiss cabin style restaurant at the top of the mountain, serving delicious traditional Guatemalan breakfasts and hot chocolate. The solid wood furniture and red and white tablecloths provided for such a nice atmosphere. They also sell their own locally made honeys, sausages and cheeses.

We were really surprised at how cold it was up there, so remember some warm clothes, especially for the kids. We were lucky to have a table right in front of the wonderfully cozy fireplace. 

We then carried on with our trip down the side of the mountain, enjoying the cenery. you will see local people everywhere still dressed in their traditional dress, herding sheep or goats.