Move over Mexican burrito. You have been permanently replaced by the lusciously tasty, amazingly fresh and immensely satisfying Costa Rican version. I may never go back to refried beans again. In fact, this moment signified the death of a life-long love affair with the Mexican burrito, one that began with a childhood spent down South close enough to the Mexican-American border to get the fresh stuff straight up and all authentic. But this was an addiction fated to end just a mere few days ago when I encountered the authentic Costa Rican burrito.
Holy. Mother. Of. God. Was that the best burrito I have ever had in my life! All blended black beans lightly sautéed in a pan and served up with some fresh steaming yellow rice. Rolled neatly in a flour tortilla and served to me with a twinkle of the eye and a soft-spoken “Gracias.” No, let me thank you cuz this burrito is the bomb! There’s no turning back. No return to the burrito a la refried beans and lard. This fresh take on an old classic has changed my entire life.
In fact, the time I have been in Costa Rica has pretty much turned my life around. This country is all calm and laid-back. All happy, smiling faces and interesting activities. All teeming with people from all around the world. The mix off cultures is inspiring and refreshing and stimulating. What a great place to vacation … as long as you hit the local spots and hang with the local peeps. The touristy spots, not so much. But that’s true everywhere.
And I think I might just be in love with Latin America and that maybe, just maybe, I might not return stateside to live again any time in the near future.
I mean, I wasn’t really planning to go back right away anyway, not unless I can bring along a year’s supply of Colombian coffee, the amazing Costa Rican burrito already done up and ready to nosh on, some kickin’ reggaetone (which someone told me originated in Puerto Rico. A potential future travel spot? Oh, I think so, if only for the music!), and some amazing dance skills all picked up and mastered from the many and varied dancin’ dudes who totally know how to bust out the moves. Is there a special gene for this or something? Or can anyone learn to swing it like that? Because it is incredibly impressive. Seriously.
That’s a lot of stuff to stick around for. So maybe I will. What better way to kick off the new year but to be exactly where you want to be and enjoying every minute of it? Oh, yeah. Life is good.
Plus, I’ll be blazing some more trails somewhere else in Latin America in 2012. Because my feet are itchy, the wind is blowing — a lot, and life is short, so why not do what you want?
I’m all over it and I hope you are too!
Happy New Year a few days early. Back atcha soon.
© Sasha A. Rae. All Rights Reserved.
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If you liked that jazz, you should check out these beauties:
Totally Righteous Tales of Digestive Disorders, Aesthetic Assaults and Near-Death Experiences in the Far, Far East (Non-Fiction, Book) is a book about finding yourself in a land that sports:
– mirror-obsessed Korean dudes intent on checking out their own butts as much as possible,
– hairstylists in hot pants and go-go boots who want to sculpt your hair into an orange, Carol-Brady-esque shag, and
– tai chi masters who slip you poison – for your own good.
And those are just a few highlights of your far, far eastern adventure … Available now in a Kindle version.
and
A Tale of the Romantic Disaster Sort: A Short Scene (Fiction)
Sometimes romance is Just. So. Hard. And sometimes your partner is living life on some other plane that you don’t know about. Yet. Until that pivotal moment when you find out in a too-surreal-to-be-true sort of way. Like a dude who boots his girlfriend out of bed during a seriously intimate moment so that he can play with the dog. Then he wonders why she leaves. And she’s left wondering, “What? This can’t be real!”
Available now in a Kindle version.
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Photo credit: burrito photo is from mroach on Flickr through a Creative Commons Free Use License.
