Costa Rica

[bigmar]

Went to Costa Rica this past Feb. Arenal vulcano, Montezuma, Tarimindo, beautiful place.
Had several wood fired pizzas. One place in Arenal had a wood oven that was quite long with a large log (6ft) burning in it. It didn't appear to be that hot. Maybe 600 degrees best I could tell.
People were very nice, food was good. A beautiful country.

[texassourdough]

Re: Costa Rica

Hi Bigmar!

My wife and I were in Costa Rica last November and stayed at Arenal, Monteverde, Tamarindo, and Tortuguero. We did not seek out WFOs but found one in Monteverde at La Pizzaria de Johnny which had superb Italian food and good pizza. Had great seafood in Tamarindo!

We found Costa Rica absolutely delightful except for the very slow roads. A great place to visit!
Jay

[bigmar]

Re: Costa Rica

Jay,
Check this out!

Costa Rica volcano erupts, national park evacuated

[kebwi]

Re: Costa Rica

I distinctly remember that one of the best pizzas I ever had was a wood-fired brick-oven pizza in Costa Rica. Another great place is the wood-fired brick pizzeria at the hippie-haven outside Palenque in Mexico. By all indications, Central America is rife with great pizzerias.

[texassourdough]

Re: Costa Rica

Hey Bigmar!

I remember that look! That volcano had been erupting (slowly) for over 30 years. This is a LOT more active than what we saw! When we were there they said they had seen Arenal glowing dull red several nights before, but...this is clearly much more active.

I missed that story. Thanks for sharing!
Jay

[texassourdough]

Re: Costa Rica

Hi Keith/kebwi!

I have traveled Mexico extensively and often in small towns and I don't think I ever found pizza - at least not outside of major towns (and conventional at that) - but then I haven't visited a hippie commune either...

I checked out your website. Nice! Well Done!

How did you waterproof your dome so the planters don't seep water into the oven?

I once tried to write a drawing program - much more trivial than yours.... It sort of ate my lunch - but then I have no formal training in programming or computer science.

[lwood]

Re: Costa Rica

kebwi - I have been to that "hippie-haven" in Palenque in Mexico. Just outside the most spectacular ruins you will ever see. You can actually go down inside the main temple and see the crypt. This is where the famous Jade Mask was found. BTW, did you have mushrooms with your pizza?

[kebwi]

Re: Costa Rica

As something of a Mayan ruin aficionado, I would have to put Tikal at the top of my list, but anything Mayan is ten marks above anything else in my book, and I've been to Giza, but that's just my taste.

I also went down inside the Temple of the Inscriptions to see the famous sarcophagus (anyone would recognize it, it is a widely published image). However, that was a long time ago. They have closed that pyramid up. Not only cannot you not descend into the tomb, you can't even ascend the outside of the pyramid. That could have been temporary I suppose. It's hard to say. These places are getting beat to hell by the sheer number of tourists that visit them so access is being increasingly restricted. I think it's a good thing of course since I don't want these places to be destroyed. I also climbed the pyramids at Tikal long before they closed them to ascent. I'm seem to have slipped in under the door as a kid just before it got really bad for these places.

Cheers!

[lwood]

Re: Costa Rica

Tikal is also very impressive, I agree anything Mayan has my vote. Yes I agree these places are suffering from the sheer number of visitors. The last time I was at Palenque we had to get special permission to go down into the tomb. I guess our children will never experience that, too bad. I have also been to all of the ruins in the Yucatan and some in central america. An experience I would recommend to anyone.

[rena42war]

Re: Costa Rica

Bahia Salinas is located in the far northwestern corner of Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province, near the border with Nicaragua. It is one the famous beach in Costa Rica