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One of my new friends
here invited me to take a trip up Dragon Mountain. It is
a jagged ridge high above and on the South side of San
Ignacio de Acosta. He, his son, and his brother picked
me up in his small pick up about 9 am. We drove down our
mountain to the river between us and then up Dragon
Mountain. After about two hours we arrived at the Finca
of his friend Antonio.
Antonio's family has
owned this 200 acres for many generations. Please go to
and open the folder titled "trip up Dragon Mountain
to see photos of Antonio's farm, family, and our trip.
There are a number of noteworthy facts I was impressed
with while visiting with Antonio's family. They have NO
debt, they have the old Toyota diesel truck that looks
like new, they generate enough income from their cattle
and crops to live in total tranquility. Please notice
the old wood burning stove in the photo of his wife and
children in the kitchen. They built the house 30 years
ago when they were first married and put the used stove
in. It is still how they cook all of their meals, except
now, they do have a microwave for warming things.
Antonio and his son
accompanied us up the mountain. Check the photo of the
group looking from above their Finca. There were places
where the "road" is so steep and covered with
loose rocks that we had to get out of the truck so it
could go up. The clouds came in and blocked our view.
They claim you can see the Pacific Ocean, Irazu and Poas
Volcanoes from the top. We visited with a neighbor and
his son near the top. They are the ones on horseback
with the dog. All of these mountain people are very
slim, athletic people.
We returned to the house
where they cooked lunch for us. It was "tipico"
which means black beans, rice, and a stew of fresh
vegetables, and beef. The portions are generous, the
taste is very bland, and of course, very healthy. Notice
again in the photos how slim and athletic they all look.
After lunch we tried to
go back down the mountain on the same road we had come
up. You can see in the photos why we ran into a two hour
delay. The local water people were adding a new water
line and it cut right through the road. This delay was
no big deal since we had no pressing timetable. We
enjoyed visiting with the men and watching them work.
My point with all of this
description is; how much I love being here. The beauty
of the mountains, the warmth, tranquility, joy of
living and sharing of the people is inspirational. Every
day is like the most beautiful Spring morning you have
experienced.
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