Spring Break is that time of year when those needing an excuse to cure the winter blues skip town in favor of sunshine and more favorable temperatures. Whether you call them snowbirds, sunseekers, thermal tourists or climate nomads (two new terms for me!), I was fortunate to include myself in that collective bucket during spring break. Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica was my family鈥檚 destination of choice, and it was the perfect place to embrace whichever winter travel term speaks to you!
A painless flight from St. Louis to Miami and on to Liberia where the weather is perfect every day and the views of the Gulf of Papagayo from high vistas made it easy to see why my parents have been enjoying "pura vida" for nearly a decade.
Costa Rica鈥檚 slogan, pura vida, isn鈥檛 just a phrase 鈥 it鈥檚 a way of life. Roughly translated as 鈥渢he good life,鈥 it embodies a deep sense of gratitude, relaxation and enjoyment of the present moment, and that is just what we did. I did not take nearly enough pictures and don鈥檛 think I made a single post on social media until I returned home.
Following good tourist rules, I happily took advantage of the culture benefits of just kicking back. Across Costa Rica, you will hear locals, street vendors, servers, bartenders and catamaran captains saying, "Pura vida!" as a greeting, a farewell or even as a response to, 鈥淗ow are you?鈥
For many reasons connected to great hospitality, I love how Costa Rica does pura vida. From the airport porters to beach vendors selling everything from screen printed shirts to trinkets and souvenirs, everyone in Playa Hermosa chirped the same phrase. Maybe it is just my love of good hospitality, but the popularity of the slogan itself is such an impressive, collective effort of an entire community joining together to embrace a feel-good sentiment.
After questioning local Costa Ricans, doing a little internet digging and following up with some Chat GPT questions, the slogan has a few renditions. Most notably, the phrase Pura Vida became Costa Rica鈥檚 unofficial slogan thanks to a 1956 Mexican film called, 鈥淧ura Vida.鈥
The movie featured a character, Melquiades Ledezma, who uses the phrase repeatedly in the movie, always with a positive and optimistic attitude, despite facing some uphill battles. It is said that Costa Ricans embraced the expression, and over time, it became a fundamental part of their culture synonymous with the laid-back, happy lifestyle that is not hard to find.
During my trip, I saw pura vida in action 鈥 whether it was a friendly conversation with a local shopkeeper, the unhurried pace of a sunset stroll on Playa Hermosa or the genuine hospitality of the people. More than just a slogan, it is a reminder to slow down, embrace life鈥檚 beauty and find happiness in the little things.
In case you need a little nudge to get you into the pura vida mindset, the chili guaro, Costa Rica鈥檚 beloved spicy shot, will make you forget about all the winter blues you thought you had before you arrived. Typically made with guaro (a sugarcane-based liquor), tomato juice, lime and hot sauce; or my favorite way with passion fruit (maracuy谩) instead of tomato, it鈥檚 the kind of easy sipping shot that wakes up your senses 鈥 a little spicy, a little sweet, without much burn and totally pura vida. Unfortunately, I have not found an outlet to purchase Cacique Guaro, the Costa Rican liquor in the shot, but below is my closest rendition. Enjoy a little pura vida the next time the sunshine tells you to slow down and sip a chili guaro!
Chili Guaro - Maracuy谩 Style
- 2 oz. white rum (Bacardi or Don Q Cristal are closest to Cacique Guaro)
- 1 oz. passion fruit puree (available on Amazon if not in local Latin American stores)
- 陆 oz. fresh lime juice
- 3 dashes of Tajin Chamoy (tamarind hot sauce)
- Pinch of salt or sugar for the rim of your glass.
Combine ingredients in a shaker, and strain into a shot glass. Word to wise, you may want to double or triple the recipe if you really want to get into the pura vida mindset.
汤头条app
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through 汤头条app Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.