We got up at 6:15 so we could finish packing and get our suitcases out before 7. We went down for breakfast and sat with Bill and Cathy. I had cereal and an interesting and tasty dish. The Marriott had taken a tall, skinny shot glass and put cottage cheese on the bottom, then tiny diced plums, topped with a banana puree. After we figured out how to eat it (tiny spoons would have helped), it was really quite good.The buses were loaded, and we were on our way to San Jose by 8. The drive was much shorter than I thought because we were at the Gold Museum by 10. I wanted to walk to the Mercado (central market), but no one would go with me. So I went through the Gold Museum, taking a closer look at what I had missed on Tuesday 3/5. I also left the museum early to take some photos around the Cultural Plaza. I especially liked my photo of an elderly gentleman selling lottery tickets. The government gives out licenses to the handicapped and elderly to sell lottery tickets, and they get a portion of the money they collect.
We left the museum at 11:20 and drove to San Isidro, arriving at Siba chocolate plantation and restaurant at 11:50. We were welcomed by Julio and George, 2 friends, who founded the company. It was rainy, misty, and much cooler when we arrived, and we were seated at tables in a lovely covered porch area with fireplace.
Bowls of diced avocado and tortilla chips were placed on the table and then a lovely spicy tomato soup was served for us to put the avocado and chips in. That was really tasty and great to serve on a cool, wet day. Next was a buffet with a bean, tomato, lettuce tortilla in a red sauce. There were also fixings for a salad: onions, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, and lettuce. For dessert they served small squares of a corn cake with whole corn and coconut topping with some lime zest. The lunch was quite good.
When the plates were all clear, we were each brought a plate with 8 pieces of chocolate plus a roasted coffee bean. Then Julio started the chocolate lecture by hacking a cacao pod open and letting us suck the seeds. George had to break in periodically to keep Julio on track, but both men were quite informative. They finished by showing some of their products wrapped in cacao paper. George demonstrated how some of their stuffed chocolate is made. Many people bought lots of chocolate. Bill bought a box of 9. It was a delightful final activity.
We left Siba at 2:45 to head back through San Jose to our hotel arriving about 3:30. We were thrilled with our new room because it was much closer to the lobby. We had our final dinner as a group. It was a buffet in a separate room. Everyone decided it was a lovely ‘alternate’ trip. Email addresses were collected, and we all went to our rooms to get ready for early morning pickups to the airport.
The trip home was uneventful. Our heads were spinning with all that we saw and did. Even without the ship sailing (which we hope to do in December), we had an amazing time.
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