If the Toucans, the Volcanoes, the Coffee or the Beaches Don't Get You Excited About Costa Rica, then the Watermelon Will!

What does Costa Rica mean to you? When you're away for a little while, what do you miss the most? The beaches, the day trips to all corners of the country, the coffee plantation tours, hiking up a volcano. . walking through the dense jungle, absorbing all of its sounds and smells? Yes, yes, yes, yes AND YES!

I forgot a big one. . so glad I remembered! Costa Rica is known for its fruits & vegetables. . and its farmers markets. You can find a market in most bus stations and close to the central areas of every big and small town in Costa Rica, from Limon to the Osa Peninsula. . from San Vito to the Papagayo. . from Arenal to Irazu! The fruit was just picked and it's ready for you and your family to enjoy! The bright, vibrant colors, the juiciness, the wonderful fresh smells of every type of fruit one could imagine surrounds your soul and is absorbed by every pore, taste bud, olfactory receptor (you may have to Google that one!) and nerve endings on your entire body! Many of my friends lost a huge amount of weight in the first couple of months of their living here! Eating fresh fruits and veggies played a large part in their successful slimming down process! My friend, Mike. . he lost 22 pounds in about seven weeks. His wife lost 14 pounds, again by loading up on fruits that she couldn't even pronounce. All they knew was that it was so colorful, their juices sprayed all over the place with every bite and then, the weight melted off. . just like magic!

You will indeed be impressed by the Guanábana, the Mango, the Carambola, our Maracuyá, our Caimito, not to mention the abundance of Granadilla. But the granddaddy of them all. . in my eyes is the "sandía", or "watermelon" as we all know it! No matter if I'm in Florida, Ohio, Kansas or New York City, if I'm eating a slice or two of watermelon, it takes me back immediately to my childhood. Sunday afternoon at the park with my mom, dad, friends and my dog, Andy! The picnic table was filled with fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw. . big pitchers of lemonade and sweet tea! The transistor radio was blasting and we all were having a good time. After the fried chicken was eaten. . when there was no more potatoes or salad, we started on the watermelon! Remember how the juices ran all the way down to your toes, stopping about halfway down to stain that nice shirt your mom just bought for you at J C Penney? Do you recall how we all used to spit the seeds at the ones you loved? It was so much fun. Of course, I watched Uncle Gill sneak a splash of vodka (or two) on his little slice. He got pretty silly after about three bites. . started dancing and carrying on!

Whatever fond memories and great times are brought back up to you when eating a slice of watermelon, if you're enjoying it in Costa Rica, then you're ahead of the game! For some reason, it's sweeter here. . it has more juiciness. . and the low price makes it that much more wonderful!

How can you argue against the fact that watermelon is so good for you? It is said to produce heart health, helps you hydrate, has lots of Vitamin C, A, B1, B5 & B6. . and don't forget the potassium and magnesium! Lycopene, Caroteniods and so much more that is supposed to keep cancer at a distance. How can something SO GOOD FOR YOU taste so wonderful? For those of you who simply hate brussels sprouts and asparagus, I rest my case!

Many of the tropical fruits that grow in Costa Rica change quickly and ripen just as the rainy season ends. However, others ripen later in the summer. These mid-summer seasonal fruits include sandía, caimito, papaya and guayaba.

Watermelon is one of the Costa Rica’s most exported fruits, with a sweet and refreshing interior that fits into fruit salads, beverages and is easily prepared as a stand-alone treat on a picnic or a day at the beach. Watermelon grows around the world and requires temperatures higher than 77 degrees F to thrive, making it a primarily tropical fruit. The watermelon is a scrambling vine, which means that it spreads along the ground and foliage wherever it is supported, producing the large green or dark-green fruits along the way. In most areas of the world and in Costa Rica, the watermelon has a rich red interior when ripe, although there are varieties that have a yellow interior as well.

Watermelon are grown in well-drained tropical and subtropical soil. In Costa Rica, they can be found and grown throughout the country in areas with moderate rainfall, such as the Central Valley. Wherever they are found in the world, watermelons are at their ripest in the summer months, which means that Costa Rican watermelons are into full season around the turn of the new year. . January and February especially!

Thanks to its high density of water and vitamin C, watermelon is a refreshing treat for the warm sunny days of the hot, humid Costa Rican summer. Watermelon is often sliced and cubed for a fruit salad, sliced with the rind on to eat directly or blended with a little of water and sugar into a replenishing and sweet drink. In town, you can find both jugo de sandía and watermelon cubes sold on the street corners by vendors who push a cart around every morning! In San Jose, Maria has been doing this for many years. She goes through about 5 watermelons each and every morning that she is out, spreading smiles and good cheer as she quenches the thirst of dozens of her neighbors!

There's many reasons to visit Costa Rica! Today, you can add "WATERMELON" to that long list! Pura Vida. .

You're invited to visit our websites at: www.costaricagoodnewsreport.com & www.costaricaimmigrationandmovingexperts.com

Also, please enjoy our over 1,700 episodes of our "Costa Rica Minute / Costa Rica Pura Vida Lifestyle Podcast Series". We are found on all major podcast venues, including iHeartRADIO, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Radio FM, Anchor & many more. Here's our link: www.anchor.fm/costa-rica-pura-vida