We went on vacation and all we got were these lousy sunburns

Hello? Is anybody out there?

We’ve been a bit quiet since our return to the States from Costa Rica almost two weeks ago. If you’ve been following us, you probably already know that during the first couple days of our trip Melo was getting over a cold and I had one coming on. Luckily, after just 2 days, I was feeling a lot better so we were able to take advantage of being so close to one of those black-sand beaches Costa Rica is famous for.

However…

Simple Beef + Broccoli

Listen–

There are a lot of recipes out there that are fussy and complicated.

This is not one of them. This is a very simple approach to beef and broccoli stir fry.

 

Is it delicious? Yes.

Is it authentic? Probably not. And that’s okay.

Why? Because life is already fussy and complicated enough. Your food shouldn’t be.

Playa del Coco

After being cooped up in the apartment, I was finally feeling up to going out and exploring Guanacaste a little bit. On Monday, Melo and I packed a bag with water and snacks and headed to the beach!

Outside the apartment

We were a little too hype, though, because we forgot to pack towels, a blanket, and put on sunscreen. That’s okay, though, because I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the International Day of Happiness than soaking in the sun and swimming in the warm waters of Playa del Coco!

Hello from Coco!

Hello, hello!

So we’ve been in Costa Rica for 3 full days now and we’ve spent most of our time in the apartment sleeping. I know, I know. Boo!!

When we flew down here Melo was on the back-end of a cold and I was on the front end of one, so in addition to just being a little jet lagged and tired, our bodies were like,  “Vacation? What vacation? We gon’ sleep!”

Anyway, we did manage to get out a couple of times to briefly check out the beach and grab some groceries. Our apartment has a decent sized kitchen so cooking at “home” definitely helps make the trip more affordable for us. And while the larger grocery store is about half a mile away, there is a mini-market right across the street from where we are staying. We went there tonight to pick up just a couple of things since we walked to the larger store on Thursday night to get the majority of what we needed. On the walk back from that trip we accidentally got sprayed by Deet by the health department truck–LOL.

On the flip side, we stopped by Tico’s Panaderia for some fresh-baked goods. Melo got two savory ones: one with chicken and one with beef. I got some plain sweet bread and an apple sweet bread. They were delicious!

Anyway, enjoy the pictures! And don’t forget to subscribe to Plate and Passport via email for more food and travel inspiration!

Sunrise from the plane.

First view of Costa Rica from the plane.

The pool at our apartment

Tico’s Panaderia

Groceries: about $50

Spaghetti with chorizo and a Chilean Cab.

Our first night out exploring.

 

Pura Vida!

Hey, ya’ll!!

Right now, we are at home packing up and cleaning up as we are in the final hours before our flight from LAX to Costa Rica!!!

This trip has been months in the making, and since this past quarter was really hectic for us (Melo was enrolled in 21 units–yikes!), we are totally ready for a week of sleeping in, sitting on the beach, and sipping on delicious Costa Rican coffee.

We’ll post several updates with photos throughout our time in Costa Rica, but we’ll definitely be using our social media to share gorgeous photos and food porn so be sure to follow us on IG, FB, Twitter, and Snapchat. Just scroll down to the bottom of our home page and you’ll see our social media icons.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Plate and Passport via email for more travel and food inspiration!