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Home » Lifestyle » Honeymoon

January 9, 2013 (Updated December 19, 2023)

Honeymoon Highlight! El Silencio Lodge: “Cultural Tour”

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

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Miss the first El Silencio recap? Read that first!

Another highlight of the El Silencio Lodge portion of our honeymoon was a “cultural tour” that we took one of the afternoons. The tour was one of the activity options that El Silencio offered; Matt and I signed up on a whim after talking to some others about it on one of our hikes.

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We piled into a truck to get to our first destination – Matt and I rocked the back. Fun!

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We knew the cultural tour included lunch, but guess what ended up being our very first stop on the tour? A place that makes homemade moonshine. Hilarious.

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There were 5 of us on the tour, but one of the girls was pregnant, so the other 4 of us took turns tasting the moonshine, which came from what looked like a bombed out shack. It was pretty epic.

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From there, we headed on to lunch, slightly bleary-eyed. The tour guide brought us to his aunt’s house for lunch – how cool is that? I was really excited to try some real home cooking.

The front of her house is a little convenience store for locals, where her family sells fresh bread and some packaged/shelf stable foods.

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The guide’s family (just like the guide himself) was really friendly – as were almost all Costa Ricans we met! Such a warm, kind culture. When we arrived, we headed into the kitchen – check out their beautiful view!

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Plantains were already being fried in preparation for our arrival. Mmm!

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And in the meantime, the guide’s aunt taught us how to make corn tortillas!

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Apparently it’s REALLY easy: corn flour + water!

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The corn/water mix ready to go:

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We got to work rolling out the dough into thin tortillas, first by hand:

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And then using this smushing device (that’s a technical term)!

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And then they got heated! First on the flat area:

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And then on this portion which puffed air into them:

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By the time we were done, everything else was ready, too. Time to eat! On my plate, starting on the left and going clockwise, you’ll see: a corn tortilla topped with fried cheese and sausage, a potato casserole,  rice and beans, fried plantains, yucca, and a piece of pork in the middle. Mmm…

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It was all really good! To drink, we were served this hot drink which was apparently hot water + molasses – I guess Costa Ricans used to drink this a lot before coffee became more common!

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What a fun day – it was great to get to experience a little of the local culture and the nearby town.

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Stay tuned for more recaps – next I’ll be moving on to recaps from our stay in the Arenal Volcano area of Costa Rica!

- anne
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you might also like:

Our Mini-Honeymoon: Part 2

Our Mini-Honeymoon: Part 1!

Our Mini-Honeymoon: Part 3!

Honeymoon Highlight: JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa

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6 comments
  • gracekelle at leangirlsclub
    January 9, 2013 · 3:54PM:
    how exciting and what a fun way to explore without doing typically "tourist-y" things. hope you have a great time and can't wait to see what else is in store for your travels. be safe!
    Reply
  • Emily January 9, 2013 · 4:00PM:
    Is that moonshine called guaro? Because I have a pic of me making pretty much the same awful face when I tasted it in Costa Rica *shudder*. That stuff gives you insta-hangover! Your tour looks like so much fun! You can buy tortilla presses at most Mexican/Central American groceries, and the corn flour is just sold as "masa." Whenever I miss Belize, I attempt to make some tortillas. Someday I'll be as good as the Belizeans!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      January 10, 2013 · 9:31AM:
      Haha yeah I think so! Shudder is right!
      Reply
  • Taylor @ liftingrevolution
    January 9, 2013 · 4:02PM:
    Looks like quite the experience! In a good way. When I was in college I worked for On The Border... making our tortillas weren't quite like that. lol, I love the authenticity and that you guys didn't stick to just tourist attractions. I think my husband and i would have done the same!
    Reply
  • Madison
    January 10, 2013 · 7:00AM:
    That looks like an amazing experience that you will never forget. Enjoy! :)
    Reply
  • Kris S January 10, 2013 · 11:12AM:
    Great to see the pictures after hearing the story- moonshine sounds hilarious :)
    Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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