Plato Putas are typically a well-organized duo, especially when it comes to our foreign travels, but while in Costa Rica we had a bit of a slip-up and were unable to book the 3-hour bus ride from La Fortuna to Jaco. We blame the hot springs of Tabacón for clouding our sense of responsibility. This meant we’d need to hire a driver and our hotel recommended Marvin, a friendly gentle tico (local) who offered to chauffeur us to our beach destination.

Marvin knew little English which didn’t help since we knew little Spanish, but the one universal language we did share was the language of food.

We started to get hungry a couple hours into the drive. After rubbing our bellies and miming some spoon/chewing action, Marvin quickly got the point and stopped for lunch in the town of San Ramón at a local soda (a small, family-run diner/restaurant).

We were excited because this would be our first authentic taste of the typical Costa Rican meal — a casado. The entire meal was $4 which included a deliciously sweet fruit drink of fresh blackberries.

The beef casado came with white rice, black beans, shredded cabbage with lime, potatoes with pork and a serving of extremely tender, melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked beef.

The fish casado came with exactly the same ingredients, but with a fillet of pan-fried fish.

Marvin and the cooks seemed amused that the two tourists could out-hot-sauce the locals. Pile it on!