This image conjures emotions of a far off land, tucked away from humanity, offering nature at its most serene state with the sounds of flowing water and chirping birds in the background.
There was greenery everywhere we looked and the cloud forest, staying true to its name, was cloudy and foggy. As we entered the property of El Silencio, our host for our stay there welcomed us into the lobby, which had a cozy feel to it with a fireplace inside and an outdoor space right next to a strong, gushing, milky white stream. We were offered hot chocolate while they checked us in and it was just the right drink to have in that slightly cold weather. Later we were shown our villa which had a huge bedroom with windows showcasing the beauty outside. The bathroom attached to it had a luxurious spa feel. An outward extension of the bathroom was where the jacuzzi was, with bamboo log walls for privacy. Each villa stood independently and at different levels on a small mountain and offered spectacular views.
Initially four days seemed a bit too much, as it was not apparent as to how we could survive during our stay.... without internet or TV. But, there were plenty of activities ranging from hiking to trips into the neighboring towns that you could choose from. We decided to keep the pace of our day slow and took one/two activities each day, so that the kids could get rest and play time.
DAY 1
We took a small trek in the morning to explore the humming bird garden on the property. There were so many humming birds there and every time we tried taking a picture they would disappear haha. Nevertheless we managed to get a few beautiful shots of the birds and later took a trip to the Oxcart painting and then a coffee making session.
The day turned out to be bright and sunny and we passed through a lot of smaller villages to get to the one we were headed to. Oxcart painting is an old Costa Rican tradition and a beautiful one at that. We got to see first hand how the artists' painted not just oxcarts but various other daily use items ranging from cups, pots, chairs, benches, etc
Later, we took a short walk to the coffee estate which was filled with the fresh aroma of roasted coffee beans. After watching a short video presentation on how coffee production played a key role in the history of Costa Rica and continues to be so, we took a tour to see the step-by-step process of coffee making.
The Coffee Plants ready to be picked.
After picking, the beans go into these rusting looking baskets and on an average every worker fills approximately 80 baskets everyday. The filled baskets are then poured into a dump truck and sent to the coffee making plant.
The coffee beans are weighted in at the coffee making plant and a record of the measured weights is kept on the abacus.
Then the coffee beans are sundried for 2-3 days. The tool used here makes sure the beans are getting dried on all sides by simply turning them around.
Then the beans are roasted in this industrial size equipment and makes sure the right color and aroma is achieved at this point.
Then the beans are packaged. The products available ranged from coffee powder: light, medium, dark roast; coffee liquor, coffee chocolates etc.
DAY 2
After having a hearty breakfast of granola, yogurt, berry parfait we set out on a guided hike, accompanied by another Tico family(native Costa Rican are called Tico) who were there, celebrating their anniversary. The weather was mildly cold and sunny which was perfect for hiking.
As we were hiking we were also getting to know the family we met and they informed us about the mild earthquake that happened the night before! I for one slept through it but Kiran, my husband said he woke up to something not normal. They also informed that is was quite normal for Costa Rica to experience mild earthquakes and insisted on not scaring anyone away from the beautiful country that it is :)
The waterfalls were pristine, majestic, calming and so worth all the effort we put into the long hike. It took us about 2 hours to go up and slightly less than that to get down. All along the way there were quaint bridges over streams of water and bird spotting done mostly by our guide.
After the hike we came back to the lobby and the staff let us know that they had free shoe cleaning service, we thought it was just what our shoes needed after the very muddy hike.
While Kiran and the kids headed for a nap I sneaked away for some relaxing at the Spa on the property. The location of it was so serene and blended in with the forest so well. It had a wide open meditation hall where all you could hear is the trickling of water from the streams close by and a few spa rooms. I opted for the mud spa and it was just divine! words cannot do justice to that ;)
DAY 3
Our breakfast for the day was Eggs in Spicy Tomato sauce and was absolutely delicious and headed out for the activities planned out for the day. River Rafting and Zip-lining through the canopy of the secondary rainforest.
Our hotel dropped us off at the River Rafting and Zip-lining camp from where these two very young looking boys drove us a bit to get to the river. I was very unsure if they were capable enough to navigate the waters but the brother duo surprised us with how much they knew about rafting and the forest around us.
Some of the trees on the banks of the river were gigantic and majestic looking, we spotted flocks of Parakeets and pairs of Toucans flying above us as we were drifting on the river with just the sound of the water and some gentle breeze. At the end of the trip we got off the raft and walked to see something that the brothers had found ..... Blue Jeans Frog! As cute as it looks, it is a poisonous frog and you can't touch it and so it was on a leaf. It lives at the base of certain trees and they dug it out to show us.
Next up was Zip-lining and while Kiran agreed to watch the kids, I went away all geared up with the guide to the starting point of the line. There was a bit of learning before I could maneuver the line but the experience of zipping through the forest all by myself was quite trilling! and you slide off so fast that its overwhelming to process that magnificent view from the top at once.
Can you spot two Toucans?
DAY 4
Our last day at El Silencio involved visiting a local family who had a small store attached to the front of their home that sold local knick knacks and they were hosting us for homemade breakfast. We got to see first hand how the locals lived and ate which was such a treat! Their home was so quaint and was right on a hill overlooking a big stream. I helped making some corn tortillas in their rustic kitchen and they spread out a feast for us which included scrambles eggs, beans, rice, corn tortillas, queso fresco (my favorite kind of cheese after this trip!) and fresh fruit. Our host and hostess were very warm and welcoming and it was hard to say goodbye.
Special mention about the food and night turn down service
Food:
Everything is organically grown on the property... chicken, fish, vegetables are organic. Food was gourmet with a set menu that included parfaits, eggs in spicy tomato sauce, fresh fruit for breakfast, salmon for dinner and much more. Also, they did not have any straws to sip drinks as they were not environmentally friendly and Costa Rica does not produce them.
Night turn down service:
It was amaaaazing! this was the first time I had heard of that service and what a treat it was. So what it meant was, while we were eating our dinner in the restaurant, the staff would make our beds in our room and place feet warmers in the bed. The weather would get quite chilly at night and it was a joy to sleep in freshly made beds with those feet warmers. They also set out carafes of flavored water on the night stands on either sides of the bed,which was basically water with a few sliced strawberries or blueberries or cloves etc and it was the best thing to drink in the middle of the night or early next morning. I thought it was a very nice way of making plain old water interesting.
We left El Silencio with a heavy heart and a great experience to share with friends and family. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a break from mundane life and gadgets, so go visit and be swept away by the beauty and calmness this property has to offer.
Next up is the third and final part of this series. We head to Manuel Antonio National Park for a day and I will share my story and spectacular pictures from our final leg of the trip, so stay tuned!
Also read:
Part One and Part Three of our travelogue to Costa Rica
Costa Rica with Kids
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