One of the main questions that has brought people to this blog is asking if Anthony Bourdain has ever been to Costa Rica.
Last June after Anthony’s untimely death, I wrote an article that I was planning on writing as my blog aged, but due to circumstances, I published my piece that day, amidst disbelief that I shared with people around the world.
Not only did people enjoy Anthony’s television shows, but many people traveled to the places he’d been and dined in the restaurants featured. Anthony gloriously stayed off the beaten path where he was more apt to find “the good stuff”, as he called it. And, his recommendations were definitely good.
With Costa Rica being the massive tourist destination it is, naturally his fans wonder: has he been there? What did he have to say?
Did Anthony Bourdain Travel to Costa Rica?
I can’t vouch for where he traveled on his own time, but Anthony never filmed a show in Costa Rica.
I do know one thing– he sure was close. Anthony filmed shows in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Was Costa Rica in his future plans?
One thing I can think of that would have hindered this itinerary is that Costa Rica has been compared to Switzerland. They call it the Switzerland of Central America. They are both neutral countries. They even look extraordinarily alike in many spots. Fans know Anthony claimed to be scared of Switzerland. Was it the cheese? The chocolate? Was Costa Rica too similar to Switzerland?
In fantasyland, I considered writing a letter to CNN and Mr. Bourdain suggesting Costa Rica as a possible show. Not that they’d ever listen to me, but I know it would have been a wildly interesting episode for me personally, and probably thousands of other people.
What Would a Costa Rican Show Have Looked Like?
It’s no secret that Bourdain loved the very obscure destinations, like Lebanon and Iran. He also relished Southeast Asia. Being that Costa Rica’s tourism has exploded in the last twenty years, it’s more familiar to the rest of us than those other destinations that people don’t usually travel to. But, for conversation’s sake, let’s say Costa Rica was on the schedule.
The show might start off in San Jose. San Jose tends to get a bad rap, by visitors and Costa Ricans alike because of the crowded streets, pollution and higher crime than in other parts of the country. That doesn’t mean it’s not an interesting stop. San Jose is the beginning and/or the end for a good percentage of Costa Rica’s tourists, and assuming that a big city like San Jose would be of no interest to anyone would be a huge miscalculation.We need to see the less than perfect, the less than pristine, and San Jose is a lot of fun to explore.
I’m sure they would have filmed a shot near the bustling Plaza de La Cultura and up the mobbed pedestrian walkway known as Avenida Central. Central Ave blasts up the center of San Jose heading towards Sabana Park. Pan up and around to the surrounding mountains known as the Cordillera Central.
San Jose is full of amazing restaurants of every cuisine. Knowing that Bourdain is a huge street food fan, I imagine the crew enjoying some eats at San Jose’s marketplace; meandering up and down the narrow aisles before settling on a spot where they’d enjoy a typical casado, with a juice made from fruits you’ve probably never heard of. Maybe they’d try Costa Rican chop suey, turtle eggs, or tongue or tripe stew. Or, maybe a hearty olla de carne.
There’s also many trendy restaurants in Barrio Escalante, and maybe that would be on the roster.
Chatting About Costa Rica
Whoever Anthony’s co-host would have been could have talked about Costa Rica’s neutrality, or maybe the incredible strides they’ve taken to become more eco-friendly. Some Ticos argue that this is not true, so it could have been a great discussion.
They could have spoken on why they don’t offer plastic straws at many restaurants (having gone almost completely paper now). They could chat about how the country’s population has expanded in the last thirty years, the traffic, the infrastructure and how Costa Rica moved into the fast lane in eco-advancement, commerce, education, music and cinema.
Anthony Bourdain’s Maybe Itinerary
After San Jose, surely the next stop would be a place where time has stood a little quieter. This could be the rain forest, or the cloud forest. Maybe he would have ventured to Poas or Arenal Volcanoes. Nothing like looking down into a volcanic crater to put things into perspective.
Perhaps they’d venture to the lush Caribbean coast to see Limon and speak about how the coastline has changed since its major 6.5 earthquake in 1991. They’d discuss the African, Jamaican and Chinese descendants and their influences in the area, and enjoy their culinary specialties. Maybe they’d visit the stunningly beautiful Cahuita where time stands still and so do the sloths.
My hope would have been Cartago, of course, for selfish reasons. Here perhaps, he would have shown you the beautiful Irazu Volcano, and then blasted the night away listening to some of Cartago’s best rock bands, while the cool mist and temps make you draw your coat in a little closer. Totally unexpected for the area, given the latitude.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.
It’s All Pura Vida
So folks, to answer the original question, no Anthony Bourdain has not been to Costa Rica. And we’ll never know if it were in the cards.
Let’s put it this way. Any destination you decide to explore could have been a possible show. So, inside your own head, make it into a show of your own. Explore the path less traveled. Talk to local people. Find out what makes them tick, and what they think about their own country. Really listen to what they say. If you can share a meal with them, even better. And then go and tell people that will listen everything you learned. Isn’t that what it was all about anyway?
In Costa Rica, I know we could all take a little advice on Pura Vida. Pura Vida…”pure life”. The belief that everything is okay. And if it isn’t, it soon will be. To chill. Relax. To slow down and not hurry. Take it day by day and enjoy the present. That’s Pura Vida, and it sounds pretty good to me.