La Fortuna, Costa Rica

On my 55th birthday, I crossed "photographing the birds of Costa Rica" off my bucket list.

Our pre-arranged transportation was running late
so Rudy, our Caballero guide, insisted that he take us into town himself. 

A stroll around the town revealed a half dozen touristy shops,
a dozen or so places to eat and guided tours galore.

The town was small, bordering on quaint. 

Though obviously they survived on tourism, it wasn't in your face. 
As in any touristy location, there was your usual made in China crap. 

But if you dug a little deeper, there were some unique items offered at reasonable prices. 

Thankfully Rudy had pointed out a "must do" restaurant, La Choza De Laurel. 

It turned out to be an open air affair (like many of the buildings in Costa Rica). 

The evening was warm and the beer was cold so we ordered a local brew or two.

   Our waitress, dressed in traditional garb,
offered up the menu and described the $50 special. 

We were sold.

The meal here was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

The dish consisted grilled chicken, beef, pork, skewers of veggies, plantain, and potato fries. 

The huge tasty shrimped were piled up high in a freshly carved pineapple, soaked in a garlic sauce. 

We dubbed it "a low country boil, Costa Rican style". 

Most memorable $50 meal we have ever had.  

  Half way through the meal we were joined by this little fellow.
Thankfully (for him) there was enough to go around.

The surrounding area is beautiful.

If anyone wants to buy property

This photo is blurry because it was taken from the back of a horse.