Spotted: The Most Famous Costa Rican Craft

Leaving San Jose and with the destination of La Fortuna and the National Parks meant we headed into the countryside. Our first stop was a coffee plantation and right near there was a "Bucket List" spotting of a careta - a traditional oxcart.

Oh, how I wish I would've captured the face of the man driving this cart!

Before you get to see the actual painted oxcart, some history: in the 1850s, these carts were used to transport coffee beans from the Central Valley over the mountains to Punteras on the Pacific coast. This trip could take up to 15 days. Spokeless wheels on the cart helped in the navigation through the mud.

In the early 1900s, the tradition of painting and decorating these oxcarts began - each region had its own particular designs. You could tell, at first glance, who the cart belonged to by looking at the painted patterns on the cart wheels.

Isn't it beautiful?

Then and now, there are contests involving the paintings on these carts.

These days, most oxcarts are becoming obsolete as a mode of transportation. How lucky were we to see one in use? Veerrrrrrry lucky, indeed!

In fact, these two (at the coffee plantation cafe, bakery and gift shop afterwards) probably sipped coffee from the beans carried on that very same careta. ☕️ Maybe, maybe not.