See this?

What is this?

Pinto, a world-travelling intern from Spain who’s been working here for approximately the past 5 years, always brings strange and wonderful fruits to work and offers to let us try them.

Meet Pinto.

Pinto is a wandering engineer who doesn’t believe in marriage and somehow always manages to get his food before anyone else when we go to our most frequented restaurant here in Bagaces.

And, like I said, Pinto is generous with fruit – fruit he buys from the local street vendors – fruit I’m always eager to try.

But I’ll admit – when I saw this sitting on my desk, I was a little skeptical.  I mean – it looks more like a toy I’d buy for my dogs than something edible.

I had to look inside.

Oooh!  What’s that?  Some type of gummy, gooey, gelatinous substance.  Like something out of Alien…

Costa Ricans call this a mamón chino, otherwise known as a rambutan (according to Wikipedia).  This is the edible “meat” inside.  Should I eat it?

Hells yeah I should.  It was good. Tangy, sweet, and a really cool texture.  The only thing I did not enjoy was the woody seed I managed to splinter in my mouth with my teeth – the seed I’m just now reading on Wikipedia is “mildly poisonous” when eaten raw.

Oops.

My mistake.  This time. But next time?  Next time I’ll be ready.