PUNTARENAS

March 11, 2020

That was our stop today, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.  It is our first time here.  We’ve been on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica twice, in Limon, but this was the first time on the Pacific Side.  We decided not to visit the rain forest and do a zip line.  Instead we walked down the pier and into town.  The beach is a brownish grey, not white sand.  No idea why it is that color, but on one side of the pier people were swimming and on the other side, people with four-wheelers had been tearing up the beach – there were ruts back and forth across the sand, making a general mess of things.  And interesting that is allowed because 25% of Costa Rica is a protected natural preserve.  I guess that doesn’t apply to the beach in Puntarenas.

Puntarenas, like Limon, is very dependent on the tourism industry.  Once we walked out of the souvenir area there were a lot of boarded up store fronts and the ones that were open did not seem all that prosperous.  We did find a small art gallery displaying local works, and a lovely cathedral.  Both were recommended to us by a lady at the information booth, who was obviously very proud of them.  We enjoyed looking in both.  But the two hours we were out was enough for us.  The lady had suggested that we might like to walk to the other end of this little peninsula to the light house, lovely views she said.  But it is, she cautioned, a mile and a half walk, which, as all you math majors know, makes it a three mile round trip.  Maybe when it’s cooler.  But I’m pretty sure it is usually about 90 degrees in these parts.  Regardless, if was a good visit.  We bought a few souvenirs and a Coke Zero.

Back on board we had pizza on the Lido Deck for lunch, followed by ice cream cones, soft serve ice cream actually.  As I think we’ve commented before, it reminds us of the Frozen Custard Stand back in Oakland.  Because of new health procedures, we are not allowed to make our own ice cream cones – we are not allowed to serve ourselves any food other than water, ice tea, lemonade, and coffee.  Well, some of the crew are doing a great job of making the cones and others need more practice – a couple of swirls around the top with nothing in the bottom does not make a good cone.  The worker today had passed all the training and turned out an excellent product.

In between the pizza and the ice cream we played two games of rummy, bringing the total for the cruise to three games.  The score is 2-1 in favor of me.  But as Mom said, or was it Scarlet O’Hara, tomorrow is another day.

Well, I am typing this and as of this minute there is no connection to the internet, so today’s blog may become tomorrow’s.  Kind of like reading the Augusta Chronic or the Atlanta Journal Constipation.  So for now ...

TTFN