‘Pura Vida’

Literally ‘pure life,’ the phrase captures the relaxing way of life of Ticos and Ticas, the people of Costa Rica. Today we are moored in the Gulf of Nicoya on the country’s west coast, on the one and only pier sticking out from the town of Puntarenas. Despite our guide’s all-positive comments about the town and the region, you can judge for yourself…

Christmas, Puntarenas style

Up the two-lane Pan-American Highway (No. 1... runs north to Alaska) to the village of Esparza for a short visit to the church followed by a folkloric presentation by school children.

She is gorgeous — but never once smiled.

Sanctioned graffiti paints the highlights of the town’s history. There is razor wire atop most buildings and fences.

During one of the Viking on-land excursions earlier in the trip, a new friend accepted a piece of local fruit offered as part of the hospitality. She spent the next day in bed.

Our guide, German — with a very aspirated H, Herman — was very informative: Columbus discovered Costa Rica in 1502, on his fourth voyage. It remained a Spanish colony until 1821 when, after the Mexican War of Independence, it became part of the Mexican Empire. It achieved independence in 1838 and established a democratic government in 1869.

While coffee remains its chief export, its main sources of income are, in order, tourism, the manufacture of computer parts, and services — think technology support call centers! People come to Costa Rica for medical procedures that cost 60% less than at home (so said our guide). Since 1953, Costa Rica has had no standing army. Literacy is 97%, and the average monthly salary is $850. Hydro-electric produces 80% of their power — this is, after all, a rainforested country; the east coast gets around 300 inches a year; the west coast, 75— followed by geo-thermal generated by their active volcanoes (!) and wind farms. Solar exists but is expensive to install. While it occupies only .03% of the world’s surface, it contains 5.5% of all the world’s flora and fauna. It boasts 920 species of birds, including migrants that winter over, plus reptiles, peccaries, howler and capuchin monkeys, sloths, coatis and more. On our pre-Canal tour last Friday over on the Caribbean side, we were told that Costa Rica is very proud of its role in environmental conservation. On our ride up and down the mountain road to the Hacienda, the roads, yards and public spaces were neat, if humble. On today's ride, we saw towns and highways littered with garbage, junkyards (one literally side-by-side with a cattle pen), abandoned cars and trucks. Costa Rica is very popular with retirees and ex-pats. Most live in the upper Northwest part of the country — way north of Puntarenas. #