por Jim
I've a chronic problem when I visit a place for the first time that I was already somewhat aware -- whether my expectations impose a restrictive perspective. So it was in Costa Rica, which I imagined to be the Switzerland of Central America -- democratic, clean, peaceful, efficiently run and prosperous, a cliche confirmed on leaving today and realizing that the modern airport in Liberia was, in fact, operated by a Swiss contractor.
We were in one small region where there's a focus on tourism, especially surfers, for those who prefer the comforts that money can buy and speaking English. It serves them well. We slept at an exquisite hotel where we were well treated. That's part of the good news. Part of the less good news was that getting there was less than half the fun, requiring a ride that lasted more than two hours, more than half of which was on a road that had been depaved, which is to say it had once been paved but had lost its surface. Rougher, but just as dusty, I suspect, as a dirt road in the dry season.
Once there, we had a good time. There were numerous parties with families and friends, culminating with a wedding on the beach Friday afternoon. Not only was it the first marriage for the bride and the groom, but it was my first time officiating at a wedding as well. We all got through it fairly painlessly. At last report, Jess and Rob are still marrried, so I guess I can notch the whole experience as a success. Was also afford numerous opportunities to practice my Spanish, which is probably adequate to get us through the rest of the trip.
Bought a few grenadines from a fruit-peddler on the street after he gave me a sample when I indicated unfamiliarity with the fruit. It was good. Subsequent internet research suggests that it is nothing but a pale pomegranate (yellow rather than red). Who knew?
During our time in Costa Rica, it largely lived up to my expectations. We left this morning for Quito, which is a much more bustling locale. Our flight connected through Tocumen Airport in Panama City where, if memory serves, I took my first flight -- on a DC 3 sometime around 1950. The last time I passed through the airport was in 1968, on my first trip to South America. Then we spent the night in Panama City during a time of civil unrest there (not particularly unusual, nor uncomfortable for those of us who'd been under martial law in Guatemala for more than a year) largely to get access to the duty-free camera stores, where I bought some 35 mm. equipment that I used for many years. As eyesight fails and technology improves, I've progressed to an autofocus digital camera which takes much better pictures than I could. For its part, Panama has progressed by allowing camera stores to locate at the airport, allowing today's travellers to avoid a trip downtown. Prices aren't discounted as heavily as they were in days of yore, tho.
I've a chronic problem when I visit a place for the first time that I was already somewhat aware -- whether my expectations impose a restrictive perspective. So it was in Costa Rica, which I imagined to be the Switzerland of Central America -- democratic, clean, peaceful, efficiently run and prosperous, a cliche confirmed on leaving today and realizing that the modern airport in Liberia was, in fact, operated by a Swiss contractor.
We were in one small region where there's a focus on tourism, especially surfers, for those who prefer the comforts that money can buy and speaking English. It serves them well. We slept at an exquisite hotel where we were well treated. That's part of the good news. Part of the less good news was that getting there was less than half the fun, requiring a ride that lasted more than two hours, more than half of which was on a road that had been depaved, which is to say it had once been paved but had lost its surface. Rougher, but just as dusty, I suspect, as a dirt road in the dry season.
Once there, we had a good time. There were numerous parties with families and friends, culminating with a wedding on the beach Friday afternoon. Not only was it the first marriage for the bride and the groom, but it was my first time officiating at a wedding as well. We all got through it fairly painlessly. At last report, Jess and Rob are still marrried, so I guess I can notch the whole experience as a success. Was also afford numerous opportunities to practice my Spanish, which is probably adequate to get us through the rest of the trip.
Bought a few grenadines from a fruit-peddler on the street after he gave me a sample when I indicated unfamiliarity with the fruit. It was good. Subsequent internet research suggests that it is nothing but a pale pomegranate (yellow rather than red). Who knew?
During our time in Costa Rica, it largely lived up to my expectations. We left this morning for Quito, which is a much more bustling locale. Our flight connected through Tocumen Airport in Panama City where, if memory serves, I took my first flight -- on a DC 3 sometime around 1950. The last time I passed through the airport was in 1968, on my first trip to South America. Then we spent the night in Panama City during a time of civil unrest there (not particularly unusual, nor uncomfortable for those of us who'd been under martial law in Guatemala for more than a year) largely to get access to the duty-free camera stores, where I bought some 35 mm. equipment that I used for many years. As eyesight fails and technology improves, I've progressed to an autofocus digital camera which takes much better pictures than I could. For its part, Panama has progressed by allowing camera stores to locate at the airport, allowing today's travellers to avoid a trip downtown. Prices aren't discounted as heavily as they were in days of yore, tho.
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