PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA JANUARY 23, 2008
We first took an old train and then a river boat represented by the above two pictures.
Costa Rica means “Rich Coast” and the Spanish bypassed the country because there were no riches in the form of mineral wealth like gold. However, the country possesses other wealth like climate, diversity of terrains, extensive animal life and location. Being at the crossroads of North and South America the country and it people were the beneficiaries of extensive trade and interaction. This resulted in a very open, industrial and cosmopolitan society.
Today we took a look at a small section of the country first via a narrow gauge short line railroad. We rode on old wooden cars went basically thru the woods emerging occasionally on small housing areas with the inhabitants and children offering friendly waives. We then boarded busses and journeyed over very rough roads to a river in the mangrove area. Since this river opened to the Pacific Ocean it had brackish waters. After a short snack of some fruit and juice, we boarded a boat for a cruise down the river. We saw a lot of wild life: howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, black hawk, blue egret, and others I was not able to identify. Then we saw about 6 crocodiles from the smallest of 18” to a huge 8’ one, all very active in the 12’ deep river.
Then after the brush with the “wilderness” we were back to the ship for a lovely dinner with the flaming crepe suzettes for desert….what a life.
