Last week they took down all that yellow plastic crime-scene tape that surrounded the Atenas Central Park, but it is still mostly empty with no concerts or fiestas scheduled. There were a few old men on the opposite corner where they usually “hang out,” but that was all. And the colorful Marigolds that were planted on this corner that I shared earlier have been removed. Hmmm. And there has been no continued work on the park remodeling, probably because of a lack of tax money.
Atenas is still in the Pandemic Shutdown Mode with few people in Central Atenas on the above cloudy day and many shops closed, some permanently. A difficult year for many here and worldwide!
I feel safe walking to and through town with my mask (required by law here) and anyone else who is out is also wearing a mask and maintaining a 1.8 meter distance, also required by law here. It is a bit of trouble but at least we are not having the daily increases of cases and deaths like the USA! It is still beyond my understanding how so many people still support that stupid, lying, self-centered, racist Donald Trump who clearly is responsible for thousands of deaths he could have prevented and the equally evil Republican Party supporting him. God help America! At least one Republican expressed a little bit of common sense today on Trump’s refusal to concede the election:
“It’s just simply madness,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said. “The idea of supplanting the vote of the people with partisan legislators, is, is so completely out of our national character that it’s simply mad. Of course the president has the right to challenge results in court, to have recounts. But this effort to subvert the vote of the people is dangerous and destructive of the cause of democracy.”
~Washington Post, 10 December 2020
Thank God I live in Costa Rica!
¡Pura Vida!
It is sad to think of the new park still not being completed and that some of the shops may not survive. I hope “things” improve in the coming months.
Our feelings about the outgoing administration mirror yours. It makes us both sad and baffled why any supposedly moral person would support such a destructive person who demonstrates an total absence of empathy, morals or ethics. yet 45 % of the US apparently approves of him. —- yet another reason to move! Yet we more than ever Have become virtual prisoners in our house. Today New Hampshire announced 1,000 new cases for a single day. It was thought of as a crisis a few weeks ago when we hit 250 a day.
Steve, Hopefully you and Lucy can move here soon. Start learning how and what all you must do. Take that ARCR two-day seminar the next time you are here and consider getting a CR Lawyer to help you start the process. Just remember that everything is not perfect here either, just a heck of a lot better than the states! 🙂
Por ejemplo: (1) Spanish is the official and common language here and it is not quick & easy for us older people to learn, but we can do it! ¡Lo podemos hacer! (2) The power was off for two hours at breakfast time the other day and I had to go two hours without coffee! 🙂 (3) It took two years of going to the border for a new visa every 90 days before I got my residency card. (4) Cost of living in CR is the highest in Central America with U.S. products and all cars costing more here than in the states. (5) Though I believe Democrats are the majority, there are some Republican expats here and my next door neighbor is a Trump supporter from Arizona. 🙂 — I too often make it sound “perfect” here and of course it is not – here or anywhere else, but still a heck-uva-lot better than the States in my opinion!
Yup. I am aware of all of these things and I have actually told people , “you wouldn’t like it there” because it’s just too different. We have pretty much researched everything we can think of but I have some , I think, legitimate concerns but perhaps this is not the appropriate forum?
I actually would like to ask you or others a few questions where answers are not colored by “ rose colored glasses”. Oh -Yes— Spanish— must try harder. Buenos Dias and gracias only goes so far. —-
Steve, I’ll email you.
Amen Brother Charlie.
Steve in Tamarindo