Tag: bicycle

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Artistic Bike Rack?

I was in Alajuela briefly this morning and noticed something I hadn’t before, what now appears to be an older, broken Bike Rack in front of Banco Nacional. And maybe the curving red pipes spelled something with the middle letter(s) now missing? It reminded me of the art contest we had many years ago in Nashville for artistic bike racks like this that were placed all over town and I guess with the hope of more people using their bikes to help with climate change. The problem there, like here, is that it is dangerous to ride your bike on public streets the way a few people drive their cars, plus here the streets are too narrow! I really wanted to be a bike-rider when I moved here, but quickly decided it not wise/safe for an old man. Thus I walk!   🙂   And never wanted a car here!  Blue Zone people walk a lot!   🙂

Well, just another image from Alajuela, my provincial capital, across from their Central Park opposite the Cathedral.  (All Banco Nacional buildings here are placed across from every town’s Central Park opposite the central Catholic Church. Hmmmm.  Is that some kind of philosophical statement? Or what?)

For more Alajuela photos, see my Alajuela Photo Gallery. And if you live in Costa Rica — travel, walk, and look a lot! There’s a lot to see!   🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Finishing My Caribe Report with Galleries

For my last morning’s sunrise I watch fishermen go out. And . . .
Below are four categories of my photos not shown yet
all linked to sub-galleries in this trip gallery with
more bikes, birds, nature and culture photos.
Caribe Bicycles
The Major Mode of Transportation
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Masked Tityra
Samasati Reserve
Actually we walked down a rural road in front of the reserve.
Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

3-Toed Sloth
Cahuita National Park 
 Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Interesting Signs
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

These all represent things I found interesting in the Costa Rica Caribe and made a lot of photos of each. The linked title takes you to a sub-gallery on that subject with most birds in the Samasati gallery. Or to just thumb through my whole Caribe Trip, go to the trip gallery:

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Commercialism Creeping In!

Construction has begun in a large vacant lot behind one high school.
And they cut down at least 8 large trees! Sob, sob! Sign enlsrged below.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Basically a Membership Health Club focused on Triathlon Athletes
 It appears to be mainly a large swimming pool and track for running and bicycles.
Atenas, Costa Rica
We have other public and private parks/gyms/pools in town but this looks like it will be the nicest and of course the newest! The title “Academia Just4Fun” in English sounds like a chain of businesses and maybe North American with that English name. I expect to learn more in time. It is only about 400 – 500 meters from my house.

CULTURAL RAMBLING:
We are slowly becoming more than a sleepy little farm town, good or bad. At least there are no typical U.S. fast food places yet! Welllll . . . Atenas does have a POPS Ice Cream Parlor which is owned by Pops Costa Rica, but it is something like a franchise from General Mills USA and modeled after the Pops Ice Cream Parlors in Virginia, but locally owned like the franchised McDonald’s in the bigger cities (and tourist towns) of Costa Rica.

My observation is that Fried Chicken and Ice Cream are possibly the two top comfort foods in Costa Rica and it interested me to see that all the stand-alone McDonald’s in San Jose and Alajuela have two separate windows and lines for nothing but their soft-serve ice cream! And there is nearly always two ice cream lines waiting from around 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning when they quit serving much breakfast. Ice Cream Rules! Although there are a lot of KFC’s in the cities, they have more competition than McDonald’s with many Latin American Fried Chicken (el pollo frito) franchises. There are major fried chicken chains from Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico. So the Colonel has to work harder here!  🙂   And yes, the traditionally thin Costa Rican (Tico/Tica) is beginning to get heavier, though not as fat as North Americans. And the popularity of hamburgers (hamburguesas) is growing with several local Tico restaurants having them! And they are good! And pizza is following!

See also my general Atenas photo gallery, People & Fiestas,  Public Art & Graffiti Atenas, and/or my Flora & Forests Walking in Atenas photo galleries. I live in a very nice little coffee farming town in the Central Valley, 45 minutes to an hour from the capital that I am afraid is getting too popular with expats from the north. Too many gringos can destroy the local culture. Especially some from the states who try to make everything be “like America.” If you want that, stay there! 🙂
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Why I don’t ride a bicycle here!

Me 2014 in TN

It is ¡Muy pelagrosa!  That is “Very dangerous!” Just see the 30 second video in this Tico Times article (WARNING: It is graphic pain!) Scroll down to 2nd photo with video arrow to click:

http://www.ticotimes.net/2015/12/14/watch-taxi-crashes-first-day-tour-costa-rica-cycling-race

That was in nearby Alajuela to which I ride the big safe bus! Right here in Atenas one day I walked across the Central Park and watched a pickup plow into a motorcycle, which is even more dangerous. I get my exercise walking as long as my feet are working alright. I miss biking, but common sense safety on exceptionally narrow roads and streets make it not practical for me here. “Driver Education” is just now being introduced here, so most adults driving here have no training and that includes the taxi drivers! This guy in the video is in BIG TROUBLE! He will lose his taxista job, possibly his driver license, and possibly have to pay medical bills for the three that slammed into him.

Happier Photos of the Festival de Luz in San Jose  –   I reported earlier that I missed the one here in Atenas and haven’t seen any photos online of the Atenas parade, but here are a few pix from the same parade in San Jose.  Most towns have one as the beginning of Christmas celebrations. I won’t miss it next year!