Tag: construction

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Widening our bridge

One of the things that drives perfectionist Americans crazy about Costa Rica is the multitude of one-lane bridges all over the country even in the cities! Look no further than right outside the main gate to Roca Verde Housing Development! Our entrance gate is on Avenida 8, better known by the little bario (neighborhood) there as Calle Boquerón. Just outside our gate going towards central Atenas you cross the little rainy season stream that goes by the cow pasture in front of my house. And of course on a one-lane bridge! Don’t know why or who influenced it, but the city of Atenas is widening that little bridge.

The concrete tubing for water flow has already been extended and fill dirt and rocks added around it and as I photographed Monday they were pouring concrete for maybe a base to something or a wall? These two school kids out of school for Coronavirus will probably soon be joining the city construction team as they sit here and learn how easy it is to build a bridge over a concrete pipe.   🙂

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Walking from town, the bridge is just before Roca Verde gate on the right.  Note also on the right the pedestrian sidewalk & bridge built by volunteers a few years ago.

 

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School’s out and these two boys are learning how a bridge is built here over a big pipe!

 

“If Rome had been built in a day we would have used the same contractor.”

¡Pura Vida!

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cm by cm Progress

And you people in the states think I meant “Inch by Inch” as you forget that the rest of the whole world uses the metric system!   🙂   The renovation of Atenas Central Park slowly takes shape with the outer ring of two-level bench seats completed and the city workers focus on storm drains now with evidently a long way to go before new sidewalks, benches, picnic tables, playground, landscaping and artwork on the ceiling of the kiosko! But it will happen, poco a poco!    🙂   See my gallery Remodeling Central Park. 

¡Pura Vida!

And oh yes!   Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020  includes Costa Rica — of course!    🙂   In fact, the waterfall they feature is on my to-do list for 2020!   🙂

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Flying Saucer Has Landed!

Sorry guys! But it sort of looks like what we used to call a “Flying Saucer” in the States when UFOs were a big thing there!   🙂

Trim 1st then remove.

This is just my occasional UPDATE on the progress on the REMODELING OF CENTRAL PARK ATENAS – excruciatingly slow to me! This big round metal thing will be the “Kiosk” or Band Shell or Stage in the center of the park. (See link to pictures of it at bottom of post.) It will be great for “Theater in the Round.”

They still have to redo the landscaping and add new benches, picnic tables and some recreation items. Maybe the landscaping has started with the cutting down of several big trees. Hard to tell. And the underside of that kiosk roof is going to have artwork added, so still a ways to go there too. Here’s shots of 3 stages of the kiosk in the last 4 days – faster than usual progress:

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25 June 2019
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25 June 2019
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28 June 2019

All images are cell phone photos by Charlie Doggett.

 

The city has  a Facebook Page presenting the remodeling with architect drawings of how they expect it to look. Nice! The vision of an architect! AND BEST VIEWED AS A MANUAL SLIDESHOW! Click on a picture, then the right or left arrows.

¡Pura Vida!

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“3 Little Things”

Yesterday morning as I started to walk to town it was raining, thus I took a taxi. So I had to walk back from town since that is my only exercise here! With only a tiny sprinkle occasionally, I enjoyed these wet “3 little things” along the way and here are my shots of one day’s “eye candy” in little Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Wet Passion Flower in someone’s yard
Nasty Storm Sewer Waterfall along the way – But sort of pretty!   🙂
Central Park Progress? They keep welding more pieces to the future band shell. But now the rainy season will slow progress even more. In the meantime my landlord has nearly completed a whole house! 🙂   Our government at work! Slowly!    🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Central Park Bandshell Update

It continues to slowly progress even if not fast enough for impatient Americans!  🙂  The center circle (reddish steel) will be the actual stage and the big black circle is the covered part including audience covered seating. They have stopped work again this week so the city can have its annual Climate Fair and Oxcart Parade. They are using all of the space including a temporary round stage in the center. I’m not feeling great this week and opted to miss the festivities, so I will have no photos of the temporary use. Here’s also a photo of the safety signs for the workers on the site. Interesting.   🙂

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Sorry its at an angle but I was shooting through a fence.

 

I had a “bad cold” or actually allergies due to the wind still blowing dust. Got that licked with some good medicine and good advice (close windows when wind blows) from my doctor’s young intern whom I really liked. Then I got up the wrong way from sitting and “popped” my lower back and now dealing with lower back pain. Saw my physical therapist who recommends stretching exercises of course!  🙂  So I kind of dropped the blog for a week or so with lower energy than usual. Next trip is 2 weeks away. Resting now!   🙂

I’m also working on my “Pre-Costa Rica Travel” photo galleries and just completed the gallery for my 2012 Tour of the Grand Canyon and Nearby Canyons. A good photo trip!

¡Pura Vida!

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Second Guessing the Builders

Armchair Building Contractors:   Everyone who walks through Central Park Atenas regularly simply must try to figure out what the builders are doing now and what will come next. In the first photo I thought they were ready to start the construction of the “Kiosk” or Band Shelter – the center area was level and looked good to me, Then the next day heavy equipment is in there removing more dirt! So the contractor or architect had other ideas and they are now going deeper it seems. Us “sidewalk contractors” will probably stay entertained for most of a year as we continue to “Second Guess” what is really happening. Fun!  🙂

Now, really, doesn’t that look level and ready for a bandshell?

 

But the next day they were in there digging out more dirt with more dump trucks to haul it off!

 

Constructiveness is the human way.  

Dalai Lama

¡Pura Vida!

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Remodeling Central Park

It is difficult to figure out everything they are doing or why they went 2 weeks doing nothing, but now they seem to be lowering the central portion where the band shell or gazebo will go -quite a bit lower – possibly for a good foundation. And now I can see that the square-block park was not as level all the way across as I thought. Possibly they will level it. Now they are removing dump trucks full of dirt from the center.

Taking many dump truck loads of dirt from the center of park.

 

On the right side it appears to be 3 to 4 feet lower than surrounding land.

 

See my original post on Remodeling Central Park    (architect drawings)

Or go to Government Park Remodel Page   (architect drawings)

¡Pura Vida Atenas!

 

Yep! I missed a couple of days posting anything. Always busy with daily chores and necessary trips to town and I have also been busy adding content to this website. I’ll tell you about that in the next couple of days’ posts. Exciting Stories!

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Construction Begins on New Park

Last week they finally began the construction of the new remodeled Central Park Atenas with the shocking removal of several palm trees in the central circle which will be enlarged and a Kiosko built – that’s a Band Shell or Gazebo for most Americans. After the structure is built, new trees will be added, then they will work out through the four quadrants with new sidewalks, benches, recreational activities, gardens, etc.

Across the street from the park on city property in front of the University Extension Building (old high school) there is a presentation of 4 large signs depicting the designs for the remodeled park. See the photo gallery below for those signs and a couple of shots I made of the construction area from a distance.  Or they have a Facebook Page presenting the remodeling for more drawings and a slideshow.

Remodeling Atenas Central Park

Click any image to see enlarged and to begin slide show of larger images.

¡Pura Vida!

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The Making of a Bridge

First, to get over that stream, install two very large concrete culverts or pipes for the water. to go through.
Cover with gravel and dirt. This is a lot less trouble than anchoring a big steel bridge over the water!
Atenas, Costa Rica

Well, then you need concrete walls on each side to hold the dirt in!
At least another 2 or 3 months time.
Atenas, Costa Rica

And well, the wall needs to be high enough to keep pedestrians from falling in the stream.
Allowing enough room for a sidewalk on each side of the road!
Atenas, Costa Rica

After about 6 months it looks like you might actually extend this street over the stream!
I have been walking by this construction for what seems like forever!
Atenas, Costa Rica

With the wall nearly done, we need more dirt and gravel.
Atenas, Costa Rica

And Suddenly One Day! I come across a paved street, concrete gutter and concrete sidewalk on both sides!
Now why was I so impatient? See! It is beautiful and very useful! Our city at work!
Atenas, Costa Rica
My photo galleries of Atenas and Atenas is most of the gallery People & Fiestas.


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¡Pura Vida!