Central Park, the Center of Atenas

Everyone hangs out at Central Park some of the time!
 Like these 3 men and boy who just road to town, stopping for 3 bottles of beer & a mug of root beer.
Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

They chose the one bar at the park instead of POPS Ice Cream Shop. It’s the cowboy way!   🙂
 Bar Punga – In Spanish “punga” means “very familiar, nicking, thieving, or pickpocket”
 Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

It’s an island of green in the center of town with trees, flowers, benches, playground, fiestas, celebrations, & people!
Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

The playground is always busy!
Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

A water fountain for a drink or spigot to fill your water bottle as this lady is doing.
 Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

The center circle radiates 8 sidewalks to all sides of the park.
All are lined with park benches full of gossip, romancing, reading…
and one leads directly to front door of the main Catholic Church.
Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

And this one leads directly to my bank!  🙂
 I try to walk through the park every day on my walks.
It is a simple blessing that I thank God for!
Central Park, Atenas, Costa Rica

Directly across from the full square block park you will find in addition to the above bar and ice cream shop, the courthouse, the municipal office building, one of our banks, several restaurants or places to get something to eat and drink, several clothing stores, one discount grocery store, an office building, a pharmacy, photography shop, bedding shop, the church, and I’m sure I left out at least one something!   🙂

And the interesting thing is that every Costa Rican town of any size has a Central Park in front of their central catholic church. The only layout difference I’ve seen so far is at Playa Coco (Coconut Beach) where their Central Park is the long boardwalk along their beach with the church facing it instead of a square block.

Multiple sub-galleries of photos are about Atenas in Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA gallery.

Cows!

Walking out my compound gate.

Not sure if I have ever mentioned that across the street from my house is a cow pasture with about a dozen cows keeping the grass trimmed until the developers slap houses on it. (Without vistas!)

I’m not sure of the breed, maybe Brahma? Whatever, they have big ears!
And a cowboy riding the fence line! Just one wire, electrified!
But the cows still get out some. Grass is always greener . . .