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Here are more views of the new Central Park Sign including a selfie and what it looks like at night and from behind! 🙂 My earlier reports on the sign did not include the finished product at night or from behind! 🙂
The above photo is of the sign on the City Hall building (municipalidad). I was recovering from surgery and did not participate in the 5-day long weekend (Friday-Tuesday) celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Canton (County) Atenas with the Pueblo (town) of Atenas the same age. Central Park was full of tents with food, crafts and venders plus a stage to present music groups several times each day with even the American retiree’s oldies band “Flashback” performing one afternoon. And for awhile there was a sign with pictures of the plans for a remodeled Central Park. I didn’t get a pix.
On the final day a government program made the birthday official and on this auspicious birthday they presented their plans for a Remodeled Central Park that I have already presented in an earlier post where I referred you to the official Facebook presentation with 18 drawings and photos. They say it will be done this year, the anniversary year, but it is August and no work has started yet. Of course it rains every day now, so if they wait until dry season, it will be started in December! 🙂 And thus may be completed in 2019. Maybe! It is being done by government officials remember! ¡Pura Vida! 🙂
More of Atenas in my Photo Galleries:
Atenas and People and Fiestas.
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| Downtown Map located most businesses Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica |
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| If you haven’t figured it out yet, Imperial is the main beer company in Costa Rica and thus makes many of the business signs! All Over Costa Rica |
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| 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. |
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| Caribe Bicycles The Major Mode of Transportation Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Masked Tityra Samasati Reserve Actually we walked down a rural road in front of the reserve. Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| 3-Toed Sloth Cahuita National Park Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| 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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| Cakes for Sale at a house up the road from me towards town Atenas, Costa Rica |
Note the interesting mix of Spanish and English on this sign, showing a local custom. Of course the first part, Se Vende: Queques is pure Spanish saying “For Sale: Cakes” but then she adds the English name of Cup Cakes! I cannot speak for all of Latin America, but for Atenas, Costa Rica, they often prefer the shorter, catchier English names for items than what sometimes becomes a long and complicated Spanish name. Thus cupcakes, jeans, shorts, cellphone, and a bunch of other names I can’t remember right now. And of course “proper names” are not suppose to be translated, meaning Coca Cola, McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, Subway, Kleenex stay the same here, just like my name Charlie! No one tries to make me Carlos or Carlito. And to show you why, the dictionary says that in Spanish “cup cakes” (two words) is tortas de la taza or “cupcakes” (one word) las magdalenas. I have never heard anyone here use either for cupcakes here. And on the culture goes! ¡Pura vida!
See my new photo gallery: Home Business Signs
Interesting video of Toucans somewhere in Costa Rica.
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| El Pingüino is a landmark on my side of town. It is a very small corner grocery store called pulpería or mini-super It looks like a store in front but it is also their home, living in the back. Atenas, Costa Rica |
How cool is it to have a little corner store called “The Penguin” in a tropical climate country where no native has ever seen a penguin? And it is the front part of their house! Or attached to their house. Plus it is 2 blocks from one public high school/middle school and 1.5 blocks from one public elementary school. Needless to say they have more student customers than anyone, selling lots of cold drinks an snack food! But they are better stocked for real food than another similar home store closer to me, though I still prefer the supermercado! There are many of these little corner stores all over town and probably many are in homes. No strict zoning codes or laws here! 🙂 Atenas is a really cool place to live!
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| El Pingüino Store entrance on corner. White addition on right is a rental apartment. The owner’s home is also attached to the left, seen in next photo. Also notice a mother walking daughter home from primary school. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| El Pingüino Owner’s home is light green, attached to left behind white metal fence. These boys are at a school with a “no uniform day” today. Rare! Or out of school, especially the boy in shorts! No shorts in school! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Clinica de Ropa In Boqueron, 3 blocks from Roca Verde Atenas, Costa Rica |
“Clinica de Ropa” (Clinic for Clothing) is the common name for a seamstress (la costurera) who probably does more repair work on clothing than making new clothing, although she does both. This particular seamstress is the closest one to my house and I have used her twice. The first time she put a patch over a little hole in one of my several canvas shorts I wear every day. She did a good job with fabric on both the outside and inside and it does not show or is not noticeable.
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| Homemade Tortillas by Ana that I pass every day walking. She sells them out a window of her house. People walk or ride a bike to her house to get morning or evening bread. Atenas, Costa Rica |
For first-timers, this is the second in a new series of posts with photos of interesting signs people in Atenas hang outside their homes for their home business. With two photos now, I have also started a new photo gallery: Home Business Signs
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| Between airport and downtown, a patriotic billboard and the electric trees. |
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| A closer shot of another presidential sign. Reminded me of similar signs in Havana with Castro telling how good it is! |
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| The different colored art trees are lit up at night. First Lady’s idea I was told. |
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| My Nature Air plane this time had a frog on it! Easy 55 minute flight. |
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| The international passengers entrance to the Managua Airport. Nice & modern! |
And don’t miss my Nicaragua Birds photo gallery for 98 different species!
And that is all the photos I’m going to share from my 2 night trip to Nicaragua June 28-30.
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| The center of town! Corner of 0 & 0! |
UNBELIEVABLE! Or at least “un-Tico” to have street signs! My goodness! What will they think of next? House numbers?
I have traveled all over Costa Rica and the only place with street signs so far is downtown San Jose that I have noticed. The Tico way to give directions is by using obvious landmarks with a number of meters from it to the next landmark or the destination. For example if you need to get to my house and are driving from Alajuela:
On Ruta 3 drive past La Coope Gasolinera to the first legal left turn or second street after the traffic light. Drive 500 meters to the end of road at Escuela Central and turn left. Go 100 meters to El Pinguino shop and turn right. Then in 100 meters, turn left and go 600 meters to the Roca Verde sign on the right. Inside the gate go 200 meters to the third black gate on left numbered 105. Only some developments like ours have house numbers.
Now read under the second photo the directions to my house from Central Atenas with street signs and it is not much shorter!
Of course that needs to be in Spanish. And if you don’t know, a city block is approximately 100 meters, but “blocks” are not generally used for directions here.
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| To get to my house from central, take Calle 3 south to Avenida 8, THIS CORNER left 500 meters to the Roca Verde sign and gate on the right, then straight ahead 200 meters to 3rd black gate on left with number 105. Now say that in Spanish! 🙂 |
And I must add that I am glad my bank fees are at least partially going to help the community. The little logo at the bottom of each street sign is for Banco Nacional.
For those who still think I live in the jungle, see what modern progress we are making down here!? And this was a big surprise to everyone! Most did not know the names of the streets, so I figure 4 or 5 years to get used to the street names, then maybe house numbers!
And for anyone who cares, Calles run north-south and Avenidas east-west. East of Calle 0 are odd numbered Calles and west even numbered. North of Avenida 0 are odd numbered and south even numbered. I wonder how many have figured that out yet? 🙂
We’ve actually had these street names for awhile, though the only place I have seen them is on a paper map from a real estate company and on the Google Map. But it is a rare Tico who knows the name of any street in town! And the sign at right, 3rd & 8th is the last street sign before my house. They have signed what is generally called “Central Atenas” or the core of downtown.
The city is hard at work making improvements. In Central Park a children’s playground has been added with swings, slides and climbing things. Can the kids still climb the trees? Also, there are new brighter street lights in park for night events.