Puntarenas

In this small port town, we discover no attractions beyond the beach and its souvenir stalls. The town seems poor and hard-edged, although the people we encounter are nice.

Here we fortunately had scheduled our first eco-tour, which takes over half a day. After the tour, we return, go through the beach-side kiosks, and stop at an open-air bar where I sample the local beer, Imperial. It gets my vote of approval to the point that I buy a tee shirt on the way back advertising Imperial beer and also the ethos of Costa Rica, la pura vida. This saying can mean most anything, so I take it to mean the organic wholeness of man and his environment, recognition of which leads to a sustainable good life.

Debby takes a shot of our ship and the Puntarenas pier, from the beach walkway. The ship is hiding in the leaves of the center palm tree. The cause of the blurriness in the middle hasn't yet been diagnosed.


I snap a shot of Debby and a local 13 year old girl on a bench by the pier. We don't get her name, but she seems sweet and tells us she wants to become a nurse. She studies English in school, but confides she doesn't learn it because it seems too difficult. Debby uses her limited Spanish to communicate. Debby asks her how she could be there alone, and she replies she isn't alone, her Uncle is watching her. Then he comes over, shakes our hand and says hello, and escorts her away.

On to the tour. We board the bus on the pier and drive south to the mouth of the River Tárcoles, where two hour boat trips are available around the navigable parts. Our tour guide is excellent. This day is all about American crocodiles and water birds.

Note all critter pictures below are taken from a moving boat full of people. I have the misfortune to be sitting on the wrong side. Quality is not wonderful.

Black-necked stilt


Great blue heron


Tri-colored herons (It was a big disappointment not to get a decent picture of a tri-color; apparently my hope here is that two truly crummy images will somehow add up to one decent one. This is not hope we can believe in.)


Little blue heron, in upright and then more characteristic hunched pose


Yellow-crowned night heron



Yellow-headed caracara (juvenile and mature)


Wood stork


White ibis


Whistling ducks


Semipalmated plover


Roseate spoonbill (hiding the spoon)


Northern jacana


Crocodile sunning


Frigate bird