Finally! Our first stop after leaving San Diego California last Saturday. after what turned into a category 4 hurricane, we were very happy the captain decided to keep us out to sea. Captain Merick did an amazing job on keeping us informed and safe!
We arrived in Puntarenas early this morning and the sunrise at 4 am actually woke us up. Not what I was wanting since we already had the alarm set for 7 am to get to our excursion for the day.
We experienced a solar eclipse today along with many others in South and North America. We had some very thick clouds and threatening rain so we were able to see it in between the breaks in the clouds. Our tour guide had a device that was actually a small piece of thick glass with the degree of darkness to be able to safely see the eclipse. The small sliver of the eclipse was amazing under this glass.
Our first stop was to see the young school children dance for us. They did such an amazing job. The youngest was 4 years old. She was so cute and serious. She would not smile! I think my sister in law , Susan saw her smile once. But so adorable.
The children’s education is very important to the country. There are so many children, they go in shifts to school. The younger ones attend morning and older children attend in the afternoon. Then they switch the next day. I would have to create a calendar!
46% of the children that start and complete their schooling go on to universities and obtain degrees.
In the development years of the country, coffee was so prominent as an export, it made the Costa Ricans rich so they sent their children to another country such as the UK to attend school. Now, the schools and universities are much better in the country.
After a few wonderful performances with the children, our tour took us to see the crocodiles and do some bird watching. Being from Florida, the crocodiles didn’t look much different than alligator’s. 😆 we saw so many swimming around. And c i i my way too close to the boat. We were so low, it was like being in a canoe. The boat was piloted around the Tarcoles river to see these fascinating animals and wildlife. We even crossed over the river driving here on the infamous “crocodile bridge”. Apparently 10’s to 100’s of crocodiles can been seen below the bridge in any given time.
We saw many birds and even a boa constrictor in trees.
Puntarenas is the largest province of Costa Rica, with an area of 11.276 Km2. Its main attraction is its Pacific coastline, extending over more than 500 miles down to the Panamanian border. With a bit of luck you can even see both the Atlantic and Caribbean coastlines at the same time. The narrowest part of Costa Rica is only 120 kilometers/75 miles across from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean coast. When all the stars align, With the right conditions it is possible to see both coasts at the same time. A view like this is extremely rare and one that requires a bit of effort and a bit of luck to achieve.
Coffee, bananas and pineapple are the main sources of income after tourism. If you are eating Dole pineapples or Chiquita bananas, it was more than likely imported from Costa Rica.
Costa Ricans that are living past the age of 100, and the average life span at 85 are known as Centenarians. They can life past 100 years.
Overall a nice trip back to the country.
To review our last trip to Puntarenas 2022, click here.
May God bless you always.
Chuck and Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 