Puntarenas is a fascinating place. Since we spend most of the time on the beach or in the hotel, we don´t get to experience real life here. Today I spent some time downtown in the heart of the city. It´s a place of tremendous energy, full of sights, smells and sounds so different from the center of the city where I live.
Pedestrians compete with bicycles, ubiquitous red taxis, buses and trucks for space on the streets, which are lined with fruit stands and shops selling everything from ladies underwear to car parts. People move quickly despite the heat, and the air is fragrant with the smells of fruit, diesel, salt-laden air from the sea, and fish. Trucks and cars drive around with blaring speakers, promoting the local chicken stand and myriad other businesses. The center of town, even though it´s only a few blocks from the beach, is remarkably tourist free. Most visitors don´t seem to leave the cruise ship dock, the ferry terminal, or the beach.
Tonight I got back to the beach in time for another glorious sunset. The dusty tired sculptors are filtering back to the hotel now, and soon we´ll be heading out to another dinner served at one of the many local restaurants that have been so generous to us. But first, showers and a couple of beers.
Another day done.
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