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Remembering the People Who Died in Las Vegas

I cried during Anderson Cooper’s interview of the doctor from a small town in Tennessee whose nurse/husband saved her life during the massacre. He was more than a hero, but also a very special person in his community and family, as were many others killed and wounded, along with many living heros who saved lives. I like Anderson’s idea of helping us remember the ones who died instead of the killer. That kind of history could accomplish some good things in this world.

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“I want to touch snow!”

In our conversational English club at the high school yesterday I continued to work on getting them to talk – in English that is! Like most teens, they chatter a lot to each other, but in Spanish! One way is to ask a question and go around the room with their individual answers, in English of course! So . . .

One question yesterday was “What do you want to do in the USA when you get there?” One boy answered: 

“I want to touch snow.”

Remember, these kids have lived their entire lives in a tropical country that does not have snow. They have never seen nor felt it! They will have a good chance to in January in Virginia.  🙂 Another boy, almost copying him, said “I want to do a snowman.” That gave us an opportunity to talk about “do, make or build” as verbs and how used in the states. This is challenging! But fun!  🙂  And I hope a little bit of help to them! They will get more out of their student exchange trip if they can speak some in English.
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Caribbean Signs

OOPS! I found this old post never posted. It was the least important of all the photos I made on my September trip to the South Caribbean, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The day I walked into town by way of the beach, I found many colorful signs in Puerto Viejo and put together this little collection. Remember, all businesses in Puerto Viejo are locally owned “Mom & Pop” business with no chain hotels or restaurants there. Signs in no particular order. Last one best! 🙂  The simple tourism on the Caribbean coast reminds me of going to Panama City Florida in the early 1950’s.

 

Downtown Map located most businesses
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trip Gallery for this trip a few weeks ago has more interesting photos than these!  🙂
Caribbean Beaches photo gallery
2010 Tortuguero Visit  trip gallery
2010 Getting to Tortuguero  trip gallery including Banana Plantation

 

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Palmares

Basilica of Our Lady of the Mercedes 
 The primary Catholic Church in
 Palmares, Costa Rica
One of very few in Costa Rica of stone, built 1894-1914

Basilica of Our Lady of the Mercedes
 Palmares, Costa Rica 
Palmares Central Park is Partly a Tropical Garden
 Palmares, Costa Rica

Unlike a lot of towns’ central parks
 Palmares, Costa Rica 

But also has the traditional sidewalks, benches & band shelter
 Palmares, Costa Rica 

Some high school kids came dressed for a church festival
 Palmares, Costa Rica 

Including their band!
 Palmares, Costa Rica  

Palmares is a 50 minute bus ride north from Atenas over one of the most winding mountain roads near us and a beautiful drive through something like the Appalachian or Ozark Mountains to this cowboy town where the biggest Tope (horse parade) happens once a year. It is much bigger than Atenas with 31,000+ plus people.

This was my “practice” bus ride here and then on another bus for the shorter ride to San Ramon where I am going by bus in November to be picked up by the staff of Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort which is north of San Ramon. 
I’m getting better at bus travel and even made a last minute change today. Aeropost sent me an email saying my CPAP supplies were ready to be picked up in Alajuela. So instead of returning to Atenas from San Ramon (through Palmares), I got the direct bus to Alajuela for my package, ate lunch at Jalapeno Central Restaurant and then my regular Atenas bus back home. 
I was particularly impressed by the bus station for one bus company in Palmares. See photo below. 
Terminal Buses Carbachez 
 Palmares, Costa Rica 

This reminded me of the nice one I used in Turrialba. There are many competing bus companies in Costa Rica and they build their own terminals, not shared with other companies. Think of the old competition between Greyhound and Trailways in the states. This station is for Carbachez buses. Had I come here on one of our CoopeAtenas Buses, I would have gone to a different terminal that is not as nice. And I left from a third terminal to go to Alajuela. It was clean, but smaller and not as nice as the one above. 

And a few buses between towns just stop at a bus stop on a main street, no terminal. For example: when I went to Tarcoles with Ed we caught our bus at a main stop on Ruta 3 highway going through town. You have to learn how to ride buses and there is a great website with schedules, though going through Palmares to San Ramon did not come from them! Got that locally! The site routed me through Alajuela which is longer. But then I came back that way anyway!  🙂
As a Senior Adult (Adulto Mayor). I rode 3 of my 4 buses free and the San Ramon to Alajuela longest trip was just 75¢ or half price! Buses are the economical way to travel here even if you pay full price!

Google Map of Atenas to Palmares  We went the shorter route, Hwy 135, but bus takes longer than car with many stops along the way!   🙂 

I did a Trip Gallery with these photos and two are also in my Costa Rica Churches gallery

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Walkabout Apparel

Cap & Sunglasses 
 I wear every day when I walk to town.
 Here on a table in Soda while I drink coffee.
 Atenas, Costa Rica 

And you might be interested that I have caps and sunglasses of many colors to go with my many colors of T-shirts!  🙂  I’m a fashionista gringo! ¡Soy un gringo consciente de la moda!

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Home Business: Corner Grocery

A “Junkier” Corner Grocery (Pulperia)
 than the El Pinguino I showed earlier
Atenas, Costa Rica

Though that is a home to left, I believe the owners live
 behind and to right of store, behind the tree.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Though I occasionally visit or use some of the home businesses, this one has never appealed to me. It just looks too dirty to sell food, though they are sometimes busy! I keep wanting to take them a few gallons of paint to freshen up the place! But continue to just ignore it as I walk by nearly every day.  

Link to my photo gallery of Home Business Signs

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Enjoyed high school kids this afternoon

Every Monday afternoon until early December George and I are helping a group of high school kids practice their English in preparation for their student exchange trip to Virginia in January. It is not easy for them just like Spanish is not easy for me. But practice is the most important thing about learning a language! Today I had them pull a household object or toy dollhouse furniture from a bag and explain what it is and say one sentence using the word, in English of course! Our focus today was the host home they would be staying in for two weeks.

I haven’t felt comfortable photographing them yet. Maybe next week I can share a photo of the group “Club conversacional inglés.” 

Front Entrance to Liceo Atenas

Kids walking home after school
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In the Garden This Morning

Some mornings start out cloudy, but usually not all day.
Atenas, Costa Rica

EXTRA TIDBITS ABOUT COSTA RICA

Teatro Nacional Celebrates 120 Years by Planning Renovation
And I personally will celebrate it by attending a special presentation of “Swan Lake” by the 72 person ballet of Havana, Cuba on October 15.

Read this interesting article on “The Origin of Name Costa Rica AND phrase Pura Vida.”