Well, I’ve had a lot going on the last couple of weeks and haven’t really been checking on the park renovation much nor making photos. So a fellow-retiree from the states, Steve, who is here now for just a few months (but may move here later I hope) emailed me with this message and the above photo of the latest development in the renovation of Atenas Central Park:
Couldn’t resist. My turn to tell you about progress on new park center. They have started to install fabric covers between the two outer rings. ~Steve
I didn’t use his last name because I didn’t ask permission to share, but Steve & his wife have been regular readers of my blog for some time now and are thinking about retiring here like me and a lot of other people. Thanks Steve & Lucy!
Well, everything stopped two weeks before Christmas and seems to have only recently gotten back up to speed with Christmas lights still strung overhead. No hurry! Tranquilo. ¡Pura vida! 🙂
What they seem to be working on mainly now is what I call the “Sitting Walls” along all 8 of the spoke-wheel sidewalks from the center kiosk. By around Christmas or the end of December they finished those walls on the walkway to the church, thefeature photo. I’m assuming that the sidewalks will be more brick-pavers like now and as shown in the architect drawings – none started yet.
They are now working on the opposite side of park at the NE corner on the sidewalk with the most slope to the lowest point, thus under which the main storm water drain pipe will flow and has already been installed or buried.
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Looking at the Architect Drawings, I see that some of these “Sitting Walls” will have to have gaps or openings in them to get to the exercise activities, playground areas, picnic tables, etc. I’ll record how that develops!
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
~Will Ferrell, ‘Elf’
And that is what they do in the annual Christmas Lights Night Parade in Atenaswith participants and viewers coming from other “pueblos” (towns) surrounding Atenas including the large Zarcero Community Band which marched in the Rose Parade earlier as well as smaller, rural bands and dance groups. Colorful, long, and loud!
A terrific Christmas Fiesta that continued after the parade with live music & food in the partly remodeled Central Park Atenas until midnight! Since I can hear the sound system from my house, it meant I was delayed going to bed last night! 🙂 And for some of us . . .
“The world has grown weary through the years, but at Christmas, it is young.” ~Phillips Brooks
“And we are better throughout the year for having in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time.” ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
And that is what I am doing again for this Christmas! Tonight (Friday) I watch the Christmas Lights Parade in Atenas which is always beautiful and colorful. (Feature Photo is 2017 Atenas Parade) I missed the parade last year while on a trip. That means that tomorrow, Saturday, I hope to report on the parade with photos, though it could be mid-day before I can get that many photos processed! 🙂
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Then Sunday morning I leave for the mountains where I will be spending the week at Braulio Carrillo, our second largest national park in Costa Rica at the Tapirus Lodgewhich I’m hoping was a good choice since my first choice (Arenal Observatory) had no vacancies a year ahead of this Christmas Week! (I now have them scheduled for Christmas 2020! Tapirus is operated by Rainforest Adventures which seems to emphasize the young with zip-lining and white-water rafting much more than bird-watching (but I am becoming a child again!) – so we will see! But at least I will be in the forest – me gusta mucho! 🙂
Well – the ones I have taken the time to photograph in my normal activities of the last week or two. I failed to photograph a big one at the Alajuela Hospital and did not go to the Juan Santamaria Park for Alajuela’s biggest outdoor tree this year and the Atenas City Hall does not have a tree out front this year, though I included their ugly one in Central Park. But these photos give you an idea of the fact that Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year here in Costa Rica with decorations going up around Halloween (which is not celebrated here).
Of course the trees in the little country town of Atenas don’t match the huge ones in Alajuela’s big City Mall – but it is all in the spirit of the biggest fiesta of the year. And the funny thing to me is that the Ticos who can afford it here go to the beach Christmas Week! Pretty much everything except supermarkets and pharmacies are closed Christmas Week – and I too travel, but not the beach this year! 🙂 Stay tuned for my “Christmas Mountain Forest Adventures” coming 21-27 December! Retired in Costa Rica Five Years as of this Christmas Eve!
Christmas Trees 2019
La Coope Supermercado, Atenas
Escuela Central, Atenas Daytime
Escuela Central Atenas at Night
Ugly Tree Atenas Central Park
Walmart Alajuela
City Mall Alajuela
City Mall Alajuela (Kolbi Telephone Tree)
Libreria Internacional, Biggest Bookstore, City Mall Alajuela
“City sidewalks Busy sidewalks Dressed in holiday style In the air There’s a feeling Of Christmas…”
Back in 2017 I did a post titled Holy Week is Approaching in Atenas that included this photo (at left) of the locally made statue of the Virgen de las Rosas.
Until about a year ago it was sitting on this hill (photo below) east of Atenas along Ruta 3 but so far away you could hardly see it (the white spot on top of hill). At some point the property owner decided he did not want it on his property anymore with people climbing over his fence to see it, so the parish took it down, freshened it and added some color and installed it in the church yard by Central Park Atenas – the feature photo at top. Or for better photos:
On the Facebook page for Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel, Atenas, Costa Rica there is a photo album for the Virgen de las Rosas created after it was moved to the church with much better photos than mine!
The former location of the Virgen de las Rosas (white spot on top of hill)
In my continued “updating” of the progress on Atenas Central Park Renovation I noticed today that they seem to be working on the sidewalk to the church first and one side has a little concrete wall at sitting level which could easily replace all the many park benches that used to line the sidewalks. An interesting and practical change if they do it on all 8 sidewalks radiating from the center. And when vendors set up along the sidewalks during fiestas, they won’t need folding chairs behind their tables, but can sit on the wall. 🙂
I didn’t know if all sidewalks will have these walls, so I just checked on the official Facebook Page presenting the remodeling and sure enough they will! Like continuous park benches throughout the park to bring more people together!
And don’t forget that I have a Renovating Central Park Atenas update photo gallery with all the photos I’ve posted on this blog. You can visually see the progress, even if slow. 🙂 What was once said to be finished by Christmas 2018 will possibly be complete by Christmas 2020! 🙂
“Land forests are the coral reefs of the ocean of air.”
― Steven Magee
Now we know where those storm drains will take the water – under at least one of the radiating sidewalks from the center of park. Not an exciting update of park remodel! 🙂
¡Pure Vida!
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
So what does a community do with an old high school building when it is replaced? This old high school in Atenas, Costa Rica was replaced many years ago but is still educating some of the same people as an adult education university extension school. We now have two public high schools, one a college-prep high school (Colegio Liceo) and the other a technical high school that prepares one for a job at graduation (Colegio Técnico).
The old high school building was recently repainted and I think looks nice sitting across from Central Park or on opposite corner from the main Catholic Church. It houses UNED, UNIVERSIDAD ESTATAL A DISTANCIA or “Distance University” with 45 locations across Costa Rica (see map below)!
Already one of the best educated countries in the world with free education through college, Costa Rica continues to educate its adults and make life better for everyone here! Just one more thing that makes it such an amazing place! 🙂
Locations of UNED across Costa Rica! Continuing Adult Education!
“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” –Jiddu Krishnamurti
¡Pura Vida!
FUN NOTES ABOUT THE PHOTO: At the corner waiting to safely cross the street is a mother with baby in stroller and primary school child in tow – a common – typical scene of this family-oriented community where almost all children walk to and from school and the younger ones with a parent.
Behind the little family is one of several “street sweepers” in Atenas who literally sweeps the streets with a push broom and picks up with a dustpan. He also empties the little street trash bins like the one beside him in the photo above. Or see my old 2015 Street Sweeper Post on this blog. 🙂
And lastly at this central point in Atenas, corner of Avenida 0 and Calle 0 you can see how much traffic there is in the middle of the day! Of course there is more at times, but generally this is a very tranquil town with more walkers than car drivers and friendly at that! Such a contrast to the big city noise and traffic of San Jose & Alajuela or the rude, tourist-congested beach towns! A peaceful little coffee farming town in the central valley of Costa Rica with the slogan of “Best weather in the world!” “Mejor clima del mundo!” Why live anywhere else? 🙂
In this mini-update of the Central Park Atenas Remodeling you can see that they have now added a retainer wall behind all the two-level seats in the circle which can also serve as a back row of seats and though most will not know, it thirdly covers the underground storm drain system (rain water has to go somewhere!).
Note also that they are still mixing the cement by hand one wheelbarrow load at a time.
Retainer wall behind seats also becomes another row of seats between the sidewalks plus hides the underground storm-water system. Cool!Still hand-mixing the cement of course.
