Blue Morpho Butterfly is New National Symbol

That now makes 18 national symbols for Costa Rica! Read about why this one and what the other national symbols are in this Tico Times Article. And be sure to check out my collection of Blue Morpho photos in my Blue Morpho Gallery! Including this one below.

Blue Morpho Butterfly in Butterfly Garden of the Greentique Wildlife Reserve, Hotel Si Como No, Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica.

And you might also be interested in this article in Tico Times this week: Costa Rica Increases Forest Protection by Over 16 million Hectares

¡Pura Vida!

The Park Sign

Sure enough, they finally uncovered the park sign last night at 7 pm in the rain without me! But I heard the fireworks go off right at 7 and knew that was the reason. They love to celebrate anything with fireworks here! 🙂

This morning on my way to my one breakfast out a week I detoured by the park for these 3 shots on my cellphone. I know the sun lights up at night and suspect the letters might, but won’t know until I go by there at night. I was not expecting the “little murals” on the letters since other parks in Costa Rica with their town name spelled out like this use solid colors like Alajuela’s red and Heredia’s also red. Thus Atenas is definitely unique in this way! 🙂

ATENAS murals depicting the coffee farming town.

I may describe the murals in more detail later, but in brief, the A: has our National Boyero Monument (Oxcart statue), T: the main Catholic church on the south side of Central Park, E: with three of several historic buildings, N: what appears to be lifestyle images, A: the historic and famous railroad bridge over Rio Grande and S: is their nod to the farmers with sugarcane, coffee and oxen.

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My Park Disappointment This Morning

I went early at 8:30 for what I understood would be an “unveiling” of the new ATENAS park sign and what they were calling a “dedication ceremony.” Nada! After nearly 2 hours downtown I picked up my photos I had left earlier to be printed across from the park and Sr. Chacón there told me that they would not unveil the ATENAS letters until 7 pm tonight (probably in the rain) and I will not go back! I was there mainly to get a photo of the Atenas sign, so I was disappointed! I walked home with my new photos and will maybe go tomorrow to photograph the sign.

!Then the only programming on the stage for the first two hours was the main Evangelical church here in town performing charismatic music like in a charismatic worship service and a hand full of vendors (more like a flea market) – both also disappointing to me. The stage will have more and different kinds of music throughout the day, which is what the city does with all of these all-day fiestas they sponsor, but after I learned the sign would not be un-covered, I got my photos and walked home. 🙂 I will photograph it tomorrow and post just that photo. 🙂

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Pleasant Surroundings

It is fortunate indeed to have neighbors who maintain their property so that all around them are in pleasant surroundings! 🙂 This is just one of the pleasant views uphill from my simple little “casita” rent house in Roca Verde. In spite of recently complaining about a favorite tree removed for a house under construction now (by my landlord), I generally have very pleasant surroundings where I live in the Roca Verde development of Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica known by it’s slogan “Mejor Clima del Mundo” or in English: “Best Weather in the World!” 🙂 A subjective opinion of course! 🙂

Another view uphill from my house.

¡Pura Vida!

Browse my CR Flora & Forest Galleries.

Big Unveiling Tomorrow Morning

At 9 am tomorrow (Saturday 30 May 2022) the city is unveiling and “dedicating” the new entrance to Central Park Atenas, even though the renovations are not nearly complete nor will be for some time. They will remove the black plastic from the ATENAS sign and the park workers have been busy trying to get ready! They’ve laid some new grass in that area and have flower there to plant before tomorrow, plus they are taking down that ugly tin construction fence and are re-painting the white skirts around all the trees in the whole park. Plus tents are going up for the typical fiesta day vendors and when I asked at city hall the time of the ceremony (9am) they made sure I knew that there would be live music Saturday night! 🙂 Maybe we really are getting over Covid! Though masks are still required in all public places – even tomorrow! 🙂 And we still have to wash our hands upon entry to all businesses.

Here’s 5 shots made yesterday (Thursday) that indicate they are preparing for tomorrow!

The focal point sign will be unveiled tomorrow morning.
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A Graffiti Replacement

Possibly the best piece of art in all the graffiti around town and definitely my favorite was the one with a big human eye that I’ve shown here before and repeat below. Unfortunately it had been abused by less talented graffiti artists or kids painting over it and the other day I noticed it has now been totally painted over. I guess that is one thing a graffiti artist has to expect at some times, and of course the new one doesn’t even compare in talent, but at least it is fresh. 🙂

New Graffiti on Restrooms Building, Sports Park, Atenas
This is what it replaced.

And a closer up view of my old favorite graffiti . . .

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Teens in the Park More Now

Though masks are still required in all public places, rebellious teens often shed them after school and are now socializing after school in Central Park. The other day I sat on one of the concrete benches around the modern circular Kiosk and watched some high schoolers getting together around this and other areas of the park. Here’s 3 shots of teens and 1 of a little kid . . . 🙂

High School Students after school in the park! In front of the ugly construction fence.
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A Little More on the Park

Well, with the park employees themselves having to do all the work on the Central Park remodeling, I guess Atenas will just have to resign itself to a multi-years effort that will continue to have slow reveals like this. 🙂

I snapped these two cellphone shots last Friday, 22 April 2022 of the guys working on another sidewalk in the northwest corner and they have another little social circle completed along with places to plant flowers (we all hope)! Maybe when they finish all the sidewalks they will plant flowers and open this corner to reveal what now looks like a multi-colored ATENAS sign. Read about it first on this blog! 🙂 Here’s the 2 images from last Friday , , ,

Making another sidewalk in the northwest corner of Atenas Central Park.
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