charliedoggett.net
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| Photographed in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica |
See more poems in Costa Rica Nature Haiku Photo Gallery.
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| Residential Street near one of the schools. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Central Market on left and a row of all kinds of shops on right. My office supply shop is there + where I sometimes get coffee & pastry. The red & black “CasaBlanca” & green building “Monge” = furniture stores. The red cars are taxis at this main taxi stand. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Same street block as above photo but from other direction. Those steps on right lead up to Central Market & the Bus Station. You can barely see the row of red taxis on the left in front of shops. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| My favorite hardware store on right & bus station on left, except San Jose & Alajuela buses leave from building beyond hardware store. At blue bus! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Monge furniture on left, other shops then big yellow bldg. is “El Rayo,” our dollar store, cheap Chinese stuff! Then on beyond is my Columbiano barber shop and favorite pizza place, La Finca. If you keep going straight past the little evangelical church you will come to the apartments, Hacienda La Jacaranda that I lived in for the first four months. It’s still for sale! 🙂 Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| From the intersection of those above streets looking toward main church at palms with the Central Park across the street or on the left. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And standing in front of the church looking the other direction, east The “Tribunal” or Court House on left and several businesses on the right including La Caretta, one of my restaurants, and the little corner Cafeteria for coffee/pastry Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| A funeral leaving the big catholic church, walking to cemetery 5 blocks away. That corner round building, “Gollo” is another furniture store. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| “Motos” or ever present motorcycles waiting on funeral. Most are driven by young men. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| The front of the funeral procession. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| City Hall on right & Central Park on left. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Banco Nacional (my bank) on left (blue & white) and Central Park on right. The red taxis are at one taxi stand. The other taxi stand is across from central market. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| The same above street looking away from park and bank. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Last street before highway. ICE (electric company on left) and my favorite restaurant Donde Bocha is on the right behind that truck with covered patio. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| One of about 3 bars in center of town with many more out of town, some combo-restaurants, sports bars Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Ruta 3 or Highway 3 running through town. My supermarket, La Coope is on left down near the white truck and our only traffic light in town. 🙂 Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| On the street in front of my computer shop, Unitech, and looking across a vacant lot are the roofs of stores and the steeple of central church at center of town. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| The old guy’s band plays first, while . . . Day of Cultures, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| . . . the young guy’s band waits off stage. Sax, trumpet, trombone & drums compared to accordion, guitar, marimba. Day of Cultures, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Lots of kiddie rides for every fiesta Day of Cultures, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And always a merry-go-round!Day of Cultures, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And for no explanation I failed to photograph any of the many junk food booths and cheap Chinese plastic toys booths. Any holiday is an excuse for a carnival here! And like in the states, Ticos have learned to move many holidays to Mondays for long weekends! This holiday used to always be on October 12 but was on Monday the 16th this year. Schools, government offices, and some banks were closed, but not all businesses. There is no reason to celebrate Columbus here, even if he did name the country and our currency is named after him. Colon is Spanish for Columbus! Did you know that?
Interesting thing is that while I was downtown I saw no activities related to culture as I have seen in past celebrations, like dancing, art, history, etc. Hmmm. These photos in a gallery.
When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, “Ours.”
~Vine Deloria, Jr.
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| Haiku poem on photo made at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. by Charlie Doggett |
Check out my Haiku Photo Gallery for more like this. Expect a book eventually! 🙂
Or if it is the frog you like, see my Amphibians Photo Gallery for many more.
And for those thinking about retiring somewhere in Latin America, I agree with Christopher Howard’s evaluation of the latest ranking from International Living magazine which I used at first but do not trust as they invest in property in places like Ecuador, then push it as the best place to retire. If you are even thinking about the possibility of retiring “south of the border,” you will find this article by Christopher Howard helpful:
INTERNATIONAL LIVING ERRONEOUSLY RANKS LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES FOR RELOCATION
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| A little girl gets her photo made with 3 of the lead dancers after the performance. Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| I snapped this opening shot before the usher told us no photos! Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| We were early, so pastry & coffee through that door in the lobby! Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| By then there was this long entrance line that ran . . . |
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| . . . all the way outside into second courtyard! Oh well! Pura Vida! Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| We were in “the nosebleed section” up near the top, but as they say, “All seats have a good view!” Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Our group of 31 enjoyed themselves near the ceiling! 🙂 Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Waiting for bus in courtyard after the performance. Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Saying “Goodbye” after the mostly retiree expats exit bus at church in Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| As you enter the gate, on your left stands this statue of a flutist and behind her is one of Beethoven. Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| And to your right is this bust of Chopin. Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Teatro Nacional – The National Theater, 1897 A photo I made on an earlier visit. San Jose, Costa Rica |
To see my “Trip Gallery” on this ballet trip:
15 October – San Jose Ballet Performance
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| Farming Hills Surround Zarcero Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Farming Hills Surround Zarcero Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Farming Hills Surround Zarcero Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Church & Central Park Topiaries are in Center of Town Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| They were setting up for a carnival/fiesta this day Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Repaving Main Street Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Cogwheel or Assassin Bug (Arilus carinatus) on Steps of the Church If I had a side view, the dotted line on his back would be the top of a half-cogwheel. Cool! Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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Iglesia de San Rafael
Zarcero, Costa Rica
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| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
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| Iglesia de San Rafael Carnival Setup Zarcero, Costa Rica |
“Trip Gallery” now on my gallery site: 12 October – Zarcero
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| Unknown Flower seen on Today’s Walk Downtown Atenas, Costa Rica |
WORLD CUP
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Or if that button doesn’t work, use this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ddWRAcbg7Fk
Now those cheap minor league baseballs are made in China by machines, but the good ones for MLB games are made or sewn by hand in the Rawlings Factory in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Yep! That’s the
town south of San Jose I traveled to recently by bus to spend 5 days at Rancho Naturalista photographing birds. But I just recently learned that the best baseballs in the world are made there. Its also near the most active volcano in Costa Rica, also named Turrialba.
And What is the Irony of This for Costa Rica? Click and read this interesting article about how the best baseballs in the world are made in a sports-minded country that does not include baseball as one of its major sports. Oh well. Life is full of ironies! As in most of the world, futbol (the real name for soccer) rules with debatable rankings after that for volleyball, surfing, basketball, and then maybe baseball. Interesting for the country where the best baseballs are made! 🙂
Or read this article about the factory in Turrialba and learn how dangerous sewing can be!
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| Workers on Lunch Break at Rawlings Baseball Factory Turrialba, Costa Rica |
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Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Waiting for his turn at the feeder in my garden
on a cloudy, rainy day in
Atenas, Costa Rica
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See my Costa Rica Birds photo gallery.
Sports News: