At nine, the Panoramic Tour group met in the ships theatre, picked up some water, received out orange stick on labels with our bus number, and headed ashore to our bus. The bus tour took us through lush tropical bush, with many scattered houses, and tropical fruit, bananas, mangoes, an paw paws growing wild along the side of the road.
Soon we arrive in a town, stopped in the centre, between a church and the square. After a walk through the church we were entertained by a group of school children singing, dancing, and handing out fresh fruit--a school fund raising exercise. After buying a couple of locally made bracelets for Jessie and Emma I climbed back on the bus to enjoy the refreshing air condition. Outside was very humid and hot--about 30+ degrees.
We continued through the countryside, up and down a few hills where the roads have extremely wide gutters on inside of all corners. Specially built for water run-offs during the rainy season, which is about to start at the end of this month.
Our guide explained that in Costa Rice they have two seasons, the dry and the wet. Both with same temperatures and in the coastal area the trees, unlike those in mountain that cover most of the country, are deciduous. Now just coming into the wet season the green leaves have returned to the coastal trees. Also, here as trees grow so fast they are used as fence posts and as they grow the prunings are stuck into the ground and grow into new posts.
The second stop, a purpose built coffee tasting, cafe, and tourist shop. Beautiful merchandise but a lot of items too big to pack. However nice coffee and fruit. From here we moved back to coast and returned to Puntarenas. Once off the bus walked along the pier, though a canyon formed by the two cruise ships, and re-boarded.
Down to my cabin for a change of clothes then up to Lido deck for a bite to eat. Entering my cabin I was greeted by and elephant. Not a real one but artist creation made from my new towels.
After lunch I walked ashore along the pier and wandered through the beach front stalls specially setup for the tourists, I'm sure.
Very tiring day but due to are host on the bus we all learnt a lot about Costa Rica. A country that was a lot like New Zealand used to be back in the forties and early fifties--social security, pensions, universal medical care and government run electricity--hydro electric, geothermal and wind. Those houses out of reach of the power lines have government install solar panels.
The country has more national parks and heritage ares than any other country and a literacy rate of 97%+.
Tomorrow Nicagara.
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