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| Puntarenas |
Today's port of call was Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Originally, our port was Puerto Caldera, one of the country's main ports. However, as the time got closer, we found out that there was space for us in Puntarenas, where there is shopping, beaches, and cafes. As Barbara H would say.....cha-ching ! We could amuse ourselves without leaving the area near the ship.
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Local dancers
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The ship arrived to the pier around 8am, shortly followed by the Coral Princess.
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Coral Princess on the left.....Amsterdam on the right
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Again, we expected very overcast skies and perhaps some rain, because we had lightening flashes all night once again. Turned out, it was partly cloudy, but hot, very hot and humid. And it was only 10am.
There were dozens of buses and vans, taking folks on as many as 18 tours from our ship alone. Frankly, we have done about all of them, and some, more than once.
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| The pier between two big ships |
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Buses for tours...Coral Princess on the right
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We opted for a walk through town and on the beach. Doubt we will go to lunch, because there are few restaurants that would serve what we like. So walk, we did. There is a long pier before you reach the shoreline and the start of the numerous stalls on the beach.
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Long walk on the pier
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| Lots and lots of small fish |
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| Ferry to Puntarenas |
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| Sandy beach, but not white sand |
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| Nice palms for shade |
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| Tents and buildings |
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| Cooling off in the surf |
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| Frigate |
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This side of the beach is not as nice
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There was a little train that took passengers from the ships to the shoreline, and lots of people took advantage of them.
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The easy way to town
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Two ships in port again
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Especially the crew members, who had limited time to stay onshore. They don't need to waste time walking when they could ride. Unlike us, they get more than enough exercise while working on the ship.
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| Sand sculptors |
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| Looked nice, but was murky water |
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| Hazy skies today |
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| Mountains of Costa Rica |
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| Shorebird |
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| Beachcombers |
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Lots of beach junk too
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The stands and stalls were full of souvenirs, and the prices were fairly reasonable. Even at that, the vendors were willing to bargain. We thought that may not be the case with the Princess ship here, but since most everyone was on tours, these stalls were not over run yet.
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| The beginning of the stalls |
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| Lucky they are in the shade |
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| Better go the other way |
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| There were a few beer cafes |
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| Good place to sit or not? Watch for falling coconuts |
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| We will also be together in Corinto tomorrow |
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| Beach was empty |
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| Too hot to sit in the sun for long |
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| Evacuation route in case of tsunami |
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| Good spot for a beer |
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| Yes ! |
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| The nicest-looking place in town |
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| More cafes |
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| Shady beach |
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| Not so shady |
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| Yep, they are still there |
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| Groups from the ships |
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| Not so busy town |
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| Patrol boat |
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| Not much to guard today |
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Pier to ship
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| Mini Super was popular with the crew |
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| Need a hat? |
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| Nice floor somewhere |
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| Old cannons |
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Souvenier stands
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Not really needing anything, we did more looking than buying. Pareos are colorful here, and one with monkeys on it caught our eye. So did a flourescent green visor. Both cost $10.....a bargain. Wood items are particularly nice in Costa Rica. However, we will be in Nicaragua tomorrow, and we know the same items will cost a lot less.
Beer sounded good, but it was really too early for the bars and cafes to open up. We still had a huge bottle of beer from a birthday gift, so we headed back to the ship to cool off and split the ice cold brew.
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| Cape Verde beer |
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Sharing the beer in our room
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We walked back later when we knew a breeze would crop up. Most of the passengers had already hit and run back to the air-conditioning of their ships. Doing a little more shopping, we found a neat shell necklace on sale...the last one of the day.
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| Costa Rican money made into towels |
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| Different type of souveniers |
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Lots of beachwear
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| Nice palms |
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| Nice ships |
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| Could be cleaner |
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| Waterfront walkway |
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| Many stands |
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| Deep harbor |
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| More stuff |
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Much jewelry
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While we were going through the security gate at the start of the pier, we noticed a swarm of bees coming up from under the boardwalk. They were everywhere in a matter of minutes...all over the guests waiting for the little train. Running quickly, we got through them unscathed.
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One gangway for us, and two for the Princess folks
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The sailaway today was a combination of a party and a deck BBQ at the Lido Pool from 5:30 to 8pm. The first one on this trip, it was crowded more than ever. The steaks, chicken, fish, and skewered kebobs sure smelled good. As usual, we took photos, but did not eat there.
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| BBQ chicken tenders |
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| Servers |
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| The band played on |
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| More meats |
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| Outside dining from 5:30 to 8pm |
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| Even a swimmer at the BBQ |
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| Skewered kebobs and more chicken |
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| The chefs wore goggles because of the smoke |
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| Oops, we are cooking too |
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| Steaks |
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| The bar set-up |
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The line went on and on
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We did listen to the HALcats play and Darleen sing from deck nine. From there, we could watch the ship leave the port and the Coral Princess behind. Talking to some pasengers from the Coral, we found out they will be in Nicaragua with us tomorrow.
We probably could have skipped dinner tonight, because we were dead from the heat. But since so many people had gone to the BBQ, we figured dinner would be quick. It was spotty with fewer guests, but we still got out around 9:30pm, our regular time. There was no way we were going to stay up until 10pm for the show by the singers and dancers. Now we would not mind if they started early, like they were doing on the world cruise. It was only done once on this trip, then all of the shows went back to the 8 and 10pm slot.
