Puntarenas, Costa Rica - 2014

The Crown Princess left the Pacific Ocean and entered the Gulf of Nicoya. There we found berth at the main pier in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. (map courtesy of internet)

The main pier, which opened in 1998, was a long concrete walkway from the ship on the Gulf water right onto the beach. There were an array of vendors on the left side of the pier selling souvenirs, coffee, local art, coconut milk and food right on the beach. 

The town featured a collection of businesses, mostly for locals. Away from the port, the region's unspoiled beauty emerged. This was our second visit to Puntarenas, Costa Rica and third time to Costa Rica. We had seen the rain forest, ridden trams through the jungle and had gone white water rafting on our previous visits. This time we did not doing any tours. Instead, we planned to do a little shopping around town then teamed up with some crew members and have lunch family-style.  

This note is for all coffee connoisseurs or just coffee lovers: Costa Rica became the first Central American country to grow and export coffee. It was the place to buy coffee. Before we had lunch, we strolled through the market on the beach and looked for the "coffee man" who sold us the whole beans we purchased on our previous visit in 2013...and we found him. We bought three bags of beans grown in the Tarrazu region high up in the mountains, considered to be the most desirable in Costa Rica. This was black gold back in the States and took first place above Jamaican Blue Mountain.

In November, 2012 Starbucks began selling a coffee called "Finca Palmilerait" from a villa in Tarrazu. This coffee was a "geisha" (or pure) special reserve. It was the most expensive coffee sold in Starbucks coffee shops in the United States. (photo courtesy of internet)

The sun was intense that day and it was very hot. As Rick and I ventured into town, we found some cool water to play in...and cool off. Then we passed some food vendors cooking skewers of various meats on their hot, open grills.

  

Around noon, the crew began to go ashore on their breaks. We met up with +Jayme Anchingjes (Superman shirt) and +Red Royo (white t-shirt), both very stylish young men, who helped us get the group together for a big meal. The crew were amazing at speed shopping as well as knowing the best places to eat in many ports. So they picked the place for lunch and Rick and I just followed. That was a great meal! Hi, +Robert Knowles (grey t-shirt)! We ate family style from heaping plates that included shrimp, veggies, rice and fish (I ate my first fish eyeball at lunch that day...it was good). 

  

  

  

 

This is another good moment for Rick and I to extend our thanks to the hardworking crew onboard the Crown Princess. We spent 49 days with them on that journey (as of Costa Rica) and they were some of the best, good natured, thoughtful, positive, welcoming folks we had the privilege of knowing.

After a good meal, we let the crew race off to do their own thing before their breaks ended. They only get a short time (few hours) to recharge their batteries, shop, do errands or just enjoy time with friends before they need to be back on the ship and back on duty. Each of them gets to go ashore once in a while and not at every port. Sometimes they are just too exhausted and spend their precious time off just catching up on their sleep. So it makes us appreciate that time they spent with us for lunch that day even more.

Rick and I wandered around a bit but the intense sun drove us back to the ship for shelter and air conditioning. Our stroll back to our "floating home" took us along the concrete pier with the beach and it's light brown sand on both sides.

Travel with us to our next destination - Nicaragua: South American Cruise 2014