The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-08-08

The trip took four hours. There
was a train butcher: first we had
ice cream. then soda water. then
cakes, oranges and don't remem-
Der what else. We apparently had
a charge account with him for he
just handed US what We wanted
and passed on; later he came and
collected. but what a contrast from
home. BY the way. the lard down
here is red. Everything fried in it
turns at least pink. We had fried
chicken and tortillas. and the
chicken was red. We bought a
nickels worth Of oranges and got
II biz ones. You might say we ate
our way right up TO San Jose.
The 5,0oo-foot plateau Of which
San Jose Is the center is shaped
like a saucer. only the sides are
more vertical. In fact. some of
the sides are volcanoes The cof-
fee groves reach high up on these
sides as II they were perpendicular
farms. From the center one looks
about at mountains on all sides.
The air il clear and sharp; the
days are hot in the sun but cool
in the shade and the nights are
cold. A very fine climate. says
everyone. and we agree.
Here we are In the Grand Hotel
Rex third rate). Our room is a
large one with mahogany floor.
dresser. wardrobe and chairs. The
large bath which had both bath
and shower is all tile. All the floors.
staircase and trim in the hotel il
Of mahogany and 1t is all polished
every day.
The dwellings in the back coun-
try are either Of mud or mahogany.
Many a one-room shack on stilts
is built Of wide mahogany boards
that would bring $500 each at
home!
We took a walk to the ZOO where
we saw nothing we had not seen
before at home. Not good and not
bad: just a ZOO. We chartered q
taxi and made a trip around the
valley Of Alahuela. Heredia and
Ojo de Aqua.
Ojo de Aqua was the most inter-
esting thing we saw in Costa Riea.
The name means Eye of the
Water" and it was just that; an
enormous spring flowing from a
rock bluff. The spring had been
developed in such manner that
il had the appearance of an enor-
nous eve with the water pouring
from the pupil, overlooking into
the iris. then another circular par
tition into the tumbling, turbulent
white. II then csscaded down into
a large pool for bathing. From
here the water was piped to Pun
tarenas, so kilometers away. Not.
l think, for the benefit OF the peo-
pie but because the United Fruit
company demanded water for their
banana ships.
Costa Rica has few paved roads.
All lead from San Jose out to the
surrounding towns. One is as like
~ to be run over in San Jose by
a cart drawn by an ass as he is by
q car driven by the same. In the
country the carts are drawn by
steers, or in some cases the old
milk COW has TO do double duty.
The principal products OF tn,
great saueer-like plateau are cot.
fee beans. cocoa beans. sugar can,
and bananas. don't know about
the quality of the coffee. bear
grown in Costa Rica but ] do know
that the quality of the coffee serv
ed there is terrible. Black and bit
ter describes ii.
All in all, Costa Riea looks lilx,
q pretty poor country; poor in nat
ural wealth and poorly developed
We made two complete swing
around our anchor every day. Tn
second day we were there a fierc
chubssco came up just before sun
down, our anchor pulled out an
the Oregon Webfoot was adrifi
All during our stay at Puntarens
We were bedeviled by that wine
sea and tide. We were plenty dis
eusted with Puntarenas and ii
accommodations for yachts. W
sailed away for Tahiti. via III
/ Galapagos and Marquesas.