Imperial Valley press., 1942-12-13
FROM COSTA RIGA

The following excerpts from
letter by Doris Cooley OF Ell Centre
who is connected with the y. 5.
Highway Engineers office in Costa
Rica. written to Mrs. w. T. Living
ston, will be of interest to her many
friends, and to many in general,
also as it contains fascinating de-
scriptionS of her life there under
war conditions.
The trip down in the cleaning,
silver Pan American clipper was
really something out OF this world
We stopped at about three or four
airports a day and they were all
very pretty so that we always got
the best impression of the country
when we landed. The weather was
wonderful and the white snowy
clouds with rainbow streaks in
them, gorgeous. Guatemala City
was, and is, my favorite city and
I would like to live there if it were
not for the fact that it is dictator
ship. Nevertheless l like San Jose
and the fact that Costa Rica is
a true democracy certainly means
a lot.
The surrounding country is beau
tiful. Yesterday Capt. ---- took
me riding through Cartago, a neigh
boring town, and up towards the
Irazn volcano l am still fascinated
with the coffee plants, banana trees,
babbling brooks you see while rid
ing.
Il went to one Sunday party at
a finca ranch) and had SO much
fun that we are going to have an
other one soon at place even pref
tier than the last. l don't see how
it could be possible as the last place
seemed to cover almost a hillside,
huge sweeping green lawn, beauti-
ful swimming pool. lily pond, bam-
boo, thatched roof hut with native
orchestra and native food.
Eleanor Childers, Nancy McCas-
lin and l have been thinking of
getting an apartment together but
SO far we have been like the natives
and Scarlet O'Hara, we think about
it manana. Unfortunately we are
all working into the manana spirit
entirely too well. Anyway we are
having such a good time at the
boarding house that we don't want
to miss the good fellowship. The
house used to be called Pension
German. Now the former owner
is in a concentration camp and it
is called Pension Canada. Under
new management OF course.
Il did some interesting work this
week. | had about three rides in
jeep to do some work at the air
port and as there were some inter-
eSting people out there | had quite
4 time concentrating on my work
The cook, tAleXandelD u;ed to work
at the Commodore and New Yorker
hotels before he came to San Jose
to visit his famil"
Il still can't get my mind off
the fact that we are working on
Thanksgiving day. Tonight we are
to have dance at the Union club
which should compensate for the
fact that we work THANKSGIVING
day. We have found place where
we can actually buy cranberry sauce
and as we already have turkey.
we should have complete Ameri-
can dinner.
Last night ! went to Il party
given by the son of the French con-
sui. The secretary, OF l guess l
should now say eX-Secretaryl was
there also and l felt sorry for them
especially when we heard The Last
Time I Saw Paris" on the radio.
They plan to join the Allied forces.
Il am looking forward to Christ
mas fiesta days here for everyone
has a gala time. They have dancing
i'll the parks and no one can be put
in Jail (happy day tor the district
attorney and there are numerous
religious parades and beautiful
weather.