Adios Liberia

As I recall reading somewhere, Liberia is a perfect gateway for a trip to Costa Rica.

It's big enough for an international airport...but I suspect that decision had more to do with the ocean- front resorts about ½ hour to the west.

But it's also small enough that my host Max seems to know almost every one in town.

It's also big enough for a major regional hospital...the establishment of which was a condition for the international airport designation.

And as well as countless high schools there are six universities...a campus of the University of Costa Rica, the state university and campuses of five private universities.

Earlier this week Max...who works for the department of education, teaches at two universities and is in the final stages of his PhD work...was appointed principal of one of the private universities.

But the city is small enough...only about 35,000 people...that neighbourhood dogs freely roam the street, playing with children, chasing cats while ignoring cars and bicycles.

The city is on flat plain, which makes it easy to cycle...without the need for gears on the bikes. So bicycles in one form or another are the most common means of transportation.

During the daytime the weather is warm and windy...probably due to the ocean to the west and the mountains, complete with volcanoes to the east.

We have often joked that the houses in our neighbourhood in Toronto look so much alike that the only way to tell them apart is by the actual street number. In Max's neighbourhood, the houses don't even have street numbers.

But that's OK...there are no street names either.

No wandering around the neighbourhood for this canuck!

This afternoon, I am off to San Jose, the capital city which has about 10 times the population of Liberia.

Max tells me that the bus fare will be around 3,900 colones (Costa Rican currency) ...which will be about $7.50 Cdn. Not bad for a 4 hour scenic motor coach tour.

The only problem so far is the total death of the four batteries that I brought to power my camera.

They cannot be resuscitated by battery charger, so will get some replacements in San Jose and start posting pictures.

Liberia has be a good start..but not yet ready to settle in to a place like this.

San Jose, here I come!