The Ocean (good) and Garbage (bad)
el 15 de junio del 2006
One thing that being in Limón has reminded me of is that I like water. Not just to drink (although I do consume an unusually large quantity of it) but also so look at – such as lakes, rivers, streams, and of course, the ocean. Since Limón is right on the coast it is just about a 10-15 minute walk from my house to the nice little cement half-wall that parallels the shore on the edge of the town. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I spent 18 years of my life seeing some large, non man-made body of water pretty much every day. In Spokane there were at least rivers and lakes and in California I could go to the beach, but in Denver these things were much harder to come by. I know that I told a lot of people in Colorado that I missed the water (I’m sorry, the man-made reservoirs that are mistakenly referred to as “lakes” just don’t cut it for me) and being here reminds me of that. Not only is the Caribbean Sea just a few minutes walk but since my house is on a hill, I get to at least see the lovely blue abyss every time I leave the house. So since I think we could all agree that we sometimes take the most common, usual things for granted (whether they be mountains, the sound of crashing waves, green grass, clouds, sunny days, long summer nights, etc.) I have decided that I want to make the most of my spot here on the edge of the world and appreciate the ocean everyday that I can. Whenever I am out and about downtown, I take a two block side trip and spend a few minutes just watching the waves. Plus, the lovely little island that Christopher Columbus landed on in his fourth exploratory journey in 1502 (small history lesson for you) is just a few hundred yards away and it’s kind of funny to try and think about what he must have thought when he landed here or what things looked like back then.
This little spot that I am referring to is not exactly what you would call a “beach” as there is really not much sand, only a lot cement-like, coral-like, I’m not sure what it is, stuff that is hidden or revealed as the tide goes in and out. Plus, there is a good amount of trash on the water’s edge as well. That is another thing I have learned to appreciate – the overall “cleanliness” of America. I don’t know about you, but the whole waste management, trash collection thing isn’t a science that I have put a lot of thought into, other than “Trash day is Friday.” But let me tell you, we have a great system going on there. Not to say that there are not garbage trucks and collection days around here but it’s a much less organized system. I have discovered that everywhere you go – streets, neighborhoods, beaches, etc. – there is a lot of garbage. The often rare trash cans in public places are often overflowing and have gathered a collection of boxes, bags, and just loose trash around them. Plus, people don’t have big, green, plastic garbage cans to put out at the end of the driveway – they just put out the plastic bags. This tends to invite looters and stray dogs, who often make more of a mess in their hunting process. Okay, but back to the beach thing…I hear that there are some pretty decent sandy beaches just a short drive or bus trip away, so hopefully I will get a chance to check that out. And I already know from my first weekend here that the beaches of Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva, and Manzanillo are great and about a 1 ½ or 2 hour bus ride away, I think.
Oh, and one more great thing that I almost forgot… I have discovered a fabulous running/walking road just down the backside of the hill from my house. It’s a nice, fairly recently paved road (which is a bit hard to come by down here) that parallels the water and has relatively little traffic. So if things continue as they have been this week, I will get to run and enjoy the sight, sound, and smell of the water every morning!
That’s my thoughts for today…two things that I appreciate – one that I am reminded of and get to appreciate here and the other being something great back home that I have learned to appreciate for its lack here.
One thing that being in Limón has reminded me of is that I like water. Not just to drink (although I do consume an unusually large quantity of it) but also so look at – such as lakes, rivers, streams, and of course, the ocean. Since Limón is right on the coast it is just about a 10-15 minute walk from my house to the nice little cement half-wall that parallels the shore on the edge of the town. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I spent 18 years of my life seeing some large, non man-made body of water pretty much every day. In Spokane there were at least rivers and lakes and in California I could go to the beach, but in Denver these things were much harder to come by. I know that I told a lot of people in Colorado that I missed the water (I’m sorry, the man-made reservoirs that are mistakenly referred to as “lakes” just don’t cut it for me) and being here reminds me of that. Not only is the Caribbean Sea just a few minutes walk but since my house is on a hill, I get to at least see the lovely blue abyss every time I leave the house. So since I think we could all agree that we sometimes take the most common, usual things for granted (whether they be mountains, the sound of crashing waves, green grass, clouds, sunny days, long summer nights, etc.) I have decided that I want to make the most of my spot here on the edge of the world and appreciate the ocean everyday that I can. Whenever I am out and about downtown, I take a two block side trip and spend a few minutes just watching the waves. Plus, the lovely little island that Christopher Columbus landed on in his fourth exploratory journey in 1502 (small history lesson for you) is just a few hundred yards away and it’s kind of funny to try and think about what he must have thought when he landed here or what things looked like back then.
This little spot that I am referring to is not exactly what you would call a “beach” as there is really not much sand, only a lot cement-like, coral-like, I’m not sure what it is, stuff that is hidden or revealed as the tide goes in and out. Plus, there is a good amount of trash on the water’s edge as well. That is another thing I have learned to appreciate – the overall “cleanliness” of America. I don’t know about you, but the whole waste management, trash collection thing isn’t a science that I have put a lot of thought into, other than “Trash day is Friday.” But let me tell you, we have a great system going on there. Not to say that there are not garbage trucks and collection days around here but it’s a much less organized system. I have discovered that everywhere you go – streets, neighborhoods, beaches, etc. – there is a lot of garbage. The often rare trash cans in public places are often overflowing and have gathered a collection of boxes, bags, and just loose trash around them. Plus, people don’t have big, green, plastic garbage cans to put out at the end of the driveway – they just put out the plastic bags. This tends to invite looters and stray dogs, who often make more of a mess in their hunting process. Okay, but back to the beach thing…I hear that there are some pretty decent sandy beaches just a short drive or bus trip away, so hopefully I will get a chance to check that out. And I already know from my first weekend here that the beaches of Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva, and Manzanillo are great and about a 1 ½ or 2 hour bus ride away, I think.
Oh, and one more great thing that I almost forgot… I have discovered a fabulous running/walking road just down the backside of the hill from my house. It’s a nice, fairly recently paved road (which is a bit hard to come by down here) that parallels the water and has relatively little traffic. So if things continue as they have been this week, I will get to run and enjoy the sight, sound, and smell of the water every morning!
That’s my thoughts for today…two things that I appreciate – one that I am reminded of and get to appreciate here and the other being something great back home that I have learned to appreciate for its lack here.
posted by Dynasty goes to CR at
9:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home