This is a guest article by Live in Costa Rica. The effects of two storms, César and Juana, turned the town of Puerto Cortés into a virtual ghost town. Juana… Read more » Continue reading →
This is a guest article by Live in Costa Rica.
The effects of two storms, César and Juana, turned the town of Puerto Cortés into a virtual ghost town.
Juana tore through Cortés in 1988. I remember that storm well because my son was born during it. César occurred around the year 2000. Between the two storms that took place in the Southern Pacific Zone (Zona Sur) a lot of damage occurred. Starting in the 1940s Puerto Cortés was an important town due to the banana industry. Up until the year 2000 the town had a population of about 4,000 but is now virtually deserted especially after the Tomás Casas Hospital, the ICE (telephone company), La Fuerza Pública (police), and the high school moved to the area of Ojo de Agua to get out of the path of future floods.
The town has barely 1000 residents at this time. However, many residents love the area and refuse to move from their homes. The local barber, Pablo says, Ill continue to live here until god summons me.
The mountain of Santiago de Puriscal or Puris as it is referred to by the locals, finds itself in a different situation. If you want to know what it is like to drive on the surface of the moon, just take a drive through the center of town. The roads are a big headache for anyone who has to drive them. This especially true for the people of live in the Mercedes Norte de San Rafael neighborhood. With the arrival of the rainy season the situation is worse because the pot holes get covered with water. Repairs for new ball joints and shocks can be expensive after they get destroyed by driving over potholes. Just in the center of the town of Puriscal there are nearly 20 deep potholes.
Manuel Espinoza, the mayor of Puris, has been working hard to get the highway department to patch (bachear in Spanish) the numerous pot holes. Puriscal is a beautiful little town, lets hope the problem gets resolved soon.
A good friend of mine actually has a great development in San Antonio de Puriscal. It is called Orchid Point Estates and boasts magnificent panoramic views of the Central Valley. The prices are excellent with lots as low as $30,000. Fortunately, his project is far from the potholes and the center of town.
For more information about Orchid Point Estates see: http://orchid-point-estates.com