It’s always special to see a country from the inside out, with a local. And that is what I got to do, a little bit, for an afternoon in Costa Rica. Allan, our friend and neighbor back home, is from this warm, friendly country and his family in Puntarenas, whom I had met last summer when they visited him, welcomed my arrival to their town with open hearts. Puntarenas, which means “sand point” in Spanish, sits on a long narrow peninsula in the Gulf of Nicoya, and is the main cruise-ship dock along Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. A long, manicured, sandy beach outlines the peninsula, with restaurants, bars, and shops that cater to tourists and locals, and the landmark lighthouse at the point.

Port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

My Friendly Hosts, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

When the ship docked at this little port town, Maritza, Allan’s aunt, was anxiously waiting for me with her beautiful teenage daughter. They whisked me off in their car to pick up Luis, her husband, a local attorney and judge, and showed me their town and the “Tico” lifestyle, as native Costa Ricans are called. With little English shared, we were still able to spend a delightful afternoon together through our common bond. The family had been displaced since last winter, due to an electrical fire that completely destroyed their home and belongings, and had just moved into their re-constructed, beautiful new home, and took me there to celebrate with a glass of wine.

With Luis and Maritza, Lighthouse Point, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The Angulo House, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The Angulo House, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Luis and Maritza, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The Angulo Family, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Back on the ship, our friends shared stories of their afternoon excursions in this diverse country and exalted its natural beauty, cleanliness, and appeal. Costa Rica boasts an outstanding academic level of its population, a high standard of modern services, and maintains social and political stability in a democratic and peaceful country that has not had an army since 1949. And, although it is small, Costa Rica boasts a wide biodiversity with one-fourth of the country dedicated to conservation and natural protected territory.

But, for me, I spent the afternoon with renewed friends who showed me how special Costa Rica is, from inside their home and their hearts.

The Angulo Family, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The Beach at Sunset, Puntarenas, Costa Rica