Costa Rica

This was unexpectedly the best day so far on my World Cruise.  The ship got into Puntarenas this morning and just like my visits to Juarez and Nuevo Laredo on the Mexican border, I by-passed the first 3 or 4 rings of buses, cabs, hauchers and others until I found a private car to take me around through a beautiful young lady named Christia, She had me a small SUV with a driver that spoke good English.  I found out later from my driver that she was worried about me in the heat and had called him several times.  He told me when he finally dropped me off and I'd paid him $8, that the last call his boss, Christina, was crying because she worried about me and I reminded her of her father who died 4 months earlier. I think that was why my all day excursion was only eight bucks.

Although no one understood, if it were not some kind of an emergency, why I would want to go to the District Police Station?  My explaining the visit didn't help but, they took me there.

First I met with some local street cops, who hooked me up with an old-head that got me inside the secure area without any issues. We toured the whole facility, dispatch, work areas, even the kitchen.  When they found out I'd been a Captain they took me to him. He was definately the guy in charge and they defered to him respectfully.

They filled me in on their operations and communications. (Citizens instead of 911, call a different 3 digit number for each the fire, police and EMT/Ambulances.)

All police vehicles have to be parked inside to keep them secure.

The guy interpreting for me was slow but, the Captitan was very expressive with his hands and body and I easily understood what he was saying before I heard it in English. We (cops) are all brothers and we know what we do and we understand the hardships.  We are the same and we will always watch each others' backs. It was obviously heart felt and a lot more to it as he double-bumped his chest with a closed fist. There was moisture heavy in his eyes as he spook. Therre were lots of bear hugs and handshakes.

This was just after we talked of the bombing last week at the Colombian National Police Academy that killed 21 people.  Much closer to home he'd told me that one of his officers had been murdered yesterday; a gunshot to the back of her head. It is still under investigation but weighs heavily on him and his men.

Sharp looking squad car. All hooked up with Motorola digital encoded radios.

As I was about to leave, the Capitan looked like he was making a decision and then asked to wait a minute.  He came back with a uniform cap for.  He had us pose in from of their national flag and their department flag. But, before I left he folded the cap in and instructed me not ware it until I was out of Costa Rica. It was for my own safety.