Cartago in 1984

The first time I set foot in Cartago, Costa Rica, it was 1984. I had just turned 16.

I prepared the best I could with the information given to me by AFS, my foreign exchange student outfit. At the time, it was the most detailed literature I could get my hands onto. My only other resources were encyclopedias (remember them?) and a rare copy of National Geographic with an article about Costa Rica.

In 1984, photos of Costa Rica were few and far between; pictures of Cartago were practically non-existent, at least in my neck of the woods.

The best photos I could find were of a cream and brick-red colored Basilica de Los Angeles and a volcano with a very green-looking crater.

Those images were the basis of what I had for Cartago. The rest was left to my imagination.

Arriving in Cartago

Once I was settled with my new host family in Cartago, my daily trips into town began almost immediately. What started out as a very intimidating place to me, became familiar in a short period of time.

Cartago is actually a really big place, but its city isn’t that big and soon I knew where everything was.

I loved Cartago and all the wonderfully different things it offered from my hometown back in New York. However, that was 1984. It’s now 2020. That was 36 years ago. Many of those things are gone now. Some, however, stood the test of time. And now, of course, there’s brand new places.

Here are a few of the things that I fondly remember from Cartago in 1984, some of which are no longer around:

THE BASILICA PARK WITH GRASS: the plaza that now surrounds the Basilica de Los Angeles is completely paved. It’s beautiful, has more seating and it accommodates the crowds that come in on August 2nd. However, back in 1984, the park was a lot simpler. It had a pretty water fountain in the middle with a few seats around it. There were walkways from each of the corners that went towards the fountain and the rest was lawn! It was pretty and peaceful (except for August 2nd when people camped all over it–and threw trash, too).

CHOPAN: by the Basilica, there was a small “soda” called Chopan. The owner, nicknamed Pancho, made amazing French fries and empanadas of potato, bean and meat. I really miss those empanadas.

RAYO AZUL SUPERMARKET: this supermarket was located on Avenida 1 and I used to stop here all the time on my way back from school. I don’t know if I just didn’t want to go home to do homework, or if I was bored, but more than likely I was hunting down sweet treats from the candy aisle or Dos Pinos ice-cream on a stick. I really enjoyed coming here, but it’s long gone.

COSTA BRAVA: we had a discotheque in Cartago called Costa Brava. We’re talking light-up floor and everything. Anybody who was anybody would go to Costa Brava on the weekend. It’s since been converted into a Pizza Hut.

POPS: Pops is an ice-cream chain in Costa Rica. I loved to go and try their banana, pineapple and mint flavor. There was only one POPS in Cartago, right in the center of town. It was always a real treat to go.

McDONALD’S: In 1984, there was no McDonald’s in Cartago. The only McDonald’s in Costa Rica was in San Jose, near the Banco Nacional.

CINE CARTAGO: We had three movie theaters in Cartago. Cine Cartago, Cine Paris and the Cine Apolo. All the school kids used to go Fridays and Saturdays. They used to permit smoking, and inside everyone would talk throughout the entire movie, creating a ruckus every time there was a kissing scene. I don’t think anybody ever really watched the movie.

KODAK: Next to Pops in Cartago, there was a Kodak film and camera store. I used to take my film there to get it developed and a sweet elderly gentleman was always working there. My pictures would take several days to develop and I was always excited about picking them up.

THE BUS STATION: we had a large bus station in Cartago, different from the current one.  This one was located on Avenida 1. Half the buses were for San Jose and half for Paraiso. The Paraiso one would go by our house and it was only four colones to ride.

THE RECORD STORE: it was the 80’s. Of course there was a record store. It was located near the bus station, and I thought it was the coolest.

BUSES TO LIMON AND GUAPILES: Back in the 80’s before the construction of the  Zurqui Tunnel and the completion of the Braulio Carrillo highway (Rte. 32), all the buses that went to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica passed by our house. These high-speed buses went to Limon, Guapiles, Turrialba and Siquirres. It was awesome to see them fly by. I specifically remember the two buses to Limon, Jamaica Town and El Caribeño.

What Remained the Same

Cartago has some oldies but goodies. Here is a list of places that were around in 1984 and are still going strong today.

THE SUPER DESPENSA: Cartago’s oldest and most-loved supermarket. I used to look around this place all the time and lucky for us, it’s still there and basically the same. You can find groceries, school supplies, old-fashioned pastries & munchies and old-time steel cook pots and comals.

THE MUNICIPAL MARKETPLACE: The marketplace in Cartago is largely unchanged from 1984, thank heavens! It’s one of my very favorite places to go and probably because it’s remained unchanged. It’s one of the few places you can go and find farm fresh cheeses, goat’s milk products, baked goods that you can’t find anywhere else, meats, fruits & veggies and restaurants. It smells the same as always and I love it just as much.

POPS: Pops in the center of Cartago is still there! Of course, now there are lots of other POPS all over Cartago.

LA PUERTA DEL SOL: This restaurant is located near the Basilica and looks exactly the same as it did in 1984. It’s still going strong, serving casados, drinks and snacks to locals and tourists alike.

What’s New in Cartago

PASEO METROPOLI: I have to admit that when I saw Paseo Metropoli for the first time, I was amazed. It was like, when did they build this? Paseo Metropoli is a mall that sits just outside of Cartago in La Lima. It contains lots of clothing and shoe stores, restaurants, a trampoline park and an awesome multi-screen movie theater. They just opened a gastro-park called “Arajo” that features wood-fired pizza, food from Spain and a wine bar. Word has it that a bowling alley is on the way.

WALMART: not one, but two. One across from the house I lived in in 1984 and another in La Lima.

McDONALD’s: where there was no McDonald’s in Cartago in 1984, there are now four. Cartago also has Subway and Taco Bell.

LOTS OF COFFEE HOUSES: In 1984, I don’t remember all that many coffee shops in Cartago. Coffee was usually an afternoon event that everyone had at home with family, but times change. More people than ever are eating out in Costa Rica and that includes coffee. There are lots of terrific coffeeshops and luckily, enough people to support them. Seems like there’s room for everybody.

THE TRAIN: There is now a train that goes from Cartago to San Jose. It runs on the old line from the trains of yesteryear. I think it’s cool they got it up and running, it’s great for students as it stops at a couple of the Universities in San Jose.

MY HOUSE IS GONE: My AFS house from 1984 is now gone. All the grassy fields that stood around it are now filled with houses and businesses. Like Pops. Yep, how ironic that my favorite ice-cream store now sits where my house used to be.

Better Then or Now?

So much has changed in Cartago in the last 36 years. Is that better or worse?

There’s a certain amount of charm that existed in 1984 that disappeared with the arrival of North American stores like Walmart. In 1984, there were so many Mom & Pop stores that just seemed to vanish. Certainly, this isn’t just the case in Cartago, but everywhere. I miss those stores where you would go in to buy something, get rerouted to another desk to pay, and then sent somewhere to pick up your wrapped-up order.

Of course, I miss those yummy empanadas at Chopan.

But, all changes are not bad. I love wandering around Paseo Metropoli. I love seeing movies there, the theaters are beautiful and I certainly don’t miss the hell-raising and the smoking then went on at Cine Cartago. Well, maybe a little. Plus, the movies are current, not like in 1984 when you had to wait months for a movie to make it to Costa Rica.

I really enjoy many of the new restaurants and coffee shops because to me, they’re still a different experience and I get to try things I’ve never tried before.

The things that have remained the same in Cartago, such as the Super Despensa and the Municipal Marketplace are like a piece of history. I hope they never change. It’s important to keep those traditions alive and strong, lest they die and be lost forever.

We all yearn for simpler times, but growth is inevitable. Another thing that has remained the same seems to be the friendly greetings that still exist, for the most part, all through Cartago. A kiss on the cheek and a feeling that people are happy to see you.

Businesses come and go, but what survived is that feeling of belonging.

And that’s a good thing.