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Faces Of Central America

6 January 2009By Zhu 10 Comments

Observing people in Central America is really interesting. First of all, there is a true melting pot of cultures: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, indigenous people such as the Kuna in Panamá…

People have different activities than in North America and in Europe too. The market is often at the center of the community and it´s packed at lunch time, while there is always something happening in the street. In San José, Costa Rica, we would always walk the same pedestrian street. Many vendors displayed their goods in the street: socks, hats, CD and DVD etc. Every hour or so, the police would come and everybody packed in a hurry… to start selling again five minutes later!

Downtown, you can also find people playing music, hanging around, selling stuffs, playing, eating… basically living. It struck me how much of an indoor culture we have become in North America. Sure, the weather is colder and does not allow us to hang out in the street in the middle of January, but I think we have become housebound too much. We always seem to go out with a purpose: eating, working, or going from point A to point B. Loitering is frowned upon, or even forbidden. It´s a bit sad, really.

Painting Political Murals, David, Panama

Painting Political Murals, David, Panama

Getting In The Bus With A Chicken, Panama

Getting In The Bus With A Chicken, Panama

Kuna Kids Watching T.V In The Street, Panama

Kuna KIds Watching T.V In The Street, Panama

Painting In The Street, San Jose - Costa Rica

Painting In The Street, San Jose - Costa Rica

Street Music, San Jose - Costa Rica

Street Music, San Jose - Costa Rica

Packing Up Street Goods, The Police Is Arriving, San Jose - Costa Rica

Packing Up Street Goods, The Police Is Arriving, San Jose - Costa Rica

Playing With Feral Pigeons, San Jose - Costa Rica

Playing With Feral Pigeons, San Jose - Costa Rica

Eating At The Local Soda

Eating At The Local Soda

Selling Spices At The Market

Selling Spices At The Market

Who Want To Ride The Wooden Horse?

Who Want To Ride The Wooden Horse?

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Filed under: Próxima Estación - Esperanza
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10 Comments »

  • Shantanu said:

    Chicken in a box?

  • Agnes said:

    I love the photos. I really like C/America. It’s a whole different world.

  • DianeCA said:

    I really like the hot colors of South America! I also think that the people look very happy even though they don’t have everything which we have…maybe we have too much?? I don’t think I would play with the pigeons though, yuck!

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