Searching for
Turialba

Turialba Old RR depot. - (27) more edit 2008-03-18 - rec# 75

Today I took a day trip to Turrialba. Poor Turrialba...it's described in by tour book as A lively local shopping hub...this otherwise forgettable town appears in the spotlight not through its own merits but rather by a collection of associations.... What a description! But it was a place I wanted to visit, so off I went. Turrialba at one point in it's history was a part of the great railroad from Lemon to San Jose. The old train station and some of the tracks are still there. In fact when I arrived there was a thriving market set up right on the tracks. Following the bed back toward the river you could find the old bridge, which of course, had been turned into a foot bridge...and not one that would pass any sort of US inspection. In the center of town there is, naturally, a park and church. The park is notable for its many child size sculptures of animals native to Costa Rica. The church is quite grand for the size of the city and this being holy week was full of people giving confession. I walked around for a couple of hours and then headed home. One of the things that interested me about Turrialba is that it's the jumping off spot for "Monumento Nacional Guayabo", described in my book as The country's premier archaeological site...often overlooked and many maps don't even show its location. Still barely explored...over 3000 years old...stone roads stretch for considerable distances...petroglyphs...underfunded and visited by few...great for ruins, birds and waterfalls. This being holy week and transport and accommodations being kinda questionable I decided to go no farther than Turialba this time. But I intend to continue onto the Monument next time.