In the realm of street vendors and roving artisans, Jaco boasts perhaps the most talented, or if not most talented, then surely most legendary palmera in all the land.

Among locals there is a tall tale told about a resident artist who was confronted by police at his home after making a ruckus late one night.

Such a ruckus that officers set out to bring him back to the station. Little did they know, sleeping at the station was not going to be an option for the artist.

Word is, he broke through the initial wall of police on his porch and sprinted to the beach a few hundred yards down the road, where he plunged straight into the sea knowing they would not follow him with their finely pressed uniforms and heavy metal toys.

On the beach they waited for hours with their trucks and flashlights until the chief finally called off the search and went home. Everyone (except perhaps the police chief) slept soundly in their own beds that night.

Unsurprisingly, neither party was willing to confirm the reports for this article, but every afternoon Jose can be spotted outside of Bahia Azul taming the waves with his four children and their canine guardian, Luna.

Afterwards, his workday begins as he takes to the town with two giant green palm fronds slung over his shoulders. Jose speaks decent English and is not shy to ask each and every passerby and restaurant patron if they would like a handmade hummingbird or sea turtle.
Fifteen years practice have made his hands fast and his arsenal of possible objects and creatures seemingly limitless.

When asked what he is able to make, he looks you square in the eye and grins as he takes a deep breath before launching into nothing short of a Spanish hip hop ballad.

“Puedo hacerrr corazones, colibries, alacranes, pavoreales, delfines, tortugas, tiburones, caballos, pesces, dinosaurios, pipas, sandalias, mochilas, bolsas, tablas, surfistas, sirenas, y cualquier cosa que puedes imaginar.”

I can make hearts, hummingbirds, scorpions, turkeys, dolphins, sharks, horses, fish, dinosaurs, pipes, sandals, backpacks, bags, surfboards, surfers, mermaids and whichever other thing you can think of– all out of palm fronds.

Despite his skills, Jose’s living is modest, especially with the growing number of mouths he has to feed; Luna just had a litter of 7 purebred pitbull puppies who should be opening their eyes sometime in Mid-May.

Though he would love to keep a couple of them so they can grow up with their mama, he said that it would probably be best to find a few nice families with big yards where the little loving machines can chase their tails freely.

So if you are in the market for a new puppy, come to Jaco and ask around for Jose the Palmera. Everyone knows him, so it won’t take long find our jolly friend with a smile on his face and a gift in his hand.

Written by VIP Member Nickolas Saraceni.

For more information about condos, homes and land for sale in the beach town of Jaco and surrounding areas please contact our Recommended Realtors in Jaco Shawn Fletcher and his wife Hannah Fletcher
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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.