I could see the lights of the car ahead of me and the reflected divider lines in the middle of the road, but not much else. I had to go super slow or risk crashing.
Staying in the car-free town of Las Catalinas, I can't help but feel like that's the way of the future. Without cars, you can walk wherever you want without worrying about getting in the way, and you can build a lot more in a small amount of space because you don't need wide streets for them to drive and park in. There's more wildlife, because the cars don't scare them away. Everything feels more in balance with nature.
Car culture in Costa Rica is totally connected with the environment. Because it's developed based on what the rainy season means for the roads, any construction has to keep that in mind--trying to make it last against constant storms. And the town of Las Catalinas is car-free specifically to be environmentally friendly. It shows that the world can develop in a way that doesn't need cars, and hopefully that lesson can be shared with everybody.
