On the road to Turrialba, one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful volcanos, we stopped at a roadside soda for lunch. The food was fine, the view was gorgeous. But the best part of this restaurant was the decorations. A collection of disparate household items, all vintage, arranged in incongruent groupings. It was a while before I came upon this case of timeless timepieces.
I don’t know why they are kept so meticulously and at the time it seemed rude to ask. Thwarted by an useless sense of politeness, I didn’t get the story behind the case when I had the chance. Time wins. The mystery remains unsolved.
Originally published May 16, 2014