Site in San Jose

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There is lots to see walking in San Jose

I have visited monuments, shops, parks and markets walking around San Jose. The weather has been really nice and cool compared to the heat and humidity of the tropical coast. Every day it either rains or threatens to rain and then I come back to the hostel to eat or have a siesta.

It gets light a little after 5 am and I have a hard time staying in bed, so I get up and walk or check stuff on the computer. I had planned to study more Spanish but is isn't as fun as chatting with people in English and Spanish or seeing the sites. I have spent some time watching the TV and reading the papers in Spanish. Apparently there has been one confirmed death from swine flu here and some confirmed cases and many suspect cases. Occasionally I see people with masks on, but I cannot tell that the people are worried or doing things differently. I have made it a policy to wash at every sink, especially if soap is provided.

My camera card is still behaving badly but every 5th or 6th time I install it, it will read the photos. And for some reason it reads the photo card better if there is a flash drive also installed in one of the parallel ports. Maybe there are cockroaches in my computer that are causing the problem???????? Is a real mystery why this is so inconsistently functional.

Ok, I am off for more adventure.

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Photos

In the Gandhi Room
Artwork in my Room. For the last several nights I have had the best sleep during my whole stay in Costa Rica. Wonder if Mr. Gandhi has anything to do with the peaceful sleep I have gotten..........

In the Gandhi Room
Truth alone will endure........

In the Gandhi Room
Translation: There is no walk to peace, Peace is the walk.

My bigger bed
In my private room I have more room to spread out, hangers on the wall, a nightstand and a desk.

Saturday Concert
Here is some of the kids who were performing a Percussion Demonstration for their parents and teachers.

Mural in El Centro
In downtown I liked this large mural.

The National Theater
This monument now is a landmark for me and I can navigate the Avenidas and Calles when I see it.

Parks
It is amazing how you feel the coolness coming from the trees and landscaping in the small parks that dot Downtown San Jose.

School Concert
On Saturday morning these percussionists were having a concert in their school yard for their families.

Past President Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia
This past president is honored for his work on social reform in Costa Rica.

Tico People
These statues stand outside the National Bank. I believe these people represent the "camposinos", the people who live in the rural areas and farm for their living. Modern Ticos dress more with the times (and often tend to have more meat on their bones).

Guanacaste Tree
This is the National Tree of Costa Rica. There is a province in the northwest which is named for this tree. I think it is neat because we have this tree in Florida and I grew up calling it the Monkey Ear Tree. Its pods do look like brown ears and rattle with seeds inside