Costa Rica

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Thursday

Just a comment for those who might send me personal email. For some reason, my email account has been scrambled. I can send, but not receive. If you wish to reach us personally, use Bob's address, [e-mail].



A few days ago we checked the weather forecast for San Jose and saw thunderstorms for the entire week. We were pleasantly surprised because today was a nice sunny day. The sky was dark in spots, but never let loose. We started out on our walking adventure this morning. The area around the hotel is a bit run-down, but the area is a mixture of old and new. Our first chore was to get some money. (500 colones per dollar, so a bill can seem very large, with way too many zeroes). First problem was that the ATM from our local bank didn't work, even though we notified them ahead that we would be traveling. Luckily we had a couple others, so we'll be able to eat!



Walked around the area, so many shoe stores! Lottery ticket sellers seemed to be everywhere. Venders selling vegetables and fruits were also prevalent. Lots of pigeons, but no stray dogs or cats walking the streets. Walked to the central city square. Lots of flower markets, very lovely. Interesting architecture in this area. We didn't see any other tourists today, and got some strange looks. I think Bob was the only blond! Didn't find any Engish speakers either. But that gave Bob a chance to practice his Spanish. Saw several homeless sleeping on the sidewalks. Very sad.



The central area contains several wide pedestrian-only cobblestone streets. Found the Mercado Centro, a huge shopping area selling the usual souveniers, spices, meats, etc. We found a booth for breakfast. Interesting pulley system; the kitchen was upstairs and the food came down via a tray and rope. We found the prices here in Costa Rica for food and cabs to be quite a bit higher than Mexico or Ecuador.



Found the bus station to purchase tickets for tomorrow to LaFortuna. Very inexpensive, $4 per person for a four hour ride. The terminal sales area was on the third floor of a very modern building containing food courts and unique boutiques.



In the afternoon we walked southwest of the hotel to Parque Sabana. This was a beautiful area with walking paths, lots of trees including bamboo groves, playgrounds, a lagoon, and a very interesting variety of birds. Some very strange looking creatures! In the front of the park was an interesting (free!) art museum, Museo de Park Costarricense. It contained works by local Costa Rican artists.



But the most interesting part of the park was the huge Costa Rican soccer stadium. We took photos, but they do not do justice to the enormous size. We walked around the stadium to get views from all sides.

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