Heredia

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After classes on Monday, we had lunch at a local restaurant then met back at the school to take a walking tour of the neighboring city of Heredia. The plan was to take the public bus so that we would know how to get there on our own. First, we had to find some change for the bus fare. Johnny, our guide, told us that we would need 160 colones, which is the equivalent of 30-40 cents. Then we walked down the street a little bit to the cemetery in San Joaquin because the buses stop there. While we were waiting for the bus, we had a chance to enter the cemetery (the gate-keeper let us in) and we noticed some important cultural differences there. When the bus came, we were all lucky enough to get seats, which isn't always the case. After the 15-minute ride to Heredia, we got off the bus and Johnny started to explain how to find our way back on the bus if we go there on other days. Then we walked into the main part of town and saw the central plaza, which is near el Fortin, the most important landmark and symbol of the Province of Heredia. We took a little rest there and posed for some group pictures before moving on to the main church in Heredia, which borders the central plaza. We were able to go into the church and walk around and even sat a while near the front of the church, looking at the main altar. After leaving the church, it was time for ice cream! We stopped at one of the best-known ice cream shops in Costa Rica, called Pops. You can find them all over the country. We don't have any pictures of that -- we were too busy checking out all of the flavors available and picking out what we wanted. The last stop on the walking tour was the city market, a traditional market selling everything imaginable. Johnny bought some seasonal fruits and let us try them, then explained about medicinal herbs and plants, then bought us some tortillas to try. Some members of the group were more fond of the samples than others, but the important thing is that everyone had the chance to try new things. It was no surprise that we returned to San Joaquin and our host families in the rain. During the rest of the tour, though, we were extremely lucky to have sun and pleasant weather. It was a very busy first day!

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Photos

El Fortin
This is the symbol of the Province of Heredia.

On the Public Bus
The ASU group (and a few Costa Ricans) on a public bus to Heredia

Cemetery in San Joaquin
We had the chance to enter the gates of the cemetery that is only a few hundred yards from CPI.

Where to Catch the Bus
Johnny explained where to catch the bus back to San Joaquin.

Taking a Break
Everyone took a little break near el Fortin and several informal group shots were taken.

Group Photo (same one)
This is where we took our nice group photo.

18th-Century Church
We learned about the church before going in

A Quiet Moment
Most of the group took a minute to contemplate the altar

At the Market
We stopped at a fruit stand at the market and Johnny told us about some unusual kinds of fruit.

Try It!
Everyone had a chance to try "mamones," small green fruit with a large seed in the middle.

Yum!?!?
Can you tell whether Hailie likes it or not?

Typical
This is a typical fruit and vegetable stand in the market.

Tortilla
Then we tried freshly-made, hot tortillas.

Comments

[Lavonne Hinton]

Beautiful photo's
Thank you for the beautiful phoro's and allowing me to follow along. This is wonderful! Hey Courtney!!!