CHAPTER 18. CENTRAL AMERICA & YUCATAN CONT.

Today we leave for Costa Rica, but not as soon as we thought. We have a taxi take us on a pleasant ride up Los Planes and thru Balboa Park on our way to the airport where we arrive about noon. Our plane has been canceled, and the next one is at 5:10, so the airline gives us a voucher for lunch, and we have a long wait in the airport. The plane is changed to 6:45 so we eat supper and wait some more, finally flying to San Jose and arriving at the Amstel Hotel at 10 pm.

We sleep a little later this morning and after breakfast walk around downtown some before returning to the hotel for a good lunch of shrimp cocktail with palmito (heart of palm) and grapefruit, and corvina fish. This afternoon we visit the National Theater, which is the pride of San Jose and is copied after the Paris Opera House, then go to the very interesting National Museum which is located in an old Army barracks. It is warm in the daytime, but cool by late afternoon. There are large and modern looking office buildings and supermarkets.

Today we visit the central market, a large one block square building crowded with people and shops selling food, clothing, flowers, souvenirs, etc.; we buy a belt, sandals, and blouses. Walking thru Cabrillo Park and then Central Park we see the Cathedral which is quite plain and much newer than colonial. After lunch at the hotel we walk some more, by the Presidential Palace, the new National Library, the Assembly Building, and the new Tribunal of Justice Building, before ending at the Artesian Store where we buy a plaque with fancy colored design similar to Costa Rican cart wheels.

In the evening we have a good flaming kabob dinner at the Van Gogh Restaurant. It is election eve and there are vehicles parading up and down streets honking horns and flying party flags, and also children on the sidewalks with placards; everybody is having a good time. The Costa Ricans are proud they have no army, have peacefully changed governments, and have a very high literacy rate.

We want to rent a car today, but after checking rates, decide to walk to the bus station and take a bus to Cartago. It is pretty green country with bananas, coffee, and cultivated fields all the way up surrounding mountains as we ride on a new freeway with toll gates not working. At Cartago there are ruins of a church made into gardens and enjoyed by many people. A market has mostly fruit and vegetables.

Returning to San Jose by bus we have lunch at the Van Gogh and find streets full again with electioneering cars flying party banners and honking. We finally get a taxi and go by the beautiful new university building and residences on the way back to the hotel where we rest and wash and arrange to share a taxi to the airport in the morning.