Costa Rica - I Know the Way to San Jose!

 July 17-21

Hello everyone!

I’m using part of my summer holiday to explore other parts of Central America to which I have never been. After an enjoyable three-week return to the UK, I was flying west once again. Before getting back to El Salvador, I am spending the next three weeks on the ‘rich coast’: Costa Rica.

Mariposa: Spanish for buterfly

How much life is there in San Jose?

I may not be so rich by the end of this trip. I know quite a few people who have visited what is arguably Central America’s most popular destination country and have been told two things: firstly, that I’ll have a great time and, secondly, that it is expensive. On both counts, they’re not wrong.

Happy hours make craft beers such as this more affordable

Places called sodas sell large plates like these for about $6

Getting here was a minor ordeal, though at least my bags weren’t lost this time. I had a two-hour transfer in Houston, Texas. This is the only airport in the US which will directly transfer your bags - everywhere else, you have to collect your baggage. Even so, two hours wasn’t a whole lot of time, as the lines for US customs are often quite…long. The two times I did this in 2022, each occasion took over an hour. So you can imagine the stress levels rising when our plane took off 45 minutes late due to us waiting for other passengers who were late.

At least Houston had quite a few border force officials to make it slightly quicker

That’s the line. Stress levels reduced when I was talking to others in the line and realised that there were at least eight other people on the flight to Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. Stress levels rose when they had all disappeared after I had to put my carry-on bag through the scanner three times just for them to identify a Kindle which they had told me not to bother removing from my bag. Turns out United Airlines were consistent as they held our flight before we headed due south.

Heading slightly east, yet San Jose is one hour behind Houston...

Costa Rica is bigger than El Salvador but isn’t overly large. I am on a group tour but had a few days to acclimatise and chill in the capital before heading off to jungles and beaches. Apparently not many people spend much time in San Jose, though I discovered plenty and was able to pass time.

A monument celebrating the suppression of American
mercenaries (not the government, to be clear) in the 1850s

Ths flag went to the Moon in 1969.
The little black specks are fragments of the Moon.

I feel it’s always good to understand the historical context of a place to which you travel. With that in mind, I headed to the National Museum. It looks like it’s set in a mustard-yellow castle. These were the army barracks. I say ‘were’ because there are no more barracks. In the whole country. There is, after all, no army. Though I love the fact that they feel secure enough to sacrifice having an army and instead spend the money on education and music, they do mention this a lot.

Museo Nacional de Costa Rica - worth a couple of hours

Training at the barracks in the 1930s

This happened after a short civil war (and I mean short, a matter of weeks) in 1948. The man above, Jose Figueres Ferrer, became the president. Costa Rica is seen as one of the more developed and prosperous countries in the region and many would put this down to decisions he made soon after assuming power.

A symbolic moment: Ferrer demolishing part of the barracks,
like he would demolish the army soon after

They've been involved in solving conflicts, such as the
multiple civil ars raging thorugh Central America in the
1980s. It got Oscar Arias, Costa Rica's president, a Nobel Prize in 1987.

As with most stories, it’s more nuanced than that. Money and resources had been poured into the country for many centuries, ever since one Christopher Columbus reportedly coined the term ‘Costa Rica’ when he landed here on his fourth and final voyage in around 1502. The land has been heavily influenced by the Spanish, who ruled the region until 1821, and the United States: specifically, the United Fruit Company.

Coffee exports started in 1820 and
created some very wealthy families

Costa Rica was one of the most important banana exporters
in the late 19th century, starting on the Caribbean side
and then moving to 'virgin lands' on the Pacific

You can see some of these other cultures when walking around the surprisingly small centre of the capital. There’s a Chinatown. Some buildings have facades which seem distinctly colonial European. McDonald’s is ubiquitous. I would describe San Jose as a small, segregated melting pot. There are many cultures and ethnicities here and, though they were kept apart, they have influenced one another to make the San Jose that exists today.

Chinatown is the generic term for all Asian stuff
here, for example I ate Vietnamese food

The National Theatre, built in the 1890s, has a European style

This is arguably most noticeable in one of Costa Rica’s national dishes: pinto gallo. I imagine I’ll get bored of eating this eventually. Below you can see the influence of the indigenous (beans), Asia (rice and spices), Europe (eggs) and Afro-Caribbean (plantains). A hearty way to start a day, and maybe not necessary in this heat and humidity.

Breakfast of champions!

There is also a history predating the invasions mentioned before. It is known that there were many different tribes and that there are influences from above (Aztec and Maya) and below (Inca). The museum showcases some of these examples, many of which had to be painstakingly reconstructed.

Warriors which are 2500-3000 years old

A metate, which I think means something like a tabletop,
often shos duality between huans and animals 

Some aspects, such as these perfect spheres, remain unknown. It is not known who made them, why over 600 of them were constructed, or how they were able to create perfect spheres.

There are many dotted around San Jose, however some are replicas

The museum is found in the central zone, which thankfully has some pedestrianised areas and small parks for much-needed shade. San Jose unfortunately has a growing reputation for petty crime but everything seemed pretty safe when I was walking around.

Central Avenue has many high street chains

This was a small protest outside the new congress
building. Apparently they happen most days. 

There is a green belt to the north of the city, which itself seems surrounded by verdant mountains. These often get lost in the clouds as time passes in the day, but the heavy rain I was braced for didn’t materialise. The green belt is apparently why this delightful duo took a pitstop on top of a school entrance in the city during my walking tour…

Parrots! This is where I wish my good camera hadn't broken earlier this year!

I think these are the Cerros de Escazu, to the southwest of San Jose 

There was a shop in the market selling parrots...and puppies... 

One slightly random but delightful element of the national museum is getting to walk up to the top through a space filled with colour butterflies. Vivid colours flutter around the light, airy room. It’s a protected ecospace to boost their populations.

Larger butterflies like to gorge on fermented fruit

I learnt that many of a butterfly's taste are on...their legs!

Though the city itself may be small, the surrounding suburbs of greater San Jose swell the population to almost 1.5 million. Of a population of a little over 5 million, this is significant. The different barrios, or neighbourhoods, each have their own identity and charm. Where I stayed, Escalante, is thought to be a bit more hipster.

Parque de Francia in Escalante

There are many colourful cafes, eating joints and bars

I also found some familiar faces in these barrios, both of whom have just moved to Costa Rica to start new jobs…

Rachael, who I played football with in El Salvador last year

Joey, who I worked with for three years in Malawi 

It’s been nice to have a few days of relative downtime whilst exploring San Jose. I imagine that the next two weeks will simultaneously be very enjoyable and intense so it has been nice to have a gentle start to my travels around Costa Rica. I hope my wallet will thank me…

A stall in the artisan market

Costa Rica's slogan, meaning 'pure life'

I'll be eating a lot of fruit!

Love you all,

Matt