The bus ride into San Jose was a smooth process across the border, despite some horror stories I'd heard but I was instantly missing the weather in Nicaragua as San Jose welcomed us with a thunderstorm. My first impression of this capital city was more like culture shock. In comparison to Ometepe and the town of Rivas in Nicaragua, where I caught my bus across the border, San Jose felt more touristy with it's tall buildings, recognizable restaurants and food chains, and hilly layout. That and the fact that the country didn't seem to have the same issues with losing power and water randomly, made me feel like I would have to be more careful with my budget; in this sense, I guess I needed to actually start following one.
I checked into my hostel, Costa Rica Backpackers, a mere 3km from the downtown core, and got settled into the room. As I was waiting for my friend Jess to arrive from the airport, I decided to explore my new home for 2 nights. The hostel itself was very nicely laid-out, with a large sitting area and big screen TV, 5 computers with internet, and a spacious pool area complete with hammocks and a bar. There was also another bar and restaurant at the back of the property meaning I wouldn't have to leave the property to find food - but what's the fun in that right? Once Jess arrived, we left the hostel in search of a good place to catch up - it had been 3 years since our last face-to-face visit. Unfortunately, we were both so tired and drained by our travel day, we called it a night early and were asleep by 10pm. Such party animals hey?! :-)
The next morning, instead of heading to the coast right away as planned, we decided to take a day and see the sights of San Jose. We had heard from many guide books and people that there isn't a lot to see in San Jose, but I would like to stand up for the city. Yes, there aren't many touristy attractions like ruins or beaches, but the city itself is a great place to experience Tica (nickname for Costa Ricans) culture in it's truest form. Jess and I wandered down to the main street and were surprised to find as many fried chicken places as there were shoe stores. Not sure of the appeal of the chicken, but I was definitely okay with the abundance of shoe stores. However, since we were in the main core, the prices were a lot higher than they would've been in a more coastal or smaller city. After wandering for an hour or so, we stumbled upon this cute little market just off the main street. Now I have been to my fair share of outdoor markets, and like to think I am pretty savvy in walking through them and what to expect. I was wrong. We got lost within minutes as each turn leads down a different set of shops and we quickly found ourselves near all the food places, which ended up being a good thing. There was a delicious and familiar smell coming from one of the stands behind us so I looked to see what they were offering in terms of lunch, and was happy to find one of my favorite Latin American dishes available - home made empanadas. We sat down and order a couple as well as 'agua de jamaica', which is purple in color and delicious like cold passion tea. Made from dried hibiscus leaves, this is a refreshing treat to find when traveling. I was beyond happy and satisfied after inhaling my food and took a moment to take in my surroundings - a busy marketplace that is quickly shut out by close seating next to people you may or may not know and delicious food that takes you away from reality. I was happy and nostalgic for Mexico, and also eager to continue exploring San Jose. After a couple of minutes wandering the aisles, we found our way back to an exit which dropped us out on a side street. At the end of this street, which didn't really have wide sidewalks so walking on the road was easier, we found a gorgeous church with a sun-filled park out front. The beautiful architecture and stained glass windows immediately took you of the hustle and bustle of the roads and sidewalks, and into a more relaxing space where sitting and enjoying the sun is all that seems to matter. What a nice treasure to find!
We ended our day walking through the main square, which was surrounded by government buildings and, like any Latin American country, street vendors on the side of the street. I was happily surprised to find many of the movies that were still in theatres back home and was hoping to purchase a couple at $2 each when I realized I had no cash. I promised to come back after finding a bank, thinking it would be a quick and easy trip. I was wrong. Apparently there aren't very many ATM's available on weekends and of course the line-ups were long and tedious. And of course, it started to rain, which we weren't expecting and so we just stood there and got soaked. What a bonding moment - we couldn't help but laugh at the situation! Obviously we never made it back to the street vendors as we were busy hiding from the rain under one of the few awnings along the street. Oh well, we had to get back to the hotel to get ready for ziplining the following morning, and our bus trip to Manuel Antonio later that day.
Goodbye San Jose, hello Pacific Coast - home of Jaco, the most popular surfing area in Costa Rica.
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