Costa Rica: Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

Just a short post to start, as I am a zombie. Long drive in post holiday traffic to LAX yesterday, and for the first time in my life, or at least a long while, I was more than three hours early for a flight. So wouldn't you know it, the boarding time was delayed more than two hours and then there was another ninety minutes on the super hot and stuffy Delta plane before it departed! Arrived in Costa Rica around 10 am and I haven't really slept; have to get up at 5 am tomorrow, which is 3 am LA time, my usual bedtime.

We went for a traditional workers lunch - plantains, black beans and rice, empanadas, and then for a stroll around downtown. We are staying at the historic Gran Hotel Costa Rica, where JFK stayed at some point in his final months, and Pele at some point.

It's across from the National Theatre, which has a nice cafe; had my first Costa Rican coffee.

That McDonalds you can see in the background apparently was the first in Latin America, and the third outside of the USA. I am now a fount of San Jose trivia.

Outside the theatre:

On the ceiling of the theatre afe; it used to be a mens only salon, so there are lots of semi-clad women.

Outside the cathedral: that's the pope. But not sure why that person has such huge hands. Or feet.

 It was tricky, but I finally got a photo of the coffin the Catholic church uses for its Easter processions. This old lady tapped me on the shoulder; she wanted to make sure I knew it was Jesus.

A very glittery Jesus...

Christmas decorations are still up everywhere as it is not yet Epiphany

 

Luke poses by a Jesus tree we found down the street.

Spanking this woman's bottom is meant to bring you good luck.

We then went in the market, where my camera started mal=focussing. This was a herbal remedy stall.

And I'll have to try to reshoot these pigs later...

As well as these statues of a little girl pulling embedded bugs (ticks?) out of her foot by the side of the road, which is meant to be peaceful and charming.

Tomorrow, a coffee plantation, two volcanoes and some hot springs. I had better get some sleep!