San Jose was a lot nicer than many of the other Central American cities we have visited so far. When I read entries in guide books, I was actually surprised to find lists of things I actually wanted to do. Day one began with a trip to the National Theater. Entry is a whopping $7 just to look inside so we decided to admire to lobby, and coffee shop instead. Much to our glee, we realised the coffee shop didn’t have bathrooms, and the staff would give you a toilet pass, allowing you to head inside and use the toilet (sneakily checking out the theatre on your way through). The Insect museum is a small simple museum hidden away under the music rooms of the University. It was a wonderful (if not all a little old) display of bugs, butterflies and creepy crawlies displayed on pin boards. The National Museum holds odds and ends from various points in Costa Rica’s rich history. Part one of the museum is a glass butterfly conservatory and tropical garden tacked onto the side of the fortress which houses the museum. On the day we visited, a new born butterfly just escaped from his cocoon was crumpled up on the floor, waiting for his wings to straighten out so he could fly to cover. It came as a bit of a surprise to see him in this state, as I’d always assumed butterflies came neatly packed and folded inside their cocoon. The rest of the museum was made up of pre- Colombian pottery, jewelry and stone ware, and a display about the history of the building, a fortress that was built in 1917. Another nice San Jose surprise was the number of wonderful second hand book shops, with both Spanish and English titles. Most of them were my favorite type of book shop; the ones with books covering every surface and piled high on tables and on the floor. I managed to pick up some good kids books, and a Spanish copy of Enid Blyton for a bargain basement price. |
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AuthorsThis is the story of Linden, Angus and their (not-so) trusty steed Pancho as they set off on an overlanding adventure through Mexico, Central America and beyond. Archives
April 2015
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