Playing Around in Sensational San Jose

 

PLAYING AROUND IN SENSATIONAL SAN JOSE

 

After returning to the hostel, we bid adios to Adrian for the afternoon. It was now Kelly’s turn to shine… and shine she did!

 

We started by visiting Parque Central, San José’s oldest park.

Frick & Frack of the high seas

It has a famous pavilion in its center that often features popular Sunday concerts. After admiring the city’s most popular gathering place, Kelly led us to several nearby attractions.

 

Facing the park, we walked past the most important church in Costa Rica, the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was built in 1871 after the original was destroyed in an earthquake. Its interior is expansive, with elegantly painted columns made of wood and its high altar is under an ornate cupola ceiling.

 

Across the street was the Melico Salazar Theater. It was built in the 1920s and named after a famous Italian opera singer who liked Costa Rica so much he moved to San José in 1937.                                                                    

 

Kelly then led us down the street to the Gran Hotel, Costa Rica’s grande dame of accommodations.

José finds Costa Rican girlfriend

In the tradition of Central American town planning, this gorgeous hotel is the city’s oldest and still its most prestigious.

Next door to the Gran Hotel was the Teatro Nacional. Completed in 1894 at the height of Costa Rica’s coffee and banana wealth, the theater is an ornate, spectacularly beautiful testament to a bygone era ��" a golden age of opulence. Considered by many to be Costa Rica’s most remarkable building, its neo-classical exterior is impressive, but the baroque décor is breathtaking.

Next, we caught a taxi to El Mercado Central. Quoting Kelly’s Sensational San Jose TB Meetup blog:

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/39474

“The Central Market is full of stalls toting traditional Costa Rican wares like leather, coffee, snowglobes (!) e.t.c. as well as food stands that sell Costa Rican 'comida tipica', (typical food).” There, we kicked back and enjoyed filling fruit drinks on the cheap.

Afterwards, we headed for El Museo de Los Niños.

Adrian ready to let it all hang out

Then, we went next door to the “Adults Museum”. Funny, we acted just as silly in the old folks place as the Children’s museum. Finally, we headed back to the hostel to get prepared for the evening’s entertainment.

We went back to the hostel, rested up and got prepared for the night action.

Adrian drove us all to El Pueblo, one of San José’s best and most popular entertainment district. We found several mouth-watering restaurants and tons of night clubs, many featuring live musicians. We ate, we drank, we danced… we had a TravBuddy blast!