A Wednesday in Atenas

Wednesday, March 13

Today started early - about 6 am - and in a delightful way. Still in our p.j.'s, we spontaneously started dancing in the living room, mostly to some latin tunes. Bob had brought with him his portable Bose speaker and his iPhone loaded with many of his/our favorite dance tunes. In El Coco, we danced a few times in our living room, but never in the morning and not since we've been in Atenas. It was fun!

A little later, we headed over to Kay's Gringo Postres for breakfast. We were the first people there, and it was a slow morning, so once again we were able to chat it up with Kay for a while. I asked her where in Costa Rica did she most like to visit and she answered "Arenal and Manuel Antonio." These are two National Parks and environs that I have wanted to visit too. She shared more information about related sights, restaurants, and places to stay. Both of these parks are far enough away to require at least one overnight, maybe two. I am hoping that we might still get to one of them before we leave, but time is running short.

We stayed at Kay's for almost two hours. After breakfast, I wrote and posted a blog post ("Is Progress Always a Good Thing?") and Bob started writing a piece comparing government regulation in the USA and in Costa Rica. This is a topic we have been discussing a lot since we arrived in Costa Rica. His post should go up soon.

Back at our apartment, we were relaxing around 12:45 when we heard the nearby church bells pealing like crazy. Our hunch was right. The bells were celebrating the fact that a new Pope had been chosen. We watched CNN for about an hour, until Pope Francis I made his appearance and speech on the balcony. It was fun to watch this history-making event unfold from our living room here in Costa Rica. Though there haven't been any audible celebrations in the streets today, I am sure that Costa Rican Catholics must be thrilled to have a Latin American, Spanish-speaking Pope for the first time ever.

Afterwards, we grabbed a light lunch at Gelly's - a restaurant facing the Parque Central. Gelly's specializes in light fare, especially gelato. We had not been here before, but we most likely will go there again. It is about two blocks from where we are staying. Delicious gelato!

View of Gelly's, shot from the park. Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

Bob at Gelly's, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

After a relaxing afternoon of writing, reading, and napping we got ourselves cleaned up and we headed out to try a new (to us) restaurant, La Trocha. This restaurant had come up in an Internet search and had rave reviews. Our friends, Phil and Diana, had also given it high marks. La Trocha is located about a mile from our place, on a side road off Route 3 heading east. It was still light and we decided to walk. But when we arrived there, it was closed. Disappointing. Next time, we'll call first!

By then, it was getting dark, but we walked back to town anyway. Fortunately, we had a powerful flashlight with us to help us spot all the holes and other hazards along the way. We headed for La Trilla restaurant, which is also on this road, only a few blocks from where we live. We had been here once before and had enjoyed the ambience and the food. We both had beef dishes (filet mignon and sirloin) and the beef was disappointing, but the rest of the meal was very nice. A couple of frosty Imperial cervezas (beers) helped make up for the beef.

 

If you have been following this blog, you must have noticed how many times we have dined out. Today, we ate all three meals out. Most days, we eat two out and one at home. Although we have a small galley kitchen in our apartment, we have found it easier - and possibly less expensive - to eat out. The kitchen has a nice oven (unlike the one we had in El Coco, which didn't function very well) and refrigerator. However, this kitchen has almost no counter space for food prep, very few cooking pots (no fry pans) and utensils, and no cabinet space for storing food. In addition, we have found food prices to be high enough at the supermarkets that our groceries seem to cost as much, or more, than our meals out. We have found some places that serve very good food for very reasonable prices, and these are the ones we return to often.

It will be an early night tonight. Tomorrow, we plan to be on a seven AM bus headed for Sarchi via Alejuela.

 

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Is Progress Always a Good Thing?

Tuesday, March 12

This morning Bob and I set off early to take a long walk before the sun got too hot. It was a lovely blue-sky day with only a few scattered white clouds. At the end of our block, there is a road that heads east out of town. I had never walked that way before. Bob had followed it only a short way. This two-lane road was in excellent shape, unlike many we have seen in Costa Rica - well-paved, with painted center lines, guard rails and wide shoulders where walking would be safe and easy.

Country road out of Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

The scenery along this road out of town quickly became rural in nature, and we marveled at the lack of traffic on this beautiful road. The scenery was lovely, with vistas across to the mountains north of town and lush woods and pastures on either side.

About a mile and a half later, we discovered the reason for the lack of traffic. The road ended temporarily at a pass through the hills that was still under construction. Dump trucks loaded with dirt were carting their contents to a landfill on our left. Up ahead, a huge cut had been created through a hill to create a pass through the mountains. We estimate the cut in the hill to be 80-100 feet. Clearly, this was a challenging engineering feat.

Approaching the pass and temporary end of the road. (Photo by Bob)

We climbed a ridge near the excavation site and watched a front loader fill truck after truck with dirt. We could see that the road had been completed from the other side too, and all that remained to complete and open this road was to finish the work on the pass. We could see from using Google Earth that this road would connect Atenas with Route 1, the Pan American Highway. It would be a shorter, safer route to the east (San Jose) and to the west (the beaches).

We heard later that this part of the road had been closed for two years. And we could see why. In addition to the feat of carving out this pass, there remained steep hills on both sides with bare dirt exposed. The risk of muddy landslides during the rainy season would be great. There was still work to do in securing these steep cuts in the hills, perhaps with vegetation or sheets of fine metal mesh.

On the return walk, we began to notice large patches of land that were either landfill created from the excavated hill or land cleared by deforestation. We could hear chain saws working in some areas. Suddenly we saw what must have been the developers' vision - the conversion of these lovely pasture lands to shopping malls, house and condo developments, souvenir shops and the like. The most poignant example of this was seeing two horses. - a mare and her still suckling foal - standing on cleared rocky earth where once their pasture stood, looking forlornly around them. There was not one blade of grass to be seen anywhere.

This mare and foal have lost their pasture land to road construction. Will they survive? (Photo by Bob)

We began to understand the impact that this road would have on Atenas. Many more trucks and buses would use this route to get to and from Atenas and beyond. Many more tourists would come here and many more ex-pats would move here. Traffic, bustle, noise, and pollution in town would increase multifold. And most of the beautiful, unspoiled scenery along this route would disappear and be replaced with buildings, some nice and some tacky. This is what happened in the 1950's in the United States when we began to upgrade the road system in our country. And this is what is just beginning to happen in Costa Rica.

Contemplating this change I wondered, would I choose to sacrifice this unspoiled beauty for the opportunity to have better, bigger, faster, safer roads? As Bob would say, I am the original "both/and" woman. I want the good safe roads, and I want the unspoiled land too. Is this possible - here in Costa Rica with their lack of regulation and planning? Is it possible anywhere? Is Progress always a good thing? When does it get to be too much - unnecessary, and only serves the greedy?

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Bus Trip to Grecia

Monday, March 11

Today we are off to visit Grecia - a town in the hills north of here, in the foothills below Poas Volcano. We had explored Grecia via Internet when we were planning our trip, looking for a place to stay for a month. We had seen a place that looked promising, but in the end we selected the place in Atenas instead. Did we make the right choice? We were curious to find out.

Grecia is almost directly across the valley from Atenas. We can see the lights at night. It looks close, as the birds fly. But, it is not at all close by bus. To visit Grecia by bus, we first had to take the bus from Atenas to Alejuela and there transfer to another bus to Grecia. We left Atenas on the 9:00 am bus and arrived in Alejuela around 10:15.

The ride wound mostly downhill from the Atenas hills into the Central Valley. The roads are narrow, curvy, and very steep in places, with ditches or steep ravines on either side. The bus is large and tall, and it often seemed as though it could easily tip over when rounding some of the steep switchbacks.

Though I felt nervous at times, the Costa Rican passengers seemed totally unconcerned, and that helped me to relax a little. On one of the first bus rides we took from Atenas, there was a saying in Spanish written on the top front panel of the bus. Translated, it read, "I go with God. if I don't return, you will find me with Him." Perhaps this explains the Costa Rican acceptance of these treacherous roads and the risks they take whenever they travel them. As the French say, Que sera, sera. What will be, will be. Here, it's reflected their notion of La Pura Vida.

In Alejuela, it took a little banging around - a few questions in Spanish (Bob's) - to find the spot where we would pick up the bus for Grecia. There appear to be at least three different bus depots, depending on the bus line and destination, each one about a block apart. None of them were well-marked, nor did they have posted routes or schedules that we could find. But we were lucky. When we found the right spot, there was a bus ready to pull out for Grecia, Sarchi, and Naranjo - all towns in the the foothills northwest of San Jose and Alejuela. We decided to get off in Grecia as planned, but to come back again another day and continue on to Sarchi, a town known for its Costa Rican crafts.

The bus ride from Alejuela to Grecia wound through mostly rural farmland, with some villages interspersed. Here we could see many sugar cane fields, in various stages of growth, as well as coffee farms (fincas), and banana groves. We were traveling mostly uphill to Grecia, as it is in the area that is the base of the Poas Volcano. (Visit to Poas is on our bucket list, but for another day.) Bob's video captures sections of the round trip ride from Alejuela to Grecia and back. (The song on the video is "Gute Laune" by Tosca and Tweed.)

Scenes of bus ride, Alejuela to Grecia and return, Costa Rica. (Video by Bob)

 

Grecia is a larger and more bustling town than Atenas. We spent about three hours there, enough to get a good sense of the town. Our first stop was a small cafe near the central plaza, Cafe Delicias, where we revived ourselves after the two bus rides with refreshing beverages - a limonada (lemonade) for Bob and an iced Mochachino for me. Then, we walked over to the Central Plaza (Parque Central) to view the large red metal cathedral which is Grecia's prime attraction. This church was prefabricated in Belgium, shipped to Grecia in pieces, and assembled here in 1897. It is in immaculate condition today.

Cathedral de la Mercedes, Grecia, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

After checking out the park and cathedral, we decided to see if we could fine the small rental casita we had viewed over the Internet months before. Bob pulled up a map of Grecia from Google Earth on his iPad, and he pinpointed the exact location of the property. It was only a few blocks from the church and we walked over to see it. Unfortunately, we arrived to find that the entire property - a main house, three guest casitas, and some lovely-looking grounds - were all obscured by a very tall concrete wall and a heavy iron gate at the entrance. All we were able to see were the rooftops. The casita rental had seemed especially appealing at the posted rate of $600 per month. But after we had checked out Grecia and the location of this property, just off a noisy thoroughfare, we both decided that we had made the right decision in choosing Atenas. This alone was worth the trip.

We made one more stop in Grecia before catching the bus back to Alejuela. We stopped for lunch at BRO, a bar and restaurant across the street from the park. The food was good, and the banos (bathrooms) were very clean and quite welcome, considering the two-hour bus trip ahead of us.

Four hours of bus riding is a long time, and we arrived back in Atenas in the late afternoon, tired, thirsty, and a little dusty. We were very glad to get back to our very comfortable apartment. Still, we are planning other bus trips. Bus travel is a very affordable way of getting around Costa Rica. Almost any other option - taxi, private vans, tours, rental cars, airplane - is not. Our next bus ride will probably cover the same route we rode today but will extend on to Sarchi.

 

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Houses of Atenas, Costa Rica

by Bob

I have been taking pictures of the houses here in Atenas. I have assembled those pictures into a slideshow and posted it to YouTube. (See also below.) My purpose is to show something about the culture and architecture of Costa Rica as seen from the perspective of an American.

What I see:

I see a preoccupation with physical home security. Security fencing surrounds most homes. Sometimes the fencing might be called a courtyard enclosure, but that's security fencing done pretty. Homes are often situated side-by-side, creating a fortress of homes. My surmise is that the police force is not effective in catching and convicting thieves.

On the other hand, the Costa Rican incarceration rate is much lower than the United States, 130 something per 10K citizens vs. 740 something for the US.

I see responsibility for personal property left to the owner of that property rather than to the state.

I see no evidence of zoning ordinances, or, at least not of zoning enforcement.

On the other hand, property rights are respected. The result is a mingling of property uses - auto repair shops adjacent to upscale residential homes, for example. My discussions with Gringos here and in El Coco have revealed that most find this juxtaposition jarring, as I also find it so. On the other hand, juxtaposition allows services to be located close to residences and eliminates the need for cars. I don't like cars because they cost 50 cents a mile or more to operate.

I don't really think that you can see all this in my photos. What you can see in the photos is the security fencing and a little bit of architectural styling.

Houses in Atenas, Costa Rica. (Video/photos by Bob)

 

My View, by Connie

I, too, am fascinated by the houses in Costa Rica. When Bob and I take walks or rides together, in Atenas or elsewhere, we sometimes either notice different things or have different responses to the things we both notice. I find that I have emotional responses to these houses. Some I find very pleasing; others, I find disturbing, unsettling.

What I find extremely pleasing in some of the homes is the Spanish-style architecture, the brightly colored paint, the colorful and pleasing flowering shrubs and the unusual trees, the individuality and creativity of the occupants as reflected in their home, the hints of the intriguingly private courtyards and other spaces. My emotional response to these homes is very positive.

A little more about the architecture. The home designs here are most always influenced by the architecture of the Spanish colonial period. The fortified look and functionality of the homes, that Bob described above - the walls, fences, iron grillwork on the otherwise open windows, the inner courtyards hidden from public view - all derives from the old Spanish influence. The Spanish-style architecture reminds me of the home I grew up in, in Miami Beach, Florida - a Spanish-style white stucco home with a red tile roof. (I have seen red tile roofs in other parts of Costa Rica, but here in Atenas, the colorful roofs, though they have the appearance of tile, are actually metal.)

As Bob mentioned, there appear to be no neighborhood zoning laws here. So, it is not uncommon to find a very well-kept and attractive house right next door to, and often abutting, a very messy, junky-looking home. People here don't appear to notice or mind. I find it very jarring. Aesthetics are important to me, and I find these situations - which are very common - confusing.

In this vein, we have also noticed varying degrees of tidiness or shabbiness in the homes. Some people do keep their places looking well-maintained and beautifully landscaped. But some do not. We often see all sorts of trash and old junk around these houses. I feel repelled by this and sad, because the country is so beautiful and it seems such a shame to junk it up this way. In this, my judgmental side definitely shows.

And then, there is the issue of security, which Bob mentioned above. Many homes, especially in villages, towns, and cities - but also sometimes in rural areas - are built as contiguous structures. There is little or no space between them. Sometimes they share common walls on one, two, or three sides. The sides that are not shared have some sort of barrier - wall, fence, or impenetrable hedge. Many houses are gated. Others may have high concrete walls. Many also add layers of barbed wire to their heights. Anyone with a car has their vehicle locked in behind a sturdy gate or heavy metal door. Homes and shops have metal bars over their windows and doors.

Bob has mentioned that in this culture, the police presence is very low-profile, and it appears that the main responsibility for protecting one's property is placed on the home-owner, not on the police. So, these fences and walls must be an effective deterrent and, I assume, give the occupants a sense of security. For me, they create mixed feelings - security, in the sense that our rental apartment seems very secure by these standards, but also some level of anxiety to think that theft might be so rampant here, and the police protection so non-existent, that all these measures are absolutely necessary.

What you will see in this video, I think, is a wonderful variety of Costa Rican homes - more of the well-kept ones, though, and not many of the perplexing juxtapositions that we have mentioned and observed.

 

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A Saturday in Atenas

Saturday, March 9

It is Saturday in Atenas, and things seem quieter than on the weekdays. The traffic noise has lessened. The offices on our street - including the dentist's office above which we live - are closed. And many shops and other offices in town are closed.

There is not much to do here, and we are getting restless and a little bored. Our two main activities here have been walking and eating out. We have pretty much walked the town, and have started to walk the roads going out of town, except where they are very heavily trafficked. We have eaten at the best four places we have found in town - three of them we have been to several times. (Waistlines are expanding!)

Today we walked to breakfast at the Balcon Cafe (mentioned in previous blogs). Afterwards, Bob got a haircut in a unisex salon next door. We walked back to the apartment where I read a novel and Bob worked on a slideshow. Then we walked around the corner for lunch at Antano's. Bob had a Tico lunch - a Casada (complete meal on one plate) of tortilla, grilled fish, rice, beans, salad, steamed vegetables, and fried plantain. I had an American lunch - cheeseburger and frappe (hamburguesa con queso y batido frio chocolate con helado). All this was followed by a relaxing afternoon at home or nearby.

Antano Restaurant, Atenas, Costa Rica. This small restaurant is right around the corner from us, and we come here almost daily, sometimes more than once. The food is very good and reasonably priced. (Photo by Connie)

 

This afternoon, we heard the sounds of a band in the park, which is only a block away, and went to investigate. There was a small group of people there at an event intended to raise awareness of, and protest, the distribution of genetically modified seeds (GMO's) in Costa Rica. The band was an organic group of musicians jamming together on drums, flute, and what sounded like a didgeridoo. We sat on a park bench and listened for a while, but the sound began to bother Bob, who has very sensitive hearing, and we left. People-watching in the park seems to be one of the biggest pastimes for the Ticos living here.

Parque Central, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

The best thing about Atenas is the weather. Today is a sunny, blue-sky day with some wind which keeps the place warm rather than hot. We don't have an outdoor thermometer, but I am guessing that the temperature is in the mid-seventies. We have been here eight days, and the weather has varied from sunny to cloudy, but no rain to speak of. The days have been in the 70's and the nights maybe in the 60's. We have neither air-conditioning nor heat, and we don't need either. We sleep at night with windows open and a sheet over us on the cooler nights. Truly, this is the main reason we came to Costa Rica - to escape the harsh winter weather and live in sunshine and warmth. And this, we have certainly accomplished!

From our place, we have a view of a range of mountains and volcanoes to the north and east. The most well -known peak we see from here is Poas Volcano. And just east of Poas is Barva, an inactive volcano. Every day we have been here, there have been clouds all along the ridges and tops of the mountains. This morning is the clearest we have seen Poas, with just a thin strip of cloud cover at the very top. This seems to be a rare sighting - at least, so far. We have considered taking a trip to Poas - a very popular tourist stop - but we have pretty much decided that it would be a waste of money as we would be in the clouds at the top and would not be able to see the crater for which this volcano is known.

View of Poas Volcano and mountain ridge on a relatively clear day, from window in our apartment. (Photo by Connie)

 

We can definitely see how the cloud forests came to be, and why they are called cloud forests. It is much greener and more lush in the higher elevations of these mountains because there are clouds hanging over them day and night. We have seen rain clouds over the mountains, though it isn't raining here. Yesterday, we saw a glorious rainbow spilling down over Poas, top to bottom. It seems that the clouds and the forest form a cycle. Clouds gather over the mountains, sometimes blown inland from the Pacific. It rains. Then the humid, moist air rises and forms more clouds, and it rains, and so forth.

We have come to the point in our journey when the novelty is beginning to wear off, we have too much unstructured time in our hands, and we are beginning to miss home and are thinking about our return, which is still almost four weeks away. I think it's time for us to start doing some touring, exploring some other towns and cities and visiting some more parks and other tourist sites. Bob has been resisting doing the tourist thing, but I think he's getting more up for it now.

 

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An Atenas Walkabout

Friday, March 8

Have we REALLY been here a week! We arrived last Friday afternoon, and everything seemed strange. It took a while to get oriented. Now, we pretty much know our way around town and are beginning to explore the outskirts.

Up early this morning, we headed out for Kay's Gringo Postres which is catty-corner across town from us, about a 20-minute walk from our apartment. Along the way, we ran into the Friday morning open-air market that we had heard about. We decided to come back on our way back home.

Friday morning street market near the grounds of the school, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Sign outside Kay's Gringo Postres, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

We were the first arrivals of the morning at Kay's, and we had a chance to meet and talk with Kay herself. The first time we came here, Kay was away. Kay and her husband Tom moved to Atenas about eleven years ago, and as she says, "we never looked back." To learn more about this welcoming oasis for gringos, visit Kay's website at www.kaysgringo.com.

Interior of Kay's, Atenas, Costa Rica. Bill, one of the cooks, in foreground. Connie in background. (Photo by Bob)

Kay's serves a wonderful breakfast, which we have sampled twice so far, and also serves a lovely homemade lunch - so we've heard, but which we have yet to try. Today I had a scrambled egg with very crisp bacon and a homemade apple muffin; Bob had banana walnut pancakes. And we had coffee self-served from an endless pot. All delicious. And this place is known for its homemade desserts (postres), especially brownies, lemon squares, congo bars, and cookies - American comfort food!

After breakfast, we followed the road past Kay's as it wound its way uphill and out of town.

Rural road, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

This is a more rural part of Atenas, with more open land and, for the most part, nicer houses. I suspect that some of the Atenas "gringos" live up this way. Bob photographed many of the homes along the way, still fascinated by the elaborate fencing and walls surrounding many Costa Rican homes.

Bob photographing a fenced-in home, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Typical Costa Rican home with fence. Atenas. (Photo by Bob)

Photographer Bob declares "victory" during photo walk in Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Along the road, we also came across this car, which had obviously been stolen, stripped down for parts, and left as junk - an unsettling sight. We wondered how long it had been there and whether the police had had any involvement with this situation.

Stripped down and abandoned car, Atenas, Costa Rica. Legitimate or stolen? (Photo by Connie)

 

Walking back into town, we headed back to the street market - still, at 11:00 am, very busy and active. There was stall after stall of fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads and bakery items, clothing, and more, each tended by different vendors. We had not come prepared with bags or knapsacks for carrying many items, so we only bought a few items - green bananas (hard to find in the markets and Bob's preference), strawberries, a whole ripe pineapple. Next Friday we will come prepared to shop.

Bob buying green bananas at street market, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

Hot and tired and heading for home, we stooped at a small shop that sold nothing but fruit drinks and ice cream. We both ordered a Batido fresca - a smoothie- type drink made with fresh fruit, ice, and water - added sugar optional. The true "pause that refreshes."

 

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Adventure in San Jose

Thursday, March 7

Do you know the way to San Jose? We do!

San Jose's reputation as a Capitol city with many challenges reached us even before we left the states. We had heard and read that the city was crowded, dirty, noisy, polluted, had lots of traffic and crazy drivers, was rife with thieves and pickpockets, and had treacherous sidewalks and walkways. What we read in guidebooks and on the Internet before we left was confirmed by people we have met here in Costa Rica, Ticos and Gringos alike. Therefore, this city was pretty low on our bucket list of places we wanted to visit while we were in country.

However, Bob was intrigued by the challenge of finding our way there by public bus and navigating all the "hazards" successfully. In this, he was joined by our new friend Phil, who was also up for the challenge, while Phil's wife Diana, like me, was less keen. Nevertheless, we four planned a trip into the city by bus, and today was the designated day.

We all prepared for this trip by leaving all our valuables at home, so that we would not be targets for thieves or pickpockets. Bob and I wore no jewelry, did not bring any electronic toys - not even a camera, brought a minimal amount of cash and one credit card carefully tucked away, and brought copies of our passports but left the real ones at home. Our friends Phil and Diana did the same. And it was worth it; we weren't hassled at all.

We discovered that there is a regular bus route between Atenas and San Jose, which runs fairly frequently - on the half hour during busy times and on the hour on less busy times. The bus turned out to be large (too large, we thought, for these narrow, winding mountain roads), modern, and comfortable. The route along the way was hair-raising as it comes down off the mountains, crosses over a river, and then winds back up again, with many hairpin turns. And then, as we approached the airport and then the city, the traffic really picked up, with some stop-and-go moments. The approach to San Jose seemed to me to be very similar to the approach to New York City - lots of congestion and some crazy drivers!

Our objective, once in the city was the Teatro Nacional for our first stop. We took a red taxi from the bus station and arrived there around 10:15. We signed up for an eleven o'clock tour, and then stopped into the Teatro Cafe for coffee and conversation.

Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica. (Photo by lois&stan, Flickr)

Our tour was fascinating. Our bilingual guide gave information in both English and Spanish, to accommodate the mixed crowd. We learned that the idea for the theatre came from wealthy coffee barons in the 1890's, and they had financed the beginning of the project. However, their contribution to the total cost of this project was about 4% of the total cost. The remaining 96% came from taxes imposed on the rest of the population.

Entrance to second floor Salon, Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica. The winged statue once stood on the roof of the Teatro. It was brought inside for preservation purposes, and a replica was installed on the roof.

The decor was very ornate, including much gold leaf work, with influences from Spain, Italy, and France. The marble work all through the building came from Italy. The paintings on the ceilings and walls were done by both Spanish and Italian artists. The crystal doors, window panels, wall lamps and chandeliers came from Paris, as did some of the furniture. One interesting factoid was that San Jose was only the third Capitol city in the world, behind only New York and Paris, to become electrified.

Interior of Teatro Nacional, second floor Salon where small concerts and special events are held.

In the above photo, you will see a large column to the right of the gilded door. The guide told us that this column was only decorative, not a supporting column. He told us that in November of 2012, there was an earthquake in Costa Rica (with the epicenter in Guanacaste province) and one of the effects of the quake in this building was that this column moved about one inch, top and bottom. And sure enough, when we passed by it, we could see this for ourselves.

In the theatre itself, we saw the fancy opera boxes, the Presidential Box - reserved for the Costa Rican President and her/his guests, the "widows' boxes" (intended to hide widows of one year or less who were not supposed to go out in public for a year after their husbands' deaths), and the highest balcony (aka the "peanut gallery") which had a separate entrance from the others.

There were many other fascinating things about this theatre. One is that for certain occasions, now rare, the seats can be removed from the floor of the theatre, and then the floor can be raised mechanically (by a large group of people) to the level of the stage for a special dance, such as the Presidential Ball that happens every four years. (We have no photo of the theatre interior, unfortunately.)

Lobby of Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica. Entrance to cafe is through the two doors to the right.

When the tour was over, we decided to go back into the Teatro Cafe, just off the lobby, for lunch. Although we had considered the possibility of seeing another museum or two after lunch, Diana was not feeling well and the rest of us were already tired, so we decided to head back to Atenas after lunch.

We hailed another red taxi to take us back to the Coca Cola Bus Terminal. This driver was even more aggressive than most, moving too quickly through crowded streets. And just as we approached the terminal, the driver made a sharp right into a narrow street and we heard a voice cry out, "Aaagh!" A man on the corner cried out in pain and raised his right foot. It appeared to us that the taxi had driven over this man's foot. But the driver, although he did hear the scream, just kept on going. And, in fact, there was no way for him to stop, back up, or turn around, given all the congestion of vehicles and people. All we could do was hope that this man was not seriously hurt. We all wondered what would have happened if this incident had been witnessed by a policeman. Sadly, we all guessed the answer would be "nothing."

Once at the bus terminal, we had twenty minutes to wait for the next bus to Atenas. We wandered through the indoor market a little, sticking together, watching each other's backs. There wasn't much for any of us to worry about, pickpocket-wise, as none of us had brought anything of value. It seemed like a rough area to me, but not as rough as I had expected. Nevertheless, I did witness a man attempting to steal a suitcase from a bus that was unloading. He did get stopped. I sure wouldn't want to be in this station with all our suitcases, or at night. It was a relief to leave.

P.S. Some logistics: The bus trip each way took about and hour and a quarter and cost one Mil - 1000 colones or $2 per person each way. The theatre entrance fee and tour cost $7 each. No advance reservations were necessary for either. The taxi ride cost 3000 colones ($6) going to the theatre and 2000 colones ($4) returning. The difference can be explained by the way the streets are set up, with many going only one-way. The trip going to the Teatro was longer than the return trip.

 

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