COSTA RICA Part 1 San Jose, The Capital Central Valley

“Do you know the way to San José?”

“… I’ve been away so long
      I may go wrong and lose my way…” – Dionne Warwick

So began our 11-day Costa Rican adventure, land of PURA VIDA and its central valley capital, San José (elevation, 1,172 m/3,845’). The beauty of traveling, besides discovering wondrous places, is meeting new people and best of all, making new friends. The way to San José was paved two years ago when we met our new Amigas, Linda and Rita, both from Minnesota, and developed a comradery after our visit to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in México.

Long in the planning, our reunion was made possible with the generosity of Linda’s invitation; you see, she’s been living here for 40+ years with her husband, Errol, a native. What better guide to show us this small nation’s bounty? And besides, this was a first for me – not being in charge of travel plans – yahoo! This would be an unforgettable vacation full of surprises.

Now, here we were, visiting the natural “ricas” of Costa Rica. Pura Vida is not just a catchy slogan, but it also symbolizes a lifestyle for Costa Ricans, aka “Ticos”. It essentially means Pure Life or simple life, the art of good living. I could go for that! Los Ticos tend to be much more relaxed and worry-free than most Latin Americans. Why worry when you are in this tropic paradise?! You hear this phrase frequently and can’t help but be seduced by it.

Costa Rica is a pioneer of ecotourism and is the most-visited nation in Central America with a population of just over five million; the metro capital area encompasses 3+ million. One fourth of its landmass is dedicated to conservation with its many parks, reserves, preserves, and refuges. Bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean to the northeast, Panamá to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to its southwest. By the trip’s end, our well-planned itinerary (muchas gracias, Linda!) would bring us close to all these points.

Btw … our Copa Airlines route brought us to Panamá to connect with CR; flying directly over the spectacular Panama Canal; bringing forth fond memories of our visit there in January ’13. 

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For all its meanings, and before you can taste the Pura Vida, one must maneuver through Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José. Here, Pura Chaos reigns, which is the only way to describe our noisy, hectic, but an exuberant introduction to CR.

As in any international airport, multiple flights arrive within minutes of each other; creating mad dashes to the immigration booths. Our waiting inline extended to an hour and a half; the silver lining being our luggage was blessedly waiting for us in a holding area. Outside customs’ doors, we were treated to a street scene of Pura Cacophony.

Here you squeeze through a constant stream of people and commotion: the lineup of sign holders flashing name cards, taxi and shuttle service providers shouting, large family groups waving and awaiting loved ones, honking vehicles, and security forces (seemingly oblivious to all). This experience was similar to arriving at Nairobi, Kenya airport decades ago. A loud, boisterous welcome … ¡Bienvenido a la Vida Pura!

Soon thereafter, Linda warmly greeted us at our hotel. Aah – that wonderful, big smile of hers and great big hugs was back again! Feeling famished, we headed poolside for a lunch of ceviche and patacones(deep-fried green plantains) accompanied by some exotic libations to soothe our long travels. Rita would soon arrive to get this party started.

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And so, our Pura Vida adventure begins …

And what better way to begin than with food and a traditional Gallo Pinto breakfast; translated as Spotted Rooster. If you want to offend a Costa Rican, just call it beans and rice. This dish has been perfected in its simplicity; a wonderful mix of spices and vegetables. It’s amazing how just a few ingredients can taste so good together. I was settling into my Caribbean heritage.

What better way to get to know a culture than through its museums? Downtown San José has three fantastic ones. The Museo del Jade is a gem of archeology and anthropology; containing the world’s largest collection of the semi-precious stone, American jade. On display are colorful examples of indigenous artifacts, statuary, and beautifully made metates, favorites of mine.

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The Pre-Columbian Museo del Oro is located in a subterranean building beneath the “Plaza de la Cultura.” The museum has an archaeological collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts made of stunning gold, pottery, stone, jade, and glass bead objects. The large gold collection dates and spans from 300-400 BC to 1550 AD.

Also on view: frogs, eagles, jaguars, alligators, and deer (oh my!) appearing in many forms; also, amulets, earrings, erotic statuettes (a must-see, hee-hee!) and several dioramas appear throughout its floors. Gold was considered a symbol of authority and those items are testament to the craftsmanship of the Pre-Columbian period. No wonder the Spaniards would arrive to conquer, plunder and quell the civilization with all its various riches.  

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The abundance of frogs depicted in stone and gold piqued my curiosity to find its meaning. A small plaque explained that “frogs and toads are known in indigenous mythology as playing the role of assistant undertakers; as protectors of the remains of the dead, chanters that can predict weather changes and also associated with shamanic rituals of transformation and fertility.” Who knew that such a small animal possessed so much power and influence?! As it’s been said, “Kiss a frog and …”

The Museo Numismático (National Coin Museum) is also located in the same building and, as a former financial consultant, accountant, and a lover of money, I was amazed at the incredible displays of coins, banknotes and unofficial items such as coffee tokens (money to be spent at company stores); some of which date all the way back to 1236. The collection includes Costa Rica’s first coin, the Medio Escudo, which was minted in 1825.

The ornate Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica is Costa Rica’s exquisite national theatre, located in the historic center of San José. Construction began in 1891, opening to the public on 21 October 1897 with a performance of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s tragic play “Faust.” The theatre stood as a cultural asset of the country during a time when coffee exports were a great source of its wealth and success. The building is considered the finest historic building in the capital; with its lavish interior and furnishings. David, in his eagerness, was rebuffed from entering its chambers for some photos.

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A long day’s cultural exploration earned a celebratory dinner and an extraordinary one at the 11.47 Restaurante (#8 on Tripadvisor). It’s a small, nonobtrusive, intimate 12-seat dining establishment; offering an exquisite fusion of local and traditional CR elements in harmonic synergy. Its young chef/owner creates a symphony of flavors and serves it up in an artful, superb presentation. The ingredients played well together without undermining the overall simplicity of the dish. It was an evening of epicurean delights.

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I could go on and on but will let the pictures speak for themselves. My appetizer, “Calypso,” was a jam-packed sensation of yummy tropical flavors: coconut, habanero, thyme, ripe plantains, red onions, octopus, and pineapple! Indescribably delicious as it exploded in my mouth. This was a ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ experience all the way.

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Currently, CR COVID restrictions don’t allow personal driving between 10:00 pm and 5 am except with a few exceptions. So, Uber was out of the question. A taxi was called for us; the drive through the deserted streets of a vibrant Caribbean capital was quite the dystopian experience … only the flashing blue lights of a police car following us for a bit, broke the unsettling spookiness.

Up next … Rev up Linda’s trusty ole Montero 4-wheel drive and head off into the wild blue, or rather, green yonder; an absolute must on the highways and byways of Costa Rica as we would later discover.