Gringo Pinto: The Big Pineapple

I just got back from San Jose. I wanted to see Interstellar at the I-MAX to fully appreciate all of its glory (loved it, by the way). I also like the novelty of having to go to "the big city" to do such a thing. It is 45 miles from Ciudad Quesada to San Jose, and takes about two and half hours by bus, depending on traffic. One time we made it in 2 hours. One time when it was really foggy out it took over 4 hours. That's right: four hours to go 45 miles. Tonight, the bus broke down on the way out of San Jose and we waited for 30 minutes on the side of the road for another bus to pick us up, making it a solid 3 hours. You just never know.

My first time in San Jose, I couldn't wait to leave. In fact, even before I visited San Jose, I had flown into the airport in Alajuela which is just outside of the capital city. The first 2 things I saw as we pulled out of the airport were a Hooters and a Walmart. Not even joking, they are on the airport exit, and if you come visit me I will show you. I kind of resented that and swore off the city, vowing to spend my time on the farms, at the beaches and in the jungles of Costa Rica. But with understanding comes appreciation, and San Jose is just as much a part of the soul of Costa Rica as the tropical rain forest paradise is.

(A note about the photos. A majority were taken with my cell phone. They are also all taken over different trips to San Jose throughout the past 5 months.)

Panorama from El Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

El Estadio Nacional y Parque La Sabana

La casa amarilla

San Jose might not be the most "beautiful" city in the world, or in the country. But who is to say what is beautiful? It's teaming with little red taxis and sprinkled with a layer of litter. It sits in the Central Valley and is framed by mountains. The graffiti complements the historic architecture in such a way that really highlights what I love about the city. It's a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, and I like taking part in both. The best part of San Jose is that it's full of Ticos- which are some of the nicest people I've ever met. It's also a great place to meet fellow travelers, as it is the transportation hub of the whole country. You can spot a gringo a mile away by the backpack bigger than they are and the Tevas and/or Chacos. (Unfortunately, this stereotype 100% applies to me, which my students were happy to point out.)

Perfect mix of modern & traditional

The building that now houses El Museo Nacional was originally a fort.

Plaza de La Cultura y Teatro Nacional

I've been to 3 excellent museums: Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, Museo de Arte Costarricense and my personal fav Museo de Oro Precolombino and still have more to visit. There are parks tucked around every corner, full of tons of different plants and picturesque benches. There is one with a statue of John Lennon sitting on the bench which I have yet to encounter, but am still on the search for. Lauren, Anthony and I went to a national book fair in August in San Jose that covered the whole spectrum of Costa Rican literature, folklore, academia and art. There are lots of cute cafes, shops and I can't leave without visiting the souvenir market at Plaza Democracia (it's not JUST a tourist trap - there are some neat things in there!) I even saw the Orquesta Filarmonica de Costa Rica do a tribute to Pink Floyd's The Wall. I mean, come on! They flew a pig in the Teatro Popular Melico Salazar!

There is a lot to uncover about Costa Rica through San Jose, and I've only just started to dig in. I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend the amount of time in this beautiful & humble country to realize such things.