Number 6

San Jose

We made our way into San Jose for the day.  San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica with a population of about 300,000 it is located in the central valley. And for all my friends and family it should be pointed out that San José is still one of the safest and least violent cities in the region. We have never felt the least bit uneasy walking the streets, but we are also aware of our surroundings.

San José City lies in the Torrid Zone and is in a tropical rain forest. However its elevation gives it a mild climate.  In San Jose, the average high is 80 degrees and its low is about 68.  There are 2 seasons, the dry season and the wet season, the temperature does not fluctuated that much between seasons.

In the center of San Jose there are pedestrian streets.  They are usually crowed with people everywhere.  There are lots of people selling items on the streets.  Roger and I love to just walk around in San Jose and sit and watch the city life.  The people are kind and helpful.  There is always someone there to teach us new Spanish words…today was a “spool of thread”. 

The streets of San Jose

Roger wanted to get a haircut.  So in our travels we found a barber shop and with a little encouragement Roger goes in and gets a haircut.  I was snickering because the woman took at least 20 minutes on his haircut and even blow dry the 3 hairs on his head…sorry Roger.  She did a fantastic job.  A lot more work went into this haircut that he would have ever gotten in the US and the costs was about $11.  

Let’s talk about tipping…there is NO tripping in Costa Rica, and for us, we find that difficult.  The concept is that we should not come to a foreign country and apply our customs and habits to other cultures.  I will say when we have tipped, the people always seem very grateful and appreciative.

The Finished Product