Passport in hand, colones in my wallet and traveling with one wheeled suitcase and wearing the only pair of shoes traveling with me, I breezed through immigration and customs to see a throng of people holding signs, shouting names and "taxi!" I wove through the crowd toward one of the bright red taxis and used my rehearsed pronunciation of my hotel in the Aranjuez neighborhood of San Jose. I was quoted the expected $30 fare and off we went.
If you've heard stories about the driving in San Jose, believe them. Motorcycles dart between large vehicles; tour buses, shuttles, cars and trucks all go as fast as possible, shifting into lanes that might offer a slight advantage through the traffic. In my tourist mode, I watched the city pass by through the side window, not really paying attention to other vehicles until I was flopping around in the back seat when the driver swerved mightily to avoid getting hit by a truck. The driver and I were both OK, but I banged my upper arm on something that caused a 3-inch bruise that I wore throughout the trip. Yes, I buckled my seat belt before we resumed.
The Hotel Aranjuez is a collection of five houses built around 1930 joined by gardens and seating areas.
The seating area just outside Hotel Aranjuez Room #5, where I stayed two nights.
The Aranjuez neighborhood is near the center of San Jose, where I strolled through plazas, looked at architecture and enjoyed learning about the country's history, art and culture at the Museum of Jade.
That first afternoon, I walked around the neighborhood, found a delightfully colored restaurant, Cafe de los Deseos, and had delicious tacos and a mula con tequila. My limited Spanish allows me to order from the menu but then I don't usually understand follow-up questions such as "something to drink?" although my understanding improved a bit and I learned the verb "tomar" in addition to "beber" meaning "to drink". Many people, especially in hospitality/tourism industries, speak English, and even those who don't seemed patient with my toddler vocabulary and clunky syntax.
My intention for a nap after this tasty meal turned into sleeping through the night and ready to meet the next day.
Cafe de los Deseos, San Jose, Costa Rica
first meal in Costa Rica, and a very delicious one!