So my internet was having trouble the other day, and I called Amnet (the local internet service) to have them come and deal with it. After they arrived they started hunting around for the cable box. In the process, THEY DISCOVERED A FOURTH BATHROOM I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD.

Do you know the way to San Jose?

So I finally made it into downtown San Jose.

Most of the complaints about it are true - it is crowded and dirty and lacks character. There are a profusion of people selling lottery tickets and those selling other things - fruit, mostly - cry their wares from every corner.

Even so, the center of town is impressively pedestrianized, and I made my way over to La Plaza de la Cultura:


Grr, the Gold Museum was closed - for how long, they didn't know. So I made my way over to the Costa Rican Art museum:


Which happens to front the city park, La Sabana:


The museum itself was quite small and not terribly interesting. The Modern Art Museum is said to be better.

What gets me is how very similar it is to downtown Cebu City (although less dirty and not so damn hot). I guess that really is the Spanish colonial style.

By the way, I should probably mention something about Costa Rica: they don't believe in addresses. Everything is notated in relation to other things. Instead of saying '120 Avenida Central' they'll say 'Avenida Central 100 meters south of the Iglesia de San Martin and 50 meters east of the bus stop etc.'. It's gets very confusing very quickly. Even though central San Jose is laid out on a grid pattern, I couldn't use the street signs because there weren't any. Well, preguntando se llega a Roma.

City of Witches

Too bad I haven't seen any witches yet. That crest is probably the most exciting part of the whole neighborhood.

Rich people have always confounded me. Especially in their choices of where they decide to live. Why the isolation?

Security is obviously one thing. The desire for peace and quiet is another. Yet isn't it possible to have those things without sealing yourself into an over-sized condo with nothing but the TV for company?

Why is it that the world's oligarchs never live in communities? Why do they always drop themselves beside what are basically highways, with no schools, shops, parks, cafes, or anything else within walking distance - not as if they could walk, because there are almost never any sidewalks?

Of course, it is assumed that rich people have cars, and often drivers as well. Personally I find that a little indecent. I can't demand that somebody else devote the major part of his day to ferry me to get a croissant or to see a friend. That's the kind of thing I only ask of family members.

The Tico Times (local English-language newspaper) just ran a story about the recent census, where local census-takers complained about the difficulty of navigating winding streets, endlessly barred gates, guard dogs, and complex security systems just to ask basic questions of the residents within:

In light blue vests, four student census workers and their 22-year-old supervisor wandered through Escazú, west of San José.

The fivesome walked up steep roads, skipped over rocks to cross streams, dealt with barking dogs – and got lost.

Student census workers heeded a last- minute call of duty to assist in the task of surveying an estimated 1.3 million households. Approximately two dozen were sent to Escazú, where they encountered many obstacles. But none were more daunting than the area’s numerous condominiums. Security guards denied access to many census takers, as the upper-class neighborhood presented a challenge to the young pollsters.

...

It’s been complicated,” Sura said. “Not everyone is here and I’m going to have to keep coming back.”

It’s 1 p.m. already. She figured her day could go until 8 p.m.

At the nearby Paco Center, in downtown Escazú, some of the student enumerators hail taxis looking to grab some lunch. Sura seemed to have the best luck of all of them so far. Many never made it past the security guards, and had to leave forms with them to pick up later. One worker held up two fingers, when asked if she was able to talk to any residents. García herded her colleagues into a taxi. She waited for another one. The morning had been both tiresome and baffling. That wasn’t the worst part.

“We spoke to nobody,” García said, “We kept going around and around didn’t get to speak with anyone.”

Why be rich if you have to hide away?

Costa Rica - La Primera Vez

Naturally, my first blogpost about Costa Rica ought to be an 'impressions' kind of thing, so here goes:

The Living

Many years ago, when the Savoy Hotel was being built in London, it had the unprecedented luxury of a bathroom in every suite. The builder was much bemused, and asked 'Who's gonna be livin' there, amphibians?'

My apartment has three. I ASSUME it was meant for more people, but maybe it's just for the sake of variety.

The People

Affectionately known as 'Ticos'. Spanish-speaking. The CR accent tends to swallow the last consonant, so 'incomodo' becomes 'incomo' etc.

The Barrio

Fairly dull. Lots of well-off expats and gated condos. To the north is a busy street (actually more of a small highway) lined with strip malls which the Costa Ricans call plazas. Alot of chains and car dealerships. Many off the menus, signs, etc. are in English.

To the south is 'downtown', but this is tame stuff - I was there last night at 8PM and I hardly saw anybody about.

Prices

High - hardly much less than what you would expect in the US. Maybe its a function of the neighborhood.

What IS really cheap are small restaurants called 'sodas' (more on these later) which serve quite filling meals for $3-4.

Also, the money has sharks on it.

Weather

Warm, but even during the day its not unbearable. At night it is cool enough that I don"t even need the AC.

Work:

I have a small office in the basement. Not much sunlight, but close to the cafeteria.

Right now many of people are on vacation, so it's taking a while to get everything organized for me - I'm still waiting on my cell phone and ID badge.

Water

Potable.

Until next time...

Well, It Got My Attention

I suppose that was the idea.