The latest in San Jose

Have hardly had the time for updates...

San Jose has been interesting. It's not much different than cities in the States, but with more street venders selling fruits we haven't even heard of back home. A bag of mandarinas (sort of like a clementine orange, but with green and orange skin) costs only 40 cents in the street. At the downtown vegetarian resturaunt Vishnu, a multiple course meal is just over $3.

We went to the Museo Nacional (right) where there are artifacts of Costa Rican history. The museum used to be a fort and still has bullet holes from the civil war in the 1940's (after which the country abolished the military) Now there is a butterfly garden there.

Things I have picked up since arrival: a straw hat, charango, and a peruvian mandolin with ten strings.

The host family is amazing. The youngest son (Jean-Paul, 15) made us chocolate chip ice cream with irish cream liquor. Ofelia, the mother, cooks for us, and last night I jammed on the mandolin with the oldest son Frank on the guitar.

Last night we went to Jazz Cafe where a live band played everything from Bob Marley to Jazz to American pop songs. They were very good at what they were doing. The bar specialty was Belgian beer. Not that Costa Rican beer is terrible, just very typical.

We have been confused for Germans twice.

Now we are headed for a lunch of cassado (typical Costa Rican food)