San José City Stroll

29.10. San José City Stroll

The day starts very early; by 6 AM, I simply can't sleep any longer. Jetlag. And the train from hell has already blared its horn through the city and past our hotel in the middle of the night.

After a coffee in the room and a yoga session, we leisurely enjoy breakfast: a challenge and something unfamiliar ... Gallo Pinto (rice with beans and scrambled eggs) and French toast. Not so bad after all, and the fresh juices and fruits taste of Pura Vida.

Now strengthened, the day can begin. Only now do we see our hotel Fleur de Lys in a new light. A pink Victorian house with bright tropical colors inside. Each room is named after a Costa Rican flower; I'm staying in the Gardenia. The staff is very nice, the breakfast buffet is good, the rooms are clean and perfectly fine, but unfortunately without windows to the outside, only facing a hallway, although described as a patio or courtyard. It's worth mentioning the location right next to the railway, which makes an extreme racket early in the morning.

We start our little walk using the travel guide by Stefan Loose at Parque Nacional, strolling through the historic district and pedestrian zone to Mercado Central. However, walking isn't always straightforward: often, streets have to be crossed boldly without traffic lights and crosswalks, and the numerous holes right in the middle of the sidewalk, where you don't expect them, present a challenge. Add to that honking cars, loud mopeds, and the really annoying honking of the train, which leisurely makes its way through San José.

The walk takes us past the Castillo Azul, a former presidential palace, the imposing Bellavista Castle, which was once the headquarters of the Costa Rican army and now houses the Museo Nacional, the Edificio Metálico with iron parts made in Belgium, as well as the old department store Edificio Maroy and the former Cine Variados on Calle 5, structures from the early 20th century.

Upon arriving at Mercado Central, we explore the labyrinth of stalls of all kinds and then indulge in a Café con Leche and the famous ice cream 'Helado de Sorbetera', made since 1901 from a unique secret recipe in the Sobetera de Lola Mora. It truly tastes delicious with a fine hint of vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

After this well-deserved break, we continue to the Barrio Escalante, the city's foodie hotspot and nightlife district. Our goal is initially the specialty café Cafeoteca, an absolute highlight for coffee lovers. It's considered a sort of coffee library, offering beans from all 8 coffee regions of Costa Rica.

We order a coffee from Vandola. Vandola is a hand-thrown clay pot developed in Costa Rica for hand-filtered coffee, featuring a special ventilation tube. Due to the constant heat of the clay and the supply of oxygen, a particularly clear, sweet, and intensely flavored coffee with a velvety body is produced. Additionally, we have a pistachio galeta and an almond pie—all in a beautifully lush green courtyard.

Well-fed, we weave in and out of the Barrio Escalante looking for the street art murals that are supposedly on every corner. We search long and in vain, or perhaps we just had wrong expectations, but in the end, we do find some. The murals are mostly located on walls of restaurants, bars, and clubs rather than openly on free walls and buildings. We still can't find the numerous painted transformer stations mentioned in the guidebook.

It's time for a refreshing drink, and while wandering through the lively Calle 33, we unintentionally end up at Beer Factory, a craft beer bar that proudly represents Costa Rican brewing culture by serving award-winning in-house beers. We opt for a micro tasting, listen to the explanations, and admire the fantastic Halloween decorations and twinkling fairy lights. An excellent ending to an interesting day, even if San José won't become my favorite city, and I just can't seem to grasp it.

On the return walk to the hotel, I finally spot it ... a painted transformer station. Hooray.

A long, exhausting, but incredibly exciting and eventful first day in Costa Rica comes to an end. I feel like I've been here much longer than just a day, considering how much we've seen and experienced. To conclude, we enjoy delicious tacos with Pico de Gallo and a Pilsen; we have no more hunger left. We are simply exhausted 🥱.