ACTIVITIES
Getting to Know San José
 Located
in the Meseta Central, San José, is Costa Rica’s
largest city and its capital. It has a population of over a million
people. Withing its bosom, it houses an amazing cultural diversity,
museums, pollution, architecture, food, poverty, and other elements
that promise to assuage your senses.
Many of its views vary in
degree or are different from the rest of the country, as it has
been exposed to the rapid evolution of technology and its offspring;
while those places outside of San José and, even more so,
outside of the Meseta Central show a slower metamorphosis and
still present blatant evidence of the “old” Costa
Rica. Examples of these differences can be perceived in the dress,
language, food, and in general attitudes, making a very intriguing
view for a newcomer.
If you look on a map, the
street system in San José is laid out in a street-avenue
format. Odd numbered calles
(streets) are east of the Calle Central and even numbered ones
are west. Odd numbered avenidas
(avenues) are north of Avenida Central and even numbered ones
are south. For example, if the Teatro Melico Salazar’s address
is Ave.2, Calle Central/2, it means the theatre is pretty much
in the middle of the city, facing Avenue 2 and between Calle Central
and Calle 2.
This system, though, is not
the one used everyday by Ticos. Directions are given with respect
to notable landmarks near the place where you are going. The National
Theatre, the bar on the corner, or a nearby park all fall under
the category of landmarks. The address is then estimated by how
many meters and in what direction the place is located from the
landmark. The ICAI’s address is “de la Pulpería
Flor de Otoya, 100 metros al norte y 25 metros al oeste”
(from the Flor de Otoya corner store, 100 meters north and 25
meters west). Be sure to find our the Tico address for your home
in Costa Rica as soon as possible.
Tips on Living as a pedestrian in San José
1) Street and avenue numbers
are found sporadically on the sides of corner buildings. Keep
on looking, you’ll find one!.
2) To find out what’s north, east, west, and south, look
for a church entrance since this one always faces west.
3) Literally, in many driver’s views, pedestrians have no
rights, therefore, always be on the defensive when trying to cross
a street as you can be viewed like an entertaining target by many
a vehicle.
4) Don’t believe traffic lights!. These present no reason
to let your guard down, so be aware of the cars and not only of
the lights.
Sports
 The
official and undisputed favorite Costa Rican sport is football
(soccer to the U.S.A. and Canada), but because of its cultural
and geographical diversity many other options are present. Tennis,
jogging, basketball, golf, horseback riding, bungee jumping, and
skate boarding, are just some of the sports practiced on land.
Water sports find Costa Rica
to be an ideal place to propagate in because of its large quantity
of rivers and the two bodies of water within easy reach. Examples
of this are surfing, swimming, fishing, white-water rafting, kayaking,
windsurfing, snorkeling, and sailing. If you are a great sport
buff, you may want to bring your own equipment (i.e. tennis racket,
frisbee, etc). There are also many gyms where you can make arrangements
to pay only a dropin fee.
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