I don’t know what’s gotten into us, besides the obvious, given the title. It started on our first day here in Arenal. We stopped at Soda Herrera/Panaderia Tutu. Tutu had fresh baked emanadas. I bought a bag of 7. My they were good with coffee in the morning – slightly sweet and flaky and buttery.

On day two here we stopped at a local bakery and bought a chorizo empanada and a frijol y queso empanada which we ate for breakfast this morning.

That afternoon we stopped at the German bakery (20 years! is how they advertise on street signs) and got black bread, and three pastries.

In addition, as I wrote earlier, our host left us a full size banana bread.

We don’t usuall go off the rails like that. I blame it on the rain.

Why I felt the need to write about this is a mystery. Or maybe it’s a confession. At any rate, we’ve enjoyed every morsel. The birds however are not interested in bread crumbs; they’ve got banana every morning from our host. And we get a variety show of birds to accompany coffee and breakfast.

Tonight is our last here. I’ll miss it.

The casita we are occupying is within a development called Residencia Flores, which consists of upscale homes on irregularly spaced lots, most of which have views of the lake. This particular property does not have a lake view, unless you count standing on tip toes, looking over the trees to a patch of water. That is not a complaint, since we were not promised a lake view and did not expect one.

A three minute walk, however, takes us to a paved walking trail leading to a quasi-overlook with a very nice view. We walked that trail three times today (the last time in reverse).

In the morning we had a clear view to the other side. Even though the hills on that side were somewhat obscured, it was the best visibility we have had in a couple days. Our hopes were up, and it seemed the weather was lifting and we could have a rewarding day outside. The image of the same view from the afternoon confirms that the weather lifted, at least for a while today. But that was later.

With great enthusiasm and a song in our hearts (one song, two hearts) we headed off to the Arenal 1968 private reserve hoping to have a nice hike. As we got closer to the reserve, the weather was a bit more like this:

We arrived at the park exactly as the skies opened and an entire reservoir emptied on us. We decided that a walk in the heavy rain might be good, even though we wouldn’t see anything due to the fog. However we also decided that it wouldn’t be 35 dollars worth of good.

Since we were going to get wet if we were to leave the safety of the car, we figured we should at least be intentional about it, and headed off to a popular hot spring at Tabacon.

I wouldn’t say the springs were hot, though: the water was around 90F. I also wouldn’t call the spring a spring. It was more like a river cascading through a series of pools as the river dropped at a fifteen degree or so slope. The current was so strong we had to brace ourselves in one way or another to keep from being washed down stream. I did not take photos for fear of dropping the camera in the river. It was a nice experience for a while, but eventually became quite crowded. We plan to return.

All of my life I’ve had a fear of falling ( or maybe it’s a fear of jumping). I’m particularly cautious when I can’t see where I am placing my feet. This anxiety is magnified when climbing over lava in a significant current. So as I climbed carefully through the last pool as we exited, a middle aged man asked me ” are you going to make it?”, meaning, I am sure, “old man, do you need some help?” It seems that I am way to young to be treated as though I am elderly.

On the way back to our casita we stopped at a bistro that was reputed to have a great view. It wasn’t bad. Unfortunately the view itself decided to not put forth its best face.

We did have a great sunset at home.

It is getting late and we are planning to get out of the house early tomorrow, hopefully to go to the hanging bridges nearby. We’ll be in touch.

I am feeling like life is sweet on me right now. Altough there was more rain today, yes, too much to hike in, making me a liar cuz yesterday I said “hike tomorrow, rain or shine”, but when we arrived at Arenal 1968 (so named for the Arenal volcanic eruption in 1968 and the resulting lava fields that one can explore within this preserve) it was pouring down like an overturned giant bucket of water, it seemed stupid to spend $60.00 or more to hike without seeing anything and so despite all that, today was sweet.

I did tell Charlie/Ed as we headed out, Tabacón hot springs if rain prevents a hike. So that’s what we did. Truly, it is neither hot nor a spring. It is a warm, raging river and you have to be careful not to be swept away in the swirling turbulent current. It was heaven. I found my way under several waterfalls for the best natural massage available.

Driving along post river massage we noted some clearing and views of the lake so we pulled into Le Bistro/La Mansion, a restaurant and guest cabanas overlooking the water. We knew the view would come with a price, so we weren’t surprised to see everything in dollars with figures just like stateside. We settled in for a drink and appetizer and some photos.

Still overcast and drizzly, but pleasant. I will swim in that lake before moving on from here. And that I will do rain or shine – wet is wet.

Just a piece up the road I pulled in to a drive way that I’d noticed with a sign advertising caña y pipas – sugar cane juice and coconut water – frias. Yes, nice and cold and refreshing. The man selling them said he gets lots of business – not many others selling fresh squeezed caña and pipa fria. He said he was planning to build a restaurant there under his scrappy palapa, serving comida tipica. I’d go. It was pouring again or a photo would accompany.

Not far from our casita

there is a paved path through the foresty jungle. It leads to some houses with beautiful properties and lake views.

The path itself is short and so green and brimming with life that we walked it three times.

Following are some photos taken from a walk along our road. I think it’s worth all this rain to have such a profusion of color and bright growth.

Daylight came to an end with the first dazzling sunset we’ve seen in Costa Rica.

Finally, I leave you with flight. This is how our mornings here begin.

Observing the birds, I have noticed that the small ones alight first to partake of banana. Then bigger ones fly in and off scoot the diminutive creatures. Before long, the larger birds have ceded space and the little peeps are back. The dance alternates.

May you always have enough and enough to share.

Good night sweet friends.

Yesterday we drove from San Jose to Nuevo Arenal where we settled in to a casita in the jungle for five days. The unit is comfortable, if small, and there are a lot of birds of various sizes, shapes and colors. Paula took some great photos that she will be posting tonight. My photos are not good. In fact they were so bad that I’ve actually deleted them. Well, not really. I didn’t take any.

Instead I was pondering how this is supposed to be the dry season in Costa Rica when it has been raining almost continuously since we got to Nuevo Arenal. More on that later.

We asked our host where we could find Arenal Viejo. (Suddenly I wonder why the adjective nuevo (new) precede the proper noun and the adjective viejo (old) follows it?) Be that as it may, we found that the original Arenal is now at the bottom of the lake that bears its name, the same name as the nearby volcano.

At least we’ve been been told it is nearby, and there are numerous maps, guidebooks, internet sites, posters and calendars that attest to its existence. Here, for instance is a photo from the guidebook we brought along:

This, however, is what we saw when we went to La Fortuna today.

You can see the church, which is definitely there, but the supposed volcano is missing. Clearly this is a very well orchestrated and complex conspiracy, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why they would go through all the trouble.

Oh, Wait. Paula found my meds. I’ll get back to you on this.

I didn’t post yesterday, though Paula did. She did not include in her post however, that she negotiated an excellent deal renting a full sized SUV. I mean she got us this vehicle for less than half the current cost of renting a sedan during the high season. Given that she made the deal, it was appropriate that I “let” her drive. I had the opportunity to watch the passing landscape from the passenger side.

I am a passenger a handful of times in the last year, and make up for the lack of physical control with an endless stream of observations and instructions. This became especially problematic for us when Google Maps directed us to a shortcut using an officially “unknown” road. At least it would look like a road if it actually had a surface like a road, but this one was so filled with ruts and potholes that it was difficult to notice it was actually a slippery quagmire. “Watch out!!!” I calmly shouted. That was when Paula offered to “let” me walk the rest of the way.

Most of the roads we have been on have been good, mostly well paved with few potholes. In that regard they are better than most streets in Albuquerque. However, there are no shoulders, for the most part, and the edges of the pavement end with an unforgiving incline. The likelihood of recovering if the tires left the road is remote. And did I say the roads are narrow and that there are numerous one lane bridges? Pluswhich there are many areas with no center lines.

Today we drove from Nuevo Arenal to La Fortuna. It had been raining since we got here, and our host says it really hasn’t stopped raining since the rainy season ended in November. Clouds were low, and visibility was somewhere around 100 to 200 meters on the way to La Fortuna. The volume of rain coming down alternated between sheets and buckets.

During the drive I watched calmly from the passenger side, noting how close we were to the road’s edge while simultaneously watching oncoming cars, driven too fast for conditions, careen into our lane from around blind curves. My eeks and erks were hardly more than 90 decibles.

We arrived safely having traversed the 40 kilometers in slightly more than an hour. That’s 24 miles. The guide books warn the reader not to estimate drive times based on experience elsewhere, but I must say Dr Google has been spot on during the times we consulted it. (How does Google know you’ll be stuck behind a bus or gasoline tanker for twenty minutes?) Google Maps is one of the few remaining domains where Google does not do evil.

In La Fortuna I came up with another imponderable. There has been so much discussion about “cultural imperialism” and penetration of local economies by the evil global capitalist conglomerates. I’m wondering, though, whether the concerns about these economic and cultural developments include all the new age and countercultural stuff.

One might think that I am being a bit negative, and I probably am. I read an article on the internet alleging that most people lie about the quality of their vacations. Mostly, they argued, people overstate the good and understate the bad. I take the opposite track.

The rain has been a disappointment, primarily since we want to hike a number of trails in the national parks, spend a lot of time outdoors, and enjoy great views of this wonderful landscape. Perhaps we will be able to do so later this week, though the weather forecast is bleak. Meanwhile we are planning to go hiking tomorrow, rain or shine.

On the plus side, living in the desert we do not get to experience prolonged periods of rain. , Since it is not cold here, we can actually appreciate it. Plus the humidity is really nice, especially for my old man skin.

Enough for today. I’m hoping we’ll have some good images to share tomorrow.

I awoke in the night, it was raining. I awoke in the morning, it was raining. It rained on and off all day, sometimes a light gentle rain, other times full-on sheets of rain, the kind of rain that makes me laugh, because we so seldom get that in New Mexio.

The morning was lovely, sitting on the patio and watching the birds. Such a variety: though right now the only one I can identify is the red rump tanager. It’s black is such a sleek black and the red so brilliant. A yellow breasted peeper with a blue back lit upon the table to peck at some banana while I was sitting right there. Some sort of toucan practically ate banana out of the hand of our host. Sorry not to have a photo of that. But I do have photos of the birds:

This property puppy came right in while I was practicing yoga this morning.  No, I don’t know her name. She is a she, but I did see her mount the older male dog from behind – spunky! Or just conghayfused?

Around mid-day we headed out to find the free hot springs in Tabacón. There were lots of cars and lots of people. This is high season. And given the overcast day, I reckon folks decided it was a good option. It was raining buckets so we thought we’d check out La Fortuna town and go to the springs on the way back. The springs are actually a river. At least that’s how it’s described and what photos show. The water is warmed geothermically.

The drive to La Fortuna was quite winding and curvy and up and down. It’s a narrow two lane road, often without even a single line dividing the lanes. The driving rain made it more of a challenge, as did the several crazy drivers going too fast and at times cutting it too close for comfort as they came over the center. Hair raising! It seemed like a long time gettin there.

Although La Fortuna hasn’t much going for itt, we ended up staying longer than expected. We needed some provisions and it just takes twice as long to find anything in a new grocery store. And we did stop for a local craft beer and a bite. So, it was getting late, it was foggy, and raining and I didn’t feel like driving back in the dark – either as the driver, which I was – or as passenger. It gets dark around 6 pm here and the road sure does not have street lamps. Curiously enough, the drive back seemed much faster. Familiarity?

Oh, in La Fortuna I happened upon this amazing spider.

Hoping tomorrow is a bit clearer, though we have learned not to expect too much. While Costa Rica in general has a dry season, the cloud forest areas can expect rain any time, though it’s supposed to be a bit dryer than rainy season.

Back at the homestead we found a gift of banana bread awaiting us with a note saying sorry for the rain and here’s hoping the banana bread, made from their garden bananas, would sweeten our day. It did. And truly, the rain did not dampen our spirits one bit. We have time and we’re just taking the days as they are. Tomorrow we plan on hiking in Arenal 1968 private reserve – rain or shine. Although if the sun shines, I may have to opt for hanging bridges walk and zipline. Que será, será.

May the flow be wtih you.

Hi, there. Let’s see how this goes tonight. I see that last night I also lost a bit about the artist that I featured in the post.

Tonight we are in Arenal, looking forward to hiking and ziplining and swimming in the next few days.

We had a positive start to the day upon pick up of our rental car. We got two upgrades! We are sitting posh in a Toyota Fortuner 4×4. It all went very smoothly, including the drive out of the city. As I was the driver, I did not take many photos today.

Initially, driving on the highway was swift and smooth, with it going from two lanes to one and back again many times. Before too long, it changed to one lane only and a bus kept forward movement to stop and start as it picked up and dropped off, taking up the entire lane. Finally, I was able to pass it. From there on driving was sweet. Well, except for the narrow, winding, steep, pot holed, slick section in the rain. But that was fairly short. And it was beautful – verdant and bright on an overcast day.

Here are a few photos from the petit patio of our air b and b.

Weather changes so quickly here! By the coast it was sunny, hot, and blustery. As we gained elevation, the wind stayed with us and the rain came. Not heavy, but steady. Here at our casita, it has been windy, calm, rainy, sunny, cloudy, cool, warm. And now it is dark, the insects are singing amidst the trees and bushes. It sounds as though there is a waterfall in the distance. As I sat on the patio earlier, hummingirds buzzed and swooped and chased one another, moving too fast for a good look.

And DANG if we didn’t forget our binoculars. D’oh.

Had a late delicious lunch at Soda Heladeria on a patio in the fresh air of Arenal. There is a deal here called casado, literally, married man. I guess it was what a husband could exprect his wife to prepare. It’s composed of rice, beans, a meat of choice (chicken, beef, fish), a small salad, and a drink. I had it with chicken which was slighly charred; drink of tamarindo. It was so good, I ate way more than I should have. There’s something about honest food, simply prepared – and eaten in a foreign country.

I bid you adieu. May your taste buds be tickled.

There is something about being away from home and “on vacation” even when no longer working. There is a different quality and energy to life lived elsewere, other than home.

I had written a paragraph related to the thought above, but it got disappeared and now it’s late, my patience is wearing thin, and so I’m letting it go.

His style is vibrant and colorful. He paints scenes of Costan Rican life: in parks, social events, and bailongas. Sometimes it was quite disturbing. I bet Charlie has posted at least one of those with comments, so I’ll let it be.

I just have to say right now, that Word Press is acting quite differently tonight than it did last night, so if this post ends up being wonky in format, that’s why.

We had lunch at Soda Tapia. A soda is a low cost diner. The french fries and beef were good, but the queso fundido was not. Think Velveeta, but with a wierd aftertaste. However, next time I’m near a Soda Tapia (yes it’s a chain we determined later) I’m going to try the arreglado Tapia, a sandwich type meal but the “bread” is layered like a puff pastry and made of corn. 

After our pitstop rest stop in the room and the arduous process of research for the next few legs of the trip, we had worked up a thirst. I had also researched craft beer in San Jose. Off to Wilk we traipsed, in a neighborhood, barrio Escalante, new to us. Formally, the evirons of the wealthy, the large homes were now being converted into bars, restaurants, and lodging. It is a happening scene, as they said in the 60s.

At Wilk we found quiet and a good selection of brew. We met a Dutch guy from London in town for work. We met a man from Uruguay, in town to meet up with his son who is currently in Medillin. They are going to Monteverde on Monday. This guy is also an avid bicyclist and plans to do a crazy race from Banf, Canada to Antelope Wells, NM in June 2021! He wanted to go this year, but his wife reminded him that he would be gone for their 25th wedding anniversary. So instead he’ll be going to Machu Pichu with her. Tant pis. Too bad, huh?

After Wilk we went to the Costa Rica Beer Factory. It had atmosphere up the yingyang, but no IPA. I tried a shot of the national liquor, Guara, made from sugar cane, with chile spices in it. Tasty. Then I had a keto Collins which was delicious with lots of fresh fruit.

Here are a few photos of the place.

There could be days when events come crashing in on one another in continuous waves. That was not today. We had no real plans for the day except one. We wanted to walk to our rental car location to see how much time we should plan on Sunday to pick up the car before checking out of our hotel. Perhaps we would fit in a museum or two, since rain was forecast for the afternoon.

For the record, it took 40 minutes, which wasn’t bad for a bit more than 2 miles. Afterwards we walked through the Parque Metropolitano, which is a fairly large park that caters mostly to athletics. The numerous soccer fields and baseball camps were very active.

Methinks futbol is of great import to the populace. Among the groups in the fields were soccer schools where adult men drilled shots on goals and young boys and girls practiced blocking them. We were impressed by the energy and talent of the youngsters and applauded their accomplishments, noting that we were the only ones applauding. Perhaps it is just expected that they must succeed, and special recognition for doing so might not be all that much appreciated.

We tried to gain entrance to the National Stadium, but were blocked by gates and fences. We could hear chanting and singing from inside the gates. Here is the only view of the stadium we could get.

Near the stadium folks played around an overgrown lagoon, and children fed birds. Some of the trees around the lagoon had been removed and the trunks were carved to reveal their inner parrots and macaws.

We entered the Museo de Arte Costaricanese, which was a very interesting building with interesting exhibits.

The principal exhibitor is Rudolfo Stanley. His work was very intriguing. Some of his paintings captured vignettes of daily life with a surrealistic flair. Even in somewhat innocuous settings he express contempt for modern (or post modern) life, and questions the direction society is headed.

Another thoughtful exhibit was from an archeological survey of the penal colony on the isle of San Lucas that had been occupied from 1873 until 1991. The focus was on the graffiti and drawings on the prison walls.

Felo Garcia had an interesting exhibit of disturbing representations of urbanization.

An upstairs gallery had a bas relief mural covering four walls, representing the history of Costa Rica, from pre-columbian days , the colonization by Spain, and the emergence of the modern era. The room was brightly lit by the many windows, so it was difficult to capture all of the mural.

The only other activity we were planning for the day was to visit the National Museum. By the time we got there, however, it was nearing closing time. We did not enter, and the only image I was able to get was of the bullet holes in the walls from some battle or other. If we are ever to return here, visiting this museum is first on the list of preferred actions.

That was pretty much our day. In the evening we walked to a nearby neighborhood, Barrio Escalante, which is about ten minutes from our hotel but is very different. The area is rapidly gentrifying and yuppifying. It is quite vibrant, and the many restaurants, bistros and pubs provide excellent fare at relatively modest prices. We visited at least one too many pubs.

That’s it for me for the day. Don’t forget to read Paula’s post for today. You might stand a better chance of getting to the truth. As I said, we visited at least one pub too many. I am publishing this without proofreading.

The “thump, thump, thump” from the nightclub up the street was really starting to aggravate me. A younger me would have struck out to find the source of the sound and probably relished the action on the dance floor. But I am now my older self and instead chose to grouse about for a while until realizing that this is how I spend the first night on any trip – – fuming and complaining. I should not travel on the first day of a trip.

Our decision to come to Costa Rica was somewhat impulsive. For several months we had been planning to visit Copper Canyon via the El Chepe train from Chihuahua to Los Mochis followed by a couple weeks at the Sea of Cortez. As time drew near we came to understand that January is not the time to visit Copper Canyon and decided to scrap the plan. The next morning I was going about my day resigned to being in Albuquerque for the entire winter, and found out later that Paula had been conspiring with herself, behind my back, researching other destinations.

It is possible, still, to find travel bargains at the last minute if you don’t mind small amounts of inconvenience. In our case it was cramming seven hours of flying into a sixteen hour travel day. I can’t say whether it is the seven hours of sitting or the nine hours of waiting that is the more difficult challenge.

Aside from the physical stress, I had a couple of psychic shocks due to encountering a future I was hoping I could avoid. Others might think these experiences to be somewhat mundane. The first instance occurred on an escalator at the Atlanta airport. In the course of the ride to the top, three people, almost simultaneously, keyed information into their watches, perhaps text messages or the like. I know people who have these contraptions, of course, but, Luddite that I am, I’ve always considered them to be useless trinkets, never tools people might actually use them to organize their lives.

Okay, that was a throw away rant. Not really serious, nor caring that much. The other event, however, I found really frightening. As we boarded the plane, the gate attended did not take our boarding passes, but only took photographs of our faces and handed us receipts with our names and seat assignments. I wasn’t aware that facial recognition technology was being deployed routinely. Clearly the photograph from our scanned passports were linked with our flight data which allowed for quick linking of images. I wonder, though, to what degree that information is used to track us through our journey.

I cannot say I spent the entire flight pondering this distopian future, fantasizing about _Minority Report_ and _1984_, but I also can not say that I didn’t. We arrived in San Jose late at night. Needless to say the city was dark, as was my mood. After settling into a comfortable bed and giving up my desire for perfect quietude, I found myself waking to a bright day in the tropics. My self concept was a bit like the following photo:

During our morning walk, which somehow stretched until sunset, we found that our hotel is in a good location to experience the sights and sounds of San Jose. I wouldn’t describe it as a charming city, but I can say I have taken it off my list of cities I prefer to avoid. The air was cool, with a slight breeze (that intensified over the day) with alternating periods of sunshine and cloudiness.

Paula is writing her blog entry for the day as I type this, and she is much better than I at describing our experience, so I will just mention a few bits.

We visited churches and a cathedral. I will repeat my frequent observation that Catholic churches in Latin America seem be monuments to the Virgin Mary much more that Jesus Christ. Christ is present, of course, but central prominence seems to always go to Mary. I imagine educated people have written knowledgeably about this phenomenon, though I think my intuitive and unsupported notions are probably more accurate. This has to have been an accommodation to the local population by the Spanish occupiers. Jesus could be conceived through immaculate conception, but could not have been born without a Mother.

Here are a couple images of Mary in her places.

The churches are immaculately maintained, unlike the general environment of the city. Here are some more images.

We also toured the Teatro Nacional. This theater was constructed in the late nineteenth century. It is smaller than other national theaters, and could use a facelift of sorts, but it nonetheless has a charming elegance and thoughtful architectural and design flourishes. We hitched a ride with a group of kids who were getting a tour from actors in period costume, playing the parts of the building architect, the President and First Lady of Costa Rica. It was nice to be around youthful energy .

A few images:

Here are a few more images from the day, in no particular order:

That’s it for today.

Getting here took a little time. Fortunately we have that. A 7 hour layover in Atlanta actually went by pretty quickly. The airport has lots of art to visit with, ponder, and appreciate. Lots of it was Haitian. Just an exhibition, we wondered or is there a direct flight to Haiti? We also walked quite a bit as it is a large airport. We stopped at a round bar for a beer. A couple of military guys sat and we heard the sorry saga of delayed flight, flight turned back, and more delays. They had actually flown Atlanta to Texas and then had to return.I have come to appreciate Delta as an airline. Long time since I’ve flown them. The Airbus 321 has comfortable seats and pretty good leg room. Also good snack selection. We did not pay extra to have seats assigned in advance. And it worked out fine and even especially well for the Atlanta-San Jose leg as we were assigned seats in the emergency row which always has great leg room. Plus! Movies on the seatback of the seat in front. No free beer or wine though on this international flight. I guess it’s too close.Oh, here is a photo from the Atlanta airport.I thought it tender and clever to find a way to pray in private.We arrived to our guest house after 10 pm, by which time the train that I had read about being noisy, was no longer running. Unfortunately, a local nightclub took over for the noise pollution. And while I thought sleep would take me quickly, as we were up at 4:45 after going to bed at midnight, no such luck. The incessant pounding of a barely existent beat (do I sound like my parents?!) kept me awake for awhile.It’s much cooler here, at least today, than anticipated. The variably overcast sky and a near constant breeze kept us comfortable – and even a bit chilly toward late afternoon and into the evening.We visited a couple of churches. I appreciate the wide variety of architectural styles and the unique touches that each church community brings to their place of worship. They are also quiet refuges from city hubbub. Taking a moment to sit quietly with thoughts of others and of gratitude provide a peaceful break. Here are a few of Iglesia Nuestra Senora la Merced.Above from door panelsThis head covering took me back to my childhood. It was forbidden for females to ener the Catholic church without a head covering. I rremember having to dash into the drug store across the street to purchase a “doily” last minute when I’d forgotten.This image of The Last Supper from Iglesia Soledad gave me pause. Is the “ghosted” figure on the left meant to portray Judas?Here are Mary’s hands with the very best blingy bracelets ever. Well, best looking whilst giving blessings. Which is about all you can do while wearing them.Here are a few images from Parque Espana. The little boy and his siblings were having a blast with this sculture.I found this enchanting scene in the park to be worth gazing into; so much to see. Just a gem, with a table and bench just there for a relaxing chat with friends or for solo relfection.San Jose is not a particularly attractive or historic or quaint city. There are few buildings of architectural interest asides from the churches – the post office and the Teatro Nacional, being the most prominent. The lore behind the Teatro Nacional is that a renowned opera singer on tour bypassed San Jose as it lacked a suitable venue. The city political fathers and business barons got together to put up the money to create one. It is the smallest of its kind that I have seen, though with all the requisite features that one expects – guilding, marble, velvet, murals mirrors, sculpture – the whole gamut. Unfortunately, there are no espectaculares scheduled while we are here.An unusual feature of this theatre is that the seats orchestra level can be removed. The floating floor can be raised to the level of the stage to create one large space for balls or other gatherings.Later in the afternoon, after a repast of comida tipica at the Mercado Central, I mentioned to Charlie that I’d read that craft beer was available of late in San Jose and that we’d have to do a search. A moment later, we turned a corner and Lo! I saw a sign. Pub Piso 3. Up to the 3rd floor we bounded to find a comfortable space with a table by an open window overlooking the peatonal – and a decent IPA!Here is a simple way to make a chandelier:The peatonal with the Post Office in the background:And finally, I’ll leave you with this:I sure wish that I had been taking photos of bathrooms and bathroom doors more assiduously throughout my travels. I think it would make a terrific bathroom book. Don’t steal my idea!Good night.