Driving through coconuts: San Jose

Statue of John Lennon in San Jose with the inscription 'Imagine all the people living life in peace' - very appropriate for a country with no standing army (and none sitting down either). Having said that I don't think 'peace' is a word easily associated with San Jose - the constant traffic noise makes sure of that. It's worth a visit if you're passing through, although Dave reckons it's a bit like Sunderland only warmer!

However, I'm pleased to say that my Costa Rican research on the perils of San Jose probably led to me being over concerned.

Warning that 'street crime is very real' - I'm sure there is petty crime and some violence but you only need to take the sort of precuations you would in any capital city - watch where you put your money and avoid obviously dodgy areas at night. We had little or no hassle and the people were so kind and helpful.
You need to 'take particular care negotiating the city's very wide roadside storm drains' - Yes there are large deep gutters at the side of the roads but there are also places where the gap is altered for pedestrians, and anyway they're not as big as all that. We've seen larger gutters in both France and Spain.
Prostitution is legal but you can easily find out the areas to avoid (or not) and simply do this. Google or a guide book will tell you.
The traffic is chaotic and I personally wouldn't drive there, however I'm not known as someone who particularly enjoys driving in the first place - I'd leave it to Dave who would be very happy with the challenge.

We enjoyed an interesting morning shopping and browsing in the city centre and market but one thing was a particular shock - IT'S REALLY EXPENSIVE - although we have been living in a small Spanish village known to family and friends as 'euro land' (as everything seems to cost only a euro), so we might be biased. It's interesting to realise that a 2nd world/developing country could be more expensive than somewhere in Europe. We did find a great, cheap, lunch in the market though, where lots of locals were eating. Classic food of rice, beans, cheese/meat, salad, a soup with lots of coriander, rice pudding and a great fruit drink! That set us up for the rest of the day.

The weather was warm (mid 20s) with rain in the afternoon, which forced us to spend several hours in a local bar, watching the world go by and trying to combat jet lag, helped by a rather nice (but expensive) red - by the way I have no idea why my mouth is open in this photo!

On the shoe front I was really impressed to see a latest range of beautiful pumps, sandles, short boots and high wedge heels, in a wide variety of colours and totally plastic! Ideal for the fashion concious woman dealing with 8/9 months of rainy season - GENIUS!