This week classes were at full speed. Six hours of classes per day at the graduate level means lots of work outside of the classroom. Although we were off on Friday, I opted to stay at home in Chepe for the long weekend. I was able to catch up on assignments, reading and sleep, although I did take some time to explore the city on my own.
San Jose (Chepe to the locals) is one of the most confusing cities I have ever visited. As a businessman, I had flown into US cities in the morning, rented a car, done my business and flown back out in the evening. I'm good with a map and directions. A map and directions in San Jose are just the beginning of a search for a location.
The city did
have a plan in that it was laid out on a grid with Streets running North and South and Avenues running East and West. Where Central Street and Cental Avenue intersect is the center of the town. Unique to San Jose is that the numbering of the respective streets and avenues alternates North and South of the Central markers. That is, north of the Avenida Central, you will find 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th Avenues and to the South of Avenida Central you will find 2nd, 4th, 6th Avenues. Likewise, to the East of Calle Central, you will find 1st, 3rd, 5th Streets and to the West, you will find 2nd, 4th, 6th Streets.
That understood, you are far from set to go. Rarely are street signs posted, nor are buidlings numbered. If you look at any guidebook, you will note there are no addresses given. Directions usually appear as: Go to the corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Steet and walk 50 meter to the west. (Rule of thumb: 1 city block = 100 meters) Ok, I can handle that. Just count your streets and avenue as you move off of ground zero.
But another popular local custom is to give directions in terms of landmarks. This is complicated in that the landmarks often no longer exist, but locals still use the "Old US Embassy," the "Coc
a Cola building" or the "Higueron" (big fig tree) as a guideline. Now this can really cause problems for visitors. Allow lots of time to find the place you hope to visit. Taxi drivers are generally well clued as to where you want to go.
San Jose carries the usual cautions for a large capital city. Be aware of your surroundings and leave valuables at home when possible. However, being cautious, you should not be afraid to head out and explore. There are many beautiful buildings and monuments and you need to explore on foot to soak up the local culture.
I paid a
visit to the Gold Museum. Uniquely located underground in Central San Jose, it is a well designed and strategically lighted structure with well done exhibits and bilingual explanations. It is the largest single collection of pre-Columban gold. There are often additional exhibits within the building as well.
Although this is the rainy season, historically July shows a considerable drop in the average rainfall over June and August. It certainly looks that way today; it is bright and sunny with refreshing cool winds.
San Jose (Chepe to the locals) is one of the most confusing cities I have ever visited. As a businessman, I had flown into US cities in the morning, rented a car, done my business and flown back out in the evening. I'm good with a map and directions. A map and directions in San Jose are just the beginning of a search for a location.
The city did
have a plan in that it was laid out on a grid with Streets running North and South and Avenues running East and West. Where Central Street and Cental Avenue intersect is the center of the town. Unique to San Jose is that the numbering of the respective streets and avenues alternates North and South of the Central markers. That is, north of the Avenida Central, you will find 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th Avenues and to the South of Avenida Central you will find 2nd, 4th, 6th Avenues. Likewise, to the East of Calle Central, you will find 1st, 3rd, 5th Streets and to the West, you will find 2nd, 4th, 6th Streets.That understood, you are far from set to go. Rarely are street signs posted, nor are buidlings numbered. If you look at any guidebook, you will note there are no addresses given. Directions usually appear as: Go to the corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Steet and walk 50 meter to the west. (Rule of thumb: 1 city block = 100 meters) Ok, I can handle that. Just count your streets and avenue as you move off of ground zero.
But another popular local custom is to give directions in terms of landmarks. This is complicated in that the landmarks often no longer exist, but locals still use the "Old US Embassy," the "Coc
a Cola building" or the "Higueron" (big fig tree) as a guideline. Now this can really cause problems for visitors. Allow lots of time to find the place you hope to visit. Taxi drivers are generally well clued as to where you want to go.San Jose carries the usual cautions for a large capital city. Be aware of your surroundings and leave valuables at home when possible. However, being cautious, you should not be afraid to head out and explore. There are many beautiful buildings and monuments and you need to explore on foot to soak up the local culture.
I paid a
visit to the Gold Museum. Uniquely located underground in Central San Jose, it is a well designed and strategically lighted structure with well done exhibits and bilingual explanations. It is the largest single collection of pre-Columban gold. There are often additional exhibits within the building as well.Although this is the rainy season, historically July shows a considerable drop in the average rainfall over June and August. It certainly looks that way today; it is bright and sunny with refreshing cool winds.
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