Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, overthrown in a military coup this week, was put on a plane and sent into exile in Costa Rica. While most people plan their Costa Rica vacations further in advance (actually having time to change out of their pajamas before they board a plane), that doesn’t mean that Zelaya won’t find plenty to do while in San Jose.
Zelaya’s first stop should be Plaza Real Cariari, one of Costa Rica’s largest shopping centers, conveniently located near the San Jose airport. After picking out something to wear, Hondura’s ex-presidente will be sartorially prepared to explore the town.
The main tourist and business gateway to Costa Rica, San Jose is a thriving metropolis of 1.4 million ticos, as residents of Costa Rica are called. Most of the city’s museums and historical buildings are found downtown in the centro. Zelaya should start his walking tour at the Plaza de la Cultura, a large bustling expanse that is home base for ambulatory street vendors and a variety of buskers performing sometimes on-key Andean flute music. Even somebody making news headlines will probably remain anonymous to the kids chasing pigeons across the concrete as well as the adults chatting on palm-shaded benches.
Costa Rica’s National Theater, with its expansive Renaissance-style columned façade and green copper roof, stands at one end of the Plaza. Known as the architectural jewel of the city, the building, constructed in 1890, is worth a visit to admire the splendor within. The pink marble entry way, complete with plenty of gilded trim, is reminiscent of European palaces. Zelaya should definitely work his contacts (certainly even deposed presidents still have some clout) to get tickets for an upcoming performance.
If the ex-presidente is feeling nostalgic, his next stop should be the Gold Museum, located in a building underneath the Plaza de la Cultura. The exhibits, spread out over three floors, are attractively displayed in handsome, well-lit cases. When he is surrounded by 1600 works of pre-Colombian gold figurines, jewelry, and ceremonial pieces, Señor Zelaya will certainly be reminded of the luster of his formerly golden days.
A late lunch as the main meal of the day is still the norm in Costa Rica, as it is in much of Latin America. Zelaya should make his way to the Hotel Grano de Oro a popular dining spot for San Jose’s business and political power brokers, to rub shoulders with the elite. The hotel, a converted mansion, features a delightful restaurant that wraps around an Eden-like, flower-laden interior courtyard. Serving continental cuisine with a French influence, it is one of the best places in town to linger over a lengthy meal.
Zelaya will no doubt end his repast with a steaming cup of coffee, Costa Rica’s most famous export. Because he is accustomed to the finer things in life, he should ask for a brew from Tarrazú, a region just outside of San Jose. Costa Rican coffee plantations, known for producing some of the finest Arabica beans in the world, are an easy drive from the capital city. A tour of one of them would be worth his while if he ends up being in town longer than a few days.
If El Presidente is feeling a bit blue when night falls, he should head to El Observatorio bar, one of San Jose’s most popular live music venues. There he can drown his sorrows in guaro, the national liquor of Costa Rica. Made from distilled sugar cane juice, it is traditionally served over Fresca and ice. After a few of those he’ll be ready either to cut a rug or to storm back to Honduras and kick some military brass.
Interesting!
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