Cafe ..... Can We Say Yummm

Yes, Costa Rican coffee is very delicious (Note to Shannon - I have not used that particular word in a long time so it must be good!). Our day started waking up to the sounds of birds outside our window and then some eggs and toast for breakfast. Aidan amused himself by observing the three large turtles that live in the courtyard area of the hostel. While Michael did a bit of reading in the guidebook, Aidan buckled down and did a good bit of school work and journal writing. By this time it was noon and so we called a cab and went downtown to the San Carlos bus terminal to purchase tickets to La Fortuna for tomorrow morning. La Fortuna is a town near the Parque Nacional Volcan Poas (volcano national park). Yes for $7 we can go to the visitor center and then to a lookout over the 300 m deep active volcano. As you can imagine we can hardly wait. We spent much of the afternoon wandering around the central market of San Jose. Hundreds of open air stalls and stores collect along the streets and in enclosed areas that reminded me of mazes. Many of the stalls are selling food - meats, fish, spices, cheeses, etc. and Aidan really took notice of the various smells. At one point we passed a man throwing pig parts and offal into barrels in the back of a truck and various things were spilling out onto the street - Aidan had a lot of questions about this. Although the guidebooks often warn to be vigilant with respect to money and personal safety - honestly we did not feel unsafe at any point during our wanderings and had a fun and relaxing afternoon. Well that's all for today. I am off to enjoy a beer and then pack a few things in preparation for our early departure tomorrow.