In my last entry I promised that my next post on my conservation blog would actually be about conservation. As it turns out I am still in San Jose and will not be able to travel to the site of my project until Monday. Very sadly, an employee of the non-profit I am working with and friend of my senior project mentors passed away last weekend. I kept myself busy in San Jose until they could meet with me yesterday to discuss the details of what I will be doing in the Osa Peninsula. Primarily this has meant lots of reading on community-based conservation and mangrove reforestation and wandering around taking pictures. Generally this is not considered a “pretty” city, but I've become quite fond of the historic district where I am staying. I suppose that this entry has to do with the second half of my blog title, the “Costariccense” part.

For a small city (less than 400,000 people), San Jose has a lot of public art. Some of the street art in the area around my hostel is amazing. Like this says, “The thing is in the street.”

This guy greets me every day as I walk through the park.

I love this stencil! Its hard to tell from the picture, but she's actually growing a star.

What is she looking at?

Seremos ¿libres?

We will be free?

There has been some major creation of art going on near my hostel for a few days now. I will be sure to take pictures of the finished work when I return to the city at the end of the month. There is some really amazing stuff.

I love how the historical and modern lie side by side in old cities. This was a fortress before the army was abolished in 1949. It is now the National Museum. It bears bullet holes from the country's civil war in 1948.

Whomever bejeweled these fountain faces is awesome.

The National Theater.

One of my favorite things about this area of San Jose is the Mercado Central. Its a huge indoor market with narrow, maze-like corridors winding between tiny shops selling everything imaginable.

What do you need? Spices by the kilo?

Fresh herbs? Fruit?

Cow intestine? Cow tongue? Cow foot?

A rooster, perhaps? You want it, they got it.

With any luck, my next entry will be written from the beautiful Osa Peninsula. Hasta luego, ya'll.