If you’re looking for them, influences of the coffee and banana trade can be seen all over the city of San Jose, from banana graffiti to coffee plants in the public parks. In front of the National Theatre, there are even more coffee plants. And, in the National Theatre, a painting depicts workers on a banana plantation during the colonial era. (Something I found interesting from our tour guide Cindy is that the painting in the National Theatre was a gift from Italy. And, because the artist had never been to Costa Rica before, the painting is not very accurate. For example, the attire the workers are shown in was not typical, and one of the workers is holding the bananas the exact opposite of how he should be.)
As we continued to walk around San Jose today, there was definitely a different feel from Pittsburgh, although there were some similarities. Both are big cities, and therefore business hubs. The two cities also have public parks, although San Jose’s are more for leisure and socialization. And, it is clear that the people in both San Jose and Pittsburgh are proud of their history and culture. In San Jose, you can visit the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Jade Museum, National Museum, Museum of Costa Rican Art, and Postal, Telegraphic and Philatelic Museum; while, in Pittsburgh, you have the Carnegie Art and Natural History Museums, Andy Warhol Museum, and Senator John Heinz History Center, to name a few. Additionally, throughout the two cities, you can find various pieces of art and sculptures, some of which are by well-known artists.
However, one major difference between the cities is that buildings and locations in San Jose don’t have addresses in the same way that we have them in the U.S. Instead, places are identified by where they are in relation to landmarks, for example — 2 kilometers north of the church. This can sometimes be confusing, as you might not know what specific church the direction is in reference to, or the church might have been knocked down and so the actual building doesn’t exist anymore. Although this might not seem to be effective, the system seems to work well, especially if you’ve been living in San Jose or Costa Rica for a while. I think that perhaps problems could arise when people from different countries are trying to mail or have something delivered. Or, if somebody has just moved to San Jose and is new to the area, it might be a bit confusing, adjusting at the beginning. Despite what some might call this minor imperfection, I loved every moment of exploring San Jose and getting to see the people in it!