San Jose’s train line was built originally to transport coffee and bananas to the Caribbean coast. Today, there are coffee plants in multiple areas of San Jose, symbolizing the importance of this good for their economy. When the railroad was being built, the building conditions were unbearable for most individuals including Italians, and others of European decent. Some of the only people who were able to sustain the weather were Jamaicans. Their presence still remains in San Jose as these cultural people reside in certain sections of the city. The railroad is no longer used for transporting coffee and bananas, but it is still an important transportation system for natives of Costa Rica. The train that we took this morning mainly runs from Alajuela to San Jose. Public Transportation is not extremely effective and utilized in Costa Rica since the train only runs specific hours of the day and provides difficult connections for locations in different parts of the city.

Although the atmosphere of Pittsburgh and San Jose have stark differences, there are also many identifiable connections between the two areas. Both cities have rich history and cultural displays. Pittsburgh has multiple museums such as the Carnegie Museum, the Mattress Factory, and the Andy Warhol Museum. San Jose houses the National Theatre, Pre-Colombian Gold Museum, and the National Museum of Costa Rica. They also both have statues of their prominent figures such as Don Pepe, who abolished the army for Costa Rica. Pittsburgh has a statue of Andrew Carnegie, an important figure for the area. San Jose also has many parks and green areas and Pittsburgh has about 2,000 acres of green spaces and parks within the city. Furthermore, there were many American restaurants represented in San Jose, the same as fast food chains found in Pittsburgh.

San Jose is the heart of Costa Rican business and is a main tourist attraction since it is the capital city. Most of the government buildings reside in this city and it is a hub for jobs. Since this country originated with an agricultural foundation, San Jose does not have addresses or a specific identification system. Instead, people identify locations based on reference points and common landmarks. The logistics of locating places and delivering items become increasingly difficult without identification mechanisms. Locals grew up by identifying a place based on what it surrounds, so in essence, it does not hold natives back. This becomes a challenge, though, when landmarks are destroyed or no longer exist. The mail delivery system may suffer if these points disappear, decreasing efficiency for both locals and foreigners. Regarding tourists, especially individuals who do not speak the language, finding a location becomes difficult, timely, and complicated. Even though this may not prohibit ticos from a timely location, a lack of street addresses may make any outsider feel secluded and lost in the city. Additionally, this may restrict growth of business on an international scale as it appears exclusive and unapproachable to travelers. A disorganized system was not a problem many years ago, but economic growth and efficiency in the future depends upon a more reliable system.