Today, we took the train from Heredia to the city of San José. We began the day by exploring the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, where there was a butterfly garden and an array of historical artifacts. Then, we went to La Casa Amarilla, a national monument that was originally built for the Legislative Assembly. Similarly to many buildings in Pittsburgh, especially Oakland, La Casa Amarilla was funded by Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie, a philanthropist, donated money to this building because it would be used to settle conflicts between Costa Rica and other countries. After viewing this building, we walked through the Teatro Nacional, a historic theater that is still in use today. One of the paintings on the ceiling of this building depicts a scene that is meant to represent Costa Rica, as it has men and women carrying coffee and bananas to ships. This painting was so influential, in fact, that it was the image on the 50 colones bill. This bill is no longer in circulation, however it is still an important part of Costa Rican history.

After learning about San José’s history, we had some free time to explore the Mercado Central and Avenida Central. Since Costa Rica has a lack of street addresses, choosing something like a meeting point can be difficult. In order to make sure that everyone knows the exact location, we will drop a pin on Google Maps. This affects other aspects of people’s lives as well, such as how their mail is delivered. I think that think system hold San José back because both tourists and locals may become confused on the locations of places.