San Jose was fascinating. Some great museums, art, and history. Miguel was our driver, and we had a great tour, including a stop for a traditional Costa Rica lunch.
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| Waiting for Miguel, enjoying the Hotel Bougainvellea gardens |
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| Dave enjoying the patio at reception |
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| A wall of orchids |
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The home of Costa Rica's great reformist president
Rafael Angel Calderon
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Calderon founded the first Social Security for Costa Rica
and helped form the Univ. of Costa Rica
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| The Calderon home has an art Gallery |
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The National Museum is a huge collection of artifacts from Costa Rica's history.
It has a Butterfly garden at it's entrance.
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This is a Blue Morpho
They always land and fold their wings but below is a rare shot of the blue when they open their wings.
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| Pre-Columbian art |
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| This is carved from a single block of volcanic rock |
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| A replica of a pre-Columbian grave, in which 40 objects of gold were found. |
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| A world-class museum |
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| Gold from a Spanish church |
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| Mask |
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| Coffee plantation cart |
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The museum is a converted fort.
A lot of bullet holes remain.
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| Lunch (and what a lunch!) |
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| The National Theater, probably the most beautiful building in San Jose |
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The Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold
This is art from the Museum's art gallery which sponsors contemporary art.
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An enormous display of gold.
The museum's main door is a huge bank vault-like circular door.
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El Guerrero
A Warrior with great wealth and prestige.
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| A rather sad portrait of the arrival of the Spanish. |
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| The Gold Museum was built into a huge excavation under the National Theater. |
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| A gallery with examples of Costa Rica's currency going back to the 15th. Century. |
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A spectacular building which used to be the home (!) of Costa Rica's
leading Opera Singer
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