Downtime in Chepe (S.J. CR)
Diay mae, San José.
“We just flew in to San José. We’re not on any scheduled tour time until tomorrow. What can we do for the rest of the day or night?” If I had a fart everytime I heard that one, people would avoid my fowl existence. Luckily, the latter´s false and people continue reading. The first phrase actually pertains to common vacation or business doubts while in the center valley of Costa Rica.
Consider the following list of economical activities to kill time while in Chepe. (Shhhhh. The death penalty remains inactive; also, killing time is legal in Costa Rica.)
1. Walk to the Sabana: from the Avenida Central walk down to and past Paseo Colón until you arrive to the park. Paths interwind throughout the whole park, which creates an ideal walk through the park. If you have rollerblades, head to the rink where skate pick up games of street hockey. The walk covers about two kilometers (oneway), but covers a large part of the center of the metropolitan area. Remember, if you get feel lost or unsure just ask a policeman mopri, ¿dónde queda la Sabana or compa, voy bien para el centro de Chepe ?, if you are heading back to the center of San José.
2. Night setting: head to the Morazán Park (in front of the Holliday Inn) just after dark to sit in the park and enjoy the neon green and blue incandescent lights which accent the tree outlines. The park seats plenty of parkgoers and is a great place for conversation.
3. McCafé (McDonalds): Go to the Plaza of Cultura where McCafé is located. Order a cono (ice cream cone) and sit in the park and observe the pigeons in the plaza.
4. Window Shopping to shopping sprees: San José offers a wide array of small shops to larger bookstores, such as Lehmen, and department stores like Universal. Both are located on the Avenida Central.
5. Fiesta Casino: Take a chance with the slots or some hands of blackjack, located on the Avenida Central.
6. Grab a bite to eat on the Avenida Central: a decent amount of different types of cuisine are arrange on the Center Avenue. Walk around and look for restaurants.
All of these activities hold something in common. They follow a straight line, so getting lost is theoretically impossible.