Walking the Streets of San Jose...

Today was an easy day. We did not leave San Jose, because Lou needed a new battery to make it through the trip and it will take 10 hours in order to charge it. Therefore, we will change out the battery in the morning and take off for Panama at around 9AM.
So this evening, I took it upon myself to walk down town and meet my friend Meridith who just had come back from KC. I know Meridith from the Canterbury house on Louisiana Street in Lawrence, KS. I actually lived with her sister Erin there, however, they both attended the Lutheran Campus Ministries there on Sundays where I cooked the evening meal.
Meridith is down here living with her boyfriend Randal on the outskirts of San Jose, and the both teach English. Randal has lived both here in Costa Rica, and in the United States where the majority of his family still resides.
So I took off into Central San Jose at around 5PM this evening, strolling through the park, looking at the sculptures and geese that roamed through the bamboo shade. I passed two soccer fields, a museum, and a monument before making it to one of the main streets headed into city centro. Walking down the street, I saw a number of fast food restaurants from Quiznos to KFC, Dollar Rent a Car, Banks, and Tourist information. As I went further, I bypassed the main hospital in San Jose; crowds of people lined through the door, creating a plethora of emotion in the lobby. I would expect that people had been waiting for hours to get any information at all...the crowd was amazing.
I kept walking down the street, and the business section turned into retail. Fashion from all over the world; assortments of designer shoes and purses to the latest soccer cleats and apparel. This town is certainly hip...beautiful young people surrounded me on all sides, all dressed in big city fashion, and all looking really good for a Monday evening. I was truly stunned by all of the beautiful people; on the bus, working in the retail stores, talking on the public phones, making out in the park, sitting outside the National Theater (where I met up with Meridith and Randal). I ended up walking all around Centro San Jose, through parks and around museums...where I actually met a few locals who ended up discussing my trip with me and telling me how wonderful Panama is going to be. They also taught me that if I am a gringo, then they are Tikos, and in Panam they are Panas or la P's. Good to know.
I met up with Meridith and Randal and we went for some cheap fried chicken and Ice cream. Truly hitting the spot and sparing some change for the bus trip home. We had a wonderful time catching up, and Randal was very helpful in giving me contacts for Panama City and Buenos Aires. I said goodbye, and watched the San Jose night through a sheet of glass down the Costa Rican streets. Beautiful people continued to get on and off the bus...I passed a soccer stadium and another museum...
Pura Vida en San Jose....Pura Vida.