San Jose City Tour

I've noticed people are on time here.

The tour shuttle was to pick me up at 1:40 pm, and they got here at 1.45 pm. Wow!

There were 8 of us "tourists" on the tour and it cost $21.00 USD (which I thought was a lot of money).

I spoke to a few of the people on the bus.

One lady I noticed had a real Luis Vuitton fanny type purse so of course I had to talk to her. I've been talking to backpackers all this time, so this would be very refreshing. She is here with her husband who works for HP and they are staying at the Marriott Hotel. One thing she asked me was if I knew of a great restaurant to go to. I said not really. I didn't think she would like the pizza joint I know of.

Another person I spoke to was this guy and his girlfriend as he was quite fluent in Spanish. Turns out he was born in California and his mother is Spanish. He would probably be early 40's. He mentioned that he retired 2 months ago from EBay. Worked for them for 8 years. It sounds like he's worked and travelled all over the world. His girlfriend was blond and probably half his age.

Rich people.

Back to the tour and how it was described:

This tour immerses you in the rich Costa Rican culture and history by experiencing the beautiful museums and historical sites of San Jose. It begins with an orientation and drive through San Jose's beautiful Sabana Park. Next, we will take a walking tour through the historic National Theatre completed in 1897, the theater is a masterpiece in art and architecture. Afterwards, we will visit one of the many unique museums of Costa Rica. We'll continue heading tot he University of Costa Rica, the Supreme Court and various sites of interest. A brief stop will be made in a souvenirs plaza allowing you to browse through the beautiful craft shops located in this area.

My description:

Take a drive in our clean air-conditioned bus through the unpretty streets of San Jose. You will see different "barrios" (neighbourhoods), where people live in houses, some very nice, but all behind bars due to all the crime here. There is a big drug and prostitution problem in the city. We will make a stop at the National Theatre which will definitely "wow" you due to the art and architecture. The pre-columbian Coin Museum will only be great for those of you that love history and archaeological digs. (NOT ME!) We then drive by the University and some other big spots in the city. We end the tour with stops at 2 souvenier shops that are overpriced and cater to people that take these tours.