Alison Slattery Photography: San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose Photo by Farah Khan (house9Design)

Up at 6am & out the door onto another Hola Shuttle for San Jose. As you pass Limon, you will notice that it is like container nation. There are trucks everywhere, crashes everywhere, containers everywhere. It is a sight for sore eyes.

We stayed at Casamar Airbnb in San Jose. It was in a great area, close to all the markets, the museums & Avenida Central which is the main shopping street. We went to Mercado Central & The Annex for some presents to bring home, it is filled with trinkets & coffee. In the afternoon we stopped by the Gold Museum, which is interesting & you'll learn about Costa Rican money & if you are into coins, this is your spot. The weather is alot chillier in San Jose, situated in the mountains & filled with hills.

Walking around San Jose at night is eventful, you will see transvestites on almost every street corner in one particular neighbourhood. Now I know why our Airbnb says no escorts whatsoever. It is completely legal here & there are hotels that cater for this business, to make it a safe haven. However if you are a foreigner, you should be wary of your wallet & things, as they are known for stealing your stuff at these hotels.
We had two amazing meals while in San Jose. The coffee shop Kalu is a must. The brunch was amazing & they have insane coffee & pastries. Also it is just a beautiful space. The place for dinner is Alma de Amon, it is absolutely delicious. We had polenta, motongo, funce, chorizo & potatoes, dayum, it was so tasty. Another mention although it was closed while we were there is CafeMaza, that is a definite place to try. We met the chef & he is a sound guy & super passionate about great food.

Ok, now for the most amazing part of Costa Rica. The secret Clandestinos. They are unlicensed restaurants, usually in someones home. It is the perfect place for old school Costa Rican food but the twist is only locals can guide you there. We are literally in the mountain somewhere, walking down the side of someones house, when a small restaurant appears. Inside we are welcomed, fussed over & served some of their finest. A hearty beef stew with yucca, rice, pumpkin & potatoes followed by chicharrónes with patacones and beans & finally the Costa Rican version of smoked meat, my favourite. It's soft, tender & incredibly flavourful. This I could eat for days, it was different to every soda we had eaten at which all offered the same menu.

Follow us as we continue our journey to Arenal, Costa Rica or check out our last trip here to Puerto Viejo