Estación del Atlántico

A day of culture and history in downtown Chepe.

San José city centre can be a busy, noisy, bustling place, and I'll be the first to admit I'm not super keen on exploring - it's not the sort of place you want to get lost in, especially after dark.

As much as I try to blend in, I stick out like a sore thumb, and sometimes it's not as easy to take photos without attracting the wrong sort of attention...

Today, I was with the Tico and his Tia - having two locals as my guides wasn't quite as threatening, and perhaps I've previously been a little unfair about some of the things the city has to offer - it's not just a concrete jungle - there is a rich heritage.

A slightly-hairy-but-nothing-like-previous-taxi-rides-into-town, followed by a walk around the Parque Nacional, a nose at the Estación del Atlántico, over to the Old Main Customs House, round the Iglesia Santa Teresita, lunch at Jardin del Parque , back to the station, down to the Biblioteca Nacional , a look around the MADC complex, and then down to Kalu for a snackette.

Busy afternoon and then some!

This is the ticket counter of the recently refurbished Estación del Atlántico - another beautiful building in the concrete jungle, and a nostalgic nod to journeys past by ferrocarril.

Rail travel is nothing like it used to be here - there's only a skeletal train service for commuters (and a rail line running up the middle of the road is a super bright idea IMHO!).

Officials from France were over the other weeks and it looks like there will be a tram line coming soon. And I wouldn't be surprised if it's completed before Edinburgh's. (Even 8500km away I can't escape them!)