Day 6

We began our day with a scavenger hunt that our Spanish teachers organized around the city. We were asked to visit the municipality building, the pharmacy, the local church, the public library and a souvenir shop, and ask local for addresses to these places. During this process, we learned that Costa Ricans do not use exact addresses, instead they describe where a place is in relation to popular points of reference and by relative distance:  “100 meters from the bakery in the corner.”

We also had the opportunity to visit Santa Ana’s Farmers Market and try many of the local flavors. We tried mamones chinos, moras, cas, zapotes and guavas. We tasted delicious Salvadorean pupusas, incredible fruit juices and tasty baked goods. We enjoyed interacting with the Santa Anianos and experiencing a typical Sunday in Costa Rica!

In the afternoon we visited the downtown area of San Jose. Despite it being the weekend and traffic not being as overwhelming as we were told it usually is, we did experience the hustle and bussle of the city around the most touristy areas: the National Theatre, Paseo Colon and Calle Central. At the Mercado del Pastor we were able to admire the colorful handicrafts and buy souvenirs for our families.

We closed the evening with an unforgettable farewell dinner prepared by the United World College cooking staff. After trying the amazing flan they prepared for us, we headed to the amphitheater to enjoy each other’s company and artistic skills at our first talent show. We were all very impressed with our peers’ willingness to share their poetry, voices and great sense of humor. What a wonderful day!