COSTA RICA: San Jose's Central Market and Street Scenes

San Jose's Central Market dates back to 1880.

It is a Shopping maze of little alleys.

There are over 200 shops.

There are vendors selling meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, leather goods, flowers, herbs, meals, souvenirs and more.

There are "sodas" which are little restaurants with traditional Costa Rican food.

They are inexpensive places to eat.

Sodas are a bit like our food courts in the malls, except they are family owned and not chain fast food outlets.

Seafood is popular. The small country has a coast on each side.

Tourist items

Fruit and vegetable market

Dried herbs

Dried herbs and flowers

An herbal dispensary

And then of course, a coffee shop. 

Not your typical Starbucks. 

Outside the market, wandering around the area, this group of statues caught my eye.

It is called "Moument Los Presentes" (Monument to Those Present). 

It is 9 life sized statues of peasants. 

Apparently "The work personifies the typical inhabitants of the Central Valley, in danger of disappearing due to modernization; Paradoxically, they are represented as firm, immutable, static and in silent rebellion against changes."

Lots of lottery ticket sellers. This is a booth, but there were a lot of individual sellers snapping rolls of tickets to entice purchasers. 

The Post Office.

Feeding pigeons by the National Theatre. 

We really enjoyed the Gold Museum 

and their historical displays about the cultural settlement of the area.

And last but not least, I like this woman. 

I see her as comfortable in her own skin walking San Jose's central business district.