San José Safari. 10: Baja San José, Costa Rica

We recently discovered Baja, one of very few options for a really late drink in San José. Baja appears to be open 24/7, and is a slightly better option than nearby Chelles for those who decide it's too early to stop drinking.

We met a dancing, drunk Santa Claus outside Baja, and he was not a hallusination. That's what he claimed, anyway.

San José Safari. 9: La Chicha, San José, Costa Rica

La Chicha is one of the new nightlife hot spots in San José. A good atmosphere and decent prices makes it different from the average club.

San José Safari. 8: Bar Copas, San Pedro, Costa Rica

Bar Copas is a splendid little oasis only about 100 m from the living hell that is la calle de la amargura near the university. After places like El Pulpo, Mosaikos and la Villa closed down and were replaced by places like Terra U and who knows what the other ones are called, it is increasingly difficult to find bars that satisfy the exquisitely critical academic taste, namely those with cheap beer.

Fellow safarians outside Copas

A lovely blue colour makes you think you are in heaven

San José Safari. 7: Il Pomodoro, San José, Costa Rica

The seventh stop on the guarotour was a birthdayparty at Il pomodoro in San Pedro behind the Outlet Mall. Decent italian food, slightly pricey, perhaps, but not a bad place. Stage seven usually means taking other people's food without asking, so this was a surprisingly classy choice.

The soul of Il Pomodoro

San José Safari. 6: Soda y restaurante la Vasconia, San José, Costa Rica

In the middle of the heart of darkness known as downtown San José, we found this pleasant mid-scale chinchorro, offering decent bocas, mariachis and even a lottery with good possibilities of winning a beer or a drink.

Victor from Puriscal joined the safari at stage 2, and has now reached the point where it seems natural to sing mexican lovesongs.

Le exterieur

Le urinal

San José Safari. 5: A bar in San José, Costa Rica

I have forgotten the name of this dancehall in downtown San José. We came a bit early, so there were few guests and no band yet. It appeared to be a good place, though.

The entrance

Happy guests posing for YOU!

The Urinal

San José Safari. 4: Bar la Gaviota, San José, Costa Rica

La Gaviota was one of the stranger places the IWCRP delegation visited during the safari. Its location in the southern part of the centre of San José makes it a natural hangout for Nicaraguans, and there were about two hundred of them there that night. We talked to one who was particularly drunk for about half an hour, and did not understand a single word. There was a very lively atmosphere, not a bad place at all.

Another hole-in-the-floor urinal in another hole-in-the-wall bar. If you don't drink, you pay 100 colones in the bar to use it.

Not a very succesful picture, but it's not the kind of neighbourhood where it's advisable to walk around taking pictures