We awoke to a delicious Costa Rican breakfast including rice and beans.
Our tour of the city started with the meeting of Helen (International Guiding Commissioner of Costa Rica) and her sister Adrianna. We then met another Guider, also called Adrianna. Things were getting confusing already!
Site one on our tour was the chapel which was beautifully blue. We hope our pictures do it justice!
Next, the ´party venue´ of San Jose which was like an arts exhibition hall. We are now all keen to book it for our 18th; hoping the waiting list isnt too long.
After that, we went to the train station, National Park, library, the largest market of Costa Rica, the cathedral and many others!
Trouser prejudice reared its ugly head halfway through the tour. Only Hope, Becca and Sophie (the fully trousered trio- plus Sarah) were allowed into the parliamentary buildings. We got to sit in the Presidents and Secretary of State's chairs. It was awesome. Meanwhile, those of the group showing their knees chased butterflies around the park.
As we were making our way slowly back to our hostel from the city centre, we were shown the hard way why they call this the ´rainy season´. The heavens opened, shoes were mere sponges in a matter of minutes and we arrived back at the hostel pruny and dripping (Jenni's knickers are still drying out, a flag of our suffering, from the window of her room).
The evening consisted of a hilarious ´torch fire´ with the San Jose Scouts and Guides. We sang songs, danced dances and exchanged badges. It had all the things a good campfire should (even, incidentally, an actual fire as the flying lantern we tried to gracefully let fly burst into flames- luckily it was put out quickly by an on-hand scout!)
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| Mini amphitheatre in the centre of San Jose |
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| Sophie, Becca, Sarah and Hope on the TV set for parliamentary interviews. |
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| Concrete cathedral |
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| The heavens open (roads turn to rivers) |
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| The 'symbol of ínternational Guiding friendship' (before it burned to ashes) |
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| The trousered trio take their seats in parliament |
¡Adios Amigos!
Team Costa Rica xxx
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