Costa Rica is an anomaly. An island of stability in a region known for volatility. In 1948 they abolished the military and have instead increased the funds available for public education. Costa Rica has one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America. Many North Americans have retired to Costa Rica because of the stability and the low cost of living. Costa Rica is one of the most ecology-conscious countries in the world.

We landed on the Pacific coast at Puntarenas, a sheltered natural harbor in the Gulf of Nicoya. Unfortunately everything was closed because of Holy Week celebrations. We took the bus tour to San José, the capital located in the central highlands. They were kind enough to open up the National Theater (built at the end of the 19th century) for us.

	The port city of Puntarenas is a peninsula sticking out into the gulf. in San Jose, the National Theatre (below) is a masterpiece of turn-of-the-century decoration.
	Not everything was closed. This farmers market was doing very well! After San José we visited a gift shop in Sarchi (below), a town known for its painted ox carts.
		We passed by this church which was built from pre-cut iron plates welded together on the site.
		The principal agricultural exports of Costa Rica are coffee and bananas.
	This is how a cashew grows. The fruit is not edible until it is fully ripe. At the bottom is the single nut which is poisonous until roasted.