Frida: A Lesson

What can you do in a 13 hours flight scale?

It is said that everything happens for a reason in life.

She lived a life of physical pain and even so she had the strength to live a life that many of us struggle to achieve. A life full of passion. What I admire the most is her dedication which regardless of her condition, she made a her life a reflection of what she was. Be it, what it be, it was her way. She made sure to be truthful to herself.

My first visit to Mexico City was short but that short time was enough to take a good bite of it

First time to use the metro and I have no clue.. I manage to find the bus that we´ll take me to the Metro  station. It´s a sunny bright day with a cool breeze. A guy carrying a heavy bag sits next to me. He´s wearing a cool pair of sunglasses. I ask him what time it is; it´s early still. He gets off at the same bus stop as me, we enter the metro, and I have a very stupid smile in my face, I want to hide it, it shows that I´m new at this... but I´m excited about using the metro. I walk towards the poster on the wall trying to see how can I get to Coyoacán. The guy I entered with points to  the place where I can buy a ticket. That´s helpful (This tells me that I did no succeed on hiding my amateur smile...) I approach to him to ask something and at the same time another girl does the same. It end ups that the three of us needed to use the same line to get to our destinations. We made each other company while walking to take the metro. I had already made friends!

After some time in the metro, it starts to smell like if something were burning. The metro car stops and we all need to leave, the metro car is setting up on fire. The three of us leave the metro station and emerge  at a very busy street with  a big market in the corner. We walk towards it  and decide to have lunch there.

We got back to the metro and the day was long enough to leave the girl at the bust station so that she could go to her final destination and for us to head back to Coyoacán to visit the Blue House.

Frida´s Museum also known as the Blue House is in the city of Coyoacán, México DF.  In order to get there from the airport, all you need to do is to take the metro which is at the airport. Once you are in Coyoacán, take a taxi to the Blue House. As easy as that. While I was planning my trip there I tried to look for a more detailed description however now I know why there was none, it is very simple, just follow the metro routes and you´ll know where to get off and taxi´s and food are cheap in Mexico.

Once in the museum, you can leave your stuff at the reception and if you wish to take pictures, you´ll need to pay an extra charge. I went on a Wednesday, and lucky for me, they close late on this day.
I loved to get in contact with Frida´s history and Mexican culture. What I want to take from this museum visit is the pleasure I had to get in touch with a woman´s history that was so ahead from her time. Her fearless passion to unrestricted express her life.

La Antigua Aduana and the CENAC

These are two beautiful constructions that represent Costa Rica's past and nowadays are the house for numerous cultural, and artistic events. Most people tend to confuse them or they do not know the history behind them. The two buildings are located within a 10 minutes walking distance from each other and it is worth to visit them if you have a chance.

Let's start with the CENAC (Centro Nacional de la Cultura) which stands for National Center of Culture. Its history goes back to the colonial period in 1850 when it was declared that it was necessary for Costa Rica to produce its own liquor out of the sugarcane as opposed to continue with the Spaniard Crown monopolization. This is how in 1856, it was inaugurated the FANAL (Fábrica Nacional de Licores), The National Factory of Liquor. The construction keeps a strong reliance on colonial architecture and with buildings with more than 150 years old it is a beautiful scenery.  In 1981, the factory was moved to a different location due to the city growth and it was until 1994 that the CENAC was born.  With an amphitheater, open plaza, different rooms and corridors, it provides shelter to many cultural, educational and artistic events.  The main entrance is located on its west side which is in front of the Parque España. The CENAC is also where the Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo (Contemporary Art & Design Museum) is located which has its entrance on the southeast corner of the construction.

Up to the East from the entrance of the Contemporary Art and Design Museum in the CENAC, within a distance of 800 meters or so, there is the Antigua Aduana. It's takes me to comment on one of Costa Rica's interesting facts. Even though governments have made an effort to  name the streets and avenues, you'll see that most of our directions/addresses will take a well-known reference point and then tell how many meters to walk from. Usually, those well-known reference points will take the names like Antigua Casa Matute Gómez, Antigua Aduana, etc. They'll have the "antigua" adjective as referring to what used to be there but not to what there is now. I guess it reveals a fear to let go the old, so we hold to it by remembering what used to be there and not acknowledging what is there now. I believe it is a sub-conscience way, we Costa Ricans have to hold on to the past.

Now, let's talk a little bit about the Antigua Aduana history which begun in 1891 when it was inaugurated. This construction used to be Costa Rica's customs building for the merchandise that came from the Atlantic. It was strategically built  close to the Train Station to the Atlantic where merchandise coming was stored, registered and dispatched.  Today, the construction is a beautiful blend between modern architecture and the historic patrimony that it represents.

It is a pleasure to visit any of these two buildings during one of the many activities that are organized throughout the year; for instance, recently the annual Book Fair was held in the Antigua Aduana and Enámorate de tu Ciudad also makes use of the CENAC rooms for Hip Hop/Break dance classes on Saturdays. Hopefully, this information will help to easily locate and appreciate both buildings.

Wong's Restaurant

Siu Mai

Still on the restaurant note, I must have an entry on Wong's Restaurant. It's a Chinese restaurant that has become popular because of its dim sums and good prices. The trend here is to go with a group of friends and order different dishes to share from the dim sum's menu which are small  dishes of food served in  steamer baskets. My favorite ones are the Siu Mai dumplings which are steam-cooked rolls with shrimp and pork inside.The order of two dim sums and a drink can be around 5000 colones ($10). The place is located on the north side of Plaza de la Cultura on a hill that is called Cuesta de Moras. The famous Cuesta de Moras that is on the end of the street where buses to Tres Rios are. Now, it is easier if you just walk 300  meters East from the end of Central Avenue. You'll have to pass by the Mas x Menos supermaket and 50 meters or so later, you'll see the restaurant's entrance to your left. It has also the traditional menu from a Chinese restaurant, so provecho!

Cuesta de Moras

Vishnu Restaurant

This is one of my favorite restaurants in San José. Why?  Well, even though I'm not a vegetarian, the food is very good, it's healthy, and accessible. You can go for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just go in the afternoon for coffee or ice cream. I love the fruit salad with ice cream, the ice cream is a combination of regular milk with soy milk, and even though there are only two flavors, strawberry and vanilla, they are delicious!

The place has  a very relax atmosphere and a friendly layout that makes people feel comfortable. Most of the dishes come with two small recipients with salsa to accompany the food, if the dish does not have it, you can ask for them and if you like spicy, they also have their own spicy salsa, only given if requested. The place is not fancy but it is clean and pleasant to the eye and it can be a little expensive depending on what you order.

My suggestion is to go the first time for lunch, and order the "Plato del Día", the Day's Special, and make sure that you are hungry enough because you'll get plenty of food. The "Plato del Día" includes an entree, the main course and a small dessert plus a drink, it has a cost of 3550 colones which is around $7.

There is a great variety of choices on the menu,and  if you want to check on the  "Plato del Dia" available for the day, you can see it at their Facebook page Here.

On my last visit, I decided to try the "Vigorón" which is a Nicaraguan dish that consists of salad with fried pork and  cassava. The vegetarian version uses fried cheese dices instead of the fried pork.

Vegetarian Vigorón

Vishnu is one of those restaurants that I go when I want to catch up with a friend, have lunch after a morning running errands or to buy a quick snack to go. My all time favorite is the "Copa de Helados" which i basically a plastic cup with ice cream, and granola on the top, it has a cost of $1100 ($2).

At the Cashier bar, you can buy granola, sweet dried bananas, honey, vegetarian pastry and many other vegetarian products.  There are 4  restaurants in downtown San José, the biggest one is the one located behind the Perimercados in the Avenida Central (Central Avenue) which is a well-known supermarket in Chepe.  This will the the proper address :

Restaurante Vishnu Himalayas. 

AV. 1 Calle 1 y 3 Frente al Edificio Cristal.
2256-60-63 / 2222-25-49

These will be the addresses for the three other in downtown San Jose and in Heredia as well:

Restaurante Vishnu Montaña: 2223-99-76 / 2256-57-86
AV. 3 Calle 0y1 Costado de la Iglesia del Carmen.

Restaurante Vishnu Valle Verde: 2223-44-34 / 2222-57-85
AV. 6 y 8 Calle 0 Frente al antiguo Cine Metropolitan.

Vishnu Natural: 2223-30-95
AV. 4 y 6 Calle 1 Costado Banco Popular.

Vishnu Mango Verde: 2237-25-26 / 2560-02-36
Heredia, De la entrada principal de la Universidad Nacional 100 Oeste y 75 al Sur.

Falling in Love with the City!

 Enamórate de tu Ciudad

This is my second Saturday going consecutively to the activities being offered at the this corridor of cultural activities. There are activities for all ages and interests. They take place at the main parks from the capital, España park, Jadín de Paz park (I did not know the name I just knew it as the park in front of the metal school which is a pink colored building that is made out of metal, it's known as the Escuela Metálica/Metal School), Morazán park, La Merced park. This last one is located far from the others which actually come one after the other.

Parque España

As I  walk home after spending 2 hours hula hopping, I feel happy, tire and happy. At 9 am, I did the yoga class at España park, and then moved to the hula hopping area at 10 am in the Jadín de Paz park. For the yoga class, you have to bring your own mat, and for the hula hooping class, you just go and take one of the many colorful hula hoops available and start dancing to the rhythm of the electric beat played by the live djs. There were also African, Hip hop, Break dance classes, Parkour lessons, table games, local products exhibitions, an exchange market, and some many other things to discover. The activities for each Saturday can be found at the Enamorate de tu ciudad Facebook page Here.

As a foreigner if you want to spend some days in San José, make sure that one of those days is a Saturday since this is a most to see activity, all the classes and workshops are free and you can also have the chance to buy souvenirs that are  different and unique.

What I loved the most? Seeing a 4 year old learning how to hula hoop and it was mainly the fact that I saw so many parents sharing with their children at this community gathering where you can play, laugh, learn, share with people and enjoy the city. I do feel as if I were falling in love with the city, there are certain things about San José that definitely can be much better but there are also these other great experiences that makes me love to spend time in Chepe.

Nicaragua

Recently, I got the opportunity to finally meet Costa Rica's north neighbor, Nicaragua. In Costa Rica's culture, there is a well known rivality or I could  even say conflict between Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans. It goes from xenophobic bad taste jokes from both sides to political territory conflicts. Beyond these, as a Costa Rican and  citizen of the world, it was a joy to be in Nicaragua to experience its sights, history and culture.

This trip got me to think about the differences of being a traveler and a tourist. I went as a tourist and hopefully and I'll come back again as a traveler. Both approaches have its advantages & disadvantages however it is to one to decide which one suits better your style or possibility. On this occasion, the possibility I had available was to be a tourist with planned and scheduled visits.

What I like the most? How cheap it is to eat and drink there in comparison with Costa Rica's expensive life style. I could buy my favorite beer which happens to be one of Nicaraguans well-known products, a Toña  for $1 which is 500 colones. Here it costs from 800 to 1500 colones to buy it from a supermarket and it is hardly sold in bars. Food in general was also very cheap, but it will all depend on the place you go.

Our Trip in Nicaragua began at Peñas Blanca where after an hour or so from migratory paperwork, we were finally off to go to our first stop, San Juan del Sur.

After a nice traditional breakfast which consisted of pinto (rice and beans),eggs, sweet plantain and juice,we went walking around the town which has a bohemian calm feeling. We also began to experience something that I was not used to, people hovering over me offering products to sell, I got seduced and both three Ocarinas which are musical whistles shaped in beautiful colored birds.

In the map below, it is possible to follow our route which went from San Juan del Sur to Montelimar where we stayed one night at an all inclusive hotel, it was comfortable and pleasant however I still felt like in Costa Rica. It was until we finally got to the capital, Managua, that I felt I was discovering a new country and a different way to live and think. From Managua, we left to Granada where we stayed for the rest of the trip, visited Masaya and finished our trip boating at Las Isletas, these in a 4 days planned tour.

Seeing a city from a bus window, is a watch-from-far-experience that certainly does not get you to experience a truthful feeling of what a place is like. However, I can say that there is a strong presence from the political party on the govern right now which is the Sadinismo. From what I saw Sadinismo has a strong reliability on its founder Sandino as a way to portrait its political and transcendent value to Nicaragua's history and future?

Granada is a beautiful colonial town which has emerged as a tourist destination during the last 10 years. There are beautiful treasures that can be found as a memory of its legendary past when the Spaniards decided to bring a piece of Spain to the Nicaraguan rain forest. The location was decided there because it  was  a strategic port at lake Nicaragua that through the river San Juan connected to the Atlantic Ocean.

From Granada, it is easy to move to Masaya which is 30 minutes or so away. Nicaragua has several volcanoes one of them which is currently active is Masaya's Volcano which is in Nicaragua's biggest national park.

During the trip, we visited very nice restaurants, the one I liked the most was Rancho Viejo where all the group had the chance to taste different Nicaraguan dishes; for instance, I ordered Nica Nachos which satisfied my appetite very well. I usually do not wear insect repellent however it is a must when you are travelling specially if you are going to be visiting outdoor places.

On our last day, we visited Las Isletas in Granada, and it  got me to compare the mental imagine I had from Granada and the real image of what was in front of me. I certainly did not expect to see that many children asking for money  or to be harassed by street vendors, and I was hopping to see the same that I expect to see from Costa Ricans, people loving their country and being proud of it; throwing garbage to the street is something that happens in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and all over the world, and it is a big concern for me since it tells a lot about what a person convictions are and how conscious towards the world he/she is.

I wish to come back to Nicaragua to  visit Ometepe which is an island located in lake Nicaragua, I had never seen a lake that big, it looked like if it were an ocean.  I loved my visit to Nicaragua, I can  now have a better grasp from where Nicaraguans are coming from and how they might perceive Costa Rican's culture. I wish to come back to learn more.

El Sótano de Barrio Amón

Finally, I got my fingers to the keyboard to writte a little about this place. El Sótano (The Basement) is a new underground bar that provides a space for vinyl music lovers  and the possibility for young artists to make their proposals. My first visit was to hear Dinamita and her band which is a fusion of hiphop and jazz. I've heard her before and I knew  I liked her lyric and presence on stage; she's a strong woman with lots of character and a fast, spicy tongue. So, hearing her fusing hip hop style music with jazz was something I had to hear.

As I walk down the four blocks at Calle 3 which is the street that goes north exactly from the corner where supermaket Automercado is, I'm thinking how strange it is for a woman to be walking alone at night at downtown San José; however, I'm not afraid at all, I'm actually excited since I get to see and enjoy my capital  as I know many people would not even dare. I'm actually expecting to see a least one transvestite since I know  this is the area where they usually are. When I get to the third block, there are no transvestites and the only people that were also walking the same direction as me get into this lesbian bar called Castilla which is on the opposite site of where I'm walking so it is only me an half a block more to walk. There are also the taxi cap drivers who cannot miss the horn as they see me. So, as they do this, I wonder, do I look like a crazy girl who's walking alone Barrio Amón or may be as a sexual worker that is looking for its next client, I think I was dressed more like the crazy girl walking alone, loose aquamarine blouse, black pants and black boots. Definetely  a street walker.

When this street walker finally gets to the corner of the fourth block what is in front of me is the bar VIPS which is known as a brothel so I turn left and 3 meters later there's my friend and her boyfriend at El Sotano's entrance. The place is a beautiful white house right on the corner that has two entrances. One that leads to the main floor of the house and it's accessed from the north side of the house and the basement which is the entrance right around the corner. The basement  is where the bar is and where the vinyl records are played. It  has also a small stage for instruments when there is jamming. This area gets crowded very quickly so it's a good idea to get early if you want to get a seat.Upstairs is for events that need to hold more people and it also has a room with tables if you wish to grab a bite. Haven't eaten there yet but the menu looked provoking, so definitely next time. 

What kind of music can you hear? Jazz, Blues, Rock, Punk, Reggae, Neo Soul, Alternativo, National, Hip Hop in  vinyl or live.  

I loved the placed, it is definitely for people who enjoy  music and the vibe of a crowd that shares the same passion. It is also a promising place that I looks to be defined by the same artists that want to show their art. Whether it is fusioned rhythms,  theather plays or a dance show, we''ll see what comes next...