Costa Rica is not a book culture. Even the copy centers here blatantly ignore all copyright laws. Nobody seems to have books in their home (with The Bible being the exception). This is likely due to the fact that a book here costs anywhere from $10-$40. It's absolutely absurd.
Fortunately, I've never been one to buy books new anyways. Proof that a book is worth reading is the fact that it's taken decades of abuse. I love the smell, taste, and feel of used books. I don't know why anyone would prefer a new book, especially at four times the price. With a few tips from my Tica roommate and a general idea of the "academic district" of downtown San Jose, I went book hunting. This is what I found:
(Entrance of one book store)
(Another photo taken while walking through the shot. Books are stacked 3 rows deep.)
(Finding a specific book is difficult)
(Especially if the book you're looking for is "up" in storage)
(The owner of this--actually helpful and well-stocked--bookstore with my purchases)
As you can tell from the photos, these bookstores are crazy. The proprietor takes your "request" and walks you through the store. From what I can tell the books tend to be grouped in "categories," but if the ghost of Melvil Dewey every passed through Costa Rica there would be a poltergeist. Some of the books are quite damaged from the storage conditions, and others are impossibly buried. One of the stores had cats climbing on and scratching the stacks. It was very sad.
That said, I had an amazing time. I would love to take my sister (Rebecca) and my grandma (Margi) through this part of San Jose. The smell of paper will floor you. The combination of colors, structure, and pathetic visual fallacy (I believe that's the term when your surroundings are a metaphor...?) is incredible. There is one famous used book store in San Jose that is a 4,000+ sq./ft. historic mansion with every single room filled with used books. I could spend a week in each store. Unfortunately, I had to get back to Politecnico (my school). I bought a few titles and split; a very fun $11 to spend.
1. Mamita Yunai by Carlos Luis Fallas -- A very famous Costa Rican novel about life on a bananal (banana plantation). Full of Costa Rican history, and of course... Spanish Vocabulary
2. El Libro de los Primeros Auxilios -- Not exactly a book, but more of a public service handout. It's a "parents and children" friendly first aid instruction packet. Great for emergency medicine vocabulary, but not exactly a long read.
3. Don Juan Tenorio by Jose Zorrilla -- The famous drama that started the cult of Don Juan, the world's most famous mujeriego. This should be a difficult read, and it's written as a play, but it's another good way to get more Spanish culture.
4. El Cuerpo Humano Jitan by Rusibeth Oviedo Jimenez -- A small, basic, anatomy coloring book. I couldn't believe the store owner was able to find something that fit this request. If only it was bilingual...
Independence Day Parade:
Today (September 15th) is also Costa Rican Independence Day. Who knew? I accidentally slept in and missed the opportunity to head in to San Jose to watch the parade with Politecnico professors, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Feeling like one of my parents (because low-squats yesterday left me feeling like I had a spring in my step) I walked from my place to downtown Heredia to watch the parade and the masses. It was impossible to see any part of the parade, as the Ticos were packed twenty deep on both sides. I finally managed to snake my way through the crowd and cross the parade route to get to the central park. My brilliance paid off--the lack of buildings and central location made the park a perfect place to go. There were street vendors and performers, there was a first aid tent, there were food kiosks, and even a big fake train. It was beautiful.
The best part about the parade (a rather long, mediocre, and small-town affair) was my perch were I sat. I found a great tree to climb. The first eight feet of the tree was limb-free, but I was able to wow the Ticos by coming at the tree with a running start and man-handling the thing. I was twenty feet high and loving the view.
After the parade I bought some incredible fruit out of the back of a pick-up truck (and even got a free papaya!). As dull as I am, there's nothing better than relaxing at home for the evening on Independence Day. Hopefully there will even be fireworks to watch from my balcony later tonight.
Pura Vida,
Z
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