Sunday, May 15, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Volcán Irazú and Cartago
On Sunday we had another 7 AM start and rode the bus into San José to take another bus to Volcán Irazú. We had another beautiful bus ride, and this time felt lucky to have seats because the bus was INCREDIBLY full. I even took a little nap on the way up! But I didn't miss the small livestock farms and villages on the way.
We got to the park at about 10 AM.
The overlooks were amazing, and again we had the luck to see it all on a clear day!
Not to say there weren't any clouds, they were just below us!
The main crater is less active at Irazú and doesn't smoke, which made its green color stand out even more!
We took had our fill of looking and picture taking,
and got a little wind-blown!
We had lunch away from the edge of the crater in a sunny spot on the volcanic rocks! They didn't make the best seats but they looked cool and absorbed the sun well. I collected some small ones for souvenirs.
At 12:30 the bus headed back down to Cartago, the closest town to the volcano, and then back to San José. We got off at Cartago to see some sights there - it was the original capital of Costa Rica and has some great cultural gems.
We saw La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, a church built in 1635. As you can see, it's been renovated, first after an earthquake in 1910 and again in 2004.
It is a remarkable building with a formal Byzantine grace, high ceilings, stained-glass windows, and a polished-wood interior.
We got to see people walking on their knees into the church to make alms to La Virgen Negra, a small statue that survived the church's near destruction.
Then we headed over to the side of the church, where we collected some holy water from the virgin, which is believed to have powerful healing powers. It's a really common tradition here, and many people keep the virgen´s water in their houses to keep the family safe. People also bring their sick family members here to heal them. As you can see, it was a bit crowded.
Next we went to the Parque Central, where Las Ruinas de la Parroquia stand. This church was built in 1575 as a shrine to St. James the Apostle and was destroyed by an earthquake in 1841, rebuilt, and destroyed again by another earthquake in 1910. I guess they gave up on rebuilding after that, but you can go inside the ruins where they have created a beautiful park and garden.
We sat outside the ruins in the town square to take them in. On a Sunday afternoon this was another popular spot, and also serves as the center of the town of Cartago. There is a shopping center and a few stone sculptures there as well.
We took the bus back from Cartago to San José, returning around 4. We were happy about out exciting and adventurous weekend, but also exhausted and ready to be home for a rest and some dinner! What a great time we had!
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