January 15, 2015 - Cartago, Costa Rica

Today we took the bus from San Jose to the town of Cartago – about 25 km from here. The bus was $575 Colones each (just over $1USD) and we arrived in about 30 minutes.
Our first stop was the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles was built in 1639 and was later expanded. It was built in honor of the apparition of the Virgen de los Angeles in 1635 and she is the patrol saint of Costa Rica. The current building was constructed between 1912 and 1930.

When we arrived there were many taxis and more than 300 people who were there for the celebration of the 90th anniversary of statue of Jesus. The priest was holding a rededication service and we followed the crowds inside.

The inside of the church was beautiful!

We also followed the walk to the lower level of the church where the statue of the doll that the was found by a young girl that led the priests to believe that the Virgin was telling them to build the church at a site in the forest.

It is an interesting story and you  can read more about it here:  History of the Basilica.

We followed our tour brochure back into town and stopped at the Apostle Santiago Church Ruins. The Apostle Santiago Church was originally built between 1577 and 1580 by the Franciscans on the east end of Plaza Major. The ruins here were from construction that began in 1870 but were delayed due to lack of money. The earthquake in 1910 prevented the completion and this is what was left. The liberty bell which hangs in the portico announced Costa Rica’s independence in1821.The site was declared a Cultural Heritage site in 1982.
Plaza Major is just west of the ruins and was the first plaza set up by the Spaniards in the Central Valley of Costa Rica.

 We also went by the Father Peralta School. Father Peralta Lopez was born in Cartago in 1788 and when he died in 1844, he left the money and land to build the school. This building was constructed after the 1910 earthquake and replaced the old building.

Other sites include the Apostle Santiago Cathedral, built in 1950. Much simpler in design than the Basilica, but still a beautiful church.We made our way to the Cartago City Market and found a spot for lunch.

We ordered one “Casado con carne en salsa” and one “Casado con chuleta”. They are basically a HUGE  plate lunch – one with beef chopped up in a sauce, with rice, beans, and salad, and tortillas and a drink. The other “chuleta” had a pork chop with grilled onions. Both were good and too much for us to finish! ($5000 Colones – about $10 USD).

After lunch we wandered through  the market, checking out the different items for sale. There were lots of fresh vegetables and meat, as well as bulk dog food!

About 2:00 we found our way to the bus station for the ride back to San Jose. We will head out for some dinner in a while and have an easy evening. Tomorrow we’re taking a tour so we need our rest!