San José - Costa Rica - page 142

Santamaría - the young man who helped kick the pesky Walker out of Costa Rica - in full
flame-throwing action.
Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica NOTABLE BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av 3 & Calle 21)
Less than a block to the east of the Parque Nacional is San José's historic train station to
the Atlantic, which was built in 1908. Nowadays offering weekday train service to Heredia
and Cartago, it's a remarkable example of tropical architecture, with swirling art nou-
veau-inspired beams and elaborate stonework all along the roofline.
Central San José West
Parque Central PARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Avs 2 & 4 btwn Calles Central & 2)
The city's central park is more of a run-down plaza than a park. At its center is a grandiose
bandstand that looks as if it was designed by Mussolini: massive concrete arches support a
florid roof capped with a ball-shaped decorative knob.