THE FOYER OF THE NATIONAL THEATER IN COSTA RICA'S CAPITAL CITY 
Exquisite furnishings and gorgeous decorations combine to make the theater one of the most pretentious in America 
Mural decorations the work of master artists from Spain, Italy and Austria-Hungary, richly brocaded furniture with 
gold embellishments, a parquetry floor of rare quality and gilded and mirrored panels all unite in perfect harmony 
This same elaborate scheme is carried out in othet parts of the theater, the ceiling containing wonderful paintings' 
The theater is reported to have cost in the neighborhood of a million dollars, and is a monumental expression of Costa 
Rica's love for the beautiful. 
named in honor of Columbus; there is an obelisk dedicated to his memory 
centering the Paseo. The Calle Central and the Avenida Central divide the 
city into quarters. I he buildings are rather low, mostly under four stories, 
and attractive in appearance, especially the public edifices. The National 
Museum, " hich contains beautiful samples of ancient Central American 
potter\-, the National Theater, the Observatory, and the National Congress 
are among the outstanding buildings of the capital. There are small parks 
everywhere and in the largest of them, Central Park, weekly concerts are 
given by the military band and are usually well attended by the citizens. 
Moving-picture fans in San Jose are offered a unique convenience by one 
of the capital’s theaters. A few minutes before the picture commences, a 
large motor-driven siren announces the fact loudly enough to be heard through¬ 
out the surrounding neighborhood, thus enabling theater-goers to arrive at 
the beginning of the show. 
On the western outskirts of the city there is a large and beautiful recrea¬ 
tion park called La Sabana, which is connected with the heart of the capital * 
by the broad Paseo de Col6n. Adjacent to La Sabana is the National Stadium 
where soccer matches are held. Bolivar Park, the city’s zoological garden. 
14 
is also located on the outskirts and has on exhibit interesting specimens of 
animals native to the Central American jungles. 
San Jose is well lighted with electric power furnished by the numerous 
rapid streams that course down the eastern slopes of the cordillera. Local 
manufacturing, engaged in supplying the city’s inhabitants, includes leather 
goods, textiles, beverages, candies, candles, bakery products, furniture and 
printing. There are through trains to the seaports of Puerto Limon and 
Puntarenas and local trains to the neighboring cities of Cartago, Heredia 
and Alajuela. Excellent highways also connect San Jose with these cities. 
La Sabana airport, adjoining San Jose on the west, is the most important 
civil airport for the city and is at present being converted into a large and 
modern international airbase. The Santa Ana airport, about 12 miles west 
of San Jose, is owned by Pan American Airways, which links the city by 
air with South America, other Central American points and the United 
States. San Jose is about 2000 air miles from Washington, D. C. 
Puerto Limon, anciently the Indian village of Cariari where Columbus 
first landed in Costa Rica and today the principal port of the Republic, is 
situated on Limon Bay, an arm of the Caribbean Sea, in an easterly direction 
from San Jose. Puerto Limon is laid out in even squares, with well paved 
streets and an excellent sanitation system. 4 he city has about 8,000 inhabi¬ 
tants, mainly engaged in or supported by the shipping and warehousing trade. 
The port of Limon is the shipping point for about sixty percent of the value 
of the country’s total exports while about forty-five percent of the value of 
its imports are received there. The most important products shipped from 
Limon are coffee, accounting for nearly two thirds of the total value of the 
port’s shipments, and bananas, which account for almost all of the remaining 
third. Limon shipments of the former product are about twice those from 
Puntarenas, the chief Pacific port and second in importance, while virtually 
the entire banana trade of the country is handled at Limon. Fhe Costa Rica 
Railway from Limon to San Jose serves two important agncultuial sections, 
the banana and cocoa districts in the low eastern coastal area and the high¬ 
land coffee plantations around Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago and San Jose in 
the central tablelands. Limon is also connected with the northeastern section 
of Costa Rica by the Northern Railway. The Limon airport, just south of 
the city, is regularly used by commercial and private aircraft, while seaplanes 
may land in Limon Bay. San Jose is only 45 minutes by air from Limon. 
There are weekly steamers to New \ ork, New Orleans, Boston, and Bristol, 
England. 
The harbor at Limon is an open roadstead protected from the prevailing 
northeast winds by Uvita Island. Depths of water are sufficient to accommo¬ 
date the deepest draft vessels. Berthing facilities consist of two piers, one 
a wooden structure belonging to the National Government and the other, an 
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