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In the San José area there are numerous activities available for the enjoyment of the old and young alike. If you like classical music, Costa Rica has an excellent National Symphony which plays occasionally at the splendorous Teatro Nacional. This theatre is the country's foremost architectural jewel with a great likeness to the Paris Opera House. Its construction in the 1890s was financed by the 13 largest coffee growers one of whom was Augusto Gallardo Prieto, my maternal grandfather. If you like band music, concerts are held Thursdays and Sundays in the Central Parks of the cities of San José, Alajuela, Heredia, and Cartago. If you know Spanish well and like the theatre, there are more than 10 in San Jose with plays held every night.
Join a Social Club
One way to meet people and make new friends is by joining one of the several social clubs existing in and around the city of San José or perhaps a little further. All have swimming pools and some have tennis courts. I suggest visiting them before making a choice. Membership costs vary and most offer suitable payment plans. Search in the phone book. Here are a few of the better known:
Bello Horizonte Country Club, Escazú, 228-0924
Centro Campero Los Reyes, La Guácima Aajuela, 438-004
Club Hípico La Caraña, Rio Oro, Santa Ana, 282-6106
Club La Guaria, La Guaria, Moravia, 235-7497
Club Punta Leona, Central Pacific Coast, 232-5485
Club Union, C.2 Av 1/3, {aristocratic} downtown, 257-1555
Costa Rica Country Club, (expensive) Escazú, 228-9333
Club Campestre El Castillo, San Rafael Heredia, 267-7111
Costa Rica Tennis Club, south Sabana Park
Like to Dance?
San Jose has plenty of night life and you can find everything from discos to special night clubs. Most Costa Ricans enjoy dancing
and there are many places where you can do it. If you want to learn certain steps or improve your current skills on the dance floor, various schools offer the best techniques which you can learn. Doctors worldwide agree that dancing is one of the best types of body exercises existing. No wonder many oldsters, when asked what they consider has contributed to their longevity, comment that dancing was an important activity that has added vigour to their lives. Retirees in Costa Rica should consider this.
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