Our stay in San Jose Province, where San Jose City is located, was limited. Most of the tour was spent traveling to the various national parks and preserves outside of this province. But while we were here we visited the suburb of Escazu, a popular area among Costa Rica's expat community. The roads, like many throughout the country, were very hilly, meandering sharply at times. We passed many nice homes along the mountainsides hidden behind walls and gates. We visited the central plaza of Escazu, touring the inside of the San Antonio Church (the main church of the city built in the late 1920s). In front of the church is the central plaza. A fascinating wall mural runs along one side of this square honoring the oxen drivers who propelled the economy forward during the 1800s. Ox carts were the primary means of transporting coffee and other crops back in the day. The city has an annual oxen festival with parades and contests for the nicest-looking ox. While in Escazu we also visited a famous mask maker who supplies masks used for various celebrations and parties in the area. These masks are a traditional part of local culture. Although we did not see much of San Jose City, the country's capital, we did visit one of it's highlights: the National Theater of Costa Rica. This spectacular building was constructed during the 1890s at a time when coffee exports brought in a lot of wealth. Costa Rica is not known for its architecture, and most of its colonial structures have succumbed to devastating earthquakes over the centuries. But the National Theater is quite a gem as you will see below.