Our first evening in San Jose, Costa Rica was spent exploring the area around our hotel, Casa Colon Hostel. We were surprised at how "Americanized" the city was. We felt totally comfortable walking late at night, and found everyone we met to be friendly and helpful. Lots of Christmas decorations and lights. In the morning, we met the rest of our late arriving group in the lobby for breakfast. I had the first of my typical Costa Rican breakfasts... eggs, rice, and beans.