Christmas day and we traveled by bus from Quepos to San José, Costa Rica. The cost was about $5.00 USD and generally takes about 4 hours. I don't mind the ride because the buses are usually quite comfortable with reclining seats and there's always plenty of fresh mountain air … plus you can't beat the view as you travel along the Pacific coastline and then up into the mountains.

Bill y Junior on bus and view of landscape during ride from Quepos to San José, Costa Rica

We again returned to Hotel Europa (www.HotelEuropaCR.com, 506-222-1222) in San José. The staff welcomed us back by name, which happens amazingly often as we travel Costa Rica … Tico's are friendly people but remembering our names is over-the-top unless you consider that people often remember "Junior" because he's memorable and his name just kind of sticks + "Bill Clinton" is a name that most Costarricenses fondly know as the last U.S. President they actually liked (and that made for almost daily entertainment with Monica-gate).

Bill, Karol, Beatrice & Doris in the first floor lobby of Hotel Europa - San José, Costa Rica
*we're holding pictures of Junior because he couldn't be in the picture - he was taking our picture ;o)

After a short time at the hotel we were off to Fiesta de San José, a large annual event that includes; carnival rides, live entertainment, food vendors, beer gardens and a two-story high-tech disco and bar created out of concert rigging just for the Fiesta. The entire festival centers around a permanent stadium that hosts Rodeo del Zapote and the wildly popular Costa Rica bull fighting (it's not what you think :o)

A Fiesta de San José, Costa Rica stilt walking entertainer.

Fiesta de San José is one big party where simultaneous festival events are covered nationally on live T.V. As with any such festival, people of all walks of life gather … which is a perfect opportunity for authorities to work the crowds that have made themselves conveniently available in one single place – just like we in U.S. law enforcement used to take advantage at the County Fair and other local carnivals to check 'carnies' and 'townies' for "wants and warrants".

However, unlike the U.S. – Costa Rica takes its Immigration laws seriously. Needless to say I was not surprised when I was approached by Costa Rica Immigration Police Officers. They politely waited until I was done taking pictures of Junior on a carnival ride before stating who they were and asking if I could provide them with my identification documents. Just to be sure they were legitimate, I politely asked to inspect their official ID's while asking why they needed the information. The two officers were respectful of my questions and explained they were simply checking and logging passports of foreign visitors. As with most other countries (U.S. not included), you must legally be there. After inspecting my passport and entry date stamp to ensure I had not overstayed my 90 day tourism time period, one of the officers logged my basic information into a notebook and then both officers thanked me for my assistance – twice.

It was then off to Corrida de Toros a la Tica -or- the Costa Rican bull fights ... where there is no matador in the traditional sense. Costa Rica bull fights consist of 50 or more 'volunteers from the audience' that have the burning desire to play with a real life 'pissed-off' bull. Knowing that they are on national television, many of the 'bull-fighters' wear something unique and festive such as; a rainbow wig, cape, fluorescent colored jump suit and/or other various displays of individualism.

Bill, Junior, Karol, Doris and Beatrice at Rodeo de Zapote part of Christmas Day's Fiesta de San José, Costa Rica

After several rounds of bulls chasing people over the fence and occasionally catching one of the amateur 'matadors' with a horn, there was a break in the action for a couple real rodeo bull rides. Then it was back to one final Tico version of 'running with the bulls'.