Today started in downtown San Jose. We visited the Central Market and walked around the major shopping areas. Then we headed to the Costa Rican Congress. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me and a couple of the other guys in because we had shorts on. So our tour guide brought us to an outdoor market where we tried all sorts of fresh fruit, juice, and cheese tortillas, which are a popular dish here. While waiting for the rest of the group to finish the tour, we saw the former President of the Congress and took a picture with him (equivalent to Speaker of the House).
After that, we went to lunch at a souvenir factory, and then shopped for souvenirs. The guys and I found some Cuban cigars, and will be sharing them at the beach. The owner's son took us on a brief tour of the factory, showing us how all the wood they use is processed. Most of their products are made from wood, with necklaces being the main thing they sell.
The bubble gum factory was next. The company's name was Pogo. We basically got a tour of every step in the process. The machines they used were pretty amazing to watch. Manufacturing is a complicated process that I often wonder about, and getting to see some of it first-hand was really cool.
Our final activity today was a lecture about medical tourism. This occurs when people leave the United States and Canada to find cheaper health care abroad. Costa Rica is one of these destinations. Doctors are actually in school longer than in the United States, and all hospitals must meet the same standards as the US. So the health care is just as good, cheaper, and covered by insurance. Sometimes, the travel and hotel expenses are covered too. Even if a patient had to pay for travel, hotel, and other expenses, it still may be cheaper than having the procedure back home. The way Costa Rica can accomplish this is due to the cost of doing business. People don't make as much money here, but the cost of living is also drastically lower. So it's a growing phenomenon. We'll see how far it goes before the US government steps in and tries to break up the party.
Tomorrow, we have our final lecture day. Our last activity will be learning Latin American dances. Yay...
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