Tag: William Walker

Posted on

National Park in San Jose

Yes, it is a city park called “National Park” partly because of the Battle of Rivas statue, I guess.

Statue honoring women who fought in Battle of Rivas, Nicaragua
 which kept American William Walker from making us a slave state.
 National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Tour guide Michael Miller explaining the statue.
National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Great-tailed Grackle male 
 National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Zoom on statue on a cloudy day.
National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica
Trip Gallery:  2017 Nov 14 – San Jose Tour

Or my San Jose Gallery  with photos from several trips to the capital.

And a separate gallery for Costa Rica Churches, most in San Jose

Posted on

Parque Juan Santamaria

Juan Santamaria statue in Juan Santamaria Park in central Alajuela, Costa Rica

Who was Juan Santamaria? See this short article on Wikipedia for more details about the drummer boy who set William Walker’s fortress on fire and led to the defeat of the crazy American trying to turn Central America into his slave farm. He had actually conquered Nicaragua, so our Alajuela guys is their hero too!  The San Jose International Airport is named after him as are a few other things in Costa Rica. He is the perfect national hero as a poor laborer of a single mother. And he died in his act of heroism in 1856. The history museum in Alajuela by Central Park is also named after him.

The central plaza of the Juan Santamaria Park

Colorful Alajuela sign at one end of the park near my x-ray clinic