Granada to San Ramon

On our last morning in Granada, we visited a few fascinating cultural sites. Firstly, we went to the Cathedrale de San Francisco, originally constructed in 1589 but rebuilt a few times since then because of damage by fire. We met a young man in training for the priesthood who spoke very good English and was most helpful in providing me tips on how to improve my Spanish (get an interpreter). He was a great tour guide and urged us to be at the Main Cathedral at 12:00 as he would open the stairway to the Bell Tower and allow us to climb up.
We then crossed the street to the San Francisco Convent, now a museum featuring historical artifacts from pre-Columbian times to the early 20th century. The highlights were a long open room replete with statues uncovered on the various islands in the lake and a number of replications of what indigenous life was like before contact with the Spaniards.
Up to the Bell Tower in the neighboring Cathedral where we were treated to amazing views of the city and surrounding area.
The bus trip home was much smoother border-wise as we opted for a 12:30 pm start. Unfortunately, after crossing the border into Costa Rica, we were delayed for forty minutes due to mechanical problems. Luckily, the driver pulled over in front of a bar, so some of the passengers were able to quench their thirst with a few cool Imperials.
On Sunday, Dave's last day here, we attended a premier football match featuring newly promoted San Ramon (the Ramonese) against the big city visitors from Heredia (the Heredianese). The stadium is small (5000) but uncomfortable as all the seats are concrete and backless. None of this dampened the spirit of the loyal home town fans who sang and drummed their way throughout the match, a thrilling 3-1 victory for the home boys in red and white. Language differences are irrelevant during a sporting event as we all high fived, cheered, shouted GOLLLLLLLL and became as one with our fellow fans.