The Avenida Central in San Jose is plenty of places where gringos gather early in the morning over a cup of coffee.

Every weekday morning there is a group of 7 to 10 gringos who gather around a couple of front tables at MacDonald’s on Avenida Central in the heart of downtown San José. This tradition has been going on for over 20 years. I started going there regularly in the late 1980s when I lived in the San José area. Unfortunately there aren’t many of the original group left who used to gather there. Most have passed away or moved on.

I live in Heredia so I don’t get downtown that often. Nevertheless when I am in San José I make it a point to stop buy MacDonald’s and shoot the breeze with the new generation of characters who hang out there. The regulars are:  Steve from Michigan via Florida, Ron from Florida, Mike from Canada, Mo from Florida, Paul from Kansas, Joe from New York and a few more  expats who drop in from time to time.  The group talks about a variety of topics ranging from politics to Costa Rica’s women to solving the world’s problems. I really enjoy the camaraderie and hanging out with this group once in a while. It gives once a sense of belonging and can relieve the feeling of nostalgia for one’s home country.

La Casita in Heredia another place where gringos gather early in the morning over a cup of coffee. It is located on the south side of Heredia’s Central market.