Cartago, Costa Rica

Cartago lies a half-hour by bus and 23 klms east from San Jose via the Inter-American highway. It was the original capital of Costa Rica for 300 years until it lost the power struggle to San Jose. An additional obstacle to its capital ambitions is taht the town rests at the base of Irazu Volcano, which makes it prone to sporadic tremors, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Its elevation is 1440 meters feet. When President Kennedy visited Costa Rica eight months before his assasination in 1963, Irazu welcomed his Alliance for Peace efforts with an eruption that blanketed Cartago and San Jose with thick volcanic ash.
In the center of the town, the ruins of the roofless St. Bartholomew Temple, knwon as Las Ruinas, dominate the central square, a peaceful garden of bougainvillea and sweet pine trees. First dedicated in 1575, the church was destroyed in that same year by an earthquake. It was rebuilt and a second severe earthquake destroyed it in 1910; legend claims it was divine punishment for the actions of an amorous priest. Pleaple from Cartago tool that as an omen and left the church ruins standing.
Cartago´s other famous church is La Basilica de los Angeles, where, on August 2 each year, thousands of Costa Ricans make a pilgrimage to honor the black-skinned Virgin Mary, La Negrita. The town all but shuts down as pilgrims head to the basilica. Many walk on their kneed as they near the church, a sign of humility.