Work is progressing on the restoration of the Costa Rican Art Museum in western San José's La Sabana Park.

Somewhere between the Pacific beaches of Manzanillo and Coyote is a dusty track, theoretically a road, that wades pebbled rivers and climbs into herds of white Brahman cows before plunging directly back to sea level. A driver could equally expect to round the corner into a beachy paradise or to face 50 meters of open river. Hence, the dilemma: Do you drive slowly into the water for better traction and less splashing, or open the throttle, close your eyes and hit the river at highway speed? We were touring the Nicoya Peninsula in a 1995 Mercury Villager minivan – two-wheel drive, bad clearance. We crossed 11 rivers, and went with choice “B” 11 times.

Christmas-tree expeditioners in the Heredia hills, north of San José (see Weekend section cover story in this week's print edition), can warm up with a cup of hot chocolate at Restaurante Bromelias del Río, just 50 meters west of the Guápiles highway on the road to San Isidro de Heredia. It's the perfect roadside stop for tree-shoppers, or anyone out for a scenic drive in the country.