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Northwest of the Parque Central and the commercial centre between Av 0/1 and C 6/8 is San Jose's Mercado Central (Mon-Sat 5am-5pm). Entering its labyrinthine interior you're confronted by colourful arrangements of strange fruits and vegetables, dangling sides of beef and elaborate, silvery ranks of fish. Shopping for fruit, vegetables and coffee here is cheaper than in a supermarket, and it's also the best place in town to get a cheap bite - not only that, but the view from a counter stool is fascinating, as traders and their customers jostle for chayotes, mamones, pinas and cas . The surrounding streets, which even in the daytime can look quite seedy, are full of noisy traders and determined shoppers. All this activity encourages pickpockets , and in this environment turistas stick out like sore thumbs. Take only what you need and be on your guard. Two blocks east and one block north of the Mercado Central, in the Correo Central, C 2, Av 1/3, the Museo Postal, Telegrafico y Filatelico (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm; free) exhibits old relics of telegraphic equipment - of interest to buffs only. Far more appealing is the pretty flower market in the square opposite, where carnations, orchids, begonias and scores of lush blooms create a blaze of colour and fragrance.
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