Independence Torch arrives in San José

San José Mayor Sandra Garcia sets the Independence Torch in a cauldron, igniting a flame for Independence Day in Central Park. Runners carried the torch across Costa Rica from the Nicaraguan border, arriving in San José at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening. Heavy storms didn’t dampen the mood: Hundreds of people weathered the rain in order to attend the ceremony, including Vice President Ana Helena Chacón. From there, the torch continued its symbolic journey to Cartago, the nation’s former capital, where President Luis Guillermo Solís was scheduled to deliver a speech Monday morning . (Alberto Font/The Tico Times)