Codocsa, the same contractor who is repairing the “platina” bridge, will be building the permanent bridge on the Circunvalación, between Hatillo 8 and Pavas.
The ministro de Obras Públicas y Transportes, Pedro Castro, announced on Monday that Codocsa was the chosen bidder at ¢3.1 billion colones and will take six months to complete.
The MOPT chief explained that the “temporary” Bailey bridges will be in place by not later than November 17, after which the contractor can begin with the construction of a permanent bridge.
The two step – “temporary” and “permanent” solution – is to re-open the important roadway as soon as possible following the early September collapse.
Some 50.000 vehicles daily circulate the Circunvalación, whose traffic between Pavas and Hatillos, through La Sabana.
Residents of the Hatillos and Pavas, who were affected by the interruption in internet and telephone service following the collapse of the Circunvalación, will be compensated by the state telecom, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).
ICE said on Monday that pay out up to ¢7.5 million colones in compensation to the 3.181 landline and 1.398 internet customers.
In addition, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel) – the telecom regulator – said on Monday that ICE could not charge for service all Hatillo 8 customers who are affected by the Cirncunvalación problem.
For almost 12 days (September 12 to 24) many ICE customers in Hatillo 8 (southeast) and Pavas (north and northwest) of the Circunvalación failure, were without full or partial service.
Rock legends Black Sabbath and Megadeth take the state tonight at the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), part of the their Lain American tour that started in Santiago, Chile, working its way north to San José.
Unlike many of the classic rock bands, Black Sabbath never really stopped working, despite problems with Ozzy Osbourne’s firing in 1978 because of his drug problems and the other bumps along the way.
The doors to the stadium open at 4pm, with concert starting at 7pm. However, it won’t be until 8:00 or 8:30 before Ozzy and his crew take the stage.
Tickets for tonight’s performance are still available at: La Boleteria
Among the possible songs that the band will be performing, based on Selist. The
(Mercatrade) The expansion of the Panama Canal is being hailed as a colossal undertaking to help improve the already highly profitable venture.
With new engineering tools, techniques and methods in use, the expansion of the “big ditch” is set to be finished in 2015 – a stunningly fast turnaround in comparison to the previous effort by the French and Americans over 100 years before.
The Republic of Panama will see huge benefits from its newly outfitted, enlarged waterway, including tax revenue, tourism revenue from cruises, and the world’s prestige and attention once more.
9 Facts about the Panama Canal Expansion
1- The cost will be over $5 billion dollars
2 – The estimate time for completion is 8 years – set for 2015
3 – Two sets of locks are added on both the Atlantic and Pacific side of the isthmus
4 – The width and the length of the locks will increase by 160%
5 – The allowed length of ships will increase from 965ft to 1200ft
6 – The allowed width of ships will increase from 106ft to 160ft
7 – Container load will increase from 4800 containers/ship to 12,500 containers/ship
8 – The total annual tonnage traveling through the Panama Canal will increase from 275 million tons to 600 million tons
9 – Materials used :
1500 tons of gelignite
3600 tons of ammonium nitrate explosives
5 million cubic meters of concrete
1.12 million tons of cement
436,000 tons of volcanic ash or slag from blast furnaces
279,000 tons of reinforcing steel
47,200 tons of structural steel for the lock gates
The future of residential living in Costa Rica involves physical security, efficiency, technology, industrial design, and privacy. Lots of privacy. So much privacy, in fact, that you may never see your neighbours. You and your community will be enshrouded behind a veil of secrecy, and the brutalist architecture surrounding you will be similar to that of sci-fi films such as Aeon Flux and Gattaca.
In a recent Sunday Magazine feature of national newspaper La Nacion, journalist Alonso Mata Blanco had a particularly hard time trying to meet residents of Avenida Escazu, a “mini-city” residential complex that shares many characteristics with planned communities such as Celebration in Florida (often called a Disney town), the Bow Quarter in London, or even Denovo in neighboring Panama.
A Shadowy Life of Luxury
The problem with meeting residents of Avenida Escazú was summarized for Mr. Mata by the real estate sales executive in charge:
“My clients are wonderful people, but they are extremely private, and we are very strict in matters of security and confidentiality here.”
To emphasize this point, Mr. Mata was not even allowed to leave messages written on paper slips in the mailboxes.
“Residents here travel a lot, and when they are home you don’t even feel them; they are cloistered that way.”
Although people in modern Costa Rica are known to live by the philosophy of “good fences make good neighbours,” this is mostly a 21st century development. In the past, people in Costa Rica enjoyed living in communities where neighbors really knew each other. This does not seem to be the case at Avenida Escazú, where it costs $3,500 a month to rent a one-bedroom furnished loft. Buying a small condominium unit, albeit with great views, will set you back $480,000. By comparison, a large three-bedroom home in the Lakewood Ranch, Florida, community of Riverwalk Village will cost about $100,000 less.
The layout of Avenida Escazú aims to combine privacy and security with convenience and luxury. At the bottom of the condominium towers there are 32 commercial establishments of familiar brands such as Starbucks, Apple, Lego, Barbie, and others that celebrate the burgeoning consumer lifestyle in Costa Rica. There are common areas that celebrate the arts and allow residents to engage in physical activity and entertainment; the idea is to never leave the residential compound.
Mr. Mata writes that he actually ran into a resident, a woman who was escorting a massage therapist out of her residential unit. Upon being approached, the woman smiled and clearly explained that she could not talk to the press for security reasons. This attitude, coupled with a sophisticated security and monitoring system throughout the complex, evokes hints of the paranoia-filled British TV mini-series Cape Wrath or J.G. Ballard’s novel Cocaine Nights.
The Future Costa Rica Lifestyle
The sterile and secretive world of Avenida Escazú will soon be coming to other parts of Costa Rica.
Similar projects are planned in neighboring Santa Ana, Guachipelin (the ominously-named District 4), San Rafael de Alajuela (Hacienda Espinal), Montes de Oca (near San Pedro), and Guanacaste. These communities will be developed according to a careful master plan rather than organically; in this fashion, the chances of ending up with a city such as San Jose -lovable, yet chaotic- are minimized.
Critics of these communities in Costa Rica will surely cry foul and mention gentrification, to which developers will respond: “But we are behind high walls, how can we gentrify if you can’t even see us!” Another complaint that is sure to be heard will border on xenophobia: “Only pretentious foreigners (meaning Americans) live that way.” According to Mr. Mata’s article, however, 60 percent of residents in Avenida Escazu are Ticos, and the rest are mostly from Canada, Spain and Venezuela. And they are not antisocial; they sometimes come out in the summer and gather to enjoy “Chill-Out Sunsets” (just like you read it, in English), which seems to be an idea borrowed from the electronic dance music culture of Ibiza.
Riteve, the vehicular inspection service, is pushing for an increase in its rates that would see users pay from the current ¢9.930 to ¢25.530 colones for the inspection of a light passenger vehicle.
Riteve argues that it has not had a increase for the last eights years, yet their costs have increased.
The application for the increase is now before the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP) – the government agency that sets prices for all public services, including the price of gasoline, bus and taxi fares and toll charges.
If the increase is approved, it would more than double inspection prices on all types of vehicles.
The lime n Costa Rica it is called limón (lemon). A yellow lemon is called a "limón persa" (as per AutoMercado).
By Oliver Perez. Voz de Guanacaste – The climate of Costa Rica makes it easy to catch colds, but often we make mistakes that worsen the condition or favour catching a cold. Specialists explain the need to be informed before resorting to some home remedies for treating colds.
The lime n Costa Rica it is called limón (lemon in English). A yellow lemon is called a “limón persa” (as per AutoMercado). This is not to be confused with the “green” oranges or the limes that are orange on the inside.
Myth 1:Hot lemonade with honey: Bee honey has antiseptic properties that help reduce infection in the throat (esophagus), but sugar increases the coefficient of carbon dioxide, which means that the cough increases, although it generates relief at the time. Lemon is rich in vitamin C, which boosts defenses, but when it is heated, the vitamin C is destroyed.
“As an option, people can choose to grate ginger, combine it with hot water and drink it in tea; in addition, they can consume freshly squeezed lemon, lime or orange juice without heating it to keep the vitamin C intact,” highlights nutritionist Melania Cevo.
Myth 2:Warm milk with oregano: warm milk creates a sense of well-being but the reality is that if we have the flu with a cough and phlegm, it is best not to consume high amounts of dairy products as these increase the formation of phlegm. On the other hand, oregano is recommended, since it functions as an expectorant, but in vegetable soup.
Myth 3: Eat a lot of meat: It is true that protein is important, but very fatty meats or products containing fats like fried foods, butter, aged cheeses and sausages contain fats that lower the defenses, so it is best to avoid them both when sick and to prevent sickness.
“Given the need to take in protein when we are sick, we recommend moderate consumption of meat rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which raise defenses and are easy to digest. In addition, during flu, small portions of fish are preferred,” adds Dr. Cevo.
Natural Foods that Boost Defenses
In Costa Rica we can find a variety of natural alternatives, affirmed Dr. Melania Cevo, who recommended some products to strengthen the respiratory tract and defenses:• Echinacea from Purple Coneflower (boosts defenses)
The specialist also recommended some practices that help reduce symptoms and promote recovery.
“Remember to hydrate well, 2-3 litred of water a day when you have the flu. Also consume juices and natural fruit drinks with no added sugar and meats rich in Omega 3,” recommended Dr. Cevo.
By Wilberth Villalobos Castrillo and Oliver Perez, Voz de Guanacaste – Those travelling on the Interamericana (Ruta 1) between Cañas and Liberia will encounter some delays in traffic since CONAVI is working on installing bridges.
The recent placement of the bridge over the Cañas River in August of this year along the route marked the beginning of the construction phase of 18 new bridges as well as the rehabilitation of 18 existing bridges, which will also receive attention.
Each new bridge will have two lanes, pedestrian sidewalks and will have a lifespan of 20 years, explained Enrique Sánchez, engineer of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI- National Roadway Council), who is part of the executive unit that supervises the work.
Sanchez said that the companies FCC, Meco, Sanchez Carvajal and Codecsa are in charge of the construction of the bridges and he expects the bridges to be completed by the end of 2014.
These works are part of the widening of 50 kilometers of the Cañas-Liberia route, which will have four lanes. The construction started in 2012 and is expected to be complete in 2015.
The road will have nine pedestrian bridges at strategic points, such as near schools, to provide greater safety for pedestrians and special culverts that allow animals to pass.
According to CONAVI, the total investment for this project amounts to $200 million, and once completed, it will make it possible for vehicles to travel from Cañas to Liberia or vice versa in just 20 minutes instead of the 45 it normally takes.
If it were up to legislator and now presidential candidate for the Renovación Costarricense, Justo Orozco, the other political parties can pack up and go home for “he” will be the next president of Costa Rica.
The presidential candidate says he is a positive person, who does not like “plowing past issues” and that Costa Ricans are sure to vote for him in February.
Speaking to CRHoy.com, Orozco said, his reputation is of “excellence” and he is surrouned by people with “God in their heart” and know first hand the problems of the country.
The legislator/presidential candidate played down the Constitutional Court motion he filed against the Ministerio Publico for raiding his office in the Legislative Asssembly, saying he would not speak any more on the matter.
For Orozco, the raid and other matters are in the past. “We are working for the future, we have much work ahead”, said Orozco.
Justo Orozco Alvarez is a politician, lawyer, educator and evangelical pastor. He was a legislator for the term 1998-2002 and re-elected for 2010-2014.
It was not until Oct. 18, 1813, that what was then referred to as”La Boca de la Monte” became officially the incorporated town of “Villa Nueva de San José.” Life was slow then, the pace of an ox cart, and people were not impatient with long names. Now, positively hasty, everyone refers to it with the nickname for José, “Chepe.”
It also was closer to nature — at least to farming — the suburbs merely gatherings of houses to punctuate the green surroundings of trees and, later, coffee plantations. After its founding at the urging of Fr. Florencio de Castillo, it would have to wait a decade before it wrested the title of nation’s capital from Cartago.
Thus it was to remain until well into the 20th century — the coffee plantations barely stopped at where the Legislative Assembly (congress) building is today on “Cuesta Moras” (Blackberry Hill.) But at the turn of the 20th century it was lit by electricity, at least for a few blocks, generated by a now-disappeared river that once bubbled through the downtown area.
One of the early tourists, the Englishman John Hale, wrote in 1825: “Villanueva or San Jose capital of the province, is in an extensive valley or high land and its site is one of the most lovely in the world. In all directions, the suburbs of this city are enchanting and most particularly La Sabana (or common pastures) donated by don Manuel Chapui, the late clergyman.”
In a eulogistic article in La Nacion, historian Florencia Quesada noted that at one time of year, the fragrance of the coffee blossoms filled the city air, only to be replaced later in the 20th century by another odor. She is too delicate to name the odor but we will — hydrocarbon fumes from hundreds of thousands of vehclles.
(The Friday edition of the newspaper La Nacion carries a map of Costa Rica in 1787, looking strangely nude without Guanacaste province whose population in the next century was to opt to become a part of this country, at situation that displeases Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to this day.)
The old city of San Jose took a great leap forward in 1830 with the first paving of streets with stone, the first street lights using gas, an embryo of a police force, a marketplace, city cleaning (still a battle with litter) and the first places for fun such as billiard parlors.
But San Jose was recognised as a town much before its incorporation — the Costa Rican Geographical and Historic Academy set in 1951 the date as 1737. But the time is difficult to assess because in that era the country was a province of Spain, governed out of Guatemala. Records are vague or non-existent.
Indeed, before 1750 there was no push to form villages and cities, much easier to govern than scattered houses. After the middle of the 19th century, a concerted effort was made. (Probably, a municipal police force would have found little to do because people in the poor province had enough to do just to scratch out a living.)
But it was not until 1776 (as the United States began to break away from the British Crown) that cleric Manuel Antonio Chapui de Torres (1713-83) gave the order to build an adobe church with a central plaza in front of it (in the Spanish model) that the village of San Jose began to look like a town.
Naturally, it was not long before merchants hastened to build on the edges of the plaza. But ironically the first public building was a tobacco factory in 1782, whose warehouses became the first government offices and seat of the first Chiefs of State after the independence in 1821. The first La Merced church was built alongside.
But real government buildings did not begin springing up until the 10-year government of Juan Rafael Mora (1849-59) along with the declaration of a republican style of government. Symbol of that was the Palacio Nacional, completed in 1856 where Banco Central is now.
It was in 1833 that one of the most colorful — and ill conceived — government mechanisms ever devised decreed that the capital status would revolve in four-year sequence among Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago and San Jose. It was only two years later that Chief of State Braulio Carrillo brought sanity to the arrangement, sparking a brief war won by San Jose’s supporters.
Carrillo had the idea of establishing the capital in San Juan de Murcielago (what is now San Juan de Tibas) but this was never done. Carrillo’s successor, Manuel Aguilar, in 1838 returned the governing seat to San Jose. Carrillo was returned to office in a coup but never brought up a rotating capital again.
Beginning in the 1830s, the era of the coffee barons began in a big way with many fine homes being established in San Jose, a few of which are still to be seen in Barrio Amon. It was at the end of this gilded era, at the turn of the 20th century, that the coffee barons financed the National Theater, last of the grand opera buildings of its type and the first to be wired from the ground up for electricity.
Today, San Jose maintains its early momentum as the pre-eminent city in the country and queen of the Grand Metropolitan Area — home of 60% of the population, 85% of the industry and (unfortunately) 70% of the cars in Costa Rica.
Presidenta Laura Chinchilla, trapped in Panama’s airport for hours on Saturday, finally got a “ride” back to Costa Rica on from Mexico’s Foreign Minister, José Antonio Meade, also trapped in Panama due operations problems at Copa Airlines.
Carlos Roverssi, Costa Rica’s minister of communications, explained on Sunday that Mexico’s Foreign Minister had also been trapped in Panama, when his government sent a plane for him.
Presidenta Chinchilla, after more than seven hours of waiting around, had sent for an ‘avioneta’ (small plane) of the Ministerio de Seguridad Publica, and would take two hours to arrive in Panama.
At the same time the Mexico plane arrived in Panama and the Presidenta was offered a “ride” back to Costa Rica, which was accepted.
The Communications minister expressed his anger at the airline, for all the time the Presidenta was stuck in Panama nobody was able to offer a reason for the delays.
Copa Airlines, one of only two airlines with daily service between Costa Rica and Central and South America, is asking passengers to reschedule their flights until Tuesday.
The Panama based airline explained on its website and Facebook page of problem with its technology platform in Panama City, affecting flight and crew schedules and operations.
The airline is asking the cooperation of passengers with flights out of Panama to reschedule within 48 hours, allowing the airline to stabilize operations and fight schedules.
This affects Copa flights to and from Costa Rica.
The airline has multiple flights to and from Panama and the Juan Santamaria (San José) and Daniel Oduber (Liberia) airports.
On Saturday, more than 200 Costa Ricans, including Presidenta Laura Chinchilla, saw their flights from Panama to Costa Rica disrupted.
No one can dance like a “limonense” at the carnival. Each year, the Caribbean port city of Limón celebrates with 12 days of dancing in the streets, parades and lot of Caribbean music in the event called the “Los Carnavales de Limón“.
Literally, this is a street party Costa Rica style, which is attended by people from all over the world. It is the largest and longest of all the festivals that take place in Costa Rica’s Caribbean province
Colourful parades, marching bands Caribbean style, lively musical concerts, street parties and more mark this annual event. The Limón carnival celebrates Costa Rica’s Afro-Caribbean culture.
The party kicked off on October 11 and runs to October 22
Limón and the southern Caribbean towns of Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo are home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community. Costa Rica’s Caribbean culture is so unique that it’s almost like going to another country to visit the area. You can hear both Spanish and Creole English, called “patois”, spoken everywhere.
Part of the community traces its roots to former African-slave Jamaican laborers who were brought over in the late nineteenth century to build the railroad connecting San José to the Port of Limón. Workers from China and other Caribbean islands also were contracted for the railroad, which was destroyed in the 1991 Limon earthquake. Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean coast include Bri Bri and Cabecar. The colorful mix is like a spicy gumbo in Costa Rica’s otherwise more traditional Spanish heritage.
Speaking of food, when you’re in Limón and the southern Caribbean, you have to try some of the local delicacies like Rice-and-Beans with red beans and coconut rice, jerk chicken, rondon (fish and vegetables cooked in coconut and curry), coconut shrimp, pati (meat pastry), and pan bon (a local cake made with brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and candied fruit).
A German style “Biergarten” is brewing in Cuidad Colón, west of Santa Ana, where Maya Lounge restaurant of “culinary arts and a passion for good food together to find “flavor that has always sought but never found,” as says German chef Drik Roos.
Maya Lounge has been remodelled, leaving behind the Mexican food that made it famous, for a new taste. Daniel Solano, the current manager said the Mexican was that of his father-in-law.
The beer garden, popular in Europe, is part of the restaurant’s participation in Oktoberfest that will celebrated in Costa Rica on October 26 and 27 in Avenida Escazú.
Maya’s is open Wednesday to Sunday. More information and menu can be found on their Facebook page.
On average, 17 public servants every month for the past three years have been on the firing block. According to the Tribunal del Servicio Civil, between 2011 and the first quarter of 2013, a total of 455 public employees were processed with dismissal, of which, 334 were actually fired.
Most of the cases are with the Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP) – Ministry of Public Education – this because it is the government agency with the largest payroll.
According to the Tribunal, the main causes of dismissal are absences from work, dereliction of duty, misuse of resources and alcoholism.
In the cases where alcoholism is involved, the process of dismissal is lengthy and complicated, given that the Constitutional Court has ruled in the past that an employee with a drinking problem cannot be simply fired without first receiving medical treatment.
The president of the Profesores de Segunda Enseñanza (APSE), Beatriz Ferreto, says the number of firings (at the MEP) is not significant, considering the ministry has a payroll of 80.000 employees.
Another public institution with a high payroll and firings is the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT).
The firings at the MOPT include the dismissal of the director de Educación Vial (Driver Education), Hugo Jiménez, this month.
The firing was at the instance of MOPT minister Pedro Castro. The minister would not give explanations for the firing, just saying it was “due to the severity of the case”.
The process to fire a public servant in Costa Rica is between 40 and 60 days and for the details to be made public the case has to be filed before the Tribunal del Servicio Civil (Civil Service Tribunal), which can extend the process.
Only 11 presidents attended the 23rd Ibero-American summit in Panama City, which was to have brought together 22 leaders. Instead of meeting annually, they decided to get together every other year instead, starting after next year’s summit in Veracruz, Mexico.
Among the no-shows were leaders from most of the more powerful countries in South America, including Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Chile’s Sebastian Pinera, and Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner. On Friday, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto met on the summit sidelines with Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on Panama’s plans to join the Pacific Alliance, a trade bloc that includes Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Also missing, for the first time since the group first met in 1991, was Spain’s King Juan Carlos, who is still recovering from hip surgery.
"Missed it by this much". From the 2010 presidential elections.
“Missed it by this much”. From the 2010 presidential elections.
Ok, now that the 2104 election race is official, we can start to poke fun at the candidates. First on our list of presenting you the presidential candidates, is Otto Guevara. This is his Otto’s fourth – yes, fourth – shot at the title, running unsuccessfully in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
In addition to his work as a lawyer and a professor, he has also made a name in tourism, commercial trade, and public policy. He also produced and hosted a number of television and radio shows focused on his moderate pro-freedom message.
“Love is forever. But a Guevara candidacy is eternal”, comment found Facebook.
First elected to congress as the sole representative for the Movimiento Libertario in 1998, Guevara earned recognition as Costa Rica’s best legislator by the press every year of his first term.
In 2002, Libertarian Movement, with Guevara as the presidential candidate, elected 6 members to Congress out of 57 seats, but few weeks later they lost a Congressman, declared independent. After a split within the party that saw a group of libertarian members leave, Guevara said his party was moving to be liberal and not libertarian.
The year 2006 saw the Libertarian Movement Party again elect 6 members to congress, but they lost again other Congressman. As a presidential candidate in 2006, Guevara earned almost 10% of the vote. In 2009, Guevara is elected presidential candidate for third time.
In February 2010, Guevara lost the Presidential election with 20% of the vote for a third place finish.
Guevara in the future.
On election day, Guevara was involved in a religious controversy, as his girlfriend Deborah Formal was seen on national television pocketing part of the host after receiving Eucharist at Catholic Mass.
By all accounts, barring any last minute scandal, Guevara should win be able to win this election. He’s been at for some time, and has the most political campaign experience than the rest (except for Corrales, but that is for another day).
That stick to it attitude should count for something, no? Diay, Pura Vida!
The lunch counter in La Galeria. Exclusive photo by the Q!
inding a good an affordable lunch in Costa Rica isn’t that difficult, it you take the time look around at the options.
In San José there are many sodas, Costa Rica’s equivalent of diners. At a soda, you’ll have lots of choices and at reasonable prices. For example, San José’s Mercado Central (Central Market) offers up dozens of gritty soda stands, where you will find authentic Costa Rican foods like the olla de carne, sopa negra, gallo pinto, arroz con pollo, etc.
Still in San José, another hot spot for a good and inexpensive lunch, the La Galeria lunch counters, where for ¢2.000 colones you get a complete lunch. And quick. Since there really is no menu, everyone kind of has the same meal prepared for the day.
The meal of the day at La Galeria soda. Exclusive photo the Q
The Galeria is located half block west of the Presidente hotel on the boulevar (Avenida Cental). The sodas are in the basement level (or street level if you come in from Avenida 2).
The Bourbon market area is another great place for a soda lunch. The area is a little (ok a lot) rough, smack in the middle of the Zona Roja (Red Zone) on Calle 6-8 and Avenida 3-5. But, here you can find some really tasty meals.
Sodas can be found all over the downtown core of San José. Some are around for a few months, while others have been around for years, decades even.
Not in the same number as in San José, sodas can be found in all of Costa Rica’s cities and towns.
Dining at the a Costa Rican soda is an acquired taste.
The alternative to the soda for authentic “tico” taste.
For many foreigners and younger Costa Ricans, the soda is not something they can stomach. With that in mind, one fast food franchise is appealing to diners who want the traditional Costa Rican taste, but in a modern environment: enter the “Tico” sandwich by Quiznos.
For ¢1.090 colones (2 American bucks) Quiznos offers a sandwich with carne mechada (shredded beef), frijoles molidos (mashed beans)and Sala Lizano (a Costa Rican condiment developed in 1920 by the Lizano Company) in with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. This IS NOT a paid advertising by Quiznos.
The chain calls the taste “muy nuestro” (very much ours).
For North Americans, part of living in a different culture is trying the local foods.
If you can’t, just can’t do the Central Market, La Galeria or others like Chelles, the Tico sandwhich will give you that authentic Costa Rican flavour.
The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) – electoral tribunal – yesterday closed the registration for presidential candidates, vice-presidents and legislators, officially marking the 2014 presidential elections campaign.
In total, 1.113 candidates from 21 political parties are registered, who for the next three months will be fighting for 60 elected positions that will be decided by the people on February 2, 2014.
Of the 21 parties, 14 are national, the other 7 provincial. Only national parties can submit a candidate for the presidency, but only 13 did so for the 2014 elections, the Alianza Patriótica.
Running for president was first to register, Johnny Araya, candidate for the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN); Rodolfo Piza for the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC); Luis Guillermo Solís, for the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC); Otto Guevara, for theMovimiento Libertario; and, José María Villalta, for the Frente Amplio.
The list of candidates continues with, José Manuel Echandi, of the Avance Nacional; Héctor Monestel, of the Partido de los Trabajadores; Sergio Mena, of the Nueva Generación; Carlos Avendaño, of the Restauración Nacional; and Justo Orozco, of the Renovación Costarricense.
Late comers, registering in the final hours of Friday afternoon are, José Miguel Corrales, of the partido Patria Nueva; Óscar López, of the Partido Accesibilidad Sin Exclusión (PASE); and, Wálter Muñoz, of the Partido Integración Nacional (PIN).
A group of die hard Black Sabbath fans have camped out at the gates of the National Stadium, with tickets in hand, to be the first to enter the stadium.
José and his three friends have been camping out since Thursday for the concert that will take place on Tuesday.
By Friday afternoon, the number had grown to ten, and by this Monday more than 50 are expected to join them.
Some of the problems this young group has faced, so far, is the insults like “Vagos sin trabajo” (lazy unemployed, in English) of passersby who do not understand their “love” for the rock band.
On Tuesday, October 22, Ozzie Osbourne and his band will take the stage in La Sabana, along with American heavy metal band, Megadeth.
Black Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968, by guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne, and drummer Bill Ward. The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. Originally formed in 1968 as a heavy blues rock band named Earth, the band began incorporating occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and tuned-down guitars.
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, that was formed in 1983 by Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson. The band has since released 14 studio albums. A pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s and is ranked as one of the “Big Four of Thrash” along with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, who were responsible for creating, developing and popularizing the thrash metal sub-genre.
Traffic official Hazel Tencio does not mind being the centre of attention.
Rubbernecking is part of every day driving. Gawking at something of interest can cause traffic jams and a cause of accidents as drivers become distracted and change their rate of travel while other drivers are also distracted.
Typically, rubbernecking is a human trait that is associated with morbid curiosity, an example is drivers trying to view the carnage resulting from a traffic accident.
It is part of human nature to become curious at the sight of something extreme or unusual, which makes some aspects of rubbernecking very understandable.
Traffic official Marcela Segura does like the “piropos”, says they are insulting.
Earlier this week the “rubbernecking” was common in the Hatillos, and not due to an accident or a collision but for two traffic official directing traffic, Hazel Tencio and Marcela Segura.
Both ladies were constantly at the receiving end of “piropos”.
“Thank God they are not insults…”, Tenocio tells CRHoy.com. Segura who has been a traffic cop for five years, however, feels the piropos are more of an insult than compliments.
When all is said and done, it would be hard pressed to find a driver who does not take a second look and minds been given orders by either of these two final traffic officials.
97% of Costa Ricans do not include the family pet in their emergency plans for earthquakes, flood and volcanic eruptions, for example, reveals a study published this week by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and with the help of CID-Gallup.
For WSPA veterinary coordinator, Juan Carlos Murillo, the results of the report are concerning because few people look at the importance of pets in recovery after an emergency.
WSPA called on pet owners to take into account the following tips:
Have the pet identified with a plaque bearing the contact information of the owner.
Having a cage and leash on hand to transport the animal.
Maintain a veterinary emergency kit in a secure place, protected from water and well identified.
Identify a place in the home of a relative or friend who can evacuate your family and pets if necessary.
These recommendations are useful for those who have pets, primarily in the Greater San José Metropolitan Area (Gran Área Metropolitana – GAM). where there are more than 583.000 dogs and 111.000 cats, according to 2011 WSPCA study in conjunction with the Instituto de Estudios Sociales en Población de la Universidad Nacional (IDESPO).
WSPA work in Costa Rican inclues a simulated disaster relief operation on Saturday 25 September, that tested years of preparation between WSPA and local agencies – the Red Cross (Cruz Roja), Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA, the government agency responsible for the welfare of animals), the police and civil defence – were joined by a WSPA team and a veterinary emergency response unit (VERU) in the drill. The operation gauged the agencies’ and community’s ability and readiness to care for animals if the Turrialba volcano were to erupt.
With immense natural resources comes the intrinsic risk of natural disasters, and Costa Rica has had to deal with several different kinds of emergencies in the recent past, threatening both people and animals.
So risk reduction work – planning ahead to mitigate the impacts of any natural disaster – is especially critical in here, where the rural economy relies on cattle and other animals.
Junk food, sugary drinks and pet treats to cost more in Mexico after lawmakers of the lower house approved a disputed tax reform plan to boost government revenue. Mexico is Latin America’s second economy.
The house voted 317-164 yesterday to approve a modified version of President Peña Nieto’s bill that increased the top income tax rate to 35% from 30% and created a 5% tax on high-fat foods. The bill, which stripped out the initial plan to tax private education tuition, mortgage interest and home rentals, now heads to the Senate.
The junk food tax sparked stock declines yesterday for food companies such as Grupo Bimbo SAB, the world’s largest baker, and Gruma SAB, the world’s biggest tortilla maker.
Lawmakers from the National Action Party, the biggest opposition group in Congress, opposed the bill after Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, refused to drop its plan to increase the sales tax in states that border the U.S., including traditional strongholds for the party known as PAN.
A higher tax rate for top earners and duties on high-fat foods were proposals pushed by the Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, the second-largest opposition group.
Under the bill approved yesterday the maximum income tax rate will increase to 35 percent for people making more than 3 million pesos ($235,000) from 30 percent. Pena Nieto had proposed increasing the top tax rate to 32 percent for more than 500,000 pesos in income.
Mexico’s economy will grow 1.7 percent this year after expanding 3.9 percent in 2012, according to government estimates.
There’s a lunar eclipse tonight! At exactly 23:51 UTC (17:51 Costa Rica time) the first and only penumbral lunar eclipse of the year will reach its peak — the lunar eclipse will begin at right around 21:51 UTC on October 18th and last until about 01:50 UTC on October 19th…
A traffic official (oficial de Tránsito) was arrested on Wednesday by the specialized section on traffic crimes of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), for charging up to ¢60.000 colones (US$120) to look the other way.
Upon inspection of the patrol vehicle, Judicial agents also found a dozen beers, a bottle of whiskey and several pornographic DVDs.
The traffic official now faces additional charges in addition to taking bribes.
But, the case will probably won’t go past the charges being filed.
Of the 20 cases of corruption against traffic officials in the past couple of years, not one has gone to court, let alone anyone serving a jail sentence.
Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula and Nicoya Peninsula would disappear!
Photo credit: National Geographic
National Geographic, by way of an interactive map, shows the world’s new coastlines if seal level rises 216 feet (some 66 metres). The map shows how the world is ow, with only one difference: all the ice on land has melted and drained into the sea, raising it 216 feet and creating new shorelines for our continents an inland seas.
For North America, the entire Atlantic seaboard would vanish, along with Florida and the Gulf Coast. California, San Francisco’s hills would become a cluster of islands and the Central Valley a giant bay. The Gulf of California would stretch north past the latitude of San Diego – no that there’d be a San Diego.
In South America, the Amazon Basin in the north and the Paraguay River Basin in the south would become Atlantic inlets, wiping out Buenos Aires (Argentina), coastal Uruguay and most of Paraguay. Mountainous stretches woul survive along the Caribbean coast and in Central America.
In that scenario, Costa Rica’s OSA and NICOYA peninsulas would disappear completely.
Photo credit: National Geographic
Costa Rican oceanographer, Omar Lizano, says coastal areas like Palo Seco, Isla Damas and beaches like Bejuco and Hermosa on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast, would have problems in 100 years time with the rise in seal level. In the Caribbean coast, areas like Cahuita, Puero Viejo, Manzanilo and Cocles, among others, will also have major problems, may even be wiped out.
Alvaro Sagot, lawyer and environmentalist, told CRHoy.com, the forecasts are catastrophic and claims by environmentalists are criticized, but nobody at present is foreseeing actions to better conditions in the future.
“It’s definitely apocalyptic…” says Sagot.
The National Georgraphic report says that in May the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million, the highest since three million years ago. Sea levels then may have been as much as 65 feet (20 metres) above today’s; the Northern Hemisphere was largely ice free year-round. It would take centuries for the oceans to reach such catastrophic heights again, and much depends on whether we manage to limit future greenhouse gas emissions. In the short term scientists are still uncertain about how fast and how high seas will rise. Estimates have repeatedly been too conservative.
Global warming affects sea level in two ways. About a third of its current rise comes from thermal expansion—from the fact that water grows in volume as it warms. The rest comes from the melting of ice on land. So far it’s been mostly mountain glaciers, but the big concern for the future is the giant ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. Six years ago the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report predicting a maximum of 23 inches of sea-level rise by the end of this century. But that report intentionally omitted the possibility that the ice sheets might flow more rapidly into the sea, on the grounds that the physics of that process was poorly understood.
The experts say that Costa Rica should follow the U.S. model, where coastal communities and industries have already begun moving toward the mainland to avoid future catastrophes.
Costa Rica adhered to OECD legal instruments on Internet governance and international business conduct, demonstrating its willingness to align its policies to best practices in these areas and work together with the Organization, during a public meeting in San José featuring President Laura Chinchilla and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría.
At the meeting, Costa Rica signed the Declaration of the Future of the Internet Economy and the Declaration on Propriety, Integrity and Transparency.
Gurría welcomed Costa Rica’s adherence and drew attention to the country’s recent decision to sign the OECD’s Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises.
“Adhesion to these important legal instruments allows Costa Rica to join efforts to develop the digital economy and implement best practices for international business,” Mr. Gurría said. “These are also important steps toward strengthening its ties with the OECD.”
Gurría’s 16-17 October visit to San José underlined the OECD’s engagement with Costa Rica in a range of policy areas following the Ministerial decision of last May to intensify co-operation with this country.
Gurría drew specific attention during his public interventions to Costa Rica’s continuing efforts to improve its business environment. The decision to become the 45th adherent to the OECD’s Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises last September is “further evidence of Costa Rica’s commitment to creating an attractive climate for investment.”
Gurría also discussed the Investment Policy Review of Costa Rica, which was undertaken to accompany the country’s adherence to the Declaration. The Review shows that Costa Rica’s inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) have increased at a significant pace, growing on average 13% per year over the past decade. Manufacturing activities make up a large part, while the share of investment flows into the services sector has also jumped in recent years, boosted by the opening of the telecommunications market.
The Review makes a series of recommendations to address key challenges facing the country. These include:
Make better use of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in transport and electricity, develop management expertise, and offer more opportunities for foreign investors to participate in PPP projects. This will help modernize the electricity sector, meet growing demand and ultimately reduce costs.
Streamline and modernise procedures for doing business and cut red tape to facilitate domestic and foreign investment.
Reinforce partnerships between the government, universities, R&D centres and the private sector to meet a growing gap between supply and demand in priority sectors, notably high-tech industries.
Continue its efforts to fight corruption in the public sector and foreign bribery as set out in the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, part of the Declaration.
The presidential candidates of the five major political parties – the PLN, PUSC, PAC, Frente Amplio and Movimiento Libertatio, will hold a debate for the first time on Wednesday
The debate will be held in the framework of a forum organized by the Universidad Nacional (UNA) at 2pm.
Although in the past, Rodolfo Piza (as vicepresidential candidate for the PUSC), Otto Guevara, of the Movimiento Libertario, José María Villalta, of the Frente Amplio, and Luis Guillermo Solís, of the PAC, have met in similar forums, this is the first PLN candidate, Johnny Araya, joins to participate.
The Wednesday debate is one of six similar debates planned prior to the presidential elections on February 2, 2014.a
New taxes are part of a set of proposals by the government to cut the deficit, which the Chinchilla administration aims to amass the support of political, business and social groups during its last months in office.
Taxes are just one option to raising revenue, according to the document titled, “En ruta hacia la consolidación fiscal: Agenda para un Diálogo Nacional” (On the road to fiscal consolidation: Agenda for a National Dialogue), presented Thursday by Hacienda (Finance) minister, Edgar Ayales.
According to the minister, the document will be the basis for discussion and agreement towards a solution to the fiscal problem the country is facing.
Some of the tax changes include is a Value Added Tax (VAT) or Valor Agregado (IVA) in Spanish and changes in tax burdens to free zones (Zona Francas).
Hacienda has organized five roundtable discussion on the five areas making up the document.
In addition to the current unemployment in Costa Rica, some 18.000 people will be losing their jobs in the coming months, according to experts who recommend that it is best to look after one’s current job, because in a matter of months, the economic situation in the country could increase the number of unemployed.
According to an estimate by Ecoanálisis, unemployment could rise from 10.3% to 11%, which in real numbers means 18.000 more people without jobs in addition to the 232.000 unemployed.
Ecoanálisis says the change could come within the next couple of months.
Many Costa Ricans blame the inability to find work on foreigners – legal and illegal – taking their jobs. However, the Ministerio de Trabajo (Ministry of Labour) says that if it weren’t for the foreign workers, for instance to harvest crops, agricultural companies would be in big trouble.
In example is a company with orange cultivates losing millions last year when it could not bring in foreign workers in time and unable to find local workers to pick oranges.
Two sociologists interviewed by Telenoticias say it is an issue of “laziness”. The experts say “Ticos” (Costa Ricans) in general do not want to work in menial jobs or jobs that are “too hard”.
The truth is that some in Costa Rica will have to lower their (job) expectations if they want to work in the face the current economic conditions.
The Minister of Labour, Olman Segura, says he will test the unemployed Ticos in areas where crops are harvested. Segura said that in the coming days the Ministry of Labour will announced a series of agricultural job fairs and a search for bus drivers.
According to a first of its kind survey in Costa Rica, culture generates thousands of jobs and accounts for 1.4% of the gross domestic product.
This amount is higher than the export revenue for coffee and bananas in 2012.
The survey takes into account the audiovisual, publishing and advertising sector, that combined generate more ¢315 billion colones and employs about 20.000.
Costa Rica is the seventh country in the world to take such a survey, which aims to rescue cultural production and its growth and development.
