If you thought the traffic was nasty going to the beach the last couple of days, expect the worst today and tomorrow, as most will head home from the beaches and resorts, ending the Semana Santa holidays.
One of the most congested is the San José – Caldera (Ruta 27) between Orotina and Cuidad Colón (Santa Ana).
On Wednesday and Thursday the Autopistas del Sol, the road concessionaire, opened all lanes one way to Puntarenas between 6:00am and noon. Today (Saturday) and Sunday it will open all lanes one way in the direction of San José between noon and 8:00pm.
The one way is between the Pozón (Orotina) and Cuidad Colon (Santa Ana) toll stations.
HOWEVER, despite the measure traffic on the “Caldera” was, is and will continue to be a mess. The obvious is just volume, but more, the lack of alternate routes AND the bad drivers – drivers who drive too slow; or too fast; impatient, driving on shoulders, crossing double lines to get one car ahead; weaving between lanes, etc, etc, etc.
Friday night, drivers heading for the Central Valley were hit with a “wall” of vehicles at the Pozón toll station. The heavy flow of traffic continued to Atenas, where it started easing off as many heading for different directions. The next congestion came at the La Guacima toll station.
It was just volume of traffic, as many vacationers decided to head home early, beating out the madness that is expected today and tomorrow. Or maybe not, since…
The best recommendation is to travel home on Monday if at all possible. If not, here are a few recommendations:
a full tank of gasoline
radiator, oil and transmission fluid (if automatic) topped up
belts and hoses in good condition
ensure that exhaust system is working properly. Toxic gases can build up quickly and with no ventilation…
lots of fluids (water, juices, etc) for your and your passengers
if traveling with children, make sure you have entertainment for them
if traveling with pets make sure they are well hydrated and stop to have them relieve themselves to reduce stress
scout alternate routes
make the trip at off hours (like the middle of the night) or Monday and Tuesday, if at all possible
allow at least 1-2 hours of added travel time to get to your destination. For visitors headed to the airport, allow even more time in the event of accident or car breakdown.
You can’t be in Costa Rica during Semana Santa and not visit Santa Cruz in Guanacaste. Not for its beauty nor its nearby beaches, but for annual traditional “Lagateada”.
Every Good Friday, thousands flock to the Ortega river in Santa Cruz for annual capturing a huge lizard. This year, the catch was a yellow belly of about four metres (12 feet) long.
Official estimate puts the number in attendance at 4.000, between community residents and visitors from around the country and the world.
The tradition began some 150 years ago when a local resident capture a large “lagarto” on Good Friday. The dictionary defines lagarto as a lizard, alligator (caimán).
Today the tradition has changed a lot, but it remains, a group of about 30 men are involved in capturing the lagarto.
The lagarto is then taken to the Plaza de Ortega where there is a great celebration.
Finding the largest lagarto starts days and weeks earlier. In addition, organizers now need to obtain permits from the municipality and the Regional del Área de Conservación Tempisque de Nicoya (ACT).
Some residents say that in the past the fat of the lagarto was removed for alleged medicinal properties. However, today the practice involves capturing the lagarto and releasing it the following day.
Friday’s catch is to be released this morning (Saturday) at 9:00am back into the Ortega river, in the same spot it was captured.
Just Explain It: Who Are The Happiest People In The World? Are you happy?
The pursuit of happiness was enshrined as a right in the United States Declaration of Independence over 200 years ago, but now researchers and policy makers are looking closely at what nations are the happiest, and why.
Last year, the United Nations passed a resolution declaring March 20, 2013 the first International Day of Happiness. The resolution recognized “happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.”
So, why is happiness so important? How is happiness measured? And what countries are the happiest?
That’s what we set to find out, on today’s “Just Explain It.”
The United Nations believes happiness can be the result of their peacekeeping, anti-poverty, human rights and sustainability duties. When International Happiness Day was announced, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Social, economic, and environmental well-being are indivisible. Together they define gross global happiness.”
Research shows that people who are physically healthy, have strong social and communal ties, and have meaningful goals tend to be happier and live longer. Money only makes an impact on happiness to the point of covering necessities. Once those needs are met, research doesn’t show a correlation between more money and more happiness. Similarly, governments are also finding other ways to define national happiness and success beyond wealth and gross domestic product.
In 1972, the small Himalayan nation of Bhutan rejected GDP as a measure of its well-being and adopted gross national happiness or GNH. In Bhutan, GNH consists of shared economic prosperity, environmental and cultural preservation, and good governance. It sounds hard to measure, but it seems to be working pretty well for them. In the last 20 years Bhutan has doubled its life expectancy.
More recently in 2009 former French President Nicolas Sarkozy created a commission to measure the nation’s prosperity by looking at issues like the environment and quality of life. Meanwhile, in 2010, British Prime Minister David Cameron began measuring the nation’s “life-satisfaction” through surveys, and he directed local governments to foster well-being in an effort to improve it.
Many studies use data beyond wealth to calculate happiness and well-being, but they don’t provide a definite answer as to who are the happiest people in the world.
The 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index ranked 142 countries by surveys and empirical data across eight areas: Economy, Entrepreneurship & Opportunity, Governance, Education, Health, Safety & Security, Personal Freedom and Social Capital. Wealthy northern European nations Norway, Sweden and Denmark topped the list.
The United States ranked high, but came in 12th. It was the first time it wasn’t in the top ten. The two lowest ranking scores for the U.S. were in the Economy, and Safety & Security. But the biggest drops in the last two years of the Index for the U.S. were in Entrepreneurship & Opportunity, Personal Freedom and Governance.
However, a Gallup survey published last year found different results. In their survey to find the most positive nation in the world, Gallup asked citizens in 148 countries if they experienced a lot of enjoyment the previous day. They also asked if respondents felt respected, well-rested, laughed and smiled a lot, and did or learned something interesting the day before the survey. Who were the most positive people? Citizens in Panama and Paraguay answered yes to all those questions 85% of the time. In fact, eight out of the top ten countries were in Latin America: El Salvador, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, Ecuador and Costa Rica. The other two countries in the top 10 were Thailand and the Philippines. Only 76% of U.S. respondents said yes to all of the questions, placing it in 35th place.
What might cause the different results? Gallup’s poll asked respondents more subjective questions about themselves, while the Legatum survey used both questionnaire and hard data. There could also be cultural differences as well: people in certain countries may be more or less likely to express happiness than others.
But then again, isn’t perceived happiness, still happiness?
What makes you happy? Why do you think U.S. isn’t the happiest country in the world?
Vanity Fair magazine lists Costa Rica’s presidenta second of the ten best-dressed world leaders, the top among the four women on the list.
VF says Costa Rica’s Presidenta is “progressive” when it comes to her dress.
The Presidenta is number two on the Vanity Fair list, behind UK Prime Minister David Cameron and ahead of the Primer Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte.
Rounding out the top ten best-dressed by Vanity Fair are: Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress; US President, Barack Obama; Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Werner Faymann
Chancellor of Austria; Joyce Banda, President of Malawi; Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico; and, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland.
VF describes Laura Chinchilla as: the first female president of Costa Rica, is a social conservative and progressive dresser. For her inauguration, Chinchilla wore a white skirt and white suit jacket featuring a built-in white cummerbund. Though she’s been in office for just under three years, she’s already experimented with a wide variety of suit shades and is often photographed wearing gem tones of green and blue. Poker-straight shoulder-length brown hair combats the aging effect that’s often a consequence of female politicians’ necessarily moderate outfits.
Sarah Acton had been working at Tapestry Charter School for over five years.
It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. Sarah Acton, a 31-year-old teacher from Buffalo, N.Y., was on a school trip in Costa Rica when she suddenly died of an unknown cause.
Sarah Acton had been working at Tapestry Charter School for over five years.
The Spanish teacher at Tapestry Charter School became ill while leading students on a cultural exchange program. She collapsed during a white-water rafting trip, and despite receiving immediate medical attention she could not be revived.
On Monday, school officials remembered the beloved teacher and the passion she had for her job.
“She showed up here every day and she was happy to be here, happy to be with her students,” said Joy Pepper, Executive Director at Tapestry Charter School. “She was very frank and got a lot out of them.”
“She wanted us all to graduate and be successful,” one of her students said. “So we’ve got to do it for her.”
School officials headed to Costa Rica on Tuesday to bring the students home on Wednesday, half way through their trip. Some of teenagers wanted to finish it to honor Acton, but school officials opted for bringing them home to their families.
Acton was getting her Board Certificate in world languages, and had studied abroad before in Costa Rica, and had led similar cultural exchange trips in the past. She was married to James Acton, a YNN News photojournalist.
The US Embassy in San José says that United States president, Barack Obama, is making plans to visit Costa Rica in May. The trip from the White House will also take him to Mexico.
No date has been announced, the Embassy only saying it will be early May.
Obama is scheduled to meet Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto between May 2 and 4. Nieto took office last December and has met with Obama at the White House last November.
From Mexico, Obama is schedule to head south to Costa Rica, where he will meet with presidenta Laura Chinchilla who is hosting the Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA)* meeting that will be attended by several Central American leaders.
Obama said he hoped the visit would strengthen cooperation on a variety of issues.
“I’m looking forward to having a couple of days of important consultations and emphasizing, underscoring, how important it is for us within this Western Hemisphere to be able to strengthen our economic ties,” Obama told the Spanish-language network Telemundo in an interview released Wednesday. “Because that will be good for all the parties concerned. They’ll have a greater chance of success and opportunity.
“And when you have more opportunity, more success, it solves a lot of these other problems. You start seeing lower rates of crime and drug violence. You start seeing fewer problems with respect to undocumented immigration, because people have opportunities in their own countries. So we want to make sure that we’re pushing forward that positive agenda.”
Obama last traveled to Mexico for the G-20 summit in June. He visited Central America in March 2011.
SICA
The Central American Integration System (SICA) is the institutional framework of Regional Integration in Central America, created by the States of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Also involved are the Dominican Republic as an Associated State; Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and the United States of America, take part as Regional Observers. China (Taiwan), Spain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, South Korea, France, the Holy See, participate as Extra Regional Observers. SICA’s General Secretariat headquarters are located in the Republic of El Salvador.
Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti and Uruguay are in the process of joining the System as Regional Observers as well as the United Kingdom in the Extra Regional Observer category. Their participation was approved by the XL SICA Heads of State and Government Meeting, held in December 2012.
The Central American Integration System was established on December 13, 1991, by the signing of the Protocol to the Charter of the Organization of Central American States (ODECA) or Tegucigalpa Protocol, which amended the Charter of ODECA, signed in Panama on December 12, 1962, and formally came into operation on February 1, 1993.
The SICA initiative was widely supported by the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution A/48 L of December 10, 1993), with the Tegucigalpa Protocol being duly registered with the UN. This allows that it be invoked internationally as it also allows SICA’s regional bodies and institutions to interact with the United Nations System.
The System was designed taking into account past attempts for regional unification as well as lessons learned from a history of political crisis, belligerent conflict and dictatorial rule in Central America. These considerations, coupled to internal constitutional transformations and the existence of democratic regimes in the region, were contemplated in establishing the fundamental objective of realizing the integration of Central America in order to transform the area into a region of Peace, Liberty, Democracy and Development, based firmly on the respect, tutelage and promotion of human rights.
It’s the latest high-tech attack and it’s coming to cell phones everywhere. Here’s the lowdown on smishing and what you can do about it
Never reply to a suspicious text without doing research and verifying the source.
Just when you thought you understood “Phishing” and felt save to navigate the world wide web again, there is “Smishing”. So, what is Smishing?
Short for SMS Phishing, smishing is a variant of phishing email scams that instead utilizes Short Message Service (SMS) systems to send bogus text messages. Also written as SMiShing, SMS phishing made recent headlines when a vulnerability in the iPhone’s SMS text messaging system was discovered that made smishing on the mobile device possible.
Smishing scams frequently seek to direct the text message recipient to visit a website or call a phone number, at which point the person being scammed is enticed to provide sensitive information such as credit card details or passwords. Smishing websites are also known to attempt to infect the person’s computer with malware.
SMS phishing uses cell phone text messages to deliver the bait to induce people to divulge their personal information. The hook (the method used to actually capture people’s information) in the text message may be a website URL, but it has become more common to see a telephone number that connects to an automated voice response system.
The SMS phishing message usually contains something that demands the target’s immediate attention. Examples include “We confirm that you have signed up for our subscription. You will be charged $2 a day unless you cancel your order on this URL: [URL]”. Or (Name of popular online bank) confirms that you have purchased a computer from (name of popular computer company). Visit [URL] if you did not make this online purchase”, and “(Name of a financial institution): Your account has been suspended. Call 235.654.6969 immediately to reactivate”. The hook will be a seemingly legitimate website that asks you to “confirm” (enter) your personal financial information, such as your credit/debit card number, CVV code (on the back of your credit card), your ATM card PIN, SSN, email address, and other personal information. If the hook is a phone number, it normally directs to a legitimate-sounding automated voice response system, similar to the voice response systems used by many financial institutions, which will ask for the same personal information.
This is an example of a (complete) SMS phishing message in current circulation: “Notice – this is an automated message from (a local credit union), your ATM card has been suspended. To reactivate call urgent [sic] at 866-###-####.”
In many cases, the SMS phishing message will not show an actual telephone number and some unusual number. This usually indicates the SMS message was sent by email to the cell phone rather than from another cell phone. This information is then used to create duplicate credit/debit/ATM cards. There are documented cases where information entered on a fraudulent website (used in a phishing, SMS phishing, or voice phishing attack) was used to create a credit or debit card that was then used halfway around the world within 30 minutes.
Avoid the Dangers of “Smishing”: How to Protect Yourself
If you get a text that’s unsolicited or from an unidentifiable source, protect yourself with these tips:
If the message appears to be from a legitimate source, contact that source’s main phone number—not the number provided in the text—and verify. Legitimate businesses, such as banks, do not send out texts that elicit a response.
Delete messages from unknown sources without reading.
Do not click on links or download apps from an unverified source.
Never provide sensitive information to an unverified texter.
Avoid messages that appear to come from non telephone numbers. This may be an identity that hides a scammer’s real number. The message may have no number at all.
Add security software to your mobile phone.
Look into setting up a “text alias.” This cell phone feature hides your actual phone number from the smishing sender.
Contact your phone provider and alert it to the messages you’ve been receiving.
If you are travelling to and from the Pacific coast this week and plan to use the Ruta 27 (San José – Caldera) take note of the following information by the Autopistas del Sol: the road will become a reversible road, westerly on Wednesday and Thursday and easterly on Saturday and Sunday.
Starting this morning Wednesday, March 27, the Ruta 27 will be one way to Jacó between Santa Ana and Orotina, the same will apply for Thursday, March 28, between 6:00am and noon.
On Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31, the Ruta 27 will be one way to San José – again between Orotina and Santa Ana – from noon to 8:00pm.
The measure is to move the expected high volume of traffic in the right direction, to the Pacific coast and back to the Central Valley, during the peak travel days.
For those travelling in the opposite direction during the “one way” of the Ruta 27, the alternates include the old road to Jacó (Aguacate) and the Interamericana by way of the Cambronero.
The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (Costa Rica’s immigration service) reports that a mob attacked immigration police officers in the area of Los Chiles, near the Las Tablilas crossing point between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The director of immigration Freddy Montero, said the attack from a group of men occurred around noon. Montero said the officers were in Los Chiles as part of the increased border controls for Semana Santa.
According to reports, the six immigraton police officers were patrolling the area when they observed a car with several people inside and decided to intercept and search. The report said the group of men in the vehicle got out quickly and fled before the officers could detain them.
The officers were able to detain the man and arrange for him to be transferred to the nearest prosecutor’s office (Fiscalia), when a group of about 25 men began pelting the officers with rocks and beating them with sticks, in an attempt to free the man.
The official report says that one of the officers opened fire during the incident, impacting one of the men in mob in the leg, and had to be treated by paramedics.
During the brawl with the mob several officers suffered blows to the head, back and arms.
If you own an iPhone in Costa Rica there is a one in four chance that it will be stolen. Statistics by the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) reveals that of the 13.374 reported cell phones stolen in 2012, 3.155 or 23% were iPhones.
The provinces with the highest incidents of stolen iPhones were San José and Alajuela, as shown in the OIJ graph.
According to the Instituto Costarricence Electricidad (ICE), betwen March 2011 and November 2012, they received 176.000 requests for blocks as a result of loss or theft. No data was available from carriers Claro and Movistar.
The high cost and small size of smartphones make them coveted by thieves. The viceministro de Seguridad, Celso Gamboa, admits that the theft of cellular phones continues and is a serious problem.
It is not possible to compare is the incidents of iPhone thefts has increased since the OIJ does not have such information, since the iPhone, Apple’s flagship product and creation by Steve Jobs, did not officially arrive in Costa Rica until May 2011.
On an eco tour of Costa Rica, Pat Richardson uncovers a modern-day Eden bursting with sound and colour.
It wasn’t a scheduled stop, but once again our guides, Fabian and Jorge, had spotted something that they wanted us to see.
“Quickly,” they urged, “great green macaws.”
Armed, as always, with binoculars and cameras, we hurried back along the road to see this endangered species, of which around only 40 pairs remain.
With their vivid lime-green colouring, the birds were easy to spot in a not-too-distant tree. And when they took to the air, more of their glorious plumage was revealed: radiant blue wings, blue and scarlet tailfeathers and flashes of bright sulphur-yellow.
Fabian and Jorge proved to have a remarkable ability to spot wildlife amid the dense vegetation of this lush land. They pointed out slumbering sloths — one clutching her baby — as well as spider and capuchin monkeys, toucans, part-submerged caimans, a water snake, walk-on-water lizards, geckos and numerous iguanas. And what, from a distance, looked to us like a stray stem of ivy trailing its long line of leaves down a tree trunk turned out via a closer look through binoculars to be a colony of little-nosed bats, sleeping off the daylight hours in single file.
Equally exciting were the creatures we could see or hear for ourselves. We could soon distinguish iguanas from the branches on which they languished; we knew when howler monkeys were near because their haunting roars reverberated through the forest; and we spotted tiny, brightly coloured tree frogs in the garden of our hotel in Tortuguero National Park.
Its name means “land of the turtles” and no one on the beach could miss the dozens of tiny hatchlings, which, discarding the shells from which they had just emerged, set off determinedly into the pounding surf on their remarkable, annual odyssey.
Just as thrilling, a few days later, was having wild hummingbirds perch on my fingers as they sipped sugared water from a feeder. More than 50 varieties of these flying jewels can be seen in Costa Rica, and no two on my hands were the same.
The wildlife we saw on that evening’s “night safari” was equally exotic but less enchanting — apart, that is, from the family of racoons that stopped for a drink in the grounds of the lodge we set out from. As our guide’s torch-beam picked out, in turn, a tarantula, a tightly coiled green serpent and a poisonous toad, we felt more unnerved by these sights than we would have in broad daylight and were left wondering what else lurked concealed by the inky night. Even so, it was yet another unforgettable experience.
Although bird and animal sightings were frequent, they weren’t the only highlights on this eco adventure: an eight-day journey that took us east from the capital, San José, to Tortuguero National Park — accessible only by small plane or, in our case, by boat through the rainforest — and the Caribbean coast. We then travelled west past a volcano, on through fertile valleys blessed with volcanic soil, up into an ethereally beautiful cloud forest, and across a plain to the Pacific coast for a three-day beach extension, spending seven nights in hotels en route.
At its widest point, Costa Rica measures a little more than 160 miles, and for a country that’s only half the size of Cuba, it packs in some very varied terrain — four-fifths of it mountainous.
The rainforest certainly lived up to its name and was a pleasure to explore by boat (ponchos provided). Costa Rica sits firmly in the tropics, so wet days were not cold ones and nights were warmer when the skies were not clear and the day’s heat lingered, trapped by clouds.
Halfway through the trip we headed from our hotel at the foot of Arenal (pictured below, the country’s most active volcano) for Tabacón Springs, a thermal spa resort built around a series of naturally occurring hot pools and cascades. We got thoroughly soaked — and it was blissful.
Another optional excursion that involved getting wet was white-water rafting, which I signed up for, having enjoyed some sedate float-boat rides in the past. This experience was altogether different: kitted out with helmets, life-jackets and paddles, and drilled in self-preservation in case we should fall overboard, we were swept into a raging torrent, bumped over a series of hair-raising rapids and bounced off the opposite bank. Exhilarating, but far from sedate.
The majestic Monteverde Cloud Forest, which sits high on the country’s mountainous backbone, over which moist air from the Caribbean meets dry air from the Pacific, also lived up to its name. Not that it was enveloped in broken cloud — rather, we witnessed a slow but ceaseless sequence in which slender veils of vapour rippled sinuously, often parting so we could see the Pacific Ocean, which sparkled invitingly far below.
Our walk through the Cloud Forest Reserve revealed a very different world from the one we had viewed from our boat trips through the rainforest, but this country is all about contrast. Our Sky Walk, from which we looked down on the canopy we had just been looking up at, provided another one, as did a very informative coffee plantation tour and, later, our three lazy days in a lively beach resort.
Despite all its beauty, the paradox of Costa Rica is this: poor infrastructure is its Achilles’ heel. Roads are inadequate, many bridges have structural problems and its ports and airports cry out for improvement. Most of the money required to make all this work will come from large-scale tourism — but this lush and friendly country’s unique charm is that the masses don’t yet go there.
One point? No problem. Coach Pinto says the Ticos will somehow get the 3 points as Costa Rica gets first hex win, 2-0 over Jamaica
Following last Friday’s loss to the US, Costa Rica’s national soccer team, La Sele, recovered from their wintry ordeal with a relatively comfortable 2-0 win against Jamaica.
The win put the Ticos back in the mix for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, in a game that must have seen most Costa Ricas glued to their television sets for the 90 minutes of play.
Both sides nearly went ahead early, with Jermaine Beckford shooting wide four minutes in when Jamaica looked certain to open the scoring before, at the other end of the pitch, Reading defender Adrian Mariappa’s attempted clearance came within a couple of inches of going into his own goal. The visitors started brighter, but Costa Rica, for their part, looked thrilled to be playing on grass rather than in a blizzard — and it was the hosts who took the lead in the 23rd minute.
It was a set piece that opened up the Jamaica defence, with Alvaro Saborio bringing the ball down and playing in a deflected pass for Umaña, who took a touch and smashed a shot past Donovan Ricketts to make it 1-0. The visitors’ response was to allow Costa Rica to keep attacking for most of the half, although Luton Shelton should probably have equalised just before the break when he danced through the Ticos defence only to delay shooting and let them clear to safety.
Most of the second half was intense, if nothing else — there was a major battle going on in the middle of the pitch — but something always seemed to go wrong. A touch, a misplaced pass, a wayward finish always ensured that even the most incisive-looking move broke down. The best example came in the 77th minute, when Joel Cambell sucked the Jamaican defence (and Ricketts) to one side and squared for Saborio five yards in front of the goal only for the striker to completely miskick his effort and send the ball bobbling well wide.
Fortunately, Diego Calvo opted to take matters into his own hands and inject a moment of real quality into the match. Picking up the ball at the edge of the area, the substitute danced away from Jermaine Taylor’s challenge, drifted further in and sent a beautiful curling shot just inside the far post. With 81 minutes gone, it was 2-0, and the points were safe.
ZURICH — FIFA has upheld the United States’ 1-0 win over Costa Rica in a snowy World Cup qualifier last week, saying the protest by the visitors was not filed correctly.
The Ticos were angered by the decision of referee Joel Aguilar of El Salvador to allow the game in Commerce City, Colo., to be played on a snow-covered field.
World Cup regulations required Ticos captain Bryan Ruiz to “immediately lodge a protest” with the referee if he believed the field became unplayable, FIFA said. U.S. captain Clint Dempsey also needed to be present for the protest.
Protests also must be filed in writing to FIFA’s administration “no later than two hours after the match,” the regulations state. FIFA said it received the protest letter Sunday, two days after the game.
“The conditions established in the regulations for an official protest have not been met,” FIFA said in a statement Tuesday.
It’s the end of March, almost 90 days when the 2013 Marchamo (circulation permit) was due and payable. However, some 165.000 vehicles have yet to pay up.
The number represents some 4% of the national vehicular fleet.
The largest percentage of non-payers are owners of motorcycles, followed by owners of special equipment vehicles.
The number also includes those vehicles that have been “junked” – written off by the insurance company or take off circulation by the owner for lack of maintenance, repair, too old, etc, but never unregistered.
All vehicles on register with the Registro Nacional (National Registry) as of November 1, 2012 are required to pay the 2013 Marchamo regardless of their state of repair or even if in circulation.
Owners of junked vehicles are required to notify the registry and take necessary steps and payments, in addition to the cost of a notary or lawyer, to process the request.
Not doing so, the cost of the Marchamo accumulates with interest and late payment charges. Drivers with vehicles circulating without the Marchamo face a fine and/or confiscation of the vehicle.
Owners of smartphones can know within minutes, the details of an earthquake felt in Costa Rica. The App “Epicentro”, is available on both OS (Apple) and Android operating systems.
The app is free.
Developed by a group of young Costa Ricans and donated to the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI), the app provides current earthquake information and telephone numbers to local police stations and hospitals.
The app also allows the user to take phones, post reports and share them.
For now the app only provides information on earthquakes, but the developers say it may soon be possible to provide details of the volcanoes.
Though those living in the beach areas of Costa Rica are used to the hot, sticky weather, for us here in the Central Valley we prefer a more temperate climate.
However, Monday (25th) the thermometer hit 30 Celsius in morning hours and stayed there most of the day, the highest recorded temperature for March, according to the national weather service, the Instituto Meteriologico Nacional (IMN).
Weather expert Eladio Solano explained that the temperatures in the Central Valley will be cooler for the rest of the week, in the 23C to 25C range.
At the beach, however, the forcast is hot and sunny.
Do you rent or use your own car? While tourists to Costa Rica don’t have their own vehicle as an option, your decision to invest in a car rental to vacation during Semana Santa (or at any other time) can have its advantages.
The balance to determine the right option and needs is based on several conditions like the roads to be travelled, the engine size of your vehicle and its reliability, are starting points.
The beaches and mountain resorts at times require greater vehicle wear. Some roads are rough – unpaved, full of potholes, etc. Then there is the mechanical state of your vehicle to tip the balance.
The size of your vehicle’s engine and its fuel economy is another consideration. For instance, if you are going to travel great distances with your high cylinder engine vehicle, it may be more economical – even taking into account the cost of the rental – to rent an economical vehicle with a small engine.
The age and mechanical state of your vehicle play a factor.
When you rent, you are getting a late model vehicle. Even though the engine may be significantly smaller than that of your older vehicle, chances are it will have more pep and definitely better fuel consumption. The Chevy Spark, with its three banger (three cylinders) have enough pep to get up the Escazú mountains and then some.
Read more: Transport Executive man with a van service official website.
With a rental vehicle if something goes wrong, a replacement vehicle is only a phone call away to your rental company.
Renting also comes with safety features that your vehicle may not have, like safety bags all around, automatic locks and alarms, jack and spare tire and full insurance coverage.
If travelling in a large groups, it can make more economic sense to rent a minivan instead of using multiple vehicles to move the entire group. In this case, the economics of one engine running instead of four and keeping the group together is a distinct advantage.
For tourists in Costa Rica, renting a car can mean stops and changes on routes at any time, not to mention no timetables or schedules, leave when you want, arrive when you want.
Rental prices can range from as little as US$30 per day to up to US$200 or more, depending on the type and luxury of the vehicle. Car rental companies like Vamos Rent A Car offer a Toyota Yaris from US$28.95 daily and free additional driver. Mid size SUV’s start at US$53.95 daily.
For luxury, Toyota Rent A Car offers the Land Cruisers and the Sequoia, with full leather and every option available from Toyota starting at $135 daily. Avis offers the Audi Q5 starting at US$85 in the low season.
Added to the daily rental is insurance coverage. Choices are the LDW (Loss Damage Waiver), a protection that releases the renter from any financial responsibility in the event of collision, damages or if the car is stolen.; PDW (Partial Damage Waiver); ALI (Additional Liability); and, WTC (Windows & Tire Coverage). The different coverages can be purchased separately or combined for savings.
Insurance coverage can add US$40 per day or more. At Toyota Rent A Car, for instance, they offer a bumper-to-bumper, all inclusive, no deductible coverage on rentals of three days or more. With this coverage, in the event the vehicle suffers damage or loss, the renter – you – just walks away.
All car rental companies require a credit card with a minimum US$1.500* dollars credit limit, cedula (valid passport for foreigners) and driver’s license.
To entice customers, some car rental companies to make the driving experience a safe and comfortable one include the use of a complimentary cooler, baby seat, roof racks, maps and cell phone (air time not included). Some car rental companies will also deliver the car to the hotel, home or office and at no extra charge.
The decision to rent or use your own car is a personal one.
Editor’s note: Vamos, Toyota or Avis did not pay to be mentioned in this article. Nor was the Q offered any special incentive to mention their businesses. They are great companies to deal with and nothing more. Rates, terms and conditions are taken from their websites.
The Código de Trabajo (Labour Code) in Costa Rica establishes a mandatory payment for nine of the eleven public holidays a year.
The mandatory paid holidays are:
January 1, Año Nuevo (New Year’s)
April 11, Día de Juan Santamaría
Thursday and Friday of Semana Santa (Holy Week)
May 1, Día Internacional del Trabajo (Labour Day)
July 25, Anexión del Partido de Nicoya a Costa Rica
August 15, Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day
September 15, Independencia de Costa Rica (Independence Day)
December 25, Navidad (Christmas)
The two public holidays though not under mandatory pay are:
August 2, Día de la Virgen de los Ángeles
October 12, Día de las Culturas
In all the above holidays workers can demand the day off and receive their normal weekly, bi-monthly or monthly pay. If required to work on the holidays, the worker must be paid double their normal pay for the day.
All public holidays are on their calendar day. However, for the April 11, July 25 and October 12 holidays, if they fall on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, they are moved to the following Monday.
Employer and employee can agree merge holidays and vacation days. This flexibility is important for retailers or businesses whose main business days are weekends and holidays.
This week, Semana Santa, for instance is very confusing to foreigners when they read that the country’s employees get the week off. In the case of government employees and some private companies, in physical terms they are getting the entire week, from Saturday (March 24) to the following Sunday (March 31).
In legal terms, at best the employee is getting three days off,as Saturdays and Sundays are normal days off and Thursday and Friday of Semana Santa are legal holidays, leaving only Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as days off work without pay. However, in many cases, employees are asked to use their vacation days to make up for the three days.
For workers who are non Catholics the Labour Code allows for time off to celebrate their religious festivals. For that, the employee must obtain permission from his/her employer for not more than four days off a year, provided that such days are you are registered with the Relaciones Exteriores y Culto or are included in executive order 25570 of October 7, 1996. The employer can give time off work to employees and ask it be made up or deducted from vacations, as jointly agreed.
The foregoing information is general. For specialized consultations, you should contact the Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social. Their contact information is on their website.
Source: Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social (MTSS)
More than 300 chefs prepared tens of thousands of rice dishes, mixed with beans, some onion, sweet pepper and cilantro, serving up Gallo Pinto to some 100.000 people who came out under the scorching noon sun on Paseo Colon.
Organizers say it took some two tons of rice, one and a half tons of beans and tons of “smells” to prepare the meal.
Johnny Araya, the mayor of San José, was at the head of the line for the free meal, part of the “smokeless Sundays” in San José. Every Sunday, during the summer months, vehicular traffic is banned on Paseo Colon (from the La Sabana park to the Children’s hospital).
Besides the food, there was tropical music, with many dancing in the street while waiting for their plate of Gallo Pinto with natilla (custard).
The Catholic Church in Costa Rica called this Palm Sunday, for obedience and humility, during Easter.
The message was delivered by the Archbishop of San José, monseñor Hugo Barrantes, for the traditional blessing of the palms, in the Parroquia de La Soledad, in San José.
With the sounds of the church bells, hundreds of Catholic faithful took part in a procession of more than five blocks starting at the Catedral Metropolitana, announcing the start of Semana Sata (Holy Week).
The procession was headed by an image of Jesus on the mule “Chepita”, the monseñor and San José mayor, Johnny Araya.
Similar processions took place in most towns and villages across the country.
Easter celebrations will continue throughout the week.
There’s survival of the fittest and then there’s this guy, who’s somehow plugging along despite the Darwinian odds.
While photographing crocodiles in a river in Costa Rica (the Tarcoles river on March 18, 2013 the caption tells us), the ballsy dude (who we’re actually going to refer to as “giant idiot” from here on out), apparently thought he was too much of a tough guy to be scared off by a couple of lizards.
As frightened onlookers pleaded with him to move, the oblivious giant idiot just kept clicking away, seemingly unaware that either of the beasts could slice him in half at any moment.
Fortunately for our viewing pleasure, one of the crocs reminded the giant idiot of this fact moments later and the scared dude darted up the bank for his life.
The choice of tennis shoes and sandals over leather has almost made the “shoe shine” in downtown San José extinct.
Four decades ago more than 60 men earned a living shining shoes of walkers by in places like the Parque Central and the Plaza de la Cultura.
In the 1980’s, the municipality of San José authorized 27. Last week, AmeliaRueda.com reports that not more ten men dedicated themeselves (with the blessing of the municipality).
The following video is an interview of three of them and commentary by the public.
COMMERCE CITY, Colorado (AP) — Soft snow started falling, and then kept getting heavier as the night progressed.
From the start of Friday’s World Cup qualifier, the lines on the field were covered. As the game wore on, even the Americans in their white home uniforms became hard to see. And then in the 55th minute, with the U.S. leading Costa Rica 1-0 on Clint Dempsey’s early goal, the referee and match commissioner stopped it.
The soccer field appeared more like a ice hockey rink.
In ice hockey they call it the Zamboni. Not sure what they call this machine.
Bet they don’t have snow in Costa Rica for their games.
REVIEW: FRED el Explorador de Sabores is more than a coffee shop. Located in Plaza Mayor in Rohrmoser, at first glance it is looks the same as any other coffe shop. However, Fred offers its customers something different.
Fred serves only coffee grown in the hills of Naranjo, Costa Rica, at an altitude of 1.500 metres (more than 4.500 feet). The finest coffee in Costa Rica is typically grown at altitudes of 1200 to 1700 metres; the lower quality coffee is typically grown at altitudes below 1200 metres, in a longer growing season that lasts from late summer through to winter.
The coffee chosen by Fred to serve its customers has repeatedly won the Cup of Excellence of Costa Rica.
Besides coffee, Fred also offers a variety of teas from around the world. Fruit teas from India, African herbal and Green tea from Japan, among others. Did you know that tea is consumed twice as much as coffee in the world?
Pastries from “Chrisophe” and delicious sandwiches made with French bread or baguette are available at any time. Fred’s recipes are original, all products are handmade.
Chocolates are from “La Chocolateria” and the juices come from doña Lideitter in Rohmoser.
Fred strongly rejects industrially processed ingredients as used by fast food chains, mainly foreign chains. At Fred’s you will find mostly Tico (Costa Rican) products like cheeses, meats, hams, etc…
QCostarica.com readers can enjoy two cups of Fred’s coffee for the price of one any morning between 8:00 and 10:00.
This is a food review by the Q. It is not a paid ad.
Disclaimer: The following article is purely fictional, a satire/parody. Although the names and places are real, the content of the article is purely fictional.
Costa Rica’s national soccer team will get a do over (do something over again, to repeat something) Friday night’s game with the United States.
“It was snowing really hard”, said Costa Rican manager Jorge Luis Pinto about the field conditions at the Commerce City, Colorado stadium, where his team lost to the gringos in World Cup qualifying 1-0.
The Ticos complained to the FIFA and the world soccer organization agreed it was unfair and the game will be replayed. The FIFA did not say when the make up game will be played. A FIFA official, who remained nameless, was quoted as saying it (the make up game) may not be necessary, as the Ticos “don’t stand a freezing chance of qualifying and one loss won’t make much of a difference in the overall of things”.
There is no argument that the game was an “embarrassment” for the Costa Rican team. Some would even call it an insult to Costa Rica.
The US, however, sees it different. “Yes, they did ask for the game to be postponed, but they finished the game. And they lost. Here’s the thing, would the Ticos be complaining if they had won? When we play down there, it is really in the island an we don’t complain”, was the unofficial statement by the US team.
One of the complaints by the Tico players was “we couldn’t see the ball, even though they used the yellow ones”.
In their argument to the FIFA, the Ticos said, “if we had played without snow, we would have won”.
Play they did. Lost they did. Complained they did. Play again they will.
Did you turn off your lights at last night? Apparently neither did most in Costa Rica.
Not a word on has been written on the subject. The Q has scoured the Spanish language online and printed media and not one mention of the lights being turned off in an effort to save the planet.
Nothing in La Nacion or La Teja, the only two printed publications in Costa Rica on Sunday. Nor anything on CRHOy.com, AmeliaRueda.com, Telenoticias7.com, Repretel.com, Canal9.cr, and so on. Not even the Diarioextra.com. To be fair the Extra doesn’t publish on Sundays.
Around the world thousands of cities and towns, were plunged into darkness for an hour Saturday night as part of a World Wildlife Fund initiative called Earth Hour, which helps raise awareness of climate change. People in more than 7,000 cities and towns across the planet turned off lights for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time.
For the few that did turn off their lights in Costa Rica it didn’t impress the media one bit, at least not enough to even carry something or anything on the event. At the Q we did our small and very significant part, going into total darkness (save for a citronella candle) for 60 minutes.
In my opinion you would think that Mr. René Castro and his crew at the Ministerio de Ambiente (MINAE) – Environment Ministry- would have made some effort, after all Costa Rica touts itself and environmentally aware country, containing 6% of the world’s biodiversity. Too much to ask for?
According to the website, Embassy of Costa Rica, Costa Rica has signed forty-five international environmental treaties (most ratified between 1990 and 2003). There have also been enacted numerous regulatory bodies such as the Organic Law of Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE, 1993), the Environment Law (1995), the Forestry Law (1996) and the Biodiversity Act (1998). Since the adoption of the latter, the conservation and sustainable environmental management has a greater specificity. The Act deals with the social demand to conserve and protect biodiversity and endangered species. Also includes measures on the social demand to conserve, protect and sustainably exploit biological resources to ensure the quality of life of future generations and the survival of natural heritage.
The United Nations study has found that more people around the world have access to a cellphone than to a working toilet. The study’s numbers claim that of the world’s estimated 7 billion people, 6 billion have access to mobile phones. However, only 4.5 billion have access to a toilet.
At a press conference announcing the report, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson announced the organization is launching an effort to halve the number of those without access by the end of 2015.
“Let’s face it—this is a problem that people do not like to talk about. But it goes to the heart of ensuring good health, a clean environment and fundamental human dignity for billions of people,” Eliasson said at the press conference.
In August 2012, the Bill Gates Foundation began its own effort to “reinvent the toilet” as a way to help curb the number of people around the world without access to sanitary waste disposal.
Interestingly, the report states that India alone is responsible for 60 percent of the world’s population that does not use a toilet, an estimated 626 million individuals. Yet, at the same time, there are an estimated 1 billion cellphones in India.
Conversely, in the world’s most highly populated country, China, only 14 million people do not have access to a toilet. However, there are also fewer cellphones in China, 986 million, according to the Daily Mail.
Driving the point home, more than 750,000 people die each year from diarrhea and one of its primary causes is from unsanitary conditions created in communities without access to toilets.
And there are other benefits of installing more modern sanitation options that don’t immediately come to mind.
“This can also improve the safety of women and girls, who are often targeted when they are alone outdoors,” said Martin Mogwanja, deputy executive director of the U.N. Children’s Fund. “And providing safe and private toilets may also help girls to stay in school, which we know can increase their future earnings and help break the cycle of poverty.”
La Sele (Costa Rica’s national soccer team) showed dedication and courage facing the US in the game played in a Colorado blizzard Friday night. The caption at the bottom reads, ” the US used the snow to beat Costa Rica”.
For those heading out to the beaches this Semana Santa, local television channel 7 news has presented a list of the then most “unsafe” beaches in the country.
According to the report and with the information provided by the Instituto Oceanográfico de la Universidad Nacional, visitors, in addition to price, should consider if the beach they are visiting is safe.
Alejandro Gutiérrez, director of the Insituto Oceanográfico, says his organization evaluated some 100 beaches to create indiciations of security. The report was released in January.
Some of the conditions taken into account in the report are the proximity to medical clinics (known as EBAIS in Costa Rica), access to emergency services like ambulance and fire and police protection. Gutiérrez explains they took into account “real potential dangers”, like if the beach has a defined evacuation route.
As of yesterday (Saturday) drivers eastbound on the old road to Sabana can no longer turn left at the Universal/McDonalds.
The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) made the change to avoid increased traffic incidents with left turning drivers.
However, despite the signs drivers continue with the tradition of making a left, a habit hard to break. Eastbound traffic is now required to move straight, past the McDonalds and a left at the CNL/Yamuni to get onto Avendia 10.
The intersection was accident waiting to happen, and many accidents did happen. Drivers, in making a left turn, had to first cross the train tracks – many would actually stop on the tracks waiting for the lights ahead – and then figure out if the Ruta 27 eastbound traffic was coming to a stop. Then there was the question of who had the right-of-way at the lights, straight ahead traffic or traffic onto Avenida 10.
For the time being, traffic officials are cautioning instead of ticketing, taking the opportunity to educate drivers on the change.
