Costa Rica’s immigration service is now making available to users and different sectors, such as local governments and ministries, an electronic tool with basic information about documented (legal residents) foreign population in the country.
The application of the data would be key to implementing health and education projects.
According to the immigration service there some 380.000 documented aliens (foreign residents) in Costa Rica, the majority being Nicaraguans, followed by Colombians and Americans.
The immigration website has also been revamped to provide information on the types of visas, residency requirements, etc. There is also a section in English that explains the processes for visas and permits.
The new president of China, Xi Jinping, will be touring Latin America next month and good chance that Costa Rica will be on the list of countries he will visit.
In the Latin America tour, the Asian leader is expected to also visit Venezuela and Meico.
Costa Rica began diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 2007 and and since then the relationship has been marked by extensive cultural and economic cooperation that the Costa Rica has received.
Thanks to economic support by China, Costa Rica has a new modern national stadium and the recently inaugurated China Town in the centre of San José, among other things.
Angelina Jolie, known for being fiercely private, has made a very personal disclosure in an op-ed “My Medical Choice” for the New York Times that she underwent a double mastectomy earlier this year after a blood test showed she was genetically susceptible to cancer.
“The truth is I carry a ‘faulty’ gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer,” she writes. “Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.”
The 37-year-old mother of six says her decision was triggered in part by the death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away from cancer at the age of 56.
Over the course of three months, beginning in February and ending in late April, Jolie went through a series of medical procedures to have her breasts removed and then reconstructed. And her fiancé, Brad Pitt, stood by her side every step of the way.
“I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive,” says Jolie. “Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.”
Though she managed to keep the procedures under wraps, she says that she wanted to come forward now “because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience.”
Jolie — who says her chance of developing breast cancer has dropped “from 87 percent to under 5 percent” — encourages any woman who is considering taking such a major step in safeguarding their health to discuss their risk factors with doctors as well as their options.
“On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman,” she says. “I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”
“Life comes with many challenges,” she concludes. “The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.”
In three days the commuter train to Cartago will be a reality, when on Friday the sound of the “pito” (train’s horn) will be heard in the Old Metropolis.
The cost to travel between San José and Cartago is ¢550 colones.
According to the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer), the train will run from Monday to Friday, starting at 5:35am to 8am in the mornings and between 4pm and 7:30pm evenings.
The train will make five stops, as it runs 21 kilometres between San Pedro (east side of San José) and Cartago centre.
Incofer president, Miguel Carabaguíaz, confirmed that the fare is still under appeal. The Autoridad Reguladora de los Serivicios Públicos (Aresep) – regulator of public prices and services – set the rate, while the Incofer feels it should be ¢565 colones.
Minutes after the private jet was in the air Saturday, Casa Presidencial announced that Presidenta Laura Chinchilla was Peru bound, to attend the wedding of a son of Costa Rica’s vice-president, Luis Liberman. The bulletin also said Chinchilla was to meet with her Peruvian counterpart on Monday.
The trip had not been announced and seemed convenient to many to add in the Monday meeting to what appears a private trip by the Presidenta and her husband, Jose Maria Rico.
It also seemed inappropriate given that the Presidenta has been advocating total transparency given the recent scandals and controversies surrounding her administration.
On Monday, the Minister of Communications, Francisco Chacón, said from Lima that the expense of the private plane would be covered personally by presidenta Chinchilla. Chacón and his wife, the minister of Foreign Trade, Anabel Gonzalez, are travelling with the presidenta.
In the statement, Chacón said the “private trip” became one of “public interest” after confirming that Peru’s president, Ollanta Humala, would meet with Chinchilla on Monday. The meeting with Humala was to discuss the development of bilateral trade and diplomacy following the approval of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Chinchilla is scheduled to travel to Ecuador on May 22 for formal investiture of president Rafael Correa’s second term, and then onto Cali, Colombia, for the VII Summit of the Pacific Alliance.
The Presidenta flew from Costa Rica to Peru on a Cessna 525B CitationJet carrying up to six passengers.The plane’s call letters are: N93CW
The estimated cost for such a service is about US$60.000, though minister Chacon assures the cost is much lower than that and without receiving any special pricing by the plane’s owner, THX, a Canadian gas and oil exploration company with operations in Costa Rica.
On Monday Costa Rica’s Procurador de la Ética (Attorney General for Ethics), Gilbert Calderón, said that the trip could be investigated by the Attorney Generals office, but would not comment on the subject just year.
According to legal experts, the Presidenta could be in violation of Article 20 of the Law Against Corruption and Illicit Enrichment, which says that all gifts “received by a public official as a courtesy or diplomatic custom, be regarded as immovable property of the nation, when its value exceeds a base salary “.
What is Mel Gibson’s nickname in Costa Rica? Maybe “Get the Gringo”? from the title of his latest movie.
Most North Americans tend to gravitate towards each other when living abroad. Costa Rica is no exception in that we have a large gringo colony and many of them hang out together and develop a sense of camaraderie which is good.
When living in a foreign country it is nice to have friends with similar backgrounds. This can help you feel at home in your adopted country and ward of the symptoms of homesickness. One interesting phenomenon I have observed during the 33 years I have lived here is that of nicknames among retirees and other expats from the U.S. and Canada.
Gringo males like to give each other nicknames here.
The names are usually associated with where one comes from or his or her current or past profession. I know a whole cast of characters (personajes in Spanish). A newbie usually has to have lived here for a while before he or she is assigned a nickname. Here are some of the nicknames and the story behind them.
Dallas Tom – An expat who has lived here for about 20 years. He lived in Dallas before he sold his trucking company and relocated here.
Canadian Mike – A colorful character form the city of Ottawa Canada. He lives part time in town of Grecia where he bought a home. Mike was a taxi driver in Canada and has traveled all over the world. He is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish.
Search Engine Bill – A virtual walking encyclopedia. You ask him a question about a certain topic and he can go on for hours expounding on it. Bill claims to be a member of Mensa. The latter is the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world.It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test.
Banana Bread Steve – A jack of all trades with an exceptional mechanical ability. He was a born tinkerer who loves taking things apart to see how they work. He also baked and banana bread on the street for many years when he fell on hard times. He is no longer with us.
Doctor Rick – An American chiropractor and natural healer.
Sailor Bill – A legend in the Gringo Gulch bar scene. The guy was actually a retired member of the merchant marine as the story goes. He stuck out like a sore thumb because of his gravelly and raspy voice.
Indiana Dave – A used car dealer from the state of Indiana who has been kicking around Costa Rica for a couple of decades.
English Terry – A retired Englishman who visits Costa Rica every winter. He loves to talk politics.
Miami John – A tatooed chap who used to live in a trailer near Miami. He now lives in Jacó beach with his family.
GM Paul – A retired auto worker for General Motors who has lived here for a couple of years.
Penthouse Bill – The late Bill Morrision who ran a penthouse apartment in the center of downtown San José for many years. The place was a hang out for expats who played cards, consumed liquor and chased women. Bill hosted some wild parties there in the old days.
Whorehouse Tom – The late owner of a massage parlor/ bordello in the 1990s. Tom was quite a character. He probably held the record for the most alcohol consumed in one lifetime.
One-eyed Mike – A Vietnam war veteran who ran a whole slew of bars in the famous “Gringo Gulch” area of San José
Bobby “Papi” Dempsey – The successful current owner of Papi’s Sports Bar in the heart os “Gringo Gultch”
Unfortunately, most of the American newbie retirees who have moved here here during the last ten years or live outside of San José never have had the chance to meet any of the interesting charters mentioned above.
There are scores of other people I have left off the list many of whom lived here during the wild 1980s when a whole different world existed in Costa Rica before the dull and uninteresting real estate people and overnight gurus and other opportunists moved in.
“I’m thinking about moving to Costa Rica,” are words I hear every day, through emails, Facebook messages, and from people who have read my book about life as an expat in that country.
More and more, people in the U.S. and Canada are contemplating cashing in their chips and moving down to the Central American tropical paradise for “pura vida” — the pure life.
“I want to move down to Costa Rica to live and get residency, buy a house, and open a business,” is the most common agenda, but their life-plan isn’t well thought out after that, or just based on Internet research and rumors. I see a lot of people rushing into their big move, spurred on by visions of a stress-free, easy life on the beach. Their experience can either truly be “living the dream,” or a complete nightmare, based on what happens next.
So what advice do I have for them? Let’s break down that plan:
1. I want to move to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but check out Nicaragua and Panama as well. Why? There are pro’s and con’s to each: Nicaragua is much cheaper and the surfing is still great, while Panama makes it much easier to be an expat, buy a car and open a business. Costa Rica, and tourist areas specifically, has gotten increasingly expensive in the last five years, and in may areas is just as costly as living in a major city in the U.S.!
2. I want to establish residency.
Establishing residency in Costa Rica can be an expensive and timely proposition (unless you marry a Tica!) So don’t worry about residency just yet — the country will grant you a 90 day tourist visa, so all you have to do is leave the country for a few days — or a few hours — after that (called the Border Shuffle), and come right back in on a new visa. You can still get a driver’s license and function just fine without residency, while keeping your options open. Take your time and make sure it’s where you want to be before establishing residency.
3. I want to live there permanently.
I recommend visiting for prolonged periods of time, first, to get to know the country, the different towns, the people, and the culture, before you commit to it. Start out with a month or two and go from there. If you really want to see what it’s like, go during their rainy season/low tourist season. Don’t treat your visit like a vacation by just partying and sitting by the pool in the main tourist areas. Instead, meet as many locals and expats who live there as possible, and explore different parts of the country. No matter how beautiful Costa Rica may be, it’s always good to get back Stateside for a little bit every year to “recharge the batteries” by seeing family, friends, enjoying cooler weather, etc. The best schedule I can imagine is splitting the year between Central America and the U.S., but that’s just me.
4. I want to buy real estate.
Err on the side of caution with buying real estate in Costa Rica, or any country. That’s good advice for someone in the U.S., as well if they don’t know the local market very well. To complicate things there can be issues with holding title, getting loans, etc. and it’s undeniable that there are pockets of ridiculously over-priced condominiums and projects plagued by HOA issues. Wait at LEAST a year before you even think about buying real estate. You can always find a nice, inexpensive place to rent, giving yourself time to learn the ropes.
5. I want to open a business.
Be careful. Too many people who want to move down to Costa Rica and open a business invest their life savings in it, only to become stress-cases and lose all of their money. Sometimes you need a Costa Rican (Tico) on the paperwork for an official business, which could further complicate things. You need to see what it’s like in the low season, too, before making accurate projections on profitability. If you are going to try and work in Costa Rica, make sure its low risk and doesnt cost much: you can usually be a teacher, Realtor, or work in tourism down there. There are also plenty of options for working virtually, no matter where you are.
***
Of course every situation is different — if you have a million dollars you certainly won’t have the same concerns as someone with no savings who needs to get established and start working immediately. Medical considerations, safety, and what kind of climate you enjoy most (beach vs. mountains) also factor in.
I have much more advice for you, but the best thing you can do is take your time and be conservative: check out a lot of places before committing to one, keep your cash someplace safe, don’t rush into residency, buying a house, or starting a business, keep working abroad to replenish your funds, and perhaps come back to the U.S. to recharge your batteries a few months every year. This plan will yield you the least amount of risk and stress, and keep things flexible and fun. The rest will work itself out based on what makes sense and feels right!
The Presidenta, Laura Chinchilla, three years after she went into office has finally told the autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions—“Ya basta.” (Enough!).
Costa Rica, has if not the highest then certainly one of the highest utility rates in the entire hemisphere. We have a fiscal (Money) deficit approaching the upper end of the globe, a system of tax collection that resembles something out of the Dark Ages where 15% actually pay and then there is the rampant, unabated corruption which keeps adding on to the deficit.
Last week Chinchilla, after returning from Haiti and prior to flying off to Peru, ordered, with a smile I hope, that our fixed price system really is not working very well and that she personally has ordered the responsible organization, ARESEP, to make sure water, electricity telecom, fuel, are kept under control and be sensitive to excessive abuses.
Now that is like stopping a train from that left the station headed directly towards the mountain of more costs, inflation and deficit spending.
The argument against and a correct argument at that is all, and I mean all, bureaucracies have a one world mission and that is to grow bigger in size and money.
A fine example is the new ICE building and its furnishings.
Nothing but 1st. class as if the customer service, which is questionable unto itself, needs rosewood. The answer to why?
“Because unless we spend all of the money of the approved budget, we will be reduced in funds next year,” said an employee who asked his name be withheld.
There in is the anthem of the bureaucrat and answers why such dinosaurs as RACSA are not left to die because if it does, as a subsidiary of ICE, a massive annual expenditure will cost a massive government budget to vanish.
It has nothing to do with you or me.
Therefore, an executive order for all public offices providing public services to reduce spending sounds good and ordering detailed budgets within the next 30 days also reads well. However, as has been the case for the past three years of this administration, reality is quite different.
This will either be totally forgotten or, handed off to the next administration. The safe bet is the costs of government will increase by at least 9% this year as “budgeted” and tax collection will continue to suffer which has been a national tradition while consumer prices keep on rising.
Provided we can keep on borrowing, the bills will be paid.
The website GreenNoise features 100% authentic recordings from nine of the most remarkable nature spots in Costa Rica. GreenNoise als comes in a no-cost app that is optimized for iPhone 5, and compatible with iPad and iPod touch.
People who want to teleport themselves to an ancient world and immerse themselves in an unforgettable audio experience that has been thousands of years in the making. With GreenNoise, sleep, unwind, awaken or simply enjoy incredible sounds from the wild and pristine rainforests of Costa Rica.
Created by GreenNoise S.A., GreenNoise features 100% authentic recordings from nine of the most remarkable nature spots in Costa Rica. Users can choose four distinct recordings per location: Dawn, Noon, Dusk and Midnight. They can also access the app’s helpful suggestions to find the precise audio experience to match their current mood: Wake-up, Sleep, Energize and Chill.
In addition, GreenNoise features:
An alarm clock, with available snooze option
A customizable sleep timer
Sound looping for continuous listening
A Noise/Facebook setting to “spread the noise” with friends
An Airplay mode to stream sounds to Apple TV or Airplay-enabled speakers
Plus, there’s a screensaver mode that lets users view the majestic Costa Rica scenery via high-resolution photos that are optimized for the Retina display.
“Every day, people around the world are looking for ways to add balance and peace in their hectic and stressful lives,” commented Ariel Aizenman of GreenNoise S.A. “Now with GreenNoise, users can experience the relaxing and refreshing sounds of the Costa Rican rainforest on their mobile device anywhere they go, anytime they wish. Plus, unlike many other apps that use computer generated sounds, the audio in GreenNoise is pure and real, which is just the way Mother Nature intended.”
Added Ariel Aizenman: “GreenNoise is also especially good at enabling nourishing, deep sleep. It can also be a wonderful sleep aid for babies and children – which is welcome news for parents!”
GreenNoise S.A.’s mission is to bring the benefits of nature to everyday lives, sharing the calmness and vitality of the natural world. The company is motivated to inform users about the vitality and fragility of the rainforest, and that without their help, the forests of future generations will not be able to sustain life.
Last year Costa Rica received in real terms (adjusting for inflation and exchange rate) 4% more in remittances than the year before. But, the sending of money that is generally made by workers to their family in Costa Rica is one the most expensive in the region.
A study by the Fondo Multilateral de Inversiones, a division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) show that sending US$200 from the United States to El Salvador has a cost of 4%, while the same transfer costs 6.9% if sent to Costa Rica.
The study reveals that Central American (including the Dominican Republic which is part of the Central American Integration System (SICA in Spanish) spent approximately US$630 million dollars to send money to their home country.
In terms of cost of service the Dominican Republic is second to Costa Rica. However, in the DR there is the deep rooted custom of receiving money at home, which adds to the cost.
The IDB report notes that the lower costs in countries like Panama, Nicaragua and El Salvador is the “dollarization” factor, where money is received in dollars, while in Costa Rica payments at the receiving counter are in colones, at the day’s exchange rate.
Another factor that could reduce costs, says the IDB report, is a transfer directly into a bank account, however that channel is still not an option offered by the remittances services.
To get a handle on the costs charged by the remittances services, go to enviacentroamerica.org, a website that provides data and information on sending relatively small amounts of money to Central America. “Envía Centro America” covers flows from five main sending areas in the United States of America to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
For example, sending US$200 from New York, York to Costa Rica, the cheapest (3% – US$6) is Delgado Travel that sends to Remesadora Costa Rica, Serviexpreso, Citibank. The most expensive is Xoom (8% – US$15.99) with receipt at Citibank. The same US$200 sent from New York to Nicaragua costs 1/2 percent less on the low and high ends. Click here to try the cost calculator for yourself.
Concern growing because Sala IV suspended use of bonds
Parties looking to legislators to solve their access to campaign funds
The biggest challenge the political parties and their candidate face in the 2104 presidential elections is funding for their campaigns.
Speaking to La Nacion, Otto Guevara, president of the Movimiento Libertario (ML) party, said he has carefully evaluated five options to finance his party’s campaign that includes seeking a loan from a foreign bank and raising money from the public through text messages and calls through 900 line.
Also, contributions could be collected through a website by way of selling advertising space and billboard companies could lend money to the party so that it can purchase advertising space.
However, according to his version, none of the options can be implemented due to legal reasons.
The Libertario party is not the only one struggling with the start of the 2014 presidential campaign kicking off in four months and 20 days.
Although not as open as the ML, the other political parties face similar problems in raising money to finance their campaign expenditures.
And not for the lack of trying.
The estimated cost to finance the 2014 campaign is some ¢5 billion or more colones for each political group.
The funding problem stems from a Constitutional Court (SALA IV) decision last January suspending the use of political bonds to finance elections.
[colored_box color=”grey”]In 2011 Luis Antonio Sobrado, President of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) yesterday urged legislators to pass a law that would eliminate political bonds in campaign finance policy. Sobrado explained that the bonds of smaller political parties are essentially worthless paper when they lose in elections and described the entire program as a loophole for parties to covertly receive foreign contributions and effect money laundering. See original La Nacion article.[/colored_box]
The bonds were the main funding tools for the political parties, that would be used as collateral for bank loands and payments to suppliers or to raise cash.
Now, political parties are at the mercy of contributions by individuals, which were negligible in the last campaign.
The Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), for example, says it has available only 3% of the costs, according to Maynor Sterling, party treasurer.
Johnny Araya, candidate for the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) says that the funding of campaigns conditioned on private contributions is insufficient and dangerous.
“I think it would be wrong and inappropriate to rely on private donations, you lose the sense of campaign financing by the state,” he told La Nacion.
At the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) – a political force in the country until two elections ago – Gerardo Vargas, president of the party, said the outlook is very difficult and seems to benefit only the PLN.
“This is a great damage to democracy”, said Vargas.
According to Guevara’s interpretation of the election rules governed by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), his options are not that easy to implement. For instance, using text messaging, a website or the 900 service the cost could be higher than the collection or at best leave the party with no net balance. Guevara uses the example that if one thousand people would contribute ¢1.000 colones each to raise ¢1 million, the cost to use the service would be much higher.
As to raising money abroad, Guevara says that the TSE rules (law) prohibit foreigner involvement. The prohibition also applies to companies lending parties money to purchase their services, as in billboards, radio and television time.
Guevara and the other political party leaders are looking for legislators to pass a law that would help them somewhat. For instance, the TSE proposed last month that each radio and television station give up to 30 minutes air time daily for “election campaigns” and allow parties to increase their political debt to 30% from the current 15%.
Despite their ideological differences, the majority of the parties agree on one thing: they should have kept the political bonds. Although party leaders and candidates don’t quite agree on their use.
The lack of rain in the country has not only affected the aquifers that supply drinking water to the various communities, which have had to endure rationing, it has also forced the state power utility to use water reserves in the dams in conjunction with other generating systems to keep eletricity flowing.
Elbert Duran, spokesperson for the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) said the lack of rain in the country has affected the area basins where hydroelectric plants are located.
The ICE official added that Arenal reservoir – the Arenal lake – has been fundamental in this crisis.
But the Arenal also depends on adequate rainfall to maintain a good level, this year being one of the worst.
The low reservoir levels has forced ICE to step up electrical production using fossil fuel (bunker and diesel) generators, in combination with wind generators.
Duran said that while ICE has been impacted by the decreased rainfall and have to be very calculating in using water reserves, there have been no problems in providing electrical services to the country.
Residents of Hatillo, on the south side of San José, have been victims of a fraud by two brothers who dressed as Cruz Roja (Red Cross) workers asking for donations.
One of the brothers had been a police official until last December 15.
A police operation to apprehend the two ended on Sunday when the brothers Vargas Zamora were caught “red handed” at the farmer fair in Hatillo 2.
Authorities say the men would dress like official Cruzrojistas and even carried a box for donations, just that in this case the money went into the pockets of the scoundrels and not the needs of the community.
Given this, authorities are recommending people to be more vigilant to avoid being victimzed by the unscrupulous.
One billion people will consciously breathe together by 11/11/2012. Join individuals from around the world as we consciously breathe together on www.DoAsOne.com connecting in one global breath.
Do As One is a non-profit organization here to serve and connect humanity by establishing a legacy of healthy, conscious breathing.
Sloths have it rough: They’re insanely adorable, yet they move far too slow to escape us when we want to snatch them up and kiss them full on the lips. Baby sloths also need 12 months to learn from their mothers what foods to eat, so if a baby is orphaned, it’s impossible for it to survive in the wild.
Thank goodness for Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica, which raises and studies sloths that are brought there after being injured or orphaned.
The Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica is the world’s only centre dedicated to the rescue, research and rehabilitation of sloths. They have been rescuing sloths for over 20 years.
Revenge and fights for territory are among the leading cause of deaths from the drug trafficking trade or “narco” in Costa Rica.
According to the Judicial officials, in total, 74 people – on average six people monthly – were mortal victims of the drug trafficking trade in the country, this figure representing 18.7% of the 394 homicides recorded for the year 2012.
One of the “deadliest” zones says the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) is the city of Limón (not to be confused with the province) where 15 deaths were recorded. And of those 15 deaths, 13 occurred right smack in the centre of the city.
Following Limón is the city of San José with 10 deaths, then Tibás and Desamparados with six each.
“In Limón what happens and we have always said, is that there is a social problem of corruption, poverty, lifestyle, culture, that has to attacked differently. When the OIJ arrive at crimes, then we are not there to prevent, rather to repress, ” said the director of the OIJ, Francisco Segura.
Security Minister Mario Zamora, and the deputy minister, Celso Gamboa, noted that one of the measures used to counter these crimes to control the registration and use of firearms.
What happens in this underworld is that a mistake or bad move quickly results in payment with a life. The OIJ records indicate that 28 of the 74 drug trafficking related murders were a “settling of scores”. Another 11 of the deaths were occasioned by “heated discussions and quarrels”, according to Segura.
“Armed violence is used by drug trafficking gangs as a form of discipline”, says Zamora.
Many of the victims of the drug trafficking trade in 2012 were young, aged between 18 and 29. According to the OIJ data, almost half (35) of the total deaths were under the age of 30.
“Many are from low-income society, do no work or study or come from broken homes where drug trafficking is part of life, and a way to obtain what others have”, is the profile explained by Segura.
The following video shows you how to use the new electronic parking meters to control street parking in San José, between 7am and 7pm from Monday to Saturday.
San José mayor, Johnny Araya, shows off the new electronic parking meter
Starting Monday street parking in San José will be by electronic meter only, eliminating entirely the system of “boletas”. The new electronic meters starting working a week ago, however users of the old style “boletas” had all week to use them up.
So, what happens to those drivers or vehicle owners who still have unused boletas? The Municipalidad de San José assures that it will issue refunds.
The mayor’s office has confirmed that starting Monday refunds will be available at the claims window on the first floor of the municipal offices, from 7:30am to 4pm.
The new electronic parking system has five different methods of payment: by credit or debit card (though this service was still not working as of Saturday), prepaid scratch off cards obtainable from the BN Servicios, a CPS user code via SMS messaging at 7070-2775 and a CPS user code by way of an app available for iOS (iPhone) and Android smartphones. To use the CPS cellular parking system users have to register at the CPS Parking website (operator from Toronto, Canada).
Street parking in the city of San José is controlled between 7am and 7pm from Monday to Saturday. The cost is ¢225 colones for each half hour and the fine for an expired meter is ¢5.100 colones.
Editors note: The Policia de Transito (traffic police) DO NOT control street parking, the job is left up to the local municipal police departments (if one exists). The Tránsitos, however, can ticket vehicles improperly parked, ie at yellow curb, blocking traffic.Confusing? Just don’t park where you are not supposed to.
Starting this week bus operators will have to compete with the train for passengers to and from Cartago. Commuter train service in Costa Rica is operated by the state agency, the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarril, INCOFER.
Minutes after the private plane was in the air Casa Presidencial gave notice that Presidenta Laura Chinchilla had left the country, headed for Perú to attend the wedding of the son of Vice-President Luis Liberman. Casa Presidential noted that Chinchilla will also meet with her counterpart on Monday, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala.
Accompanying doña Laura is her husband, Jose Maria Rico. In addition, flying with the Presidenta is theMinistro de Comunicación, Francisco Chacón and his wife, Ministra de Comercio Exterior, Anabel González. All left on the same private plane from the Juan Santamaria airport.
This trip had not been previously announced and does not appear in the presidential agenda on the website of the Presidencia.
The Casa Presidential bulletin says that Monday Chinchilla will meet with Humala to discuss the development of bilateral trade and diplomacy following the approval of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Chinchilla is scheduled to travel to Ecuador on May 22 for formal investiture of president Rafael Correa’s second term, and then onto Cali, Colombia, for the VII Summit of the Pacific Alliance.
Experts of the Red Sismológica Nacional (RSN) – National Seismological Network – say the phreatic eruption in the Poás Volcano, (Spanish: Volcán Poás) this week is keeping them active as explosions release acid gas.
On Wednesday May 1 A phreatic explosion occurred from the crater lake. On Wednesday a small earthquake swarm occurred probably caused by fluid movements bringing heat into the crater lake.
Although the phenomenon occurs frequently, volcanologists highlight the fact that this time it activity is not in the lagoon, as usual, but rather on a rock structure.
The explosion has caused large rocks to come loose and the gassy smoke reaching 700 degrees Celsius.
The experts are keeping the volcanic activity very closely, especially the decreasing level of lagoon that has dropped almost a metre (three feet) in the week.
For now the Parque Nacional Volcán Poás is open to the public. Experts urge caution when visiting the volcano.
The Poás has erupted 39 times since 1828.
Poás was near the epicentre of a 6.1-magnitude earthquake in January 2009 that killed at least forty people and affected Fraijanes, Vara Blanca, Cinchona (the most affected area), the capital San José, and the Central Valley.
There was also eruptive activity in 2009 involving minor phreatic eruptions and landslides within the northern active crater. Poás eruptions often include geyser-like ejections of crater-lake water.
If you are thinking or living in or retiring in Costa Rica the following should be of interest to you.
According to a recent article in Costa Rica’s la Nación newspaper there are some 16,000 U.S.citizens living in Costa Rica. This information is based on the 2011 census done by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (el Instituto Nacional de Estadístics y Censos). These stats basically coincide with the figures Immigration Department’s (Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería) has come up with.
However, said numbers are deceiving since they only measure those registered with the U.S. Embassy and Immigration and do not take into account people who live here and come and go like snowbirds, perpetual tourists and those who are not “on the books.” I personally know many who fall into these categories. According to my sources there may be as many as 40,000 Americans living here permanently.
U.S. Citizens are the third most numerous group of foreigners after Nicaraguans and Colombians. The Nicas are here to do the manual labor that Costa Ricans are no longer willing do. The second group are refugees from Colombia’s past political mess who are in search of better life and opportunities and to be part of the so-called “Costa Rican Dream.”
Here are some interesting facts about Americans who live here. Not all of them are retirees and many of them are employed. Almost half of them are less than 29 years old. Forty-one percent are married and have children. Forty-two percent have lived in the country for more than 12 years and around twenty percent are retirees. The majority of those who work are in employed in the fields of education, support services, or some type of administration and 8 percent work in the field of science. About half of the Americans employed here work in private industry and one-fourth have their own businesses.
Most people in this group prefer to live in the cantones (like our counties) of San José, Pérez Zeledón, Escazú, Santa Ana, Alajuela, Heredia and Sanat Cruz.
The governments figures are show a couple of patterns. First, people between 35 and 60 who migrate here with their families come to work. Second, among the group of retirees from the U.S. who move here 46 percent are married, 8 percent are divorced, 10 percent live in common law situations (unión libre) and 31 percent are single or separated. There is a third group that is composed of those who work for transnational companies that is made up of executives, and single younger people.
Here is a break down of the the ages of U.S. Citizens living here according to the census and Costa Rica Immigration.
Most baby boomers have experimented with marijuana at one time or another, especially after having lived through the 1960s. Some even continue to use pot to this day. I don’t advocate the use of drugs but have friends who smoke weed every day and lead normal and productive lives. On the other hand, I have known scores of people who have died from alcohol abuse, including my own father. Many retirees I have met over the years in Costa Rica drank themselves to death because the became bored with so much time on their hands.
Marijuana does have its benefits. One of the major benefits associated with medicinal marijuana use is the relief of chronic or neuropathic pain. Many patients who experience nausea or vomiting due to certain diseases or treatments, such as chemotherapy get relief from marijuana. For HIV/AIDS patients trying to stay healthy in the face of appetite loss and wasting syndrome, cannabinoid drugs are a viable treatment that do not adversely affect other required medications. Cannabis contains a compound that could help Alzheimer’s disease patients. Since it increases appetite it may help treat anorexia. In some cases it may also be a viable treatment for fibromyalgia, nausea, chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia and more.
More and more states and countries have realized that marijuana is not as harmful as it was once thought to be and are legalizing it for personal use. When governments become aware of the tax benefit of growing the marijuana I am sure many will decide to legalize it to increase revenue. The Mexican government legalized personal possession of up to 5 grams of marijuana (3 joints or so), but It is not legal to buy, sell, share, or grow marijuana. Furthermore, Colombia’s Constitutional Court approved the government’s proposal to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana for personal use. Anyone caught with less than 20 grams of marijuana or one gram of cocaine for personal use may receive physical or psychological treatment depending on their “state of consumption,” but may not be prosecuted or detained, the court ruled.
In Costa Rica marijuana is still basically illegal. However, most often the police here turn a turn a blind eye to those who are caught with a little of the weed for personal use. Cultivation for sale is another story. Lately there have been a few busts for growing pot, including the use of hydroponics to do it.
There is a growing movement to legalize marijuana in Costa Rica. One organization, Cultura Cannabis, has been holding demonstrations to raise public awareness of the drug and to try to make it legal here. They want collect signatures with the goal of getting the legislature to eventually consider the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and for personal use. One Costa Rican demonstrator remarked, “I used to suffer from asthma attacks and got no relief from traditional medicine. Marijuana did improve my condition.”
By the way, Marijuana has several names here: marijuana, mecha, monte, mota, yierba and more. Un puro is a marijuana cigarette.
I am sure that as more and more States in the U.S. And other countries opt to decriminalize the use of marijuana, Costa Rica will eventually follow suit.
This article by Christopher Howard was original published at Live in Costa Rica Blog
Driving in Costa Rica is reasonably safe. Do realize, however that most Costa Ricans are “first generation drivers” meaning they did not grow up in the back seat of their parents cars since likely their parents or other family member didn’t have a car.
Therefore most have less experience driving and knowledge of cars in general, don’t follow the rules of the road as North Americans and Europeans, for example, this combined with the lack of driver education and culture in the country.
It wasn’t until recently that more than a few “bought” their drivers license, which is not to say they don’t know how to drive, rather learned all the “bad habits” of their mentors who for the most part are first time drivers, with no driver education and so on. This is combined that until a decade ago driving in Costa Rica was mainly rural, even in the large metropolitan centers.
Today, with an increased number vehicles and basically with the same road infrastructure, the culture of respect for other drivers and pedestrians – and the traffic police – is not there just yet. Transport authorities are working on this but there is still a fairs way to go.
Besides the bad or better yet inexperienced drivers, there is the problem of the roads.
We North Americans, for instance, are accustomed to proper road signs and markings, road shoulders, barriers, traffic signals and so on. In Costa Rica driving certain roads is a challenge in itself, made more challenging in the rainy season (May to December).
The autopista General Cañas (the Interamericana) is the busiest road in the country running between La Sabana and the international airport in Alajuela. This road is six lanes for the most part – three in each direction, but with two lane bridges,. I has no shoulder, there dips in the road, blind corners, no on ramps for vehicles coming onto the highway and bus stops that use the right lane. And this is a good road.
So, if you decide to drive in Costa Rica, here are some Qtips:
1. Make sure your vehicle is always in good maintenance, ie tires aren’t worn out, fluid levels are in nornal range, battery is in good condition, head and tail lights works and so on
2. Always have a full tank of gas. Having it on “E” (Echale in Spanish, meaning fill it) could leave you walking. A traffic jam, road block, an unexpected protest, a traffic accident, can all work against you if have little fuel in the tank.
3. Never leave home without the following in your trunk: water, battery cables, space belt, small tool kit that includes duct tape (woks wonder in all situations), jack and spare tire. And a pack of gum, the type with the foil wrapper. The gum itself can work as an adhesive, the foil wrapper great to make electrical connections, like in place of a fuse.
4. Have your ownership (title), Marchamo (circulation permit) and Riteve (inspection certificate) in the vehicle. The number of a two truck can come in handy.
5. Have your Costa Rican drivers license on you. There are different licenses for different classes of vehicles, have the correct one.
6. If you have foreign drivers license (from your home country) make sure your also have your passport and that your not driving past your visitor stay date. If you have permanent residency, you need to get a Costa Rican drivers license.
7. If you insure your vehicle with INS – the state insurer – know that they have roadside assistance like a tow truck, boost, fuel, etc. This service is free to all INS customers. Remember the vehicle is insured not the driver. The INS operator will ask for the license plate number and it doesn’t matter who is driving the vehicle. OR WHERE IT IS IN THE COUNTRY. INS will tow your vehicle from anywhere to wherever you tell them.
8. Keep in your vehicle loose change (for tolls, the wachimen – the guy/gal who looks after you car parked in the street), a flashlight and always carry a cellular phone.
9. Watch you speed (driving over 120 km/h will cost about US$600 and 6 points); don’t tailgate; don’t assume that the guy/gal in front will not stop for any reason; don’t expect, but give courtesy; horn honking is a national tradition; and, having the right of way is a matter of interpretation.
10. Don’t forget that the traffic police now use radar and are good at setting speed traps. It’s not unusual for the speed to change from 90 km/h to 40 km/h in a straight of way and for no reason whatsoever, always use your seatbelts, don’t talk on the cell phone OR TEXT MESSAGE while driving and for the love of family, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.
I have been driving in Costa Rica for more than 10 years, most of that time with a driver’s license. I have seen the changes in the traffic laws, the change in driver behavior – not!, and most the attitude of the traffic cops.
By and large today the traffic police is a professional police body with an enormous challenge. For the major part, the officials with their hands out especially to foreigners have been weeded out and paying of a traffic cop today is much harder and certainly more expensive.
In the days past, I used to have a ¢2.000 colones bill aside for the traffic police. That went to ¢5.000, then ¢10.000 and ¢20.000. Now, just give me the ticket.
Students sit on a bench at Bocas de Nosara high school. Photo by Pinar Istek.
By Wilberth Villalobos Castrillo – “I hate school,” recalls Carla with pain (not her real name), who was willing to tell us her story but requested that we protect her identity. “I was 13 years old, in seventh grade in high school and all of my classmates made fun of me because of my nationality,” she related.
Students sit on a bench at Bocas de Nosara high school. Photo by Pinar Istek.
Bullying is the main form of violence in the nation’s schools and high schools. It shows up as ridicule, discrimination and exclusion, and in some cases beatings. It happens in the high school corridor, the classroom or in the hallways, both during recess and during classroom hours, as well as on social networks on the Internet, through phone calls and text messages, known as cyber bullying.
According to date from the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), this type of mistreatment is most common for 12- and 13-year-olds.
Carla studied in Samara’s rural high school and remembers that the worst years were seventh and eighth grades when all of her classmates made fun of her every day. “They called me Nica regalada, paisa and made fun of the way I talked,” she commented.
The verbal abuse from her classmates was so bad that she sought out the help of her teachers and even the high school principal but none of them did anything to remedy the situation.
Maria, Carla’s mother, recalls that on several occasions her daughter came home crying, saying that she didn’t want to study or return to the high school. “I went to explain the situation to the teachers and they told me that it was nothing, that it was kids stuff,” she said. Then Maria decided that her daughter would continue her studies in another institution, so midway through her last year, Carla transferred to Belen High School, where she earned her diploma.
Carla’s situation is just one example of how complicated it has become for students to get along with their classmates. According to data from the orientation department of the Nicoya High School, just last year more than 100 cases of bullying were reported, not including cases where the student or classmates don’t report the abuses.
Sara Cabalceta, head of the institution’s orientation department, commented that the majority of cases are reported during the first years of high school, mainly in seventh and eighth grades. She considers that it is more common in these grades because the teenagers “are in a transition stage” coming from elementary school and since they are the “little ones” of the high school, they suffer the abuses of the upperclassmen in tenth or eleventh grade.
In September of 2012, MEP presented the National Coexistence Program, which contains the Integrated Protocol for Attending to Violence in Secondary Educational Centers. In April of this year, the protocol for primary educational centers was also presented.
Sulay Salas Valenciano, regional director of MEP in Nicoya, explained that the objective of these programs is to permit the 182 educational centers in the canton to diagnose and intervene in cases of violence. Salas indicated that all of the directors know the protocols now because since last year the regional direction presented them and explained how to apply them. In addition, she expressed that the information is also known by the supervisors of the eight educational circuits in the canton of Nicoya.
Efraín Baltodano, supervisor of circuit 1, acknowledged that in most of the educational institutions of his circuit, the protocols are being applied. However, he considers it likely that in some high schools the principal or councilor doesn’t apply the protocols for lack of knowledge of part of the process or for simple neglect. In addition, he pointed out the obligation that each regional direction has to train the principals and teachers of the institutions each year since many of them are temporary and transferred to other schools. Therefore it becomes necessary to train the new instructors.
Jose Luis Ramirez, director of the Nicoya High School, affirmed that he knows the protocols and that currently they are being applied in the institution, but he believes that although they serve as a guide for the teachers and councilors, the parents also should know them to support and aid in the labor of educating youths so they don’t turn into bullies.
On the other hand, Ramirez firmly believes that the current evaluation rules prevent them from being more drastic with the misconduct of the students. “If a student hits another, the most I can do is suspend him for 30 days,” he commented. He recalled that the former evaluation rules, which were reformed in 2009, permitted principals to expel a student from the institution and even deny registration. “Now I feel that many professors are afraid of the students since they don’t feel protected by the law,” affirmed Ramirez.
But the powerlessness that Ramirez feels because of not being able to be a little stricter with the students isn’t felt just by him and other professors; many parents also see themselves as limited and incapable of imposing their authority on today’s teenagers. Cabalceta, who works in the Nicoya High School and is in charge of the orientation department, expressed feeling worried and powerless since there are fathers and mothers that tell her, “I don’t know what to do with my child,” because they misbehave at home and at the high school too.
Carmen Prado, also a councilor at the Nicoya High School, added, this shows that [the parents] are the ones directly in charge of educating them and they don’t know how or don’t want to educate them at home and they look to us to do their job.”
Eduardo Alvarez Garro, neuroprogramming psychologist, explained that the causes that originate bullying are related to personal factors of a family and social nature, as well as the school culture of the aggressor and the victim. Also the background and the environment that surrounds the youth influence whether he or she will abuse or mistreat peers verbally or physically. “Teenagers reproduce the patterns they learn in their immediate environment,” indicated Alvarez, so if the youth is personally a victim at home or sees his or her parents attack other people, it is very likely that he or she will imitate these behaviors.
And for the victims, the family environment also influences their self esteem and how they face or even ignore attacks. Garro said that at home parents should assure the young victim of abuses of their virtues and of how important they are to them, since a youth that feels loved and valued and knows how to give love, “will be able to accept him or herself and accept others,” he explained.
Costa Rica is one of the most dynamic economies in central America and millions of tourists visit every year. But drug trafficking is becoming a major problem and violence is on the rise. Andy Gallacher reports from Barra Del Colorado on the challenges the police face.
Honduras is more than twice the size of Costa Rica, has double the protected area and is easier to get to from the United States. The only real difference, says James Adams, the head naturalist at The Lodge at Pico Bonito, is “Costa Rica is more savvy at marketing. Their Tourism Board has ten times the budget.”
Oh, yeah, and that little thing about the United Nations declaring San Pedro Sula, the city most tourists fly into, as the world’s most dangerous.
But as I always like to say, what’s a vacation without a little adventure?
Which is why I recently visited the Lodge at Pico Bonito. It’s smack dab in the middle of the Honduras jungle, borders mountains the locals call “Name of God Mountains” and has the exact same monkeys, birds and jaguars as its high rolling neighbor.
In fact, Elmer, our guide who does a fabulous howler monkey imitation, used a Costa Rica flora and fauna book to point out the many animals we passed on our hikes and canoe trips through mangroves.
“There’s just no money for tourism,” laments Adams, who moved to Honduras from New Jersey 13 years ago because of the tremendous wildlife. “The Minister of Tourism used to be a dentist.
“We probably find at least 12 new species here every year,” he says. “Honduras is rich with wildlife. It’s an eco-tourist’s heaven. We have four species of toucans and more than 20 species of hummingbirds. And it’s only a two and a half-hour flight from Houston and Miami.”
Which is why he returns to the States several times a year to promote his adopted country. He speaks to Audubon and other bird-watching groups every chance he gets. He instigated the building of Pico Bonito’s butterfly farm (it breeds more than 40 species of tropical butterflies including the blue morpho), its Serpentarium and Iguana House. When I was there, he was excited about the red-eyed tree frogs that have come to mate in the frog pond he and his crew of bilingual guides recently dug. And he says he usually feels safer in Honduras than in the U.S.
The Lodge at Pico Bonito also has miles of private trails winding through 100-foot canyons to waterfalls and natural swimming holes, a trio of four-story observation decks overlooking the jungle canopy and lots of adventures from white water rafting to safaris through the mangroves.
As for those State Department warnings? All I can say is “hogwash.” I have never felt more safe, met kinder, gentler people or had a more peaceful trip. In fact, I’d pit the Lodge at Pico Bonito against any five-star property in northern climes. Bordering the national park of the same name, it’s nearly two miles from a main road and the only “threats” are getting so wrapped up in watching keel-billed toucan nests or so enthralled by the pendulum swing of a motmot tail that you accidentally run into a tree.
The Lodge at Pico Bonito was chosen by National Geographic as one of the world’s top ecolodges, belongs to Small Luxury Hotels of the World and, well, let’s just say that Sports Illustrated didn’t film one of their swimsuit issues there for nothing.
So yeah, I ate a termite (it takes just like black pepper) and stood just feet from a couple deadly vipers (they were behind glass in the Serpentarium), but I never once felt threatened or in any kind of danger.
Many times I had to pinch myself. Is this a dream or am I really in the middle of this rainforest, being serenaded by birds and red-eyed tree frogs, while eating coffee and chili tenderloin medallions? Can it be true that pan-roasted rack of lamb with ratatoullie and sautéed haricot vert is on a menu served only steps from ocelots and agoutis and troops of howler monkeys?
Although the food alone is worth the trip to this secluded lodge within swimming and snorkeling distance of Honduras’ Caribbean coast, the biggest draw, the reason its 22 cabins are consistently booked, are the blue cotingas, basilisk lizards (they run on water and locals call them Jesus lizards), howler monkeys, crocodiles, green herons and fields of purple water lilies. In other words, Mother Nature herself.
The Lodge at Pico Bonito has 22 cabins, all around 400-square feet with private decks, hammocks, ceiling fans, free Wi-Fi and native wood and vaulted ceilings.
For more info, contact The Lodge at Pico Bonito, AP710, La Ceiba, CP31101, Honduras, Central America, 888.28.0221, www.picobonito.com.
The application of the data would be key to implementing health and education projects.
