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.
Soccer – futbol in Spanish – is not meant to be played in the snow. That is exactly what the Costa Rican team had to do Friday night, in a blizzard in fact, losing to the United States in World Cup qualifying.
Costa Rica’s soccer officials said they are planning a protest with the FIFA – (Fédération Internationale de Football Association / International Federation of Association Football), the international organization of football’s major international tournaments, notably the World Cup.
“It was an embarrassment to soccer, disrespectful to the game,” Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto told reporters after the game, which was played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
According to Pinto, the “legal conditions” for playing the game were not in place.
“We’ve going to see,” the Costa Rica federation president, Eduardo Li, told MLSsoccer.com after the match. “We’re going to analyze [our options].”
Costa Rica players said the conditions made the match unplayable.
Midfielder Cristian Bolaños, who plays in Denmark, said:
“Honestly, it was robbery, a disgrace, I’ve never played a game in these conditions. You couldn’t see the ball … if we had played without snow, we would have won, I am sure. We were robbed, I think. The whole world is going to commentate, ‘what is that game?’ The referees that we had today didn’t handle it properly. They cost us three points.”
Álvaro Saborio, said:
“We couldn’t play in those conditions; they should have stopped the game in the first half.”
And goalkeeper Keylor Navas said:
“They’re not playing conditions for playing soccer on. I would love to play in a field where the field was good.”
Coincidentally, on the other side of the pond, the qualifier between Northern Ireland and Russia in Belfast was postponed again on Saturday because of a snowstorm. The game was supposed to have been played Friday but was put off until Saturday because of the weather.
“The referee has just called the match off as ice is forming. There is no need for fans to come to Windsor Park to help,” the Irish Football Association said on Twitter.
Does Costa Rica have a point? Should the match have been played at all? Should it have been abandoned in the second half when the rate of snowfall appeared to increase?
I’ve introduced a new section to the Q: Qphotos, an exclusive collection of photos on Costa Rica of the past decade and more.
I started looking back to some of my old photos and thought they would be great to share with everyone. From the old rickety bridges to Quepos, the beaches and towns, the collection paints a picture of Costa Rica.
The first published are a look back at San José starting with series of photos that capture the mood each year through the past decade. The project is a work in progress, regularly I will update and publish more photos. I have over 10.000 photos that will be published in the coming weeks.
It is unfortunate that some take advantage of useful sections or pages of websites like Q’s questions and answers to spam their services and/or products.
Over the past couple of weeks I have had to clean (remove) hundreds of spam posts, some cleverly masked as questions. For instance, what does “best long island designer” or “new york dental insurance” have to do with Costa Rica. And where is the question? The interesting is that the spammers would then use a second username to answer “their” own question. A look up of the IP’s would reveal most (users and posts) coming from the same source.
A ban of IP did not change things. Forcing registration meant the spammer would have to spend a few more seconds on the site to register a fake user profile.
All in all, I was spending more time each day cleaning up the section. Worst it kept legimitate questions from being posted.
Team USA wins 1-0 against Costa Rica in a snowy World Cup qualifier
(Reuters) – Furious Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto said it was an “embarassment to football” that Friday’s World Cup qualifier with the United States was played in strong snow, while his federation promised to make an official protest.
The U.S. won 1-0 but Pinto was riled the game was played on a snowy field with a covering that became deeper as the game wore on.
“It was an embarrassment to football, disrespectful to the game,” an animated Pinto told reporters.
The game was played at the 19,374 capacity Dicks Sporting Goods Park, home of Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, nestled at the foot of the Rockie Mountains.
Pinto said the “legal conditions” for playing the game were not in place and a Federation official told Costa Rican media that an official protest would be made to FIFA on Saturday.
The referee stopped the game briefly in the 55th minute but only to ask ground staff to clear snow from the pitch markings and the game resumed after a few minutes.
Costa Rica’s players showed little dissent on the field, going close to an equalizer in the second half, but they vented their anger after the game.
“Honestly, it was robbery, a disgrace, I’ve never played a game in these conditions,” said midfielder Cristian Bolaóos, who plays with Danish club FC Copenhagen.
“You couldn’t see the ball … if we had played without snow, we would have won, I am sure,” he said.
Striker Alvaro Saborio, who plays in Major League Soccer for Real Salt Lake, concurred.
“We couldn’t play in those conditions, they should have stopped the game in the first half,” he said.
Had the game been abandoned it would have had to be finished in the following 48 hours, causing a logistical problem for both teams who play again on Tuesday.
U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati felt the referee had made the right decision.
“Frankly, (stopping) would not have been to the advantage of either of the two teams, since they both play on Tuesday,” Gulati told reporters.
“Obviously you worry about the safety of players and being able to see the ball. The referee and the match commissioner made the decision that the game could continue and I think it was the right decision,” he said.
Gulati said the decision to play in Denver in March had not been based on any desire to have difficult wintry conditions for Central American opponents, but was mainly due to the desire to spend a week at altitude before a game in Mexico City on Tuesday.
“If the thought is that we want to play Costa Rica in a situation where it could snow, then there are some places that maybe could have been better, like Boston or somewhere,” he said.
Although not abnormal for the summer or dry season, the downpours of the last couple of days are really the start of the winter or wet season, according to the forecast by the national weather institute.
Juan Carlos Fallas, director of the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), says that the start of the rainy season this year will be April 1, weeks ahead of the normal.
“The rainy season will start in the South Pacific, then by the third week in April will be in the Central Pacific”, explained Fallas.
The weather expert said that by mid-May we will see the full rainy season in effect in the Central Valley (San José) and the North Pacific.
Thursday afternoon many were surprised by the sudden and unexpected downpours. Although concentrated mainly in the San José area, the southern zone also reported rainfall. The Friday afternoon rains weren’t as intense, but they did fall. More rain is expected today, Saturday.
These rains are attributed to the hot sunny mornings, as moisture builds up in the air and released by the clouds in short, but intense bursts in the afternoons. Friday’s rain, however, was different. In many parts of San José there was a light drizzle in the early evening hours.
Habitat
Widely adapted and common, the terciopelo is no stranger to lowland moist and wet forests and premontane moist, wet, and rainforest. It is less common through dry forest zones, although it may persist along rivers through such forest. In human-controlled areas where rat populations have done well, this viper is not shy. Banana plantations are a particular haunt of the terciopelo because of their rats.
Range
In Costa Rica this species is common along the lowlands of both coasts up to 1,300 m in elevation. Beyond this country, it can be found on the Pacific coast from some parts of Mexico down to Ecuador; on the Atlantic coast, down to Colombia.
National Parks
Corcovado National Park, Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, La Selva, Chirripó National Park, Carara National Park, Tortuguero National Park.
Physical Description
This snake can grow to a large size as an adult, but has a distinct coloration pattern both as a juvenile and adult. Pale yellow or cream-colored bands crisscross the back and sides of the body, making spaces for a dark diamond pattern. The luster of these dark triangles is velvety, and the triangles connect slightly on the back which some describe as a butterfly or hourglass pattern. The head is large, triangularly shaped, and conspicuously wider than the neck. This pit viper has the deep, visible, heat-detecting pit between each eye and nostril. The eyes are large and have a vertical pupil. The scales along the head and back are keeled.
Biology and Natural History
This infamous viper’s large size, long fangs, and high venom production and toxicity are paired with an active and edgy disposition, making it one of the most dangerous creatures one can encounter in Costa Rica. It is the most dangerous snake in Central America and causes the most snakebite-related deaths among humans in Costa Rica. Venom from this species contains an anticoagulant and causes hemorrhaging.
This nocturnal serpent is more active on the ground as an adult, but as a juvenile may function during the day and on low vegetation. Younger terciopelos have a yellow-tipped tail to draw the attention of frogs or lizards before ambushing them. Prey size increases as the individual snake grows larger. It is common in this country, and commonly encountered. It passes the day coiled up and hidden in vegetation; at dusk it will hunt along roads or trails through dense grass and forest. It is not afraid of human dwelling areas. When it feels agitated, the fer-de-lance may vibrate its tail—the buzz is audible—before striking. It moves quickly when threatened. Other large vipers are more inclined to escape when they feel attacked, but the terciopelo is more likely to strike. It produces a lot of venom, so it is less reserved with this defense as other snakes.
Female terciopelos give birth to live young (as opposed to eggs) in litters of fewer than 10 to larger than 80 small snakes at a time.
Diet
Juveniles prey on arthropods, frogs, lizards, or other small vertebrates. Adults upgrade their diet to small mammals, such as rodents and opossums, and occasionally birds of an appropriate size depending on the snake.
Height/Weight
The full length of this snake can be more than 2 m; females are able to reach slightly longer body lengths than males.
The Terciopelo (Fer-de-lance) is one of the most dangerous creatures one can encounter in Costa Rica
Other large vipers are more inclined to escape when they feel attacked, but the terciopelo is more likely to strike.
Anti-venom rushed to Vancouver from Seattle zoo by air ambulance
A Vancouver, Canada, man who suffered a potentially deadly snake bite in Costa Rica that left him weeping tears of blood is recovering in a Vancouver hospital thanks to the quick work of a medical team and an emergency flight to Seattle to pick up an antidote to the venom.
Michael Lovatt, a 61-year-old old Sunshine Coast resident, was bitten by a venomous snake earlier this week while walking along a beach at night in the city of Quepos.
Speaking from his hospital bed at Vancouver General this morning, Lovatt said he never even saw the snake.
“All of a sudden there’s this intense pain on my foot. By the time I [shone] my flashlight down on [my foot], I just see three red dots and it’s sore… It went downhill real quick right after,” he said.
Lovatt, who lives in Robert’s Creek, went to a medical clinic in Costa Rica, but a language barrier prevented him from getting any more than minimal help, so he got on a flight to Vancouver.
”His tears actually had turned to blood.’
— Dr. Roy Purssell, director B.C. Drug and Poison Information Centre
“We deduced what had occurred, figured out which snake it had to be,” he said.
By the time he landed in Vancouver, he was in piercing pain, his kidneys were shutting down, and his blood was extremely thin and acidic, flowing freely from his lips and gums.
A friend rushed him to Vancouver General Hospital where critical care physician Andrew Neitzel said he was amazed Lovatt survived the flight.
“I was surprised he managed to fly back to Vancouver from Costa Rica,” said Neitzel. “He required urgent dialysis, urgent critical care support.”
Minutes later Lovatt was on death’s door, hooked up to dialysis and blood transfusion machines, while the staff at the hospital attempted to diagnose his condition.
Dr. Roy Purssell, the director of the British Columbia Drug and Poison Information Centre, said the snake venom also causes major problems with blood clotting.
“The patient was having bleeding from various areas, and his tears actually had turned to blood,” he said
Lovatt told doctors he thought he was bitten by an ant, but the doctors soon figured out it was no simple ant bite.
Purssell said a medical team from his centre and Vancouver General Hospital managed to identify that the culprit in the attack as a type of pit viper called the fer-de-lance, or Bothrops asper, (Spanish name: Terciopelo) based on all of the symptoms Lovatt suffered, including damage to his kidneys.
‘Within two hours he miraculously improved. It’s hard to explain it. It was almost magical,
— Dr. Andrew Neitzel, VGH critical care physician
The fer-de-lance is considered one of the most dangerous snakes in Costa Rica.
As dozens of blood transfusions kept him alive, doctors finally found the closest anti-venom at a zoo in Seattle.
The team contacted Woodland Park Zoo and Mark Myers, a curator at the zoo, rounded up 20 vials of antivenin, which the zoo keeps on hand for emergencies, and arranged for a zookeeper to deliver the vials to an air ambulance which flew down from Vancouver to pick them up.
“Receiving the call for help was quite a harrowing experience.We knew that time was critical and we had to move fast if we wanted to help save this patient’s life,” Myers said in statement released by the zoo on Friday.
A helicopter pilot rushed the anti-venom back to Vancouver where doctors shot Lovatt full of anti-venom.
“The abnormalities and blood clotting were starting to resolve within minutes. They were dramatically better within a couple of hours, and almost back to normal within a few hours after that,” Purssell said.
Lovatt is now in stable condition in Vancouver General Hospital. Purssell said he may suffer some permanent kidney damage from his ordeal.
Neitzel credited the co-operation of several medical services for working together to save the man.
“Within two hours he miraculously improved. It’s hard to explain it. It was almost magical,” said Neitzel. “He would have died. There’s no question this would have taken his life.”
“A combination of all of the services coming together at Vancouver General Hospital, the emergency department, the hematology department, orthopedics and plastic surgery, the blood bank, BC Ambulance Service — without all of these groups working together to help this patient, we’re fairly certain the outcome would have been tragic.”
The Fer-de-Lance (Terciopelo) in Costa Rica:
Habitat
Widely adapted and common, the terciopelo is no stranger to lowland moist and wet forests and premontane moist, wet, and rainforest. It is less common through dry forest zones, although it may persist along rivers through such forest. In human-controlled areas where rat populations have done well, this viper is not shy. Banana plantations are a particular haunt of the terciopelo because of their rats.
Range
In Costa Rica this species is common along the lowlands of both coasts up to 1,300 m in elevation. Beyond this country, it can be found on the Pacific coast from some parts of Mexico down to Ecuador; on the Atlantic coast, down to Colombia.
National Parks
Corcovado National Park, Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, La Selva, Chirripó National Park, Carara National Park, Tortuguero National Park.
Physical Description
This snake can grow to a large size as an adult, but has a distinct coloration pattern both as a juvenile and adult. Pale yellow or cream-colored bands crisscross the back and sides of the body, making spaces for a dark diamond pattern. The luster of these dark triangles is velvety, and the triangles connect slightly on the back which some describe as a butterfly or hourglass pattern. The head is large, triangularly shaped, and conspicuously wider than the neck. This pit viper has the deep, visible, heat-detecting pit between each eye and nostril. The eyes are large and have a vertical pupil. The scales along the head and back are keeled.
Biology and Natural History
This infamous viper’s large size, long fangs, and high venom production and toxicity are paired with an active and edgy disposition, making it one of the most dangerous creatures one can encounter in Costa Rica. It is the most dangerous snake in Central America and causes the most snakebite-related deaths among humans in Costa Rica. Venom from this species contains an anticoagulant and causes hemorrhaging.
This nocturnal serpent is more active on the ground as an adult, but as a juvenile may function during the day and on low vegetation. Younger terciopelos have a yellow-tipped tail to draw the attention of frogs or lizards before ambushing them. Prey size increases as the individual snake grows larger. It is common in this country, and commonly encountered. It passes the day coiled up and hidden in vegetation; at dusk it will hunt along roads or trails through dense grass and forest. It is not afraid of human dwelling areas. When it feels agitated, the fer-de-lance may vibrate its tail—the buzz is audible—before striking. It moves quickly when threatened. Other large vipers are more inclined to escape when they feel attacked, but the terciopelo is more likely to strike. It produces a lot of venom, so it is less reserved with this defense as other snakes.
Female terciopelos give birth to live young (as opposed to eggs) in litters of fewer than 10 to larger than 80 small snakes at a time.
Diet
Juveniles prey on arthropods, frogs, lizards, or other small vertebrates. Adults upgrade their diet to small mammals, such as rodents and opossums, and occasionally birds of an appropriate size depending on the snake.
Height/Weight
The full length of this snake can be more than 2 m; females are able to reach slightly longer body lengths than males.
Starting today traffic on the nations highways and bi-ways is expected to over-saturate an already overburdened road system, as thousands leave the urban jungles of the Central Valley and head for the green jungles, rainforests, beaches and resorts around the country.
Wednesday, will be the real test for the 628 Tránsitos (traffic officials) that have been assigned to keep the roads safe during Semana Santa, given that Thursday and Friday are legal holidays, followed by days off on Saturday and Sunday, for an extra long weekend. Traffic back into the Central Valley starts to build up on Saturday.
The director of the Policía de Tránsito, Germán Marín, assures that his police force will be working around the clock, with increased patrols on the major routes like the Ruta 27 (San José – Caldera), Ruta 32 (San José – Limón), the Interamericana (north and south) and the Costanera.
This year the additional challenge for the traffic police is keeping drunk drivers off the road, this being the first year in decades where prohibition will not applied in many areas.
Last year Semana Santa saw nine deaths from traffic accidents. Maríns says his goal this year is for zero.
The list of cantones that will not apply prohibition during Semana Santa (Holy Week) is growing. As of Friday 16 municipalities have said alcohol sales will continue as normal during Thursday (28) and Friday (29).
Not applying the “ley seca” (dry law) means that consumers can buy alcohol at the supermarket, alcoholic drinks with their meals at restaurants and down a few at the local watering hole, uhm, bar.
Municipalities that say will apply prohibition are:
In San José: Escazú, Aserrí, Mora, Goicoechea, Santa Ana, Alajuelita, Acosta, Moravia, Montes de Oca, Turrubares y Pérez Zeledón.
In Alajuela the municipalities that will have prohibition are: Alajuela, San Mateo, Atenas, Naranjo, Palmares, Poás and Orotina.
In Cartago all cantones will be “dry”.
In Guanacaste and Puntarenas (covering the entire Pacific coast) prohibition will apply only in: Bagaces, Carrillo, Nandayure and Hojancha, Puntarenas, Esparza, Montes de Oro and Golfito.
On the Caribbean side, in the province of Limón, the following municipalities will not allow the sale of alcohol: Limón, Pococí and Siquirres.
No prohibition is expeted in the province of Heredia.
Rafael Arias, advisor to San José mayor Johnny Araya, said no ban is foressen in the single largest municipality in the country.
This year is the first year that municipalities have the power to decide for themselves if there will be prohibition or not. Municipalities have until Wednesday to decide, thus the foregoing list could change.
Prohibition, if applied, is from 12:01am Thursday to 12:01am Saturday of Semana Santa.
This last week, perhaps more than any other week has clearly defined the country sponsored, clandestine war of Internet hackers and the ability to use the usually friendly Internet to destroy what we believe to be confidential and essential to our daily lives.
The war of words is between North Korea, China, the United States and even Mexico and you have to believe Russia is in the mix along with Israel.
The Internet, a free method of global communications has evolved into the true weapon of mass destruction (WMD) ranging from friendly Facebook to now the most malicious, popular hacking in an attempt to stop or disrupt critical assets of unsuspecting companies as well as governments.
“I now control your oil reserves and not to mention your bank’s ATM machines,” find me! Therefore I have captured not only your source of energy but also the personal life of your members; including bank accounts.
Countries, and Costa Rica being among the least defensible, can easily have our entire infrastructure system shut down, our banks abrogated, ATM machines stopped, water usage stopped, even the traffic lights put on hold with the click of one magic button.
But who would want to do that to Pura Vida?
We can start with Nicaragua who has tech savvy pals in Iran and even to some lesser extent Venezuela and then there are those who simply think this is all good sport. Also Nicaragua has been the recipient of the devious transfer of sports book money by Western Union which by-passes entirely Costa Rica resulting in their coffers and not ours. (The Nica country is not that rustic to not receive millions of dollars every day).
Cyber Attacks are the future global threat and comparatively, nuclear war seems almost mundane since if a country does not have the ability code to “fire”; the rocket is useless.
If we cannot function as a government, bank or even be a reasonable civilization as we know it; we simply cannot function at all.
Moreover, it does not seem to be all that hard to accomplish.
According to most articles, hacking and implanting computer viruses (Malware) does not seem terribly complicated. Not to mention stealing personal identification which usually results in hefty charges on credit cards, car loans and home mortgages.
On a more serious note, let’s try the disruption of the oil flow in Saudi Arabia and in New York manipulating the coveted subway not to mention the stock exchange.
All of which is small compared to shutting down energy reserves, turning off electricity, reversing sanitation stations and to a much further extent: making sure clocks work incorrectly based on Greenwich time!
In short, professional hackers, military hackers from around the world can easily prey on countries like Costa Roca which seem both naive as well as defenseless.
Since we in Pura Vida tend to focus on the good life, it might be smart to make one of these cross border deals that are so popular with countries who can protect us from the international cyber attacks. It is one thing to down load an illegal version of a film and something totally different to cancel out the essential infrastructure of an entire nation with the “click” of a single button on the keyboard.
Carlos Caiceda Perlaza comes from a coconut plantation family on the Pacific in Colombia where they cultivated and sold coconuts. There, they processed the coconut for its juice and used it to cook shrimp, Carlos recounted. But it was when he came to Costa Rica that coconuts created a nostalgia in him, reminding him of his feelings for his family, and he became curious about what else coconut could be used for besides consumption.
He was renting a small house in Montezuma facing the ocean when rainy season hit. Stuck inside with time on his hands, he found tools that were left behind by a Mexican artist and decided to try making things out of coconut, practicing “without any particular orientation.” Later a friend gave him advice on how to not break his tools so often and showed him some techniques, but Carlos was developing his own style.
For Carlos, experimenting with coconuts has become both his hobby and his work. “I think that since I discovered it, I am happy,” he said.
He has been crafting things out of coconut for 10 years now, and three years ago started a business in Samara called Cocotales, the name for coconut plantations in Colombia. Aside from jewelry, bowls and cord made from coconut, he and his companions have been experimenting lately with even more ways to use coconuts, from fiber to oil. They even tried making paper, but it turned out more like cardboard, so Carlos considers it “a failure.”
Alonso Lopez Perez, who began working with Carlos about six months ago, has also been charmed by the nut. “It’s cool, like alchemy,” he said. “We are producing something from nothing, something that is difficult to do and has its process.”
Alonso explained that it’s better to work with coconuts in winter when they are soft like a sponge. In the summer, they soak the coconuts in a barrel of water to soften them.
When the coconut is moist, Carlos said they hit it hard with a hammer to release the fibers. They extract three types of fibers— a long thread that is good for things like bracelets, a short one that they use to make a rough fabric for covering lamps, and a cotton-like fiber that they can spin like wool to form a strong rope. Carlos is contemplating making a type of spinning wheel to work with the fiber.
Their latest venture is extracting coconut oil. Carlos explained the process: first they peel the coconut and extract it with a drill or a metal device; then they place the coconut meat in water in a plastic bin and let it ferment for a couple of days. The coconut oil separates from the water. They collect the coconut fat and cook it in a frying pan to separate the impurities from the oil and then filter it. After letting it sit for a couple of days the oil becomes more clear and is ready for bottling and use.
The process takes a lot of time and labor, according to Carlos, but they are enjoying learning new ways to use coconut.
Thursday’s afternoon surprise downpour with scattered moderate intensity could be back today and maybe tomorrow, experts say.
According to Gabriela Chinchlla, of Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) – Meteorological Institute – Thursday’s downpour occurred due to the hot morning and build up of moisture in the air.
These rains are referred to as “Aguacero de los cafetaleros” (Downpours of Coffee Plantations).
The dowpour hit mainly the areas of Heredia, Alajuela, San José, Santa Ana, Orotina and Esparza, all coffee growing areas. Some parts of Guanacaste and the South Pacific reported rainfall also.
The clear skies and heat from the sun in morning are conditions for short lasting downpours in the afternoon.
Although the rainy season is weeks away, best not to leave the galoshes behind for the next couple of days.
To avoid getting drenched, keep an eye on the afternoon skies being on the lookout for a gray to dark gray cloud formation. If you see such a cloud formation, keep and eye on its movement: east to west usually means a typical afternoon downpour; from the southwest to east, pretty intense downpours; and from northwest to east, usually a real nasty downpour.
I’ve introduced a new section to the Q: Qphotos, an exclusive collection of photos on Costa Rica of the past decade and more.
