(Prensa Latina) The Broad Front (FA) and the Chamber of Commerce of Colon stated today that the only solution to the crisis that paralyzed the Panamanian province is the repeal of the Law on land sales of Free Zone (ZLC). Edgardo Voitier and Anacleto Ceballos, leaders of both institutions that are leading protests against the legislation, said that the Twitter account is not the Official Gazette or the way to run a country, during a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce with mediator Bishop Aguilar Audilio.
Colon entered its seventh day today in protests and total paralysis of activities, in a very busy day because concentrations are held early in many parts of the city that remains militarized and prepares the funeral of child Joshua Betancourt, first fatality of the conflict .
Frank de Lima, Minister of Economy and Finance, stated that Voitier and Ceballos will try for the third consecutive time to begin a dialogue with the so-called active forces and will move back to Colon, but with the same script of previous attempts.
Balbina Herrera, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, said he will remain being null because people do not want to offer him anything very helpful enough, but finishing to remove Law 72 allowing the sale of the ZLC.
Costa Rica has a new traffic law that aims to correct the problems of the 2008 law and aims to reduce carnage on the country’s roads, there are a couple of points that are EXTREMELY important to foreigners living and/or visiting Costa Rica. Foreigners living (called expats) and visitors alike can drive in Costa Rica for the duration of their “legal” stay with a license issued by their home country.
North Americans (residents of the US and Canada, not including Mexico), Europeans and many other countries have a legal stay (visitor) of up to three months, all other countries, 30 days.
In the old days it was recommended that a foreigners overstaying his or her visitors status obtain a Costa Rican driver’s license, which simply meant going to the driver’s license office, filling out the forms, passing the required medical exam and paying the fees.
Many foreigners – other than short term visitors – couldn’t be bothered with the process. In effect it was never a problem. Until now.
The new law requires any foreigners in Costa Rica over 90 days to obtain a Costa Rican license, failing the fine is ¢94.000 and four (4) points – one third the way to a license suspension. Important here is that two more tickets for not having a Costa Rican license will mean a suspension even before the license is obtained.
A hands-free umbrella designed to withstand winds of up to 80 km/h could help battle the heavy rains of Costa Rica’s rainy season, keep one drier than a typical umbrella and free up hands to use a cell phone and even ride a bicycle, though why would anyone want to ride a bicycle in the rain is another thing.
The Nubrella, which resembles a bubble wrapped around the user’s head and shoulders, works by strapping on a shoulder support and extending a canopy around the head.
Inventor Alan Kaufman, 49, from Florida, said: “The major advantage is the wearer doesn’t have to carry anything when not in use as it goes behind the head like a hood.
“The umbrella was long overdue for some innovation, now people can ride their bikes and work outdoors completely hands free while staying protected.
With the umbrella dome you can laugh in the face of mother nature. And all for a US$50 via nubrella.com.
Kaufman said, “Millions of people are required to work outdoors no matter what the conditions are and simply can’t hold an umbrella and perform their tasks.
“We believe this will revolutionize the industry and are targeting people who can’t use an umbrella or are too tired to hold an umbrella.”
Saturday 27 October 2012 | QNews Costa Rica | Source: Costa Rica North
The possible signing of a Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica and Colombia worries businesses in the manufacturing sector, who argue that contrary to the governments proposes, exports to other nations with which they have such agreements have not increased, while imports have done so.
Added to this, the country has no real agenda that allows adequate performance, which encourages the creation of employment, competitiveness and relations.
This approach is supported by experts who believe that the country has focused on signing trade agreements with other nations and divorced from a policy that encourages the growth and competitiveness of the sectors involved in the economy.
This was confirmed by the economist Luis Paulino Vargas, as part of a series of forums held at the University of Costa Rica on FTAs, where he discussed the approach made by governments in terms of trade, which does not exactly guarantee employment growth and improving living conditions.
These policies, over two or three decades, have not resulted in employment generation and the creation of mechanisms for relationships between large and small producers and entrepreneurs.
On the contrary, there has been a domino effect in which the concentrations of the country’s exports are in the hands of some 20 products developed by the 1.5 % of the country’s businesses.
Vargas warned about the conditions which led to the signing of NAFTA in the country, but especially in the economic model by which governments have wagered that it is for the promotion of treaties with anyone – a buying strategy promising to improve employment and opportunities.
However, in practice what is fulfilled is the policy of overspending and future debt, while unemployment rates increase, and the conditions and quality of work are detrimental.
The press office of the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) assured the university that the objective of the FTA is not solving all the problems of the country, but rather to open more space for Costa Rica’s integration into the world economy.
The figures clearly show that trade grows after the entry into the force of the FTA. The new FTA negotiations have the objective of consolidating, expanding and streamlining the trade platform in the country, which will allow the diversification of exports and integration into global value chains.
Mario Montero, executive vice president of the Chamber of Food Industry (CACIA), is not convinced of this position and ensures that this area is directly affected by the massive influx of products from countries with which Costa Rica has agreements.
“In cases of existing treaties, what we have seen is a significant increase in imports from the effective date, but no growth in exports,” said Montero.
This, based on today’s tariff reduction in an export market is not enough to create exports.
For that reason, the Vice President of CACIA advocates for a policy agenda more focused on developing internal capabilities in improving competitiveness and the local business climate.
The development of this agenda would provide a fundamental tool for existing might be able to take advantage of and make sense. Otherwise, the only thing seen is an opening of the local market without much sense.
This is the feeling that some business sectors have regarding the signing of a free trade agreement with Colombia, which beyond generating positive expectations, leaves a real concern about the conditions of competition in the country to be found.
The press office of COMEX argued that FTAs have helped to diversify the country’s export supply and have put Costa Rica at the forefront of exports per capita in Latin America and has placed in the top of the region and fourth in the world in terms of industrial exports, for high-tech products.
“The growth and export diversification positively affects economic growth and the creation of more and better sources of employment,” he said.
Costa Rica is currently in the third round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with Colombia, which must eventually be approved by the legislature.
To date, the country has nine free trade agreements with various countries and although they have been heavily promoted by the government, as drivers of the economy, the State of the Region has evidence that when approved each NAFTA, trade with the respective nation has declined.
Currently the FTA with Colombia awakens sensitivities between areas that are concerned about inequality in market conditions.
Luis Obando, adviser on foreign trade of the Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica (ICRC), is convinced that Costa Rican and Colombian economies are not complementary, but directly competing, which affects national manufacturers, as the South American nations firms compete with lower costs.
Its costs in raw materials, labor, energy and diversity of energy sources that count, such as coal, natural gas and electricity, give an advantage to the country.
“In addition, these companies enjoy a number of export incentives that do not have our domestic industries. The tariff that applies to Colombian products is a mechanism to protect its industry. This presents us with a difficult scenario to compete,” argued Obando.
In his words, the dismantling of such sensitive products would be a major threat to the development of national industry.
“Only for export to Colombia in 2011, $48.2 million and we import $455.6 million; in fact, many Colombian products entering the market are paying tariffs ranging between 9% and 15%. After adjustment for these taxes, imports from the South American nation will skyrocket,” warned Obando.
In his opinion, the factors affecting the competitiveness of Costa Rican companies regarding Colombian nationals will be key when they have to compete in the local market.
For the COMEX some of the opportunities presented by the Colombian market is having dimensions similar to those of Central America, increased purchasing power and is a net importer in many manufacturing areas.
In addition, imports are less concentrated than exports, which would allow preferential conditions to be exploited and distributed a wide range of products.
“It is an exporter of raw materials that could be of interest from the private sector, which would help to improve the competitiveness of the productive sector in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has a more traditional export vocation than Colombia, plus it exports more agricultural products,” claims the COMEX.
“An agreement with Colombia would enable trade, investment and strategic partnerships are governed by stable, clear and transparent rules,” he added.
But, for the Chamber of Industries, FTAs have served as sufficient mechanisms to diversify exports and considers new strategies should be sought in the international market.
“In 2011, 79.1% of exports were concentrated in the United States, Central America and the European Union, and less than 10% with other countries with which we have FTAs, such as Chile, Mexico, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago. No advantage to the FTAs, but it opens our market,” explained Obando.
With all of the truly important things requiring immediate attention, Costa Rica has recently opted to side step those challenges and come up with a gold mine of trivial rules, regulations and laws which, arguably will not be enforced. Each is intended to collect some money.
Every day in Costa Rica nineteen homes are being robbed, we have perhaps the worst roads in all of the Americas resulting in continuous death and damage, corruption runs rampant from the very top of government and to the fisherman who for a US$150 will transport whatever package you want on his skiff. To top it all off we are in the process of borrowing $4billon dollars of which some 40% of the first US$1 billion tranche will be used to pay off existing debt.
The hard and poorly fought fiscal plan of the Laura Chinchilla government was really only a tax plan in disguise. Not only has the government not reduced spending for 2013 but has budgeted an increase it by 7.7%.
Logic dictates that the legislative assembly, (those deputies who represent our best interests) the executive branch and all ministers wring their collective hands and at least make a plausible effort to keep Costa Rica from becoming another Greece.
However, more time is being spent on such trivial things such as:
Forming a Colegio (Guild) for those people who work in the tourism industry and requiring a yet to be defined level of expertise plus training. Paid in membership is to be required in order to port luggage to a guest´s room.
Forming another Colegio or guild for real estate agents who must hold national residency, must graduate from a yet to be determined course and may well have to hold a university degree. This will sure put a dent in the perpetual tourist market! The cost of membership and course fees are yet to be determined.
Requiring pet owner training (not pets themselves but the owners) to attend a ½ day seminar on the proper care of their pets and then selling owners a pet license for each animal. People with felony records, of which there are not too many, are prohibited from owning a pet and cannot attend the seminar. Fees have not been determined.
In an attempt to demonstrate Costa Rica´s ecological seriousness (Not just fooling around to attract tourists) the government has passed an all encompassing anti-shark fining law. The only time shark fins can enter Costa Rica for exportation is by land is from Nicaragua whose government will “certify” the shark indeed had a body with the fin attached when it landed in that country. (I didn´t know we trusted Nicaragua all that much) But the soup brings upwards of US$150 a bowl and it can be purchased in Costa Rica.
May 8 will now be known as “Women´s Day” and it is an official holiday. We have seven months to shop for women, so let´s get at it. After all the Christmas sales started in mid-August and that is a five month head start. We have secretary´s day, children´s day, mother´s day, father’s day, Valentine´s day, day of the rising pot roast but no “Man´s Day”. Now there´s something for the government to think about; Men.
A new law and one that perhaps should be supported is that employers cannot give pregnancy tests before employing a female. Although, a female might well be pregnant and take the job to enjoy the many benefits and possible one year of not working while receiving full pay with a physician´s approval. I am told this is not a common practice but also not terribly uncommon either. Neither the test nor the one year sabbatical makes a lot of sense.
A stroke of genius among law enforcement officers, aimed at tourists leaving behind unpaid traffic tickets and skipping the country. (See Foreigners With Traffic Fines Restricted From Leaving Costa Rica) The airport will stop them right there and make them go to the appropriate place to pay and clean the slate before heading home. Hope it is not after 4:00PM on a Friday because everything shuts down then and dad with wife and kids will need to cancel that flight home and wait until Monday morning, and purchase another ticket while enjoying the weekend activities in Liberia or San Jose or sleeping in the airport lounge. Just another incentive not to visit Pura Vida. NOTE: Most car rental agencies hold credit cards and a sizable customer deposit. Can´t they just collect on the infraction which is now digitally registered? And, what happens if it is a local and not a tourist who pays with his/her Marchamo in December? (Oh my God! A prisoner in paraiso!)
Do not fret about intimidating jugglers dancing alongside your car at every stop light, or handicaps asking for money, nor even the Red Cross, Salvation Army with their hands out. The new law prohibits street vending, juggling and circus-type acts, begging or asking for money, or any other commercial activity in the streets. (Saved again!)
Equally interesting is the all new concept that one cannot drink alcoholic beverages on public locations. That´s fine when we consider the degradation of San Jose, etc. but how about those $800 per night tourists who casually sit at, let´s say in front of “Four Seasons”, on the beach in their most comfortable sling chairs and want a bucket of ice cold Imperial to top off the hot, sunny day? “Sorry sirs, I cannot serve you. It is against the law.” (After all, the beaches are public domain.)
Thank you government! I will sleep better at knowing you are earning your income + perks while making my taxpaying life safer each day.
Saturday 27 October 2012 | QNews Costa Rica | Source: Fijatevos.com
A U.S. Federal judge, John Gibney Jr., Tuesday sentenced Costa Rican businessman Minor Vargas to serve 60 years in prison for fraud and money laundering connected to his company, Provident Capital Indemnity.
Vargas was arrested in January, 2011, and was found guilty this year in the same court, of seven counts of fraud and three of money laundering to hide proceeds from the venture.
The Costa Rican had maintained his innocence up until Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, when he at last admitted he had committed “an error” but still denied intent to defraud.
Since Vargas is 61 years old, the punishment can amount to a life sentence if he is not released from prison before his sentence is complete or if his appeals are denied. (See previous articles.)
“I’ve learned my lesson,” he told the court, “I should not have attempted to rescue the company in that way but I don’t think I should have to pass the rest of my life in prison.”
“I’m a rehabilitated person,” Vargas told the judge, “a good person, a good citizen.” He said he did not merit the severe sentence he received. But it could have been worse, in a manner of speaking. If Vargas had received the maximum for each count, the sentence would have been almost 200 years in jail.
Judge Gibney, however, did not agree that Vargas was a “good person.” Gibney said Vargas should serve as an example for those who would follow a fraudulent path.
‘Perhaps some may not learn from your example,” said Gibney sternly, “but others will. I’m convinced you have no respect for the victims nor are conscious of your crime.”
Provident Capital represented itself as a “reinsurance” investment opportunity for investors in a stagnant economy and a hedge for insurance companies to protect their policies. But it was not either and lost investors millions of dollars.
Gibney said during the hearing that he had contemplated a lesser sentence but decided against it. “Vargas committed a grotesque crime against innocent people,” Gibney said, “If I had freed him, nobody could be sure he would not turn around to do it again.”
Of the estimated 3,500 victims of the PCI scam, 22 showed up to see Vargas sentenced Tuesday. Of these, seven gave statements before the court, three of them tearfully.
Among them was Therese Giger, a Chicago woman who lost half a million dollars in the PCI scam, as well as her husband to cancer, which she claimed was spurred on by his depression after learning of the disappearance of their savings.
“My husband passed his final days blaming himself for having lost our life savings when it is Mr. Vargas who should feel guilty,” she said.
Paula Whitacker of Houston, Texas, lost a million dollars and her only son. She said she had hoped to fund a clinic in his honor after he died but the PCI scam swallowed the legacy.
A Virginia woman, Kimberly Holland, lost her father to cancer while he lamented having lost $600,000 to PCI. “He died without an honorable funeral, not even flowers, because he felt so guilty at my spending money on him. This is something I can never forgive Vargas for,” she said.
She now is caring for her mother who suffers from Alzheimers.
But Vargas was not always a hated name. At one time, he was a big name in local sports, owning 10 pro soccer teams (and their stadiums) in the first and second divisions over the years.
As head of the ultra-successful Saprissa club, he paid himself $5,000 salary in 2001, the first Costa Rican club chief to receive a salary. He explained that he was doing the job full time and had no other income.
But Vargas is not the only national soccer figure to run afoul of the law. On Aug. 30, Carlos Pascall, president of the Limon club, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a San Jose court for money laundering.
The First Division soccer organization, UNAFUT, has vowed to work with the court investigative division, OIJ) and with Interpol to protect investment in Costa Rican clubs. The organization has suffered sharp setbacks financially in the Pascall and Vargas cases.
Vargas says he invested $20 million in local soccer teams. Today, he has no financial interest in any Costa Rican club. Vargas admitted that the money came from the $43 million he cost investors in PCI but represented it as an attempt to help local youth and the sport.
Although defense attorney for Vargas, Jeffrey Everhart said an appeal was possible, it would little benefit the Tico. He despaired of winning an appeal. The national newspaper La Nacion reported that Everhart all but begged the court for clemency.
Update: Under the Strasburg Convention, Vargas has the possibility of serving his sentence in the country of his origin—in other words, a white-collar crime section of a local prison, most probably La Reforma.
But a high official of the Justice Ministry here, Reynaldo Villalobos, said that, knowing the U.S. justice system, that country will be in no hurry to make a transfer. Perhaps if legal counsel for Vargas files a petition later, it may be granted. It would allow his family to visit him more often.
Meanwhile a former auditor for the company, also a Costa Rican, is still awaiting his sentence. a
Skip Salenius (63) is racing this coming weekend in Costa Rica
Saturday 27 October 2012 | QNews Costa Rica | Source: Roadracingworld.com
AMA Pro road racer Skip Salenius will be re-entering the race scene this coming weekend after taking the 2012 race season off.
‘Furia de Motores’ Costa Rica is scheduled for the 27th and 28th of October, 2012 at the Autódromo La Guácima and will feature car shows, drifting rallies, car tuning and of course motorcycle racing.
Salenius was approached by local rider Roger Diaz to come down and help him set up and race his personal, newly prepped Yamaha R1 Superbike in the 1000cc Superbike class on Sunday.
Skip Salenius (63) is racing this coming weekend in Costa Rica
“I’m very excited at the opportunity to line up on the grid for the first time this year,” said Salenius. “I took a break from racing this year to be a dad and instruct with the TrackTactics track-day organization. I have had a lot of seat time this year but it’s just not the same as racing. I’m looking forward to the challenge of going and learning a new track on a new motorcycle in another part of the world.”
Salenius will be racing alongside Ivan Sala from Costra Rica, who raced earlier this year in AMA Pro Superbike at Laguna Seca, as well as Slovakian rider Sandra Stammova who contested the 1000cc Superstock class in the 2012 1000cc British Superbike Series.
Furia de Motores Costa Rica is being put on by RumbaScostarica, an organization dedicated to present, cover, review and publish the most significant social-events, concerts, fashion, night life, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, tuning, motorcycles, 4×4’s, tourisms, sports, club, artists etc… for all the people who love a “GOOD RUMBAS”! http://rumbascostarica.com/
(Reuters) – Costa Rica’s brewery, the Cerveceria Costa Rica, struck a deal to buy privately held North American Breweries, which sells Genesee and Labatt beer in the United States, for U$388 million in cash.
KPS Capital Partners, the private equity firm that owns North American Breweries, said in a statement on Friday that it expected the deal to close in the fourth quarter. KPS earned a return of more than 9 times invested capital on the sale, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Cerveceria Costa Rica, a unit of Florida Ice and Farm Co S.A., holds the beer brands Imperial, Pilsen, Bavaria, Rock and Heineken (under license).
NAB’s other brands include Honey Brown Lager, Magic Hat and Pyramid.
Reuters reported last month that the brewer, one of the largest independently owned beer companies in the United States, was up for sale.
KPS formed the company in February 2009 when it bought the Labatt brands in the U.S. for an undisclosed price from Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR).
The brewing giant needed to sell the business in order to receive Justice Department clearance for InBev’s $52 billion takeover of U.S. rival Anheuser-Busch. AB InBev still sells Labatt beer outside of the U.S.
North American Breweries bought the privately held brewer of Genesee and Dundee brands in February 2009. It acquired Independent Brewers United Inc, which owned Magic Hat and Pyramid, in 2010.
The global brewing industry has been rife with deals as the industry leaders, such as AB InBev, SABMiller PLC (SAB.L) and Heineken (HEIN.AS), seek to boost their exposure in emerging markets and take on smaller brands.
Craft, or small batch, beers, such as Magic Hat, have also been a bright spot in a U.S. beer market that has been in decline for three years as many drinkers have switched to wine or cocktails.
Apple Inc will begin to sell an 8-inch version of the iPad to compete with Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle and other smaller tablets, but it set a higher-than-expected price tag of $329 that Wall Street fears could curb demand.
QNote: It is not yet known when new the iPad mini will be available in stores in Costa Rica. If ordering online keep in mind the cost of shipping, taxes and doubt if the Apple guarantee is applicable in Costa Rica for items not purchased in the country!
The 7.9 inch “iPad mini” marks the iPhone-maker’s first foray into the smaller-tablet segment. Apple hopes to beat back incursions onto its home turf of consumer electronics hardware, while safeguarding its lead in a larger tablet space – one that even deep-pocketed rivals like Samsung Electronics have found tough to penetrate
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook and marketing chief Phil Schiller took the wraps off the new tablet, which essentially has most of the functions and features of the full-size iPad but in a smaller package.
Priced at $329 for a wi-fi only model, the iPad mini is a little costlier than some predicted, but some analysts see that as a bid to retain premium pricing levels. Others fear the gadget will lure buyers away from Apple’s $499 flagship 10-inch iPad, while proving ineffective in combating the threat of Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7, both of which are sold at or near cost. Editor’s note: prices are in the US
“Apple has always been a premium hardware manufacturer. It’s basically a hardware company and they don’t have Google advertising or Amazon’s online store to fall back on,” said Destination Wealth Management CEO Michael Yoshikami.
“But people are happy to pay a premium because it’s quality hardware, and the ecosystem (of content and apps) cannot be underestimated.”
JMP Securities analyst Alex Gauna said, however, “It’s coming in the range that most were grumbling about and that, quite frankly, we’re a little bit concerned about.”
“It’s a little confusing at this juncture to try and figure out how it fits into the line-up. Is it going to cannibalize the more expensive iPad?” he said.
“It is worth noting that there are zero-margin products out there competing with them now … and that is presenting some challenges to Apple.”
Frank Gillett, an analyst with Forrester who attended the event, said he was impressed with the lightness of the iPad mini, which he got a chance to play with following the event.
“Apple went for the high end of what people have been thinking of,” Gillett said, adding that Amazon and Google may have to adjust their product lineups to compete with the iPad mini.
The focus on growing competition was evident as Schiller – at the iPad mini’s launch event, held in San Jose’s California Theatre – compared the iPad mini with Google’s popular 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet, citing feature by feature why the new Apple device was superior. It is unusual for Apple to single out a specific competitor in its product launches.
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro published an article and photos Monday in state-run media in response to widespread on-line rumors that he was dying or already dead.
In an article sarcastically titled “Fidel Castro is dying,” Cuba’s retired revolutionary leader slammed the “lies, nonsense and harmful” rumors circulating in social networking sites that claimed he had suffered a heart attack and was near death.
Over the years, Castro, 86, has often been rumored by his critics to be dead or dying, with the latest false report of his demise made by a Venezuelan physician living in Miami who is known for having made the same claim earlier.
Castro dismissed the rumors and stressed he was in good health, saying “I don’t even remember what a headache is.”
As proof of his condition, he provided photos of himself to accompany the article.
The photographs taken by his son and photographer Alex Castro show the former leader in a red plaid shirt and straw hat, leaning on a walking stick in a countryside setting accompanied by his bodyguards.
In another photo, Castro is seen looking at a copy of last Friday’s Communist Party newspaper Granma.
The latest rumor mill began after close Cuban ally and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won reelection October 7 and received no public congratulations from Castro.
That silence was added to the fact that Castro has not been seen in public since Pope Benedict visited Cuba in March, and his last opinion column, called “Reflections,” appeared June 19 in the local press.
Castro said he stopped writing the column, “because it is certainly not my role to occupy the main pages of our newspapers, devoted to other tasks required by the country.”
Last Saturday, visiting Venezuelan ex-Vice President Elias Jaua met with Castro for five hours, Jaua confirmed Sunday, after reporters heard of their meeting.
Castro then accompanied Jaua back to the National Hotel in Havana, where several hotel staff and executives boarded Castro’s minibus for a chat and photo op. That photo was also released Sunday.
Castro handed power over to his younger brother Raul in July 2006, after suffering from a serious illness. In retirement, he has written over 400 articles on international affairs, as well as books about his struggle as a young revolutionary, and occasionally met with visiting foreign personalities.
Thursday, October 25, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Costa Rica Star
As evidenced by the recent media coverage of the Summer Olympics in London and films like Magic Mike, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, the male physique is becoming sexually objectified by adoring women -including liberated Ticas. Costa Rica may seem like an unlikely place where women will gather in groups to gawk at, and very often grab a handful of, masculine hunks wearing nothing more than G-string underwear; however, that seems to be a hot entertainment option for divorce parties.
Morals and attitudes are changing in Costa Rica, and a few years ago a divorce was no reason to celebrate. Ticas were mostly resigned to wallowing in pity, or in some cases expressing quiet relief, but these days a divorce in Costa Rica offers a chance for women to get together in support of their disjointed friend, and enjoying the company and performance of a male stripper. A lengthy report written by Arturo Pardo in the Sunday Magazine of La Nacion earlier this year introduced many readers in Costa Rica to the world of “maripepinos”, the buff and athletic male dancers who are hired for events such as bachelorette parties, birthdays, private engagements, divorce celebrations and even quinceaneras (a Latin American rite of passage for young ladies who turn 15 years old).
The report in La Nacion, which was titled “Fantasy in Underpants“, focused on the life of Mr. Palacions, a Panamanian male stripper who goes by the stage name of Doggi. Mr. Palacios, who is powerfully built and wears his hair in long braids, is not just a dancer. He is an entrepreneur who sees opportunity in the burgeoning sexual liberation of Ticas. He offers a suite of adult entertainment services in Costa Rica to the women who can afford them. Speaking to La Nacion, Mr. Palacios explained that he carries two cell phones at all times, one acts as his business line while the other is personal. His business phone rings constantly while his personal line is mostly quiet. Mr. Palacios confesses that many of the calls and messages are very sexually suggestive and they are from women who become fans of his work.
Inhibition Takes a Backseat
Some people think that the term maripepino is a crude portmanteau because of the syllables that make up the word “pepino” (cucumber in Spanish), but that is not the case. The name derived from a famous vedette (female bombshell and sexual icon) named Maria Jose who went by the stage name “Maripepa.” The maripepino profession began a couple of decades ago in Costa Rica, when a nightclub impresario in Tibas came up with the concept of offering male revue matinees to women in San Jose. These matinees were solely advertise by word of mouth, and at some point attracted 600 Ticas who squeezed into a tiny nightclub and crowded the stage to see nearly naked and oiled-up men twirl before them.
The television news media brought the world of maripepinos to Tico households, and at the beginning of the 21st century they were being contracted for private performances. According to Mr. Jimenez, a Tico male stripper who goes by the stage name of Hellboy, when Ticas are left to their own devices they become completely uninhibited. Mr. Jimenez explained to La Nacion the risks of his trade:
Besides taking his clothes off and getting very close to the women he is performing for, Mr. Jimenez is routinely felt up, scratched, and sometimes has to struggle to keep his tight underwear on. He starts his routine dressed in costume; which is often the iconic occupational uniform worn by policemen and construction workers. As he sheds garments, he worries that the assembled women may want to keep them as souvenirs. Mr. Jimenez may be called upon to do certain moves like the “magic towel”, the wheelbarrow and the enigmatic-sounding “inverted helicopter.”
It is unclear if maripepinos are ever contracted for a Mother’s Day celebration in Costa Rica, but Mr. Palacios recalls that once a boyfriend disrupted a bachelorette party, became enraged at the maripepino’s presence and waited for him with a machete in hand. Fuerza Publica had to be called in. The compensation can be worth some of the risks: a short performance can net 25,000 colones (about $50), while a full hour might bring in $150. The worst downside, Mr. Palacios explains, is coming back home from a gig and explaining to his girlfriend the red hand imprints on his buttocks.
HOW TO SWIM WITH SHARKS: A PRIMER
Voltaire Cousteau
Actually, nobody wants to swim with sharks. It is not an acknowledged sport and it is neither enjoyable nor exhilarating. These instructions are written primarily for the benefit of those, who, by virtue of their occupation, find they must swim and find that the water is infested with sharks.
It is of obvious importance to learn that the waters are shark infested before commencing to swim. It is safe to say that this initial determination has already been made. If the waters were infested, the naïve swimmer is by now probably beyond help; at the very least, he has doubtless lost any interest in learning how to swim with sharks.
Finally, swimming with sharks is like any other skill: It cannot be learned from books alone; the novice must practice in order to develop the skill. The following rules simply set forth the fundamental principles which, if followed will make it possible to survive while becoming expert through practice.
Rules
Assume all unidentified fish are sharks. Not all sharks look like sharks, and some fish that are not sharks sometimes act like sharks. Unless you have witnessed docile behavior in the presence of shed blood on more than one occasion, it is best to assume an unknown species is a shark. Inexperienced swimmers have been badly mangled by assuming that docile behavior in the absence of blood indicates that the fish is not a shark.
Do not bleed. It is a cardinal principle that if you are injured, either by accident or by intent, you must not bleed. Experience shows that bleeding prompts an even more aggressive attack and will often provoke the participation of sharks that are uninvolved or, as noted above, are usually docile.Admittedly, it is difficult not to bleed when injured. Indeed, at first this may seem impossible. Diligent practice, however, will permit the experienced swimmer to sustain a serious laceration without bleeding and without even exhibiting any loss of composure. This hemostatic reflect can, in part, be conditioned, but there may be constitutional aspects as well. Those who cannot learn to control their bleeding should not attempt to swim with sharks, for the peril is too great.
The control of bleeding has a positive protective element for the swimmer. The shark will be confused as to whether or not his attack has injured you and confusion is to the swimmer’s advantage. On the other hand, the shark may know he has injured you and be puzzled as to why you do not bleed or show distress. This also has a profound effect on sharks. They begin to question their own potency or, alternatively, believe the swimmer to have supernatural powers.
Counter any aggression promptly. Sharks rarely attack a swimmer without warning. Usually there is some tentative, exploratory aggressive action. It is important that the swimmer recognize that this behavior is a prelude to an attack and takes prompt and vigorous remedial action. The appropriate countermove is a sharp blow to the nose. Almost invariably this will prevent a full-scale attack, for it makes it clear that you understand the shark’s intention and are prepared to use whatever force is necessary to repel aggressive actions.
Some swimmers mistakenly believe that an ingratiating attitude will dispel an attack under these circumstances. This is not correct; such a response provokes a shark attack. Those who hold this erroneous view can usually be identified by their missing limb.
Get out of the water if someone is bleeding. If a swimmer (or shark) has been injured and is bleeding, get out of the water promptly. The presence of blood and the thrashing of water will elicit aggressive behavior even in the most docile of sharks. This latter group, poorly skilled in attacking, often behaves irrationally and may attack uninvolved swimmers and sharks. Some are so inept that, in the confusion, they injure themselves.
No useful purpose is served in attempting to rescue the injured swimmer. He either will or will not survive the attack, and your intervention cannot protect him once blood has been shed. Those who survive such an attack rarely venture to swim with sharks again, an attitude which is readily understandable.The lack of effective countermeasures to a fully developed shark attack emphasizes the importance of the earlier rules.
Use anticipatory retaliation. A constant danger to the skilled swimmer is that the sharks will forget that he is skilled and may attack in error. Some sharks have notoriously poor memories in this regard. This memory loss can be prevented by a program of anticipatory retaliation. The skilled swimmer should engage in these activities periodically and the periods should be less than the memory span of the shark. Thus, it is not possible to state fixed intervals. The procedure may need to be repeated frequently with forgetful sharks and need be done only once for sharks with total recall.
The procedure is essentially the same as described under rule 3: a sharp blow to the nose. Here, however, the blow is unexpected and serves to remind the shark that you are both alert and unafraid. Swimmers should care not to injure the shark and draw blood during this exercise for two reasons: First, sharks often bleed profusely, and this leads to the chaotic situation described under rule 4. Second, if swimmers act in this fashion, it may not be possible to distinguish swimmers from sharks. Indeed, renegade swimmers are far worse than sharks, for none of the rules or measures described here is effective in controlling their aggressive behavior.
Disorganized and organized attack. Usually sharks are sufficiently self-centered that they do not act in concert against a swimmer. This lack of organization greatly reduces the risk of swimming among sharks. However, upon occasion the sharks may launch a coordinated attack upon a swimmer or even upon one of their number. While the latter event is of no particular concern to swimmer, it is essential that one know how to handle an organized shark attack directed against a swimmer.
The proper strategy is diversion. Sharks can be diverted from their organized attack in one of two ways. First, sharks as a group, are prone to internal dissension. An experienced swimmer can divert an organized attack by introducing something, often minor or trivial, which sets the sharks to fighting among themselves. Usually by the time the internal conflict is settled the sharks cannot even recall what they were setting about to do, much less get organized to do it.
A second mechanism of diversion is to introduce something that so enrages the members of the group that they begin to lash out in all directions, even attacking inanimate objects in their fury.
What should be introduced? Unfortunately, different things prompt internal dissension of blind fury in different groups of sharks. Here one must be experienced in dealing with a given group of sharks, for what enrages one group will pass unnoted by another.
It is scarcely necessary to state that it is unethical for a swimmer under attack by a group of sharks to counter the attack by diverting them to another swimmer. It is, however, common to see this done by novice swimmers and by sharks when under concerted attack.
*Little is known about the author, who died in Paris in 1812. He may have been a descendant of Francois Voltaire and an ancestor of Jacques Cousteau. Apparently this essay was written for sponge divers. Because it may have broader implications, it was translated from the French by Richard J. Johns, an obscure French scholar and Massey Professor and director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21203.
Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 1987; 30: 486-489.
Thursday, October 25, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Fijatevos
Costa Rican archeologist Ifigenia Quintanilla confesses those mysterious pre-Columbian stone spheres found in the country’s southern Pacific zone still stump her after two decades of study.
The stone spheres of Costa Rica
The scientist has lived in Spain since 1998 but confesses her fascination with the spheres that apparently were made and then abandoned by indigenous tribes. But she isn’t alone.
This past Sept. 27, the National Museum proposed that the spheres, ranging in size from several yards in diameter to small enough for one person to lift, be declared a patrimony of humanity under UNESCO auspices. It is hard to imagine their being rejected.
The national newspaper La Nacion interviewed Quintanilla last month on a visit to this country to examine stone and ceramic artifacts unearthed in a National Museum archaeological dig.
What makes the spheres unique, she says, is the technological sophistication in their crafting, nearly perfect and not only one but hundreds of examples.
She says that the “mass production” of these spheres indicates a well organized effort of structured labor rare in Pre-columbian societies. More than 300 have been discovered so far.
Ironically, so far no effort to trim stones for construction such as in the Inca society or that of ancient Egypt have been found. Apparently the early tribes here preferred to build their homes from lighter, more easily accessed materials.
But the spheres were not the only such stonework — hundreds of mecates — grinding stones for corn and cereals — have been discovered in the country, mostly provided with three legs.
Quinanilla discounts fanciful theories of astronomical or astrological significance and sees them as more expressions of creativity hewed out over a thousand years.
“Viewed in a social, political and economic context, they are extraordinary,” she says. She views them as symbols of power — “the power to create.”
Made between about 500 to 1500 A. D. they were concentrated in the Osa canton near the Pacific coast. But, apparently, details of their crafting and their purpose were not sought out by Spanish settlers and have been lost in time.
Quintanilla says that UNESCO’s declaration as a human patrimony is not as easy as it would seem. She says that it is”delicate and complex.” Not only must they be authenticated and proven unique but the government must take measures for their protection and preservation.
Commentary: No ancient stone structures were built here before the Spanish came but it is almost as if the native Ticos made spheres to say, “You see, we could have built pyramids and temples if we wanted. But we didn’t, so bugger off.”
Proving to UNESCO that the spheres can be protected may be hard. So many in the last century were carted off as ornaments placed in private gardens that it is a miracle than any remain in situ.
Thursday, October 25, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Fijatevos
The difference between a bill to require licenses for pets in this country with similar legislation in other countries seems to be that it is the Costa Rican pet owner who must be licensed.
The bill was passed out of committee for floor debate last week as an addendum to the 1994 Animal Welfare Law. It would require owners to take an afternoon course in animal care, reported the national paper La Nacion.
The animal welfare agency, SENASA, would issue the license — but not to everyone, according to the bill. Those with prior convictions for a number of violent crimes such as homicide, domestic aggression, sex crimes and robbery would be banned from having potentially dangerous pets.
Those with physical, mental or psychological limitations would also be prohibited from owning dangerous pets such as pit bulls they could not be expected handle. Whether this would meet a constitutional test remains to be seen.
According to Unimer pollsters, 73% of Costa Ricans admit having pets. SENASA would be charged with granting the licenses. The bill may have been spurred along by a spike in dog attacks, especially in Desamparados.
The bill would also require that municipalities establish shelters for abandoned animals. Although all the prerequisites to being granted a license are as yet left vague in the bill, La Nacion reports that most lawmakers view it favorably.
The bill was submitted by National Liberation Party deputy Xinia Espinoza and Social Christian Unity lawmaker Jose Roberto Rodriguez. Espinoza’s legal advisor, Yamil Chacon, was frank about the thrust of the bill.
“This license is a pretext, a formality so that (owners) are trained,” Chacon told La Nacion, “because the required course will be formulated by SENASA.”
Chacon explained that what was envisioned was training in pet care such as treatment of puppies, aged pets, treatment of parasites, vaccinations, among other issues.
Commentary: This appears to be a right approach to humane treatment of animals under human care. As some veterinarians say, “The are no problem pets, only problem owners.”
However, this bill does not treat the basic question of maintenance of American Staffordshire terriers and other potentially dangerous pets nor does it create a leash law for dogs. The absence of expensive dog catchers in the country hampers protection of innocent bystanders.
Many who keep and train dogs for the fighting ring have pristine records with the courts, so escape the ban on ownership of dangerous breeds. Another problem is that not all breeds such as Rottweilers are necessarily dangerous if well cared for and given attention.
Unless the bill is modified during debate, it will still not treat this problem nor the pit bull menace. It also does not specify a remedy for a gaping cavity in local law — may police shoot a dog to save someone under attack?
The defect was revealed — but avoided by lawmakers — by the mauling death of Natividad Candida in which police milled around outside a shop back yard while the victim bled to death from wounds caused by two Rottweiler guard dogs. (See previous article.)
The dogs were on private property and police were uncertain of the legality of entering the yard to aid a trespasser. Although not only seven policemen but a night guard and the shop owner were all absolved by the court, the resolution raises more questions than it answers.
This bill would seem to offer lawmakers an opportunity to deal with liability and police duty issues. But lawmakers everywhere in the world often prefer to take the path of least resistance.
As written, this bill offers more protection to pets than people. It also avoids a prohibition on use of strychnine and other painful and inhumane poisons being used to kill strays, such as recently happened in Cartago.
Thursday, October 25, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Latino Fox News
A newly identified Latin plant is going Gaga.
Duke University biologist Kathleen Pryer has named a new genus of ferns found in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona, as well as Texas after pop singer Lady Gaga. The genus of ferns, in this case 19 species, will carry the name of the Grammy Award-winning star.
According to Duke University, the fern has more in common with Lady Gaga than just a name.
“At one stage of its life, the new genus Gaga has somewhat fluid definitions of gender and bears a striking resemblance to one of Gaga’s famous costumes,” they announced. “Members of the new genus also bear a distinct DNA sequence spelling GAGA.”
[quote type=”large” align=”justify”] At one stage of its life, the new genus Gaga has somewhat fluid definitions of gender and bears a striking resemblance to one of Gaga’s famous costumes. Members of the new genus also bear a distinct DNA sequence spelling GAGA. – Duke University [/quote]
The gaga germanotta of Costa Rica honors the artist, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta. In addition, a newly discovered Mexican fern species is named Gaga monstraparva, which translates to “monster little,” after Gaga’s fans, whom she calls “little monsters.”
For the 2010 Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga sported a heart-shaped Armani Prive costume, which resembles the bisexual reproductive stage of the ferns, known as gametophyte. According to Pryer, the way the fern extends its new leaves reminds her of Lady Gaga’s “paws up” salute to her fans.
“The reason we named it after Lady Gaga was not sort of the same reasons recently you have seen, (such as) Beyoncé had a horsefly with a golden butt named after her,” Pryer told The College Fix. “That’s cute, but our reason to do it, we like to think it was rather deep. Lady Gaga is an amazing champion for equality and compassion, and we wanted to give her a scientific namesake that characterizes the struggle we have in biology for understanding diversity in humanity, in all of biology, and even in ferns.”
Pryer also admitted that she and her team are fans of Lady Gaga and listened to her music while they were investigating. The research was partly funded by the National Science Foundation.
Duke University officials unveiled the new Gaga fern group Tuesday.
(AP) San José – A powerful, 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Costa Rica’s Pacific coast on Tuesday, swaying buildings and sending people running out to the streets in the nation’s capital of San Jose. There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centred in the Guanacaste region of the Central American country, 61 kilometres (38 miles ) away from the city of Liberia. It had a depth of 39.5 kilometres (24.5 miles), according to the report.
The region suffered a powerful earthquake last month, when a 7.6 earthquake rattled the same coast last month (on September 5), causing panic, evacuations but minor damage.
Seismologists both in the U.S. and Costa Rica said the quake is probably an aftershock of the Sept. 5 major earthquake.
“It is a very good likelihood that we are looking at an aftershock,” said USGS geophysicist Rafael Abreu.
Vanessa Rosales, president of Costa Rica’s National Commission for Emergencies, said “no one has reported serious damage.”
She said that tomorrow they will have a more comprehensive look at what the quake did.
Thursday, October 25, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: The Location Guide
Copenhagen-based Bacon has filmed in Costa Rica and found room for a George Clooney cameo, in a new spot for DNB Bank. The Treasure starts with a pirate chase and ends with a flash-forward to Clooney and his new wife finding the riches on a beach holiday.
Bacon considered locations all over the world before settling on Costa Rica for the pirate adventure that’s the focal point of the spot. The country’s Caribbean feel and the services of Sergio Miranda from Costa Rica Production Service convinced them it was the right move.
Mari Grundnes Paus was Production Manager on the shoot: “The main part of the commercial was shot in Costa Rica in a small town called Puerto Viejo on the east coast … We chose the location mainly based on the incredible nature that had a great combination of the beach and the jungle so close to it … the jungle looked so good.”
The three-day Costa Rica leg was affected by rainy conditions and the challenge of working with an uninterested 80kg snake that briefly appears in the final cut. Arming the pirates also caused a few headaches when the period weapons were being transported across Central America. A scene where the pirates cross a rickety rope bridge deep in the jungle involved a real bridge that was built on extensively by the team’s set designer. The chasm below it was digitally deepened in the edit suite.
Sergio Miranda comments: “They needed a pristine environment with a wild and exotic rainforest. Costa Rica’s Atlantic coast around Puerto Viejo is picturesque but not too developed and is only three-and-a-half hours from the capital, San José.”
Grundnes Paus adds: “We liked the Caribbean feel and look [of Costa Rica] and it also was undamaged and looked like it could have been the same for a couple of hundred years – it was believable that pirates would be somewhere around it.”
George Clooney’s cameo was filmed at Cabo on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula in western Mexico. It was the most convenient spot for the film star as he has a house in the area. Diana Young produced for Bajala Production Services: “The permission to use the beach obviously involved the owners [of a nearby villa], in order to get access to this ‘private’ beach. In fact the beaches here are public up to the 20-metre mark of the high-tide zone.”
The heat was one of the biggest issues here, according to Grundnes, especially for the actress playing Clooney’s ‘accidental’ wife. She arrived on the beach direct from Denmark and faced the full force of the Mexican sun for her day on the sand. The Mexico and Costa Rica beaches were matched up later in post-production.
Surfers from around the world come to experience Tamarindo’s waves and pristine beaches that extend for kilometres. Photograph by: Martha Lowrie , For Postmedia News
With its 1.5-metre high waves and broad pristine beaches, Tamarindo is a surfer’s paradise. But it offers other natural – and commercial – attractions that draw visitors from around the world.
Several of the region’s quieter beaches along with an adjoining 21,800 hectares of ocean comprise a national marine park protecting exotic birds, plants and animals, including the world’s largest turtles.
Fiercely proud of its ecotourism industry, Costa Rica ranks fifth in the world and first in the Americas on the global Environmental Performance Index. Meanwhile, Tamarindo’s some 100 restaurants, ranging from Cuban to Sushi, proudly use local ingredients while shops feature high quality, reasonably priced handcrafted products from regional materials.
FRIDAY
Early afternoon A car rental representative meets us at Liberia’s spiffy new airport and drives us to the nearby agency office. Some tips: rent from a company that also has an outlet near your ultimate destination, as you may need repairs during your stay. Once off the main highways, en route to magical coves or rainforests, the roads are in such poor – but not hazardous – condition that your car is likely to experience some damage. (We lost our muffler cover and got a flat that were replaced locally by friendly rental agency staff). It’s worth it to buy extra insurance, even though it can double the weekly rental price, because you will likely need it. And rent as large a car as you can afford to reduce the impact of those bumpy side roads.
Tamarindo is a pleasant one-hour paved drive from the airport.
4 p.m. Settle in to your accommodations – there is a wide selection of rentals and hotels available on the Internet – and then head to the modern Auto Mercado/Supermarket on the edge of town
Grocery shopping here is a familiar North American experience, with a wide selection of wines and beer to go along with the fresh fruit, vegetables and baked goods. Prices are comparable or somewhat cheaper than at home. En route to the supermarket, women may wish to visit Papaya con Leche, a made-to-measure bathing suit shop beside the Hotel Diriá on Tamarindo’s main street. This shop is for both mothers and daughters. After choosing your material and design, the fitted suits will be ready in two days.
6:30 p.m. After unpacking the groceries and making an early dinner “at home,” a guide in an air-conditioned van picks us up for the 30-minute drive to an isolated beach after sunset to witness an “Oh-my-God” experience.
Stand silently in the moonlight as giant turtles emerge from the deep to lay their eggs. If you are visiting between October and February, you will be able to observe the majestic leatherbacks that can tip the scales at nearly 900 kilograms and are about two metres long.
Likely an inspiration for Darwin, these truly awesome reptiles have been around for more than 100 million years. Once the females reach mating age, they returning annually to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. They lumber out of the water after dark, climb in slow motion up and beyond a dune, seeking a nesting spot safe from the tides. At first, our guide keeps us 100 metres away so as not to disturb the beasts. But we move in at close quarters once they start digging deep holes to deposit some 100 ping-pong-ball sized eggs. Then the turtles cover the eggs with sand and slowly, excruciatingly slowly, waddle down the beach to be swallowed by the sea.
9:30 p.m. Drop off at home. Cost of the visit is $35 per person.
SATURDAY
8:00 a.m. Breakfast at Le Petit Café, owned by Alison Thompson from Toronto.
A former business consultant at the Bank of Montreal who had been “visiting Costa Rica virtually online every night for several years,” Thompson learned the café was for sale on her first “real” visit to the country. “I slept on it and decided to buy the next morning,” says Thompson, who opened up on Canada Day, 2010. “I wanted a lifestyle change. This place is perfect.”
In a country where the coffee is excellent everywhere, Thompson’s stands out for its richness and hint of chocolate. For breakfast she offers a variety of homemade moist muffins ($1.85) and chewy Montreal bagels with cream cheese ($3.25). A breakfast burrito of two eggs, bacon and cheese is $4.50, including coffee. You can take home a pound of her Café Sánchez Classic ground arabiga beans for $8 (www.lepetitcafe-cr.com).
10:00 a.m. Surfing lesson from local legend Pedro Cruz, a former Costa Rican national champion who grew up on Tamarindo’s beaches.
After teaching at some of Tamarindo’s larger surfing schools, the irrepressible Cruz ventured out on his own two years ago, opening a small shop that also sells handmade boards.
“I love to teach,” says Cruz, eyes sparkling. His philosophy for wary beginners: “It’s all about building confidence.” If business is slow during the day, Pedro is unphased.
“If we don’t have lessons, we go surfing.” ($50 for a one-hour to 1.5-hour private lesson. www.pedrosurf.com.)
1:00 p.m. Beachfront lunch by the pool at Hotel Capitan Suizo.
The birds and monkeys in the trees are mere observers, unless you leave your food unattended. Try the cooling cucumber gazpacho soup or ceviche to start (www.hotelcapitansuizo.com).
3:00 Pick up a used paperback at the Jaime Peligro Book Store for beach reading.
For a truly tranquil spot, try Playa Langosta a few kilometres south of town, especially when the tide is out and the two-kilometre long beach is some 200 metres wide. This is protected parkland, and no development is allowed. Meanwhile, Playa Tamarindo beach in town is livelier, although it is still easy to find a quiet spot. Or rent a beach bike ($15 for half a day) at the Bike Shop from Kevin Bennett, a former commercial diver who left his native Arkansas less than a year ago with his wife Tammy for “a simpler life” (www.bikeshoptamarindo.com).
5:30 p.m. Drinks upstairs on the beachfront Nogui’s Restaurante. Watch the surfers ride the waves as the sun sets slowly into the water behind them. Tamarindo sunsets alone are worth the visit. Stay for dinner here, one of Tamarindo’s oldest and best restaurants. Fresh tuna is grilled simply over the barbecue, releasing the natural flavours ($11.50).
Pies are a specialty and have earned a deserved reputation among North American aficionados. Be sure to try the fresh banana cream. Oh, my. Most days, you can also get coconut cream, chocolate cream and apple-pineapple.
9:00 p.m. And now for something completely different. Stop in or spend the rest of the evening at Aqua Discoteque or gamble at the Hotel Diriá casino.
SUNDAY
7:00 a.m. Breakfast outside, overlooking the water at Sueño del mar, a luxury beachside B&B just south of town.
A sign in the sand beckons early morning walkers. The fare is cook’s choice and varies from day to day. But it is always three courses and is always excellent. Today, it’s vanilla muffins, a generous cilantro omelette on a brioche and sliced fresh fruit. With mixed fresh fruit juice and coffee or tea, it’s $12 per person.
8:30 a.m. Join a two-hour guided boat journey in a 1,000-acre park estuary just north of town.
We are surrounded by mangrove forest, with roots extending far above the water surface. See crocodiles sunning on islands and a sampling of the tiny country’s more than 800 bird species, including herons, hummingbirds, cuckoos, warblers and yellow-billed cotingas. Well into the estuary, we tie up and walk about 200 metres into the forest. Henry, our guide, bangs a large plastic water bottle filled with sand against a tree. In response, the noise of what sounds like an army of wild dogs, echos from the trees. We stretch our necks and see that the hubbub comes from a dozen of the appropriately named howler monkeys. (Tour cost is $35 per person).
11:30 a.m. Go for an ocean swim or an impromptu massage on the beach under the shade of a canopied Guanacaste tree.
For a more luxurious session, visit the scenic hilltop Los Altos de Eros hotel, which sends a driver to pick you up. A three-treatment, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. package, including lunch with wine overlooking the ocean and round-trip transportation, is good value at $250.
1:00 p.m. Light lunch at La Panaderia de Paris, where fresh croissants and pastries are also available.
A salade nicoise is $12 and baguette sandwiches range from $4.50 to $6. The Panaderia is mostly take-out, but there are beachfront tables just outside where we encounter regular Richard Shank, originally from Seattle. He first visited Costa Rica on holiday with a daughter who came here to surf. “At the end of our trip,” he says, “I drove her to the airport, dropped her off and stayed behind.”
That was seven years ago.
2:30 p.m. Time for last-minute shopping.
here are a number of quality stores amid the hawkers of T-shirts and other touristy fare. Among them: Doloros for women’s wear, Ban Bam Boo for clothing made of hemp and bamboo and Souvenir Guanacaste, which specializes in locally handmade wood products and jewelry. Large polished wooden salad bowls are a bargain at $45 to $65. And, before leaving Tamarindo, don’t forget to pick up that made-to-order bathing suit.
For those brave souls who are looking to swim or dive with sharks in their natural habitat, there are plenty of excellent areas around the world to fulfill this bucket list item.
Among the best locations is Costa Rica’s Isla del Coco.
According to Travelers Today even if you’re not looking to swim with sharks, the uninhabited location of Cocos Island is still a terrific travel destination with its breathtaking waterfalls.
Scuba divers come here to jump in the water with hammerheads, manta rays, whitetip reef sharks, and more. It is said to have the largest schools of hammerhead sharks. This spot in 300 miles off the west coast of Costa, so a 36-hour boat ride is required to get to this shark hot spot, but it’s worth it for shark fanatics!
The Isla del Coco (not to be confused with Playas del Coco) is an uninhabited island (except for a permanent ranger station) located off the shore of Costa Rica. It constitutes the 11th district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas.
It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica, located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 550 km (340 mi) from the Pacific shore of Costa Rica, at 05°31′08″N 087°04′18″W Coordinates: 05°31′08″N 087°04′18″W. With an area of approximately 23.85 km² (9.2 mi²), about 8×3 km (5×1.9 mi) and a perimeter of around 23.3 km,[4] this island is more or less rectangular in shape.
Surrounded by deep waters with counter-currents, Cocos Island is admired by scuba divers for its populations of Hammerhead sharks, rays, dolphins and other large marine species. The extremely wet climate and oceanic character give Cocos an ecological character that is not shared with either the Galapagos Archipelago or any of the other islands (e.g., Malpelo or Coiba) in this region of the world.
Climate
The climate of the island is mostly determined by the latitudinal movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which creates cloudiness and precipitation that is constant throughout the year. This makes the climate in the island humid and tropical with an average annual temperature of 23.6 °C (74.5 °F) and an average annual rainfall of over 7,000 mm (275 in). Rainfall is high throughout the year, although lower from January through March and slightly lower during late September and October. Numerous oceanic currents from the central Pacific Ocean that converge on the island also have an important influence.
Ecology
Cocos Island is home to dense and exuberant tropical moist forests. It is the only oceanic island in the eastern Pacific region with such rain forests and their characteristic types of flora and fauna. The cloud forests at higher elevations are also unique in the eastern Pacific. The island was never linked to a continent, so the flora and fauna arrived via long distance dispersal from the Americas. The island has therefore a high proportion of endemic species.
Piracy and hidden treasures
The first claims of treasure buried on the island came from a woman named Mary Welsh, who claimed 350 tons of gold raided from Spanish galleons had been buried on the island. She had been a member of a pirate crew lead by Captain Bennett Graham, and was transported to an Australian penal colony for her crimes. She possessed a chart showing where Graham’s treasure was supposed to be hidden. On her release she returned to the island with an expedition, which had no success in finding anything, with the points of reference in the chart having disappeared.
Another pirate supposed to have buried treasure on the island was the Portuguese Benito Bonito. Though Bonito was hunted down and executed, his treasure was never retrieved.
The best known of the treasure legends tied to the island is that of the Treasure of Lima. In 1820, with the army of José de San Martín approaching Lima, Viceroy José de la Serna is supposed to have entrusted treasure from the city to British trader Captain William Thompson for safekeeping until the Spaniards could secure the country. Instead of waiting in the harbor as they were instructed, Thompson and his crew killed the Viceroy’s men and sailed to Cocos, where they buried the treasure. Shortly afterwards, they were apprehended by a Spanish warship. All of the crew bar Thompson and his first mate were executed for piracy. The two said they would show the Spaniards where they had hidden the treasure in return for their lives – but after landing on Cocos, they escaped away into the forest.
Hundreds of attempts to find treasure on the island have failed. Several early expeditions were mounted on the basis of claims by a man named Keating, who was supposed to have befriended Thompson. On one trip, Keating was said to have retrieved gold and jewels from the treasure. Prussian adventurer August Gissler lived on the island for most of the period from 1889 until 1908, hunting the treasure with the small success of finding six gold coins.
Discovery and early cartography J. Lines (Diario de Costa Rica, May 12, 1940) cites Fernández de Oviedo who claims that the first discoverer of the island was Johan Cabeças. Other sources claim that Joan Cabezas de Grado was not a Portuguese sailor but an Asturian. D. Lievre, Una isla desierta en el Pacífico; la isla del Coco in Los viajes de Cockburn y Lievre por Costa Rica (1962: 134) tells that the first document with the name “Isle de Coques” is a map painted on parchment, called that of Henry II that appeared in 1542 during the reign of Francis I of France. The planisphere of Nicolás Desliens (1556, Dieppe) places this Ysle de Coques about one and half degrees north of the Equator. (See also Mario A. Boza and Rolando Mendoza, Los parques nacionales de Costa Rica, Madrid, 1981.) Blaeu’s Grand Atlas, originally published in 1662, has a colour world map on the back of its front cover which shows I. de Cocos right on the Equator. Frederik De Witt’s Atlas, 1680 shows it similarly. The Hondius Broadside map of 1590 shows I. de Cocos at the latitude of 2 degrees and 30 minutes northern latitude, while in 1596 Theodore de Bry shows the Galapagos Islands near 6 degrees north of the Equator. Emanuel Bowen, A Complete system of Geography, Volume II (London, 1747: 586) states that the Galapagos stretch 5 degrees north of the Equator
Cocos Island in fiction
The book Desert Island proposed the highly detailed theory that Daniel Defoe used the Isla dell Cocoze as an accurate model for his descriptions of the island inhabited by the marooned Robinson Crusoe. However Defoe placed Crusoe’s island not in the Pacific, but rather off the coast of Venezuela in the Atlantic Ocean.
Robinson’s neighbouring Terra Firma is shown on the colour map of Joannes Jansson (Amsterdam) depicting the northeastern corner of South America, entitled Terra Firma et Novum Regnum Granatense et Popayan. It belongs to the early group of plates printed by William Blaeu from 1630 onwards. The properly called Terra Firma was the Isthmus of Darien.[38] Crusoe’s two references to Mexico are against a South American island as well.
The Michael Crichton novel Jurassic Park centers on the fictitious Isla Nublar that is off of the west coast of Costa Rica. Isla del Coco may be the inspiration for this island. Supporting this argument is the Dreamworks Interactive game Jurassic Park: Trespasser (1998) which used Cocos Island’s topography as a substitute for the fictional island on which it takes place. Also, “Isla Nublar” is intended to mean “Cloudy Island”, and Cocos Island is the only island with cloud forests in the eastern Pacific. The book The Silent Sea (2010) of Clive Cussler, uses the mystic pirate tales but puts the island in US north Pacific cost.
The online travel magazine also recommends the other places like:
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is home to some of the most outstanding underwater wildlife. Those who snorkel or scuba dive here can find black tip and white tip sharks, as well as wobbegongs,a carpet shark named for its tapestry-like skin. The reef, which spans more than 1,400 miles is also home to 360 species of coral and over 1,500 species of fish.
Guadalupe Island, Mexico
Guadalupe, 160 miles off the coast of California, is a beautiful location to go shark diving. Its crystal-clear blue waters make it the perfect place to photograph and film the sharks that you encounter. The sharks that dwell here: Great Whites. This is an amazing location to get up close and personal with a Great white, while in the safety of a cage of course. These warm waters are also home to several species of tropical fish.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The Galapgos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador, is home to colorful wildlife including iguanas, birds, and turtles, but it’s waters are also full of sharks. Here you can swim with hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, white tip sharks, and the gentle and ginormous whale shark. You will also find dolphins, whales, and seals in this location with thousands of different animals.
Gansbaai, South Africa
This fishing village, located near Cape Town at the tip of South Africa, is known for its dense population of Great white sharks. In fact, it is called The World’s Great White Shark Capital. The land is surrounded by seals which attract the sharp-toothed predators. Shark dives take place in an area known as Shark Alley. Another excellent, and less crowded shark diving spot in South Africa is False Bay.
The Bahamas
The Bahamas are a terrific location for shark divers at all levels of experience and this place has the greatest variety of shark species. First-time divers can dive with 30 Caribbean reef sharks at a time in New Providence while the braver souls can head to Tiger Beach off Grand Bahama to get up close with dangerous tiger sharks. Species range from Great whites to some of the tiniest shark species on earth. Some tours allow swimmers to dive with sharks without using a cage, while others, like those with tiger sharks, require cages.
Southern California, USA
Southern California is a great place for new, casual shark divers. Divers can take a cruise out on the water, usually around San Diego and they’ll be dropped off in areas where blue sharks, horn shark, and Pacific angel sharks reside. The waters off the Channel Islands are also an excellent location to explore shipwrecks, caves and other wildlife.
Palau Shark Sanctuary, Palau, Pacific Islands
This place was created as a safe haven for sharks to stop the practice of shark finning, or removing the sharks’ fins and discarding the body. This is the first shark sanctuary in the world. Commercial fishing isn’t allowed here, but shark diving is encouraged as it is a better way to boost tourism. Palau gives divers the opportunity to get close to whale sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, oceanic white tips, silver sharks, bull and silky sharks.
Maldives, Indian Ocean
These exotic islands aren’t one of the biggest travel destinations in the world, but it should be. The resorts offer plenty of activites for tourists to do including shark swims. Divers have the opportunity to swim with the largest shark in the world, the whale shark. Luckily, these fish, which grow up to 36-feet long, are among some of the most gentle creatures in the sea.
Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
Many wouldn’t thing of Egypt as a great shark diving location, with the pyrmaids being the most famous attraction, but this city along the Red Sea is a popular site for divers due to its diverse shark population. Around this area, you can find hammerheads, black tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, silky sharks and more.
Of 115 countries, Costa Rica came in first in Latin America and ninth in the world with respect to nations offering greatest commercial freedom and protection for private business, according to Freedom and Development, a Chilean research institute. As a foreigner, you can invest in Costa Rica and even start your own business with only a few restrictions.
If you plan to go into business here, it is very important to be aware of the local consumer market in order to succeed. Most of the country’s purchasing power is located in the Central Valley. A total of 75 percent of the country’s population resides in the central provinces of San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago. About 60 percent of the population is under than 30 years old. Intelligent business people will try to meet the needs of this group.
You may also think about targeting tourists and upper-class Costa Ricans. A wealth of opportunities is available in tourist-related businesses. Upper-class ticos have a lot of disposable income and the greatest purchasing power. They do not mind spending a little more on good quality products. Just look at their expensive designer clothing, their expensive imported automobiles and many palatial homes.
The majority of the country’s middle-class consumer values are now more akin to their U.S. counterparts. You can see this starting to take hold with a number of shopping malls being built around the Central Valley and the popularity of stores such as Radio Shack and mega warehouses like PriceSmart and Walmart (formerly Hipermás.) Middle and upper lower class Costa Ricans seem to want all of the goodies so much that sales of cellular telephones have temporarily exceeded the availability of cellular phone lines.
One group to target is the lucrative foreign-resident market. There are approximately 50,000 full-time foreigners living in Costa Rica. All you have to do is look for a product to fill their needs. Most yearn for hard -to-find-products from home and would rather buy them in Costa Rica than go to the United States to shop.
Costa Rica is ripe for innovative foreigners willing to take a risk and start businesses that have not previously existed. Start up costs for small businesses are less than in the United States or Canada. Many of the same types of businesses that have been successful in the North America will work if researched correctly. There is definitely a need for these types of businesses. You just have to do your homework and explore the market. Be aware that not everything that works in the United States will work here. Also you may have to adapt your idea due to the vagaries of the local market and different purchasing power.
Costa Rica’s local artisans make scores of beautiful handcrafted products such as furniture, pottery and cloth. With so many choices, a smart person can find something to sell back home.
These are some potential business opportunities worth exploring: building and selling of small homes for middle-class Costa Ricans or foreigners, an import-export business, desktop publishing, computer services and support, U.S. franchises, importing new foods, specialty bookstores, restaurants and bars, an auto body and paint shop, consulting or specialty shops catering to North Americans and upper-class Costa Ricans.
Costa Ricans love anything novel from North America. Many stores sell both new and used trendy U.S.-style clothing. Costa Rican teenagers dress like their counterparts in the United States and even watch MTV. U.S. fast-food restaurants such as Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s are extremely popular. Real estate speculation can be lucrative if you have the know-how and capital.
Web-based businesses can be run from any place in the world. They don’t depend on the local market but the global economy. We know scores of entrepreneurs of all ages who run web-based business in Costa Rica.
Here are examples of foreigners who found success in Costa Rica.
An Internet Travel Empire
Robert and Steve Hodel Started an online travel company that caters exclusively to people traveling to Costa Rica. Their company, Tico Travel, sells over 5,000 tours annually.
A Place to Learn Languages
American David Kaufman is the founder of Conversa, Costa Rica’s oldest and most successful language school. David earned a Masters Degree in linguistics and served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. At his school’s two campuses, Spanish is taught to foreigners and English to Costa Ricans.
A Mail Service for Expats
About 10 years ago, Jim Fendell realized the need for a fast reliable mail service as an alternative to the regular Costa Rican mail system. Thus Aerocasillas was born. Today they offer similar services in Panama and several other countries in the region.
To read more about this subject see Christopher Howard’s “New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica”
It may sound a sexist or silly question but there is a reason. China, the world’s most populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion and the world’s second-largest country by land area covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, has mandated that the nipples of contestants to beauty contests must be at least 20 centimetres (7.8 inces) apart. The mandate has sparked a storm of criticism on the internet this past Friday.
”Why more than 20 centimetres? I honestly don’t know who came up with these figures,” said a user on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “How can beauty standards include breast distance? Do they take women as toys?”
Judging women by such rigid criteria is so ‘out’!” said TV personality Yang Lan on the microblog.
The contest, aimed at crowning 10 university students in central Hubei province, drew criticism from traditional Chinese and modern Western standards of beauty, contest staff members were quoted as saying in the Global Times on Friday. Contest organizers had conducted research on the Internet to determine the criteria. In addition to considering traditional measurements like chest, waist and hips, the contest also said the space between candidates’ pupils should be 46 percent of the distance between their pupil and their ear.
China has hosted a slew of beauty pageants, including six Miss World contests, in the past nine years. Its candidate Yu Wenxia won the title when the international competition took place in northern China last month.
The breast gap requirement is really of no interest outside of China save for tiny Costa Rica, the Chinese satellite in the Americas. Some will argue since Costa Rica is being taken over by China, understanding and heeding to their (China’s) requirement is important as Costa Ricans love beauty pageants, official or not.
China’s influence of little Costa Rica grows every day. It started a few years back when former president and Nobel prize winner, Oscar Arias, during his second term made a deal with the Chinese for the construction of a national stadium. The stadium would be built at China’s expense and donated without any strings attached. And it was. Well sort of. The one little condition was that Costa Rica kick out – break diplomatic ties with Taiwan. And it did.
Following the breaking of diplomatic ties Tiawan, a country that wants independence from China, the Chinese began to pour more and more money into Costa Rica. More donations, more investments and more Chinese nationals looking west to Costa Rica.
The latest investment by the Chinese is a deal with the state refinery, Refinadora de Petroleo S.A. or RECOPE, where the Chinese will invest US$1.5 billion to bring cheap(er)a gasoline to Costa Rica, though we may never see the price reduction at the pumps as RECOPE is a major cash cow for the government.
A rendering shows how the Chinatown arch in San José will be after completion. The project is under construction and is expected to completed before the end of the year. Photo courtesy of City of San Jose / dpa
Not to be left off the China bandwagon, the city of San José began construction of a Chinatown smack in the middle of its downtown, that includes the typical gateway, the Chinese arch. Though the municipalidad de San José and its long time mayor, Johnny Araya, are getting the credit, the Chinese are picking up most of the tab.
If you still disagree that Costa Rica is fast becoming a puppet for the Chinese in this region of the globe, consider this: in August of this year Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla met in Beijing, and outlined how they planned to boost cooperation with each other. The countries are to explore ways of working together in transportation, power and other infrastructure development as well as strengthening exchanges in education, science and culture
China is Costa Rica’s second-largest trade partner, with trade volume totaling 4.72 billion U.S. dollars in 2011.
As part of the making of a satellite, Costa Rica will now also be China’s gopher to get the rest of Latin America in line. During the August meeting Wen told the media that his country will work with Costa Rica to create a new chapter in China-Latin America relations, voicing publicly his appreciation for Costa Rica’s active role in supporting China’s dialogue with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The current head gopher, the president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla Miranda, hailed the progress of the relationship and said the free trade agreement has helped bilateral trade to grow. She said her country attached great importance to the opportunities provided by China’s development and hoped to boost cooperation in the economy and trade, infrastructure development, education, culture, justice and science.
Premier Wen’s policies to enhance Latin America-China relations were mentioned in his speech at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean in June.
But, I digress, back to the nipples.
Costa Rica has many beauty pageants. One of the most coveted is the Miss Costa Rica, as Ticas (Costa Rican women) between 18 and 27 representing their province compete to represent Costa Rica in the annual Miss Universe international competition. Costa Rica has participated in the Miss Universe pageant since 1954 and has sent 56 representatives in the pageant’s 60-year history.
Although a Tica has yet to win a Miss Universe title, in 2004 when Nancy Soto Martinez and again 2011 with Johanna Solano, came close making it to the top 10 finalists. And maybe, just maybe, if the Ticas heed to the Chinese mandate a Miss Costa Rica could actually take the crown. But not before China as a show of respect.
And lets face it – nobody likes a bad set of nipples. You could have the greatest breasts and weird nipples can ruin the whole rack. They gotta be the right size, the right colour, the right width, the right length – and they gotta be the correct distance apart.
Costa Rica get your measuring tape out. And remember, in this case, size does count, just as long as they are at least 20 cm apart!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Inside Costa Rica
The Health Ministry is looking to fight the cigarette smuggling business in Costa Rica, both through existing legislation as well as a new law.
Sisy Castillo, Vice-Minister of Health, said that Costa Rica’s anti-tobacco law and regulation provides legislation to fight the clandestine cigarette market.
Castillo said her ministry is considering an agreement with the Fiscal Police of the Hacienda (Treasury department), and acquiring a computerized system that will verify whether the products sold in supermarkets, mini-markets and other outlets are registered and have the corresponding permits to be sold in Costa Rica.
Besides being less expensive, illegal cigarettes contain more harmful substances, according to officials.
“(The system being considered) is very similar to the one that is used in countries such as Brazil and Turkey, which has produced good results. What it does is use a device very similar to a scanner, which is placed over the identification seal on the cigarette box. The cigarettes that enter the country in a legal manner will be recognized, whereas the illegal ones will be rejected, and will therefore be confiscated and destroyed,” said the Vice-Minister.
Castillo hopes to have the legislation prepared soon, to be submitted and revised before the Legislative Assembly. She expects to have the law for the “Fight Against Smuggling” passed by 2013.
President Obama talks with Maria Clemencia Rodriguez and her husband, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, as they arrive at the Casa de Huespedes for a Summit of the Americas leaders’ dinner in April. The Secret Service and the military were in the Colombian coastal resort to prepare for Obama’s participation in the summit.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews South America | Source: Today Colombia
( The Associated Press / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS) Two U.S. sailors are expected to receive administrative punishments, but not be criminally charged, in connection with the prostitution scandal that engulfed U.S. Secret Service and military members preparing for a presidential visit to Colombia earlier this year, a senior military official said Friday.
President Obama talks with Maria Clemencia Rodriguez and her husband, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, as they arrive at the Casa de Huespedes for a Summit of the Americas leaders’ dinner in April. The Secret Service and the military were in the Colombian coastal resort to prepare for Obama’s participation in the summit.
The two sailors will be punished for hiring a prostitute and dereliction of duty for drinking within eight hours of the time they had to report for duty, the official said.
More than six months after the scandal erupted, and lengthy efforts to identify and locate witnesses and others involved, the two sailors were expected to be the final military members disciplined in the case. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to disclose sensitive legal developments.
In the military, nonjudicial or administrative punishments can take a wide variety of forms, from docking service members’ pay or confining them to quarters to assigning them additional duties for a certain length of time. In some cases, it can be a letter of reprimand in their files, but in other cases administrative punishments can be career-ending, or delay or prevent any future promotions.
Of the dozen military members initially implicated, seven U.S. soldiers and two Marines received administrative punishments for what was described as misconduct, and one Air Force member was cleared. Three of the soldiers declined the administrative punishments and have requested courts-martial.
A lawyer for one of the sailors had complained that his client, David Hawley, was not around at the time the prostitutes were alleged to be solicited. The lawyer, Jeremiah Sullivan, said the sailors were unfairly stripped of their security clearances and reassigned to other tasks for months as they waited to see if they would be charged. The names of the other military members have not been made public.
The service members were investigated for bringing apparent prostitutes to their hotel rooms in Colombia shortly before President Barack Obama arrived in the country for an April summit, according to the military’s investigation of the matter. The investigator’s report, released in early August, described the misconduct as consisting “almost exclusively of patronizing prostitutes and adultery.”
The scandal came to light after a public dispute over payment between a U.S. Secret Service agent and a prostitute at a Cartagena hotel spilled over into the hallway of the Hotel Caribe. The Secret Service and the military were in the Colombian coastal resort to prepare for Obama’s participation in a Latin American summit. Eight Secret Service employees implicated in the incident were ousted and three were cleared of serious misconduct; at least two employees were fighting to get their jobs back.
U.S. Southern Command, headed by Gen. Douglas Fraser, conducted the investigation into the military members’ involvement in the April incident.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Fijatevos
This week, BBC Mundo included Costa Rica as one of the top places in Latin America for technology start ups, in an article titled “What is the Silicon Valley of Latin America?”. This was a follow through based on an Economist article on Chile, dubbing it “Chilecon Valley”.
The BBC piece highlighted Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Chile made a strong case for being the Silicon Valley, the Economist article pointed out that Chile aims to take advantage of Silicon Valley’s one major weakness, the US immigration policies, that make it difficult for companies to hire skilled workers they need. Chile also has passed a net neutrality law, unique in Latin America.
Colombia, offered Medellin as a candidate, but their main claim is an office park called “Espacio”, which appears to be in the initiative stage, along with the proposal to install fiber optic throughout the country.
Brazil has several cities with hi-tech centers. Sao Paolo has Villa Madelena with several education and innovation centers. Recife has the Puerto Digital, a duty-free zone hosting training centers for Motorola, Microsoft and Ericsson. Florianopolis in the south of Brasil has been an incubator for several start-ups and boasts the Parque Sapiens, a $1.3 billion government project to promote science and technology.
Argentina could be a strong candidate, with Cordoba hosting 250 technology companies. However, most seem to be multinationals rather than start-ups, although the province does offer tax breaks for start-ups.
Mexico boasts the Centro de Software in Guadalajara, with 35 software companies, and also has the largest Intel design center in Latin America. The proximity to the US and the NAFTA agreement are also advantages.
Costa Rica is somewhat of a surprise on this list, given its relatively tiny size and population. BBC Mundo mentions Intel, IBM, Oracle y Amazon as companies having research centers in Costa Rica.
They also classify Costa Rica as a technology products exporter, and quote the R & D Director at HP as saying that the company chose Costa Rica because of the skilled labor force and its location close to California.
Duty free zones also are an attractive feature to the companies thinking about locating in Costa Rica.
Analysis: Clearly Brazil and Chile seem to be the winners in this “contest”, with start up stories rather than aspirations. But it seems clear that with a little initiative, Costa Rica is very close to competing fiercely. The government has done a good job of attracting hi-tech multinationals here through several administrations.
But we don’t see that there are incentives, subsidies or initiatives to locate start-ups here, or to promote locally grown hi-tech companies. What’s going on with the 2020 Carbon Neutral Policy announced by Oscar Arias, for example?
Alternative energy would be a natural fit with this project, and with Costa Rica’s green image. China has trillions in subsidies for this sector, a fact brought up by President Obama in the 2nd US Presidential Debate in the “tough-on-China” skirmish.
Costa Rica already has technical high schools and the ITEC University, from which many students have participated in international science fairs and have gone overseas to bring inventions to market. The UCR and UNA are leading research centers for Latin America in some areas as well.
It seems that some program to encourage technology start ups in the alternative energy sector would be fairly simple to implement. Obviously the administration would have a hard time finding money at this point to subsidize such a sector, but tax exemptions and breaks should be doable, not to mention the long-term opportunity to create jobs and economic benefits in what is a sure-fire growth industry.
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Christopher Howard’s Guide to Costa Rica Spanish is an invaluable book for people who know Spanish as well as those who know only a few words. Click on book above to buy your copy today!
Bailarse a la justicia – to outsmart or avoid the law Carterazo – to have your wallet stolen or robbed, By the way bolsear mens to pick somebody’s pocket. Chayotera – signature. Firma is the correct word in Spanish for signature. Chuzo – a car. La nave is also slang for car. Chupas – lollipops. Paleta is the correct word in Spanish. Cleta – slang for bicycle. Comes from the word bicicleta. Enpalomar – to put in jail. Encarcelar is the correct word. Estar de vaca gordas – fat years, boom years or prosperous times. Gua Gua – slang for dog. Zaguate is also used here for dog. Perro is the correct word. Guata – water Herma – slang for brother or hermano. Jupa de agua – a flash flood. Cabeza de agua is the correct way to say this. Jupa is slang for someone’s head in Costa Rica. La vio ‘ofe” – a play on words that means things turned out bad. Should be “la vio feo.” Pelada de culo – a screw up (vulgar). Peques – children. The correct word is niños Peli – a movie. Short for película Reguero – a big mess. Robacelus – a cell phone thief. Soconear – to shake Tabo – jail Tama – short for the beach town of Tamarindo. The place is also somes times called “Tamagringo for obvious reasons” Yunai – the U.S.A. The correct term is los Estados Unidos or EE. UU.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Costa Rica Star
Costa Rica is becoming an even greener country than it already is; sometimes at an ecological cost for other countries, and often to the gain of a few savvy investors.
In the hills of Santa Ana, overlooking the city of Escazu and its ritzy suburbs, construction crews from the National Power and Electricity Company (CNFL in Spanish) have begun work on the future Planta Eólica Valle Central (the Wind Power Farm of the Central Valley). When completed, this project is expected to produce 15.3 megawatts of energy among 17 wind-power generators that will bring electricity to almost 6,000 families.
The Wind Power Farm of the Central Valley is just one of the projects that government-sponsored companies like CNFL, ICE and others are rushing to complete in order to achieve Costa Rica’s goal of becoming a carbon-neutral nation by 2021. In the area of creating electricity from renewable sources, public utilities are looking at new hydroelectricity projects in Pirris, wind-power farms in Los Santos that will power communities in El Guarco and Desamparados, as well as geothermic plants in Garabito, Moin and Pailas.
The Precious Rare Earth
Each wind turbine and electricity generator installed for the purpose of producing clean energy in Costa Rica will have at least one thing in common: hundreds of pounds of rare earth, a precious mineral that is made into alloys for the manufacturing of components used in everything from lasers to magnets, and from electrodes to the screen displaying the article you are currently reading.
Wind turbines and heavy-duty generators can easily contain hundreds of kilograms of rare earth alloys, more than likely extracted via massive open-pit mining operations in China, a country that currently produces 95 percent or more of the world’s rare earth minerals. This fact puts China, a country that is currently enjoying close ties with Costa Rica, in an enviable position in terms of geopolitical power -perhaps at a great environmental cost.
The Rise of Rare Earth
Three centuries ago, Swedish scientists began to isolate and discover the first of seventeen rare elements in the periodic table. French and American scientists would later conduct research on the properties of the rare elements.
As it is often the case in many scientific discoveries, rare elements have played an important role in the arms race. It is estimated that the United States military is a major consumer of rare earth, as it can be found in optics, precision-guided munitions, advanced electronics, and more. The U.S. has been researching the application of rare earths for martial use since the Manhattan Project -which developed early nuclear weapon technology- in the middle of the 20th century. Rare earth plays a crucial role in today’s modern armament, particularly in advanced weapons systems (PDF) such as the unmanned aircraft currently flying the unfriendly skies of Afghanistan and Iraq. For the record, Costa Rica also uses drone technology -for scientific purposes.
Rare earth elements have an important place in our ultra-modern lives. Think about self-cleaning oven technology, camera lenses, magnets, fluorescent lamps, superconductors, x-ray machines, etc.
Where to Find Rare Earth Minerals
Rare earth elements are fairly abundant in our planet, and just like many other minerals they are unevenly distributed around the planet. These elements can be extracted from alluvial sand deposits caused by the downstream flow of other elements, like water and lava, on the Earth’s magma (the top crust). Imagine all the geological changes that have occurred over millions of years; those changes increase the likelihood of widespread distribution of rare earth.
In countries like Australia, Brazil, India, and South Africa, rare earth has been extracted from sedimentary deposits. Rare earth production in those countries saw its heyday in the last century. In the United States, there is a massive rare earth deposit deep in the Clark Mountain Range of southeastern California. The Mountain Pass open-pit mine guaranteed American supremacy in rare earth production from the 1960s until the late 1980s. Since then, the U.S. has been greatly surpassed by China in this regard, due to depletion and the aggressive Chinese approach to open-pit extraction.
Afghanistan is a country that may be ripe for rare earth exploration. NATO security forces aren’t the only foreign interests combing the deserts and mountainous regions of the Graveyard Empire; the United States Geological Survey announced significant discoveries of rare earth deposits in the Helmand province just a few days after the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on American soil.
chinese rare earth dominanceThe Chinese Dominance of Global Rare Earth Production
Rough geological estimates indicate that China may hold between 35 to 40 percent of the planet’s rare earth reserves, yet she has exploited her Inner Mongolia mines relentlessly to produce the great majority of rare earth used in the world. There is a good chance that the rare earth elements used in the wind turbines and generators of our current clean energy projects come from China.
Rare earth exports have undoubtedly played a significant part in the meteoric rise of the Chinese economy in the last few decades. In the last two years, however, China has significantly scaled down its production and exportation of rare earth. Other countries have speculated that this drastic slowdown suggests strategic reserves and stockpiling in the face of rare earth depletion in other mines around the world and increasing demand. China has explained that she is curbing production to concentrate on anti-smuggling efforts, but other sources have declared that over-explotation has taken a huge ecological toll that the Asian colossus is secretly trying to contain.
rare earth mineral mineEnvironmental Impact of Rare Earth Mining
Modern rare earth extraction calls for open-pit mining techniques. Some of the rare elements produce radioactive waste when refined, and such waste always finds a way to enter natural sources of water supply such as aquifers, lakes and rivers. The environmental impact of open-pit mining includes erosion, major changes to biodiversity, and non-radioactive contamination of groundwater.
The known cases of ecological disasters caused by open-pit mining of rare earth include radioactive waste-water spills in Mountain Pass, a refinery project in Malaysia that has been blamed for birth defects and leukemia in the local population, and a widespread disaster in Baotou, a barren Chinese city that The New York Times once described as a place where the air smells and tastes acrid and metallic.
Rare Earth in Costa Rica
The high levels of volcanic and fluvial activity in our country make her a likely candidate for rare earth deposits. In recent years, geological surveys published by the University of Costa Rica indicate the presence of rare elements, particularly around protected and agricultural areas in the skirts of the Poas volcano (PDF), extending out to Sarapiqui and even out to San Carlos (PDF). Prospecting and further exploration have not taken place.
Speculation regarding China’s possible intentions to extend her rare earth empire to Costa Rica were prompted by the announcement of a possible petroleum refinery plant for CNPC, the Chinese oil company that is owned by the government. Former President and Peace Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias was a strong supporter of the project, which in the end fell through due to complex financial disagreements and pressure from environmental groups. That was back in 2007, and it fueled fear from eco-activists that such a project would be a stepping stone for rare earth prospecting. Oscar Arias would later nix the project.
In December 2011, China announced that instead of building a new oil refinery, her Development Bank would extend a loan to RECOPE to make improvements to its refinery in Moin, Limon. Fears of rare earth prospecting in Costa Rica can be taken with a grain of salt, as open-pit mining is not a welcome activity in our country, as evidenced by the high-profile Crucitas mining project case.
The Lucrative World of Rare Earth Investing and Trading
The importance of rare earth in the geopolitical stage makes it a very precious commodity that attracts the attention of investors and traders who are willing to plunge into the world of private markets. Unlike gold, silver and other metals, rare earth elements are not traded in public exchanges like the Chicago Board of Trade or the NYMEX. They are traded separately by element, but their pricing can be influenced by more than just market conditions. There are purity and source factors to consider.
Investing and trading in rare metals involves the exchange of kilograms of the element, although physical delivery is rare. The world of rare earth trading is highly speculative due to the many factors that can affect pricing. A kilo of near-pure Europium Oxide extracted from the polluted Baotou region in China is currently priced at $3,850. Europium is widely used in the manufacturing of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment in medical facilities around the world.
Respected financial analyst James Dines, author of a long-running newsletter for investors, called attention to the bullish patterns and emerging opportunities of rare earth investing back in 2009. Previous to that call, Mr. Dines had warned investors to turn abandon Internet holdings and look into raw materials and commodities like gold and oil. That was back in 2000. On his 2009 announcement, Mr. Dines highlighted the rare earth markets as extremely bullish, yet equally volatile. The factors that can make investing in commodities so lucrative -geopolitical instability, unprecedented demand, high speculation- are all present and accounted for in the rare earth markets.
So, the next time you turn on the lights in your nice home in Costa Rica, there will be a good chance that the electricity will come from a clean and renewable source of energy. There will also be a good chance that an unfortunate region of the world suffered ecologically for it, and that a savvy investor somewhere made a nice profit.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Inside Costa Rica
Last week in the United States, Energizer Holdings, makers of “Banana Boat” brand sunscreen, issued a recall for 23 varieties of its spray-on sunscreens because users were quite literally, bursting into flames.
So far, 4 users of the sunscreens in the United States and 1 user in Canada have caught on fire after applying the sunscreen.
One man in the United States described what happened. The man says after applying the spray-on sunscreen, rubbing it in, and waiting a few moments for it to dry, he went to turn over a hamburger on a barbeque grill, when he suddenly burst into flames.
Inside Costa Rica wanted to find out if news of the recall had made it to Costa Rica, so we sent a staff member to the AutoMercado in the popular beach town of Playas del Coco to see if any of the products were still on shelves here.
Indeed, our staff member was able to locate one of the products, a variety specifically marketed for children.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Fijatevos
Intellectual, writer, diplomat and sometimes caustic political analyst Alberto Cañas quit the Citizen Action Party (PAC) last weekend, a party he helped found, in a dispute with PAC hierarchy’s intent to hold a national convention.
Meanwhile, National Liberation Party candidate for presidential nomination Fernando Berrocal released to television still another attention-grabbing campaign ad, this one linking his weight loss with “will power” the nation needs.
As usual, Cañas pulled no punches as he termed the use of a convention to choose a presidential candidate as “stupidity.” Although he resigned PAC he discounted the possibility of his returning to the Liberation party which he abandoned two decades ago.
Cañas claimed that an open convention in which other parties could present candidates would assure that they would present weak candidates easily defeated in the 2014 national elections.
He likened the move to inviting the enemy into the PAC camp. But the 92-year-old writer and commentator said he would vote in 2014, but for the first time in his adult life would be without a party.
But PAC secretary general Margarita Bolaños denied that other parties would be allowed to choose the PAC standard bearer. She said those who signed up would be asked for economic support for the campaign.
Both she and party leader Otton Solis lamented losing Cañas who had been a powerful voice in the early years of the party. Solis said he would talk with Cañas but would not back down from the national convention stance.
The resignation of Cañas underscored the recent internal discord within PAC, which during its first years showed remarkable harmony. Solis himself distanced himself from the party steering board during several clashes several months ago.
Discord was further stimulated when the Supreme Elections Tribunal filed a criminal complaint against the party for allegedly fraudulent claims to reimbursement for 2010 campaign expenses. (See previous articles.)
Meanwhile, the Berrocal campaign for Liberation nomination again raised memories of the quixotic campaign for the presidency during the last century of colorful candidate G. W. Villalobos, who toured the stump on horseback and took quirky positions on the issues.
This time, Berrocal claimed the country needed will power, and the chubby candidate vowed dedicated himself to being the symbol with his own weight loss program. “The only thing I have to lose,” he proclaimed, “is weight.”
A month ago, Berrocal hit national television with a series of ads that seemed to take on deficiencies of his own National Liberation party The ads were controversial and, if their main intent was to attract attention, they succeeded handily.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Central America | Source: Prensa Latina
The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama denounced human rights violations by the police in Colon province, and reasserted there would be a strike for 48 hours starting on Monday. The Chamber said in a communiqué that the strike can be extended until the Panamanian government suspends its measure to sell land from the Colon Duty-Free Zone.
The communiqué said the decision was made after the approval of Draft Bill 529, which caused a spiral of violence in Panama.
The entrepreneurs will not accept the government’s disregard of the position by the people of Colon, and repudiate the excessive use of force against those who protested peacefully.
In the communiqué, they expressed their grieve for the death of a child and the disrespectful statements by the President of the National Assembly, Sergio Galvez, who sent opponents to go home.
The Chamber of Commerce set as a condition to end the strike the derogation of the law, signed by President Ricardo Martinelli.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – QNews Central America | Source: Prensa Latina
Nicaragua will end 2012 with a 5-percent growth of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to estimates by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), while some structural backwardness must be still overcome. ECLAC thinks that 2012 prospects´ main support lies in the increase in exports and investments, showing better dynamism in job generation.
From January to September 2012, the FOB value of exportations increased 16.3 percent in contrast to the same period in 2011, since incomes reached 2,74,100,000 USD, according to official statistics.
The private secretary for National Policies in the Daniel Ortega administration, Paul Oquist, considers that Nicaragua is undergoing a process marked by job generation, and the reduction of poverty and inequality.
From 2007 to 2011, the country doubled exports and tripled investments, while the number of employed people went from 2.89 million in 2006 to 2,934,000 in 2011.
Compared to other Central American countries, Nicaragua shows the greatest structural backwardness in its economy, particularly in the agricultural sector, which guarantees the main income from export.
Saturday, October 20th, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: /PRNewswire
Three years after his disappearance in Costa Rica and the Dixon family is no nearer to finding out what happened to their son.
Michael was last seen leaving his hotel in Tamarindo, Costa Rica on 18 October 2009. The British and Costa Rican response to the incident has been bugged by incompetence and false hope from start to end.
The Foreign Office did not tell the family that the hotel had reported him missing because “people choose to go missing all the time.” The family only found out Michael was missing one week later when he did not show up to work.
Last year the Dixon family met Jeremy Browne, former British Foreign Minister for Central and South America, to seek his help in organising a British police mission. One year later and no progress has been made.
As the Dixons prepare for a fourth Christmas without Michael, the FCO has now informed the family that it does not know the name of the person responsible in Costa Rica to make it happen.
The Dixon tragedy is not an isolated one. Since 2009 there have been at least nine other EU and US citizens who have gone missing or been murdered in Costa Rica. But the country is still depicted as a safe haven for tourism.
The Dixon family continue their appeal to the local community in Tamarindo to speak out if they have any information about what happened.
“We realise that the Costa Rican police has no intention of resolving these cases of missing tourists and this is why our last hope is for someone to come forward. Three years on, all we really want to know is what happened so that we can try to come to terms with losing our loved one,” Michael’s brother, David Dixon, said.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/18/4921004/costa-rica-3-years-on-family-refuses.html#storylink=cpy
Saturday, October 20th, 2012 – QNews Costa Rica | Source: Tico Times
Costa Rica is known worldwide as a tourist country. It has become one of the favorite destinations for hundreds of foreigners, not only to visit, but also as a place to live. This has created a new market that has caused the construction industry to grow incredibly fast during the last two decades. New architecture, engineering and construction firms have been born. Some have become so successful that they are currently competing in the international market.
However, these companies are challenged by international enterprises that also compete in the local market. Some examples of multinational foreign firms working in the construction industry in Costa Rica are Gensler Architects, Turner Construction and Emerson, among others. Most of these corporations operate in many other countries, providing them better opportunities to establish in bigger markets.
We have been exploring how Costa Rican architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms could introduce themselves into China, to create new businesses. Nowadays, the People’s Republic of China is a huge open market, which offers vast opportunities for the construction industry. The Chinese market can catapult these companies to an international level and boost them into larger competition to achieve bigger goals.
Fortunately, Costa Rica has new policies directed at promoting globalization and removing barriers to big markets. Costa Rica and China’s Free Trade Agreement entered into force on Aug. 1, 2011, making China the second largest trading partner for Costa Rica.
Today, the People’s Republic of China has a population of more than 1.3 billion, and 9 percent gross domestic product, maintaining steady growth since 1978. China has become the world’s largest foreign direct investment receiver from 2006, according to the World Bank.
