Costa Rica en la red

Walter Ferguson

2010-07-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

This is an article by my FB friend Kimberly Barron for Eye on Costa Rica

“The King of Costa Rican Calypso Music…Walter Ferguson”

The “Festival de la Cultura y el Ambiente Walter Ferguson” will take place from July 5-18, 2010 at various locations around Cahuita and will honor one of the Afro-Costaricans’s favorite sons with music, theater, dance and poetry. Cahuita, a small tourist town located on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is planning to make cultural event a yearly party of dance, music, typical food and a celebration of the Afro-Costarricense culture. Named in honor of Walter Ferguson, known as the “King of Calypso”, he is best known for songs such as Cabin in the Wata and Callaloo. The highlight of the festival is expected to be a Calypso concert at Cahuita’s Central Park, which will feature local Cahuita performers, as well as musicians from Limon and Puerto Viejo.

Background on a Muscial Icon:
Locally known as the “King of Calypso” and for which this festival was named, Walter Ferguson was born in Guabito, Panama. His family quickly settled in Costa Rica where he spent most of his childhood around the community of Jamaica Town, a neighborhood by the Port of Limon. His parents moved to Cahuita, a small village in the South of the Limon Province, where he lives to this day. From an early age, Walter showed considerable interest in music and learned to play the harmonica, guitar and clarinet mostly on his own. As a clarinet player, he started the group “Miserable” in the 1950’s with other Calypsonians from Limon. In the 60s, he began to write calypsos with over a hundred songs of great popularity and cultural relevance for the Limonese people. Mr. Ferguson, also known as Mr. “Gavitt”, attended all the Calypso challenges held around the Caribbean coast for decades. From the town of Bluefields, Nicaragua to Bocas del Toro in Panama, Calypsonians were a dedicated bunch and would move by boat, horse, train or truck to compete at these improvised contests. Ferguson soon found fame while traveling along with other big names such as Panama´s Lord Cobra, and Limonese singers Papa Tun and Shanti.

His Place in Cahuita & History:
For many years, Walter Ferguson would record his own music on to audiocassettes and sell them directly to the tourists in Cahuita. Each tape was an original, unique unto itself, like a personal concert for each person who requested one of his “souvenirs”. Mr. Ferguson has received numerous recognitions, such as the Popular Culture Award, the ACAM Award, and the Ancora Prize, awarded by Costa Rica’s national newspaper, La Nación. His songs clearly reflect the unique culture of the Afro-Costa Rican community, a culture that has mostly been ignored by the Republic of Costa Rica. Mr. Ferguson often jokes about the Calypsonian´s naïve spirit, often misunderstood, sometimes even persecuted, and has even been taken advantage of by glamour girls who call him “sugar candy”. His work has been interpreted by other Costa Rican artists like Manuel Monestel and the band Cantoamérica since the early 1980s, which has brought more prominence to his work both around the country and abroad.

A Caribbean Icon Lives on:
Seated in his customary spot at the entrance to the Sol & Mar Restaurant located in his beloved town of Cahuita, the King of Calypso thrives on the attention he receives from the locals, tourists, expats and whoever else arrives to visit him. Since the beginning of July 2010, Mr. Ferguson has served as a one man marketing machine promoting the first Cahuita Cultural Festival, also dedicated in his name. When asked if he will be attending the Festival, “No!”, answers Don Walter in a strong and certain voice. “Everyone knows me and they already know that I will not go, since I cannot even see, I would not feel very comfortable there.”, explains the 2009 winner of the prestigious Reca Mora Award. It will come as no surprise to those that know him that even for this prestigious award, Don Walter did not make the trip to San Jose to receive his prize. “I don’t like San Jose.”, says Don Walter. “I prefer the country life.”, as he describes it, “I have lived in the same place since I was only 2-3 years old.”, added the outspoken elder.

Interview with An Outspoken Icon:
Please enjoy this translated extract of a July 7th, 2010 interview with the Calypso King…… Walter Ferguson with Viva Magazine (part of La Nacion Newspaper) while visiting the beach town of Cahuita. Mr. Ferguson does not shy away from telling you exactly how he feels:

How was your childhood?
I mostly just remember my music. Ever since I was a very young boy I liked to sing, perhaps just silly diddies, but my Mother always told me that I would be a famous composer one day. When I was around 10 years old, I learned to play the harmonica, then the ukulele, followed by the guitar and the clarinet. Nobody ever showed me, I taught myself.

What role did your Mother play in the development of your musical abilities?
My mother died some 40 years ago now. When she was young, she used to sing in the local Methodist Church. Many women sang at the church and she enjoyed it immensely. Everyday she would sing and I loved to hear her singing, which encouraged me to sing along.

How did you learn to play the different musical instruments?
I first started playing the harmonica that belonged to one of my older brothers. I began to play it, and my Mother scolded me and told me to return it to my brother, but I did not. I hid it so I could continue to practice. When my brother found out, he got mad and threw the harmonica in the backyard in the dark. I looked and looked for that harmonica, it took me so long to find it that in the end my brother showed me how to play it. Nobody could play that harmonica better than me. I also learned to play the guitar and the organ, as my Mother sent me to take lessons with a local man.

And your favorite, the Clarinet. Why do you enjoy this instrument so much?
I don’t have a bad word to say about the Clarinet. I like everything about it. They call these people “clarinetas”. One day there was a man in Hone Creek that asked me why I didn’t buy a Clarinet, and he agreed to sell it to me and allow me to make payments. I received the instrument in October and by December I already knew how to play it. I learned to play it backwards though, playing with the right hand where the left should be, and vice versa.

When did Calypso Music enter your life?
When I was a very young boy, I only sang. When I began to play the ukulele and I’d see Mighty Sparrow (the World Renowned Calypso Musician) playing his own Calypso, I thought…”Why can’t I do that too?” From then on, instead of singing other peoples Calypso I began to only sing my own. I sang Cabin on the Wata, which is one of my own compositions.

How do you define what Calypso is?
Since Calypso is my life, I naturally think that Calypso is the best music, but for other people it is not their favorite. One time I attended a small concert and an older woman there told me she did not care for Calypso music at all, but for me, it is everything.

What does it mean to be a “Calypsonian” like yourself?
It is the same as saying you are a carpenter, construction man, etc, there is no difference. Since I do Calypso, that makes me a “Calypsonian”. In Calypso, there is a certain rhythm, if you don’t have that, you don’t have Calypso. It would not sound right. I was born with that rhythm, even when I was not playing the music, I could make this rhythm with words and whenever I was doing Calypso, I was always doing it with rhythm.

What are the most common themes in the Calypso songs you write?
It depends. One thing I never did was involve myself in things that would get me in trouble. Many times I was teased and encouraged to go outside my comfort limit, but I never involved myself in this style of life. Apart from that, I sing about almost anything. If you are a famous man, I can invent a Calypso song about you right away. If something bad happened, an accident, although I could make a song about that, I never sing Calypso about things that are sad.

Also, there are many times Calypso is from humor….
Yes, like the history of Bato, he called himself Albert. He built a house on the water and was always joking around. The girls would come and tell me they came to see him. The officials told him that he could not build a house inside the National Park (Cahuita National Park), so he took it as he could not have a house on land, so he built it on the water and that is how the song Cabin on the Water was born. That is just one of the many examples of jokes in Calypso. The majority actually are jokes.

You have had competitions to see who is the best. How were these competitions?
There was a man in Limon that was saying he was from Panamá, but he was from here and he sang and had a beautiful voice. When I sang, people would say there was no one better than me, but I did not really believe them, as I am not like that. One time they asked me if I knew this man. I had heard of him, but they were saying that he was better than me. That got me very angry, so when I competed against him in Cahuita and beat him 2 times, I was very happy. He had tried telling me that he was the best Calypsonian in the country, so I told him that I must be the best in the World then, since I had beat him two times.

You were taping your music on cassettes to sell them. Do you still do that?
No, because I have two CD’s, but the people still ask me for cassettes because many don’t have the right equipment sometimes. Now that I have mostly lost my eyesight, I am not able to play as much and it makes it difficult to make cassettes.

What do you think about your music being known Worldwide?
I don’t find it very strange. My Mother always told me I would be a great composer.

How do you see the Calypso of today?
I have noticed that the Calypso is slipping and it isn’t like it used to be. The people these days prefer reggae and other styles of music. It seems to me that there are still musicians around Limon that sing, but I don’t know if its going to continue like this or not.

What do you think will happen to Calypso when you are no longer with us?
There is a young man here and I am always offering him help, as that is the way I am, I like to help the younger crowd. His name is Danny Williams and I think that if he can receive support, he will be an excellent Calypsonian. I have always felt that Calypso can survive; we just have to help the younger musicians to carry on the tradition.

How is your relationship with Cahuita, where you have lived your entire life?
I have so much love for Cahuita. I don’t have any enemies and if someone treats me badly, I stay quiet because there are other younger men that are more capable and will take care of it for me. Mostly, the whole World loves me and I love them.

How have you seen Cahuita change over the years?
There is a huge change in everything. Before we grew a little corn, but now you can’t grown anything, as they will just steal it in the night. Also, the people are so unmotivated. Tourism has been the savior of Cahuita. They aren’t bad people, granted they aren’t exactly saints, but they are always ready to help in Cahuita when really needed.

What is it that you like most about living in Cahuita?
It’s hard to pin it down to one thing or another, I grew up in the same place since I was two years old. I was born in Panama and sometimes I went to work there, but as soon as I left I always wanted to return immediately to Cahuita.

Do you like to go to San José?
No. I go if I have to, but only if I have to. I don’t like San Jose, I prefer Cartago.

Why don’t you like it?
Perhaps because I grew up in the country and I like that lifestyle. I go occasionally with friends, everyone needs time like that, but I would never live there.

Does it surprise you that tourists come here looking just for you?
Thousands of them have come. From Guatemala, England, all over! One time a woman came from Canada to meet me and she said she had one of my cassettes and she wanted to know if I had more. Some time later a group of 27 persons came to see me and I was very happy because I thought I was going to sell lots of cassettes and I could earn some ¢10.000. They asked me a lot of questions, but nobody asked about the cassettes. At the end, one woman asked me if I had any and if I would GIVE her. I felt bad, as I did not have any money, but I told her yes. They continued asking lots of questions and I answered, but I was not very happy about it. The woman said goodbye and she told me she could not wait to return with another group. In my heart, I did not want her to return, but of course I did not tell her that. Before she left she gave me a white envelope and told me that it was a little something for me. Then I felt bad and I was thankful that I had not said anything because there was ¢25.000 in the envelope which made me feel very good for being willing to give her the cassette without expecting anything in return.

You are an Afro-Costarricense icon. What do you think of this distinction?
That means nothing to me. When people tell me that, I thank them, but I don’t feel it is a big deal.

How long ago did you basically stop singing and playing music?
Since 2004 when I made my last CD (Dr. Bombodee) with Jazmín (Ross, of Papaya Music). I don’t know if you have heard of ACAM (Asociación Costarricense de Autores Musicales), these people have treated me well, they are the best, they even give me a pension from my music.

Why don’t you sing or play anymore?
Because I have lost too much of my eyesight, but I can sing because you don’t need to see to do that, but when I sing the notes do not come out as well as before. Since that problem started, I decided to not sing or play anymore.

You seem to be in excellent condition, what is your secret?
Since I have lost my vision and perhaps because I told you I am 91 years old, I’m sure you thought that it was a lie, but before I spent the entire day working on the farm and it was hard.

Beyond your eyesight, how is your general health?
Not very good. I have no appetite and I don’t sleep at night, although last night I slept very well.

But you look to be in really good shape?
Many people say that, but I do not feel well these days.

What do you think of the recognitions you have received such as the festival that now carries your name?
I feel very thankful that they thought of me.

What does it mean to you that you won the Reca Mora award from ACAM in 2009?
I have always spoke well of ACAM as these people have always taken good care of me.

What do you think of Manuel Monestel, who received the award in your name and gave the national radio DJs a bad time for not playing your music more in their programs?
Manuel Monestel is a nugget of gold to me. Whatever I need, he is always there to help me, and besides, he sings a lot of my Calypso songs.

What has been the biggest satisfaction in your life?
The biggest satisfaction? When my father gave me the farm and I no longer had to wander in search of odd jobs. There were times when I had no money, like when the crops did not come out well, but I was always able to come up with a few “centavos” with the farm. If I still had my sight, I could probably still earn something on that farm. I have never been as happy as when I had my sight.

At 91 years, what place does music hold in your life?
The music you never loose. I never consider myself too old to invent a song, I could do it right now if I wanted to.

What message would you like to give the city of Limón?
Whenever I go to Limon I am received with much regard and respect. I hope that the younger musicians will continue to play music, we need to help them keep Calypso alive.

And the rest of Costa Rica?
I was born on the Panamanian border and when they ask me where I was born, I say the truth, but my gratitude is for Costa Rica, because I have been here since I was a young child. I am proud to be from Panama, but when they ask where I come from, I always say I am Costa Rican.

Still the King of Calypso, at 91 years old and now mostly blind, the famous Walter Ferguson lives a simple life on a pension. Nonetheless, the King of Costa Rican Calypso still manages to make his way around Cahuita town alone, and stubbornly refuses help from others. Never at a loss for words, long live the King of Calypso, he will be sorely missed when he is gone!

Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.

SOURCES:

Agouti

2010-03-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Eye on Costa Rica

Saturday, March 13, 2010Agouti

This Costa Rican Rodent is no Rat!

A popular Costa Rican jungle inhabitant commonly found around Manuel Antonio, as well as within the grounds of Hotel Makanda by the Sea, is the Agouti. A member of the rodent species, they are similar to a large guinea pig with longer legs, and happily a distinctive short hairless tail, as opposed to the rat tail found in many rodent species. The Agouti varies in color from a grey tinged dark beige, to a rich dark brown, with the undersides being lighter colored or almost grey. Their body consists of coarse hair, which raises when the animals are alarmed, making this rodent look larger in size. The average length is around 20 inches, with a top weight of 18 pounds.

Agoutis are cute little mammals with a bunny-like twitching nose, five front and three hind toes; and a lead toe being very small. The hairless tail is very short or non-existent. The molar teeth consist of cylindrical crowns, effective for foraging on fruits and nuts. They are rumored to be the only species that can open Brazil nuts without tools, courtesy of their strong jaw and exceptionally sharp teeth.

Forgetful little fellows, the Agoutis are known as "scatter hoarders", burying the seeds they hoard throughout the forest, but often times forgetting where they have stored all of their food. These often times forgotten fruits and nuts then germinate, growing into healthy adult plants and trees dispersing new plant species throughout the rainforest.

Loving little rodents, Agoutis usually form a strong pair bond of one male and one female, with the bond lasting their lifetime. Together they will defend a territory of up to 2 hectares. Communicating extensively through odor signals, they mark their trails, feeding and sleeping areas by dragging their anal scent glands across the marking areas or across objects. Should an intruder invade this territory, Agoutis will make a warning call similar to that of a barking dog, or when pushed, they may actually attack the intruder.

Agoutis breed throughout the year. When courting, the male Agouti showers his mate with urine, exciting her into a "courtship dance", after which she allows the male to approach. Approximately 3 months later, the female Agouti will give birth to a litter of 1-3 offspring in a soft bed of twigs, fur and leaves. The baby, which is born incredibly developed, is then raised alone in a small burrow, the opening being smaller than the mother, which protects the tiny animal from predators. At least twice a day, the mother will call the baby out of its protective burrow using a low growling dog-like bark in order to nurse her young.

Agoutis are generally found in forest and wooded areas throughout Central and South America, and can commonly be spotted while visiting local Costa Rica hotels. They conceal themselves at night in hollow tree-trunks or burrows among roots to hide and protect themselves. Active animals, they are suprisingly graceful in movement, and general move in a gentle trot, turning in to a series of deer-like springing jumps when startled. Agoutis take readily to water, swimming quite well, and when feeding, they prop up, sitting on their hind legs and holding the food between their small forepaws.

These likeable little creatures are said to live as long as 20 years, an incredibly long time for a member of the rodent species. Although well camoflauged, they will often times stop to allow visitors the perfect photo opportunity. So on your next visit to Costa Rica, keep an eye peeled and your camera ready, as you could happen upon a wonderful little rodent, one that I am happy to say is not a RAT!

Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.

Posted by EyeOnCostaRica at 11:55 AM

Infowebpress

2010-03-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

Infowebpress

Tourists the world over came to Guanacaste to live to the extreme their passion for sports fishing. The Presidential Challenge tournament took place this past 5th, 6th and 7th of March at Samara. The event was an important window of exposition for the tourism in Costa Rica and a recovery for the local economy of the zone.

Tortuga Island

2010-03-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

One-Day Tour of the Natural Beauty of Tortuga Island, Costa Rica

Mon, Feb 22, 2010

Wildlife Destinations

Tortuga island is a great place to escape form crowd and on spend vacation, lying on the perfect smooth white sand; palm trees at the inland along the shoreline; pristine glittering blue water washing the shores of the island; just a perfect holiday destination! The Tortuga is a Spanish word, which means turtle in English, and on this island, you are most likely encounter with the other species of animals and birds too. Costa Rica travel includes the Tortuga Island which has been attracting many tourists from over the world, for its tropical island beach, thus making it the most visited beach in whole country. The beach is a great place to lie down – lazily, do snorkeling and swimming. It’s a perfect location to stop by for the ideal tropical island vacation.

We first started off by booking for the Calypso Catamaran Cruise, which is also very well known for the Pacific island Cruise. They organize one-day boat tour, which is filled by adventure. The boat daily leaves from the Puntarenas, Costa Rica’s major Pacific Port for the twenty-three island, in the waters of the Gulf of Nicoya. The huge seventy-one feet Catamaran Manta Raya was a splendid ride to be on. While riding on the boat, under the waters, we saw dolphins, porpoise, aquatic birds and sea turtles. The tour has two destinations it takes to either: the private reserve of Punta Coral, which is amidst the world’s last left behind tropical forest dry forest and in addition is the habitat of the many wildlife together with howler monkeys and yellow napped parrots; or Costa Rica’s well-known palm studded, white sand beach Isla Tortuga island. We thought of going to the Punta corals, but thinking about the beach; we decided to go on the second option Tortuga Island.

It is a beautiful tropic isle with lined coconuts trees on the white glittering sand. The island has many boat excursions that can be enjoyed and most of the cruise passengers come here for a day trip, to feel the haven! The ships take ninety minutes to reach near Jaco to here, from the Los Sueños marina, at Playa Herradura, and Puntarenas. During winters the island is fully glutted by the passengers came here on the cruise. the dock is always crowded by the ships and boats waiting for their stop to get unloaded by its passenger.

Things to Do on the Island

The beach is just amazing to be at in serenity with the natural beauty around us. The island offers many outdoor activities, like snorkeling, swimming, volleyball, hiking, or taking a nap in the most beautiful tropic island.

The list doesn’t end over here, you can enjoy little thrilling activities, like pedal and oar boats, kayaks, Spyaks, water-bicycles.

What You Can Expect

As the Costa Rica has just two different seasons – wet and dry, where you wont have summer or winter months as the temperature is always between seventy and eight one. Between the November and December, the temperature is the coolest in the region. The rainy season starts from the May and last till December, but in April and December, the region has little showers. And in September and October, its rains heavily. The months you won’t want to visit are between March to May, during these months the climate is very humid and temperature is hot.

Getting around

The main airport of Costa Rica, which handles international as well as domestic flights, is the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO). The airport is to the west of San Jose, situated twenty-three kilometers away and three kilometers south of Alajuela.

The place is mostly visited by the cruise passengers. But it’s a great place to spend a whole day exploring the underwater marine life and chilling at the beach. People who are looking to escape from the hustle bustle of the crowded beach, then this island is wonderful to be at for peaceful mind and stress free environment!

Golfito

2010-03-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

Golfito: A bustling natural town

Mon, Mar 1, 2010

Golfito is a port town that lies in the Puntarenas Province on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, which is close to the border of Panama. The town is located on a narrow strip of land that could be found between the eponymous bay and a hill. The town offers some of the major attractions worth visiting along with great experiences of shopping, and other sightseeing areas. When Golfito is a town in Costa Rica, you can assume how much it has to offer to the tourists.

Costa Rica is one of the major tourist destinations in the world. The town of Golfito is best known for its surfing activity. Many surfers from far areas visit Golfito to enjoy and try this activity. The town of Golfito is known as the gateway to the newest attraction Eco-Lodges in Costa Rica. Eco-Lodges are all about the small hotel or lodge that merges into its environment by providing visitors a chance to see the natural areas of it. It tries to make smallest amount of impact to the environment. Golfito has been opened as a Duty Free Zone by the Costa Rican Government just to bring the city back into the life.

Earlier, the town of Golfito was bustling as a banana port. It mainly serves as a departure point for tourists who pass from the beach resorts towards the north or south direction. The town of Golfito also attracts sport fishers who dock their vessels and enjoy beer drinking and tale telling. Tourists not only enjoy the settings of the town, but also enjoy the backdrop forest of Golfito as well. The picturesque backdrop is a captivating place worth exploring. If you are planning to visit the Golfito town, then do not miss to visit the Refugio Nacional de Fauna Sivestre Golfito that offers wonderful picturesque backdrop. More over it invites tourists to experience its many harboring species of flora and fauna.

For accommodation, you have wonderful Eco Lodges waiting for you to come and stay. Golfito’s forests, oceans, and environment are at one side and its nature tourism or Eco Lodges are on other side. This will give you a great opportunity to stay, rest, and enjoy. The best way to explore the nature and surroundings of Golfito is to take a beautiful 30 minutes boat ride. This will give you immense pleasure and breathtaking nature. To boost the economy of Golfito, the government of Costa Rica has built a duty free facility in the northern part of Golfito.

So, you can enjoy the duty free shopping in a wide variety. The shopping center draws Ticos from all over the country who rushes here to enjoy and experience the 24-hour tax-free shopping sprees. Head to the Pavones and across the gulf at Cabo Matapalo where you will get many surfers enjoying the waves. You can reach to the Pavones through Golfito Domestic Airport or else you can even drive down to Golfito and continue towards south. This will take at least one to one and a half hours.

Golfito is an ideal destination that offers activities, sightseeing opportunities and other attractions to the tourists. So be a part of Golfito and make a memorable time of your life.

2010-02-03T23:29:00.000-08:00

What is the Living Costs in Costa Rica?

Tags: Cost of Living in Costa Rica, Costs in Costa Rica, Live in Costa Rica, Living Costs in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica

The living cost in Costa Rica has numerous advantages. The sheer variety of activities available for enjoyment and the spectacular sights you can visit throughout the country make life here a constant adventure. If you add this to the availability of modern conveniences, many large malls to choose from, excellent cultural activities, an exciting nightlife and superb medical services all with a low cost of living in Costa Rica. With all of the above, you can begin to understand why so many people have chosen to live, work, and retire in Costa Rica.

One of the aspects I enjoy most about life in Jaco Beach is the low cost of living in Costa Rica which allows your dollar to stretch much further. This gives you purchasing power for services and luxuries that would be much too expensive to afford in the U.S., Canada, or Europe. I will give you a glimpse of the living costs in Costa Rica in this article, so you can compare what these costs are here with the costs of your hometown. The cost of living in San Jose Costa Rica is amongst the lowest of any in Latin America. Overall, the costs are about 30% less compared to those of North America, especially for services such as telephone, electricity, water, and domestic/maintenance services, as well as the cost of dining out and visits to the movies.

If you add this to Costa Rica’s mild weather, which eliminates the need for cooling and heating, you would really appreciate the cost savings you could have living here.

Living Costs in Costa Rica

Maid Service- $1.75 – $2.50 per hour

Ticket to see a movie in a modern theater – $5

Minimum price to see a cultural event at the National Theater – $8

Ticket to see a First Division Soccer Team Match – $12

An excellent steak dinner in a good restaurant – less than $20

Basic home phone service – $7 per month (base rate)

Cellular phone service through ICE – $7 per month (base rate)

Basic cable TV service – $27 per month

ADSL internet home service – $26 per month

Men’s haircut & shampoo at luxury barbershops – $15

Men’s haircut at local barbershop – $5.25

La Nacion, Costa Rica’s leading daily newspaper – $0.35

A bottle of Coca Cola (reusable glass bottle) – $0.60

A bottle of Coca Cola (disposable plastic bottle) – $1.00

Fresh Ahi Tuna – Approximately $3.60 per pound

Fresh Mahi Mahi – Approximately $3.50 per pound

A pound of beans – $0.70 per pound

A pound of rice – $0.50 per pound

A bottle of Imperial beer – $0.85

1/2 Gallon of Orange Juice – $2.25

1/2 Gallon of Milk – $1.40

5 Gallon Tank of Purified Water – $3.50

American Style Rib Eye Steak (local grocery store) – Approximately $5.00 per lb

A pack of local cigarettes – $0.87

Bus ride from downtown San Jose to Escazu – $0.55

Bus ride from San Jose to Jaco Beach (60 miles) – $3.57

Taxi any where in Jaco – $0.75 – $3.00

Suzuki ATV-Eiger 500cc with trailer – $7,000

Harley Davidson 1200 Nighster – $14,300

Harley Davidson Custom Classic – $10,100

2007 Honda CR-V 4×2 SUV – $26,900

2005 KIA Rio 4 door compact – $7,850

2007 Toyota Prado (6 cyl) Diesel 4×4 – $33,600 (fully loaded)

While some imported manufactured items such as appliances, TV’s, computers, and vehicles are more expensive but these are items you do not purchase every month or every year. However, your daily and recurring monthly expenses are much cheaper here and you can also enjoy a higher standard of living in Costa Rica, a country that has most of the comforts of living found in North America and Europe. When you can have a full-time maid for $200 per month and/or a driver for $400 per month, your lifestyle experiences a significant transformation. Taking everything into consideration; great year-round climate, the friendly people of Costa Rica, political stability, a relatively low crime rate, a truly peaceful country which has no military, and low living costs in Costa Rica, it’s a wonder you are not living here already!

How elections work in Costa Rica

2010-02-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

506 TicoPost

How elections work in Costa Rica

By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | clong@ticotimes.net

Who can vote? Any citizen 18 years old or older and present in the country during the time of the election can vote. There is no absentee voting in Costa Rica. The voter must show his or her cédula, or national identification card.

How do I vote? You can find out where your polling station is by visiting www.tse.go.cr and clicking on the Dónde Votar tab. You will be prompted to enter your name or cédula number. Polls are open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

How are legislators elected?
There are no direct elections of legislators in Costa Rica. Instead, lawmakers in the country's 57-seat Legislative Assembly are decided according to the number of votes cast for each party. The country is divided into seven provinces, each with a predetermined number of seats in the legislature: San José (20), Alajuela (11), Cartago (7), Heredia (5), Guanacaste (4), Puntarenas (5). Voters select among the competing parties and the percentage of votes those parties receive determines which candidates – preselected by the parties – will fill the regional seats.

How are presidential candidates selected?
Each party selects its candidate either through an internal election in which all party delegates vote or through a primary election. Both the National Liberation Party (PLN) and Citizen Action Party (PAC) held primary elections. Former PLN Vice President Laura Chinchilla beat out San José Mayor Johnny Araya to capture her party's nomination, and economist and three-time presidential candidate Ottón Solís won the PAC nomination.

Could the presidential election go into a second round?
Under the Election Code, the leading candidate must get more than 40 percent of the votes to avoid a runoff election. If no candidate receives more than 40 percent of the vote, the elections move into a second round (scheduled for April 3 an 4. The two candidates with the most votes face off in a second round.

How much is budgeted for the 2010 election and a possible run off?
The Supreme Elections Tribunal has set aside ₡ 7.85 billion ($14,060,558) for the Feb. 7 election and ₡ 1.35 billion ($2.4 million) for a possible runoff.

When will we know the results?
As soon as the polls close on Sunday, Feb. 7, the final count will be sent via computers and telephones from the country's 6,617 polling stations. The results will be posted on the Supreme Elections Tribunal Web site: www.tse.go.cr, beginning at 8 p.m.

Laura Chinchilla

2010-02-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

Posted by: CRsurfer

Biography of Laura Chinchilla Costa Rica 2010 Presidential Campaign

Biography of Laura Chinchilla Miranda

Laura Chinchilla Miranda, current presidential candidate of the Partido Liberación Nacional of Costa Rica for the general elections of 2010. Laura Chinchilla was born on March 28, 1959 in San Jose, Costa Rica, the daughter of Rafael Angel Chinchilla Fallas, Comptroller General of the Republic during two administrations (1972-1987) and Emilce Miranda Castillo. Since 2000 she has been married to Jose Maria Rico Cueto and they have a son, José María Rico Chinchilla.

Share with others about the Biography Laura Chinchilla in English or Biografia de Laura Chinchilla en Espanol

First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica and Minister of Justice in the administration of Óscar Arias Sánchez (2006-2010). Although she left office on October 8, 2008, to pursue further her political career and created the Laura Chinchilla campaign for the presidency of Costa Rica with the Partido Liberación Nacional.

Since 1990 she has worked as a consultant in Latin America and Africa for various international agencies in the area of institutional reform, with special emphasis on judicial reform and public security reform. Some consultancy led her to conduct assessments of the justice sector for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the coordination of studies and projects on judicial reform for the United Nations Program for Development ( UNDP) and assessments and advice on police reform to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Laura Chinchilla has been a speaker at various international forums on matters of public security and police reform. She has served on various reform initiatives that promote citizen security and human rights throughout Latin America, such as the Project Advisory Committee of Civil Society and Public Safety for the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the Central American Dialogue Foundation Arias for Peace and Human Progress, and the Foundation for Peace and Democracy (FUNPADEM). During this period Laura Chinchilla has published in both Spanish and English – books, monographs and articles on subjects relating to the administration of justice, public security and police reform. Career highlights of Laura include working in the public sector management as Deputy Minister of Public Security (1994 – 1996) and Minister of Public Safety (1996 to 1998). She was also Chairman of the Joint Drug Intelligence Center, Chair of the National Immigration Council, member of the National Drug Council, National Security Council and the Academic Council of the National Police Academy.

In the Costa Rica Legislature, she has worked in areas of judicial reform, public safety (police, drug trafficking, organized crime, etc..) Political and institutional reform (reform of the state and electoral reform), trade, technology, and children and youth programs.

Laura Chinchilla Biography during the last administration

After a bitter campaign, Laura Chinchilla managed to become vice president with the Partido Liberación Nacional and Oscar Arias Sanchez as the presidential candidate. She and Kevin Casas Zamora remained as first and second vice presidents respectively, and the cabinet was led by Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez in the post of Minister of Justice. The Second Vice President Kevin Casas Zamora resigned on September 22, 2007 because of ethical questions. Laura Chinchilla campaign for Costa Rica president was born on October 8, 2008 driven by a citizen initiative that has pushed her to becoming the first female president of Costa Rica.

Laura Chinchilla Campaign

On Saturday, 10 October 2008, and after the Supreme Electoral Tribunal formally withdrew her credentials as Vice-President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla announced to the media of her legitimate desire to run for the presidency of Costa Rica, and for her pre-candidacy Partido Liberación Naciona which needed to still vote for a leader of their ticket.

Voting for the ticket in the Partido Liberación Naciona was held on 7 June 2009, and declared Laura a winner by a margin greater than 15%, and was chosen by the Partido Liberación Naciona of Costa Rica to be the official candidate for presidency in 2010.

Laura Chinchilla’s campaigns main rival is Otto Guevara the candidate running on the ticket for Partido Movimiento Libertario. During the past year her rivals have personally attacked Laura with innuendos of poor character and as being a puppet for the President of the Republic Oscar Arias Sanchez and the PLN. According to recent surveys, 45% of voters for Laura Chinchilla has kept her in the lead followed by the candidate Guevara, who has experienced a surge in support from the electorate in the remaining months running up to the Feb. 7th elections. There is a third candidate Otton Solis who mostly dilutes the voter pool for Laura since she needs to win a clear 40% of the vote in order to win the elections. If it is less, even though she won amongst the other candidates, there will be a run off elections to determine the wi

Costa Pacífica

2010-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

Travel Solutions

Water Fun in Costa Rica; Water Activities with a Tropical Theme!

Published: Jan 6th, 2010 | Author: Travel Add Comment

Costa Rica lies between Panama and Nicaragua and it is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the North Pacific Ocean to the west. It is comprised of 51,100 square kilometers and the territorial waters take up about 589 square kilometers. The beaches extend to more than 1100 miles of sheer beauty with the Pacific Ocean on the western side and the Caribbean Sea on the eastern side.

At the Costa Rican beaches you can engage yourself in various kinds of activities. Among the numerous activities you can spend time in snorkeling, scuba diving, yachting, kayaking, surfing, water-skiing, deep-sea fishing, sports fishing, diving, swimming and many such water sports.

Surfing is perhaps the most popular activity. The Playa Avellana, Nicoya Peninsula’s Playa Santa Teresa, Santa Rosa National Park’s Playa Naranjo, Playa Negra, Playa Hermosa, Playa Grande, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Dominical and Playa Pavones are considered as the best options among the Costa Rica beaches for surfing with regards to the breaks and swells.

Fishing in this country, is also a popular most satisfying water sport. Costa Rica has a vast resource of fish in its huge stretches of lakes, seas and ocean. Be it deep sea fishing or fresh water fishing, Costa Rica has it all. Due to the large scale in which fishing is carried out there are several formal units of Costa Rica fishing. There is a wide variety of fish that are available, like the Sailfish, Wahoo, Billfish, Roosterfish, Marlin, Dolphins, Tuna, Cubera, Snapper, Blue runners, Snook and various other unusual fish. One can fish in various places with a lot of success.

The primary center for fishing is the stretch between Gulf of Papagayo Flamingo Beach and Cabo Blanca that has a complete marina option.

Popular ports of the Pacific area that is used for fishing are Flamingo, Carrillo, Coco, Ocotal, Tamarindo, Golfito, Dominical, Punta Leona, Puntarenas, Zancudo, Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Drake Bay, Zancudo and Tambor.

Another popular area for fishing in the Central Pacific region is the stretch between Drake Bay Quepos and Cabo Blanco.

Golfito is probably the major juncture for fishing in the South Pacific region with two developed marinas.

The lodges that let you experience great fishing at the Caribbean are situated in Parismina, Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero.

In Costa Rica you can also enjoy Diving and Scuba Diving. Little discovered, and still uncrowded, Scuba divers travel here from all parts of the world to see thousands of hammerhead sharks and enormous schools of innumerable fish in our tropical, plankton rich water. The waters offshore also teem with marine life.

You can dive in calm transparent waters on the Caribbean coast or opt for the wilder and more spectacular Pacific side. Most good diving is on the Pacific side. The Caribbean reefs were decimated some years ago due to pesticide runoff from the banana plantations although the last two or three years have seen a definite return of life to the region. The best months are in September-November.

There are three main areas for diving on the Pacific Ocean side. The first area is Isla del Cano, located on the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica. The other two lie in the northern province of Guanacaste.

Canoeing and kayaking is one of best low impact ways to enjoy this amazing area and sea kayak and canoe tours are designed with an educative emphasis that seeks to assure preservation of the environment for years to come. The warm, rushing rivers which sweep through Costa Rica’s lush countryside offer world class white water rafting and kayaking opportunities. Rafting enthusiasts from around the world try their skills against these wild and turbulent rivers.

River Rafting is also great. If you’re trying river rafting for the first time, there are gentle rapids and lovely places to just float through. Whichever type of experience you have, you will be paddling through prime nature viewing areas, and so you will likely see otters, herons, parrots and iguanas too.

Most of the rivers in Costa Rica flow towards the Caribbean. After a heavy rain they come to life, going from being a reasonable river to become a place to enjoy the best whitewater rafting. The waters of these rivers are fairly warm so you are not at all uncomfortable unless you are nervous about trying Costa Rica rafting. Experienced water goers can also try their hand at kayaking the rivers as well.

Boating in Costa Rica is the ultimate experience. There are several boat trips that are well worth doing and are perhaps the most interesting way to get from one region to another. Traveling by boat across the eastern end of Lake Arenal is expensive, but by far the fastest and most beautiful way to travel between Arenal and Monteverde. There is a fascinating four-hour boat trip from Puerto Viejo on the Sarapiqui River into Nicaragua on the San Juan and on the Tortuguero. The boat trip from Cano Blanco to Tortuguero is also worth doing.

This a small list of the water fum you can have in Costa Rica. A country blessed with beautiful beaches, tropical waters and peacefull energy, has a lot to offer, especially for the water sports lovers!

For more information on the fascinating land of Costa Rica, visit In Costa Rica
Guide
There are several water activities you can enjoy while visiting Costa Rica. Find out at In Costa Rica Guide, Water Activities

Avenida Escazu

2009-12-31T00:56:00.000-08:00

Paradise Profits

Costa Rica’s Avenida Escazu: IMAX Theater Arrives in Style

Costa Rica’s first IMAX screen and six cinemas introduce high-tech entertainment and style to the San Jose suburb of Escazu. A total of 1,300 seats, two VIP rooms, a food court and a sports bar will make the facility one of Central Americas largest, with additional cafes, shops, offices and a hotel flanking the centerpiece to provide a boon to the local Costa Rican economy; an estimated 450 new jobs will be created.

Inauguration for the facility was on Nov. 19, with IMAX officially opening on Dec. 18, while the other cinemas and attractions are nearing completion. No expense has been spared: the

hotel is five-star rated, and its design won first place in 2006 at the Architecture Biennale.

The IMAX arrival to Costa Rica is part of a 35 theater deal with RACIMEC for South and Central America, and is viewed by IMAX Co-CEOs and Co-Chairmen Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler as an integral part of company growth in coming years. The contract with RACIMEC, one of the most prominent entertainment and public gaming companies in the world, is the second largest international theater deal on record. A wide range of 3-D movies and special productions are being slated by major Hollywood producers to give moviegoers an experience never before seen in Costa Rica. Ticket prices have started at 5,000 colones ($9).

Avenida Escazu is located next to CIMA Hospital in Escazu.

Tortugas de Costa Rica - Mapa de Temporadas y Anidamiento

2009-12-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

Tortugas de Costa Rica - Mapa de Temporadas y Anidamiento

Gap Adventures and Planeterra

2009-12-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

Partnership To Create New Opportunities for Sustainable Tourism Companies in Costa Rica

TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2009 Costa Rican hotel owners and managers who are committed to eco-tourism and sustainability have a new way to offer and promote their adventure travel services thanks to an agreement recently signed by the international conservation group Rainforest Alliance, North American tour operator Gap Adventures and the nonprofit voluntourism organization Planeterra.

Gap Adventures and Planeterra will now promote to its customers those Costa Rican tourism businesses that have either achieved a Tourism Sustainability Certificate awarded by ICT (the Costa Rican Tourism Board) or that are part of the Rainforest Alliances Sustainable Tourism program.
With this agreement, Gap Adventures and Planeterra join 40 other international tour operators in Europe and North America that are now working with the Rainforest Alliance (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org).
Founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures, Planeterra (http://www.planeterra.org/) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable community development through travel. It has been charged with coordinating the implementation of new and existing Gap Adventures sustainability initiatives, including this significant step toward formalizing the program designed to further green the Gap Adventures supply chain, including hotels and local suppliers used on Gap Adventures trips.
This agreement with Gap Adventures and Planeterra will have a major impact, as Gap Adventures is considered to be the largest independent adventure travel company in the world. It will help us increase the number of travelers who will become aware of Costa Ricas conservation efforts. It will also increase business opportunities for those hotels that are truly committed to achieving sustainability, said Cristina Suhr, Marketing Manager for the Rainforest Alliance.
As part of this partnership, Gap Adventures and Planeterra guarantee that at least half of the businesses included in their tourism packages to Costa Rica are working toward sustainability goals. In addition, the two companies will survey tour guests upon their return from vacation to evaluate their overall experience. The information obtained will be analyzed and then forwarded to the Rainforest Alliance.
The Gap Adventures website (http://www.gapadventures.com/) will soon feature a statement about its commitment to sustainability as well as stories and testimonials from clients who have visited sustainable tourism businesses in Costa Rica.
As we continue to grow, it is increasingly important to work with the Rainforest Alliance to keep the focus on our original goal of offering innovative ways of showing people a sustainable world. It is even more relevant to continuously assess how we can do things better. Working with the Rainforest Alliance is a big step in that direction, explained Bruce Poon Tip, CEO of Gap Adventures.
As part of the agreement, the Rainforest Alliance will provide the tour operator with contacts for all of its colleagues in Costa Rica who have signed commitments to sustainability as well as a list of certified tourism businesses or those that are implementing good sustainable management practices. In addition, the Rainforest Alliance will periodically organize research trips to Costa Rica for trip development representatives from Gap Adventures and Planeterra so that they can familiarize themselves with new destinations and businesses that might become part of future travel packages and community voluntourism projects the companies offer.

# # #
Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. For more information, visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org.

Gap Adventures is a world leader in adventure travel offering small group adventures on all seven continents and beyond serving more than 100,000 travelers annually. The award-winning trips, which focus on culture, nature and active travel, are ideal for those with a sense of exploration people who want to leave the beaten path and authentically immerse themselves in a local culture or environment to experience the real world in a sustainable manner.For more information, visit: http://www.gapadventures.com or call 1-800-708-7761.
Planeterra is a global non-profit dedicated to sustainable community development through travel. Founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures, Planeterra evolved out of a long history of travelers committed to finding ways to give back to the people and places they visit. Planeterra selects the projects and works with them to arrange voluntour travel programs worldwide.

For information on Planeterras year-round voluntour programs visit:
http://www.planeterra.org/pages/voluntours/4.php or call 1-416-260-0999.

officially the Republic of Costa Rica

2009-12-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

History of Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, pronounced [re?pu?likaðe?kosta?rika]), is a republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Costa Rica is among the safest countries in Latin America and is currently the least impoverished Spanish speaking country in the world, with poverty percentages lower than that of Spain and other developed countries and levels of urbanization that nears those ones of countries such as Finland and Norway. In 2007 the government of Costa Rica said it wants to be the first developing country to become carbon neutral by 2021.

The first European to reach what is now Costa Rica was Christopher Columbus in 1502.[4] In Pre-Columbian times the Indigenous people, in what is now known as Costa Rica, were part of the Intermediate Area located between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions. This has recently been updated to include the influence of the Isthmo-Colombian area.

It was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya Peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl (named after Nitin) cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The central and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences. However, the indigenous people have influenced modern Costa Rican culture to a relatively small degree, as most of these died from diseases such as small pox and mistreatment by the Spaniards.

During Spanish Colonial times, the principal city in Central America was Guatemala City. Costa Rica’s distance from this hub led to difficulty in establishing trade routes and was one of the reasons that Costa Ricans developed in relative isolation and with little oversight from the Spanish Monarchy (”The Crown”). While this isolation allowed the colony to develop free of intervention by The Crown, it also contributed to its failure to share in the prosperity of the Colonies, making Costa Rica the poorest Spanish Colony in Central America.[6] Costa Rica was described as “the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all Americas” by a Spanish governor in 1719.[7]

Another contributing factor to this poverty was lack of indigenous peoples to use for forced labor. While many Spaniards in the other colonies had tribal members to work their land, most of the Costa Rican settlers had to work their own land. For all these reasons, Costa Rica was by and large unappreciated and overlooked by the Crown and left to develop on its own. It is believed that the circumstances during this period led to the formation of many of the idiosyncrasies that Costa Rica has become known for, while at the same time setting the stage for Costa Rica’s development as a more egalitarian society than the rest of its neighbors. Costa Rica became a “rural democracy” with no oppressed mestizo or indigenous class. It was not long before Spanish settlers turned to the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a climate that was milder than that of the lowlands.

Costa Rica joined other Central American provinces in 1821 in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. After a brief time in the Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide Costa Rica became a state in the Federal Republic of Central America from 1823 to 1839. In 1824 the capital was moved to San José, but due to an intense rivalry with Cartago, violence briefly ensued. Although the newly independent provinces formed a Federation, border disputes broke out among them, adding to the region’s turbulent history and conditions.

Costa Rica’s membership in the newly formed Federal Republic of Central America, now free of Spanish rule, was short lived; in 1838, long after the Central American Federation ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. The distance from Guatemala City to the Central Valley of Costa Rica, where most of the population lived and still lives, was great. The local population had little allegiance to the government in Guatemala City, in part because of the history of isolation during Colonial times. Costa Rica’s disinterest in participating as a province in a greater Central American government was one of the deciding factors in the break-up of the fledgling federation into independent states, which still exist today. However, all of the Central American nations still celebrate September 15th as their independence day, which pertains to the independence of Central America from Spain.

Most Afro-Costa Ricans, who constitute about 3% of the country’s population, descend from Jamaican immigrants who arrived during the 1880s to work in the construction of railways connecting the urban populations of the Central Plateau to the port of Limón on the Caribbean coast. US convicts and Chinese immigrants also participated in the construction project, conducted by US businessman Minor C. Keith. In exchange for completing the railroad, the Costa Rican government granted Keith large tracts of land and a lease on the train route, which he used to produce bananas and export them to the United States. As a result, bananas came to rival coffee as the principal Costa Rican export, while foreign-owned corporations (including the United Fruit Company) began to hold a major role in the national economy.

Historically, Costa Rica has generally enjoyed greater peace and more consistent political stability compared with many of its fellow Latin American nations. Since the late nineteenth century, however, Costa Rica has experienced two significant periods of violence. In 1917-19, Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a dictator until he was overthrown and forced into exile. Again in 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rica Civil War was the bloodiest event in Costa Rican history during the twentieth-century. Afterwards, the new, victorious government junta, led by the opposition, abolished the military and oversaw the drafting of a new constitution by a democratically-elected assembly. Having enacted these reforms, the regime finally relinquished its power in 8 November of 1949 to the new democratic government. After the coup d’etat, Figueres became a national hero, winning the country’s first democratic election under the new constitution in 1953. Since then, Costa Rica has held 12 presidential elections, the latest being in 2006. All of them have been widely regarded by the international community as peaceful, transparent, and relatively smooth transitions.

Geography

Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometers (802 mi) of coastline (212 km / 132 mi on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km / 631 mi on the Pacific). It is about the size of West Virginia and shares that state’s reputation for excellent whitewater kayaking/rafting opportunities.

On the Río Savegre, just below San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Highlands of Costa Rica.

Two of the country’s most renowned rivers in that regard are the Rio Pacuare and the Rio Reventazon located near the city of Turrialba about two hours east of San Jose. Other notable whitewater areas are the Sarapiqui Valley area, several Pacific coast rivers near Quepos, and the southern Pacific drainage area around San Isidro de General.

Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km / 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km / 397 mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 sq. mi) plus 589.000 square kilometers of territorial waters.

The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,810 metres (12,500 ft), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m / 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal.

Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24 km² / 9.25 sq mi, 500 km or 300 mi from Puntarenas coast), but Calero Island is the largest island of the country (151.6 km² / 58.5 sq mi).

Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the Protected Areas system. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world

Politics

Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong constitution. Although there are claims that the country has had more than 115 years of uninterrupted democracy, their presidential election history shows otherwise (see List of Presidents of Costa Rica). Nonetheless, the country has had at least fifty-nine years of uninterrupted democracy, making it one of the most stable countries in the region. Costa Rica has been able to successfully avoid the widespread violence that has plagued most of Central America.

Executive responsibilities are vested in a president, who is the country’s center of power. There also are two vice presidents as well as a cabinet designated by the president. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven Legislative Assembly delegates are elected for four-year terms. A constitutional amendment approved in 1969 limited presidents and delegates to one term, although delegates were allowed to run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.

In April 2003, the constitutional ban on presidential re-election was reversed, allowing Óscar Arias (Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 1987) to run for President for a second term. In 2006, Óscar Arias was re-elected in a tight and highly contested election, running on a platform of promoting free trade. He took office on May 8, 2006. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the telecommunications and electrical power monopoly, the nationalized commercial banks, the state insurance monopoly, and the social security agency. Costa Rica has no military by constitution but maintains domestic police forces for internal security. These include the Guardia Civil and the Guardia Rural.

Other current political issues include security, crime, and the limiting of large-scale immigration of people from Nicaragua.

Provinces and cantons

Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 81 cantons (”cantón” in Spanish, plural “cantones”), each directed by a mayor. Mayors are chosen democratically every four years by each canton’s people. There are no provincial legislatures.

1. Alajuela

2. Cartago

3. Guanacaste

4. Heredia

5. Limón

6. Puntarenas

7. San José

Economy

Costa Rica is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and this is one of the main driving forces in the Costa Rican economy. With a $1.9-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007, thus reaching a rate of foreign tourists per capita of 0,46, one of the highest in the Caribbean Basin. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. (54%) and the E.U. (14%), which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip. In 2005, tourism contributed with 8,1% of the country’s GNP and represented 13,3% of direct and indirect employment. Although there is a general slowdown in the world economy, there is no slow down in Costa Rica. The following information just came out from the ministry of tourism.

Tourism in Costa Rica remains

strong despite U.S. economic downturn

“Tourism growth continued to be strong in January 2008, despite fears that an economic slowdown in the United States might put a damper on this year.

Measured by traffic at the Juan Santamaría and Daniel Oduber Quirós international airports, tourism was up 13.7% over January 2007.

In raw numbers, that’s 145,145 tourists that arrived last month at those airports, a figure Tourism Minister Carlos Benavides described as “getting off on the right foot.” Visitors to Costa Rica in 2007 increased 11.5% over the previous year’s numbers.”

Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. In terms of Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, in 2007 Costa Rica reached the 41st place in the world ranking, being the first among Latin American countries. Just considering the subindex measuring human, cultural, and natural resources, Costa Rica ranks in the 20th place at a worldwide level.

Since Costa Rica is a top tourist destination it is also becoming one of the hottest real estate markets in the world for a number of reasons. Many Americans find it more comfortable traveling to Costa Rica to spend their time and money. Costa Rica is one of the safest places in the world and has one of the most stable economies in the world. They have no standing army, which was disbanded in 1948 so you can have no dictator come to power and use the armed forces to keep him in power as is the case in many other dictatorial countries.

Further, the dollar has weakened against the Euro so travel to the European countries has become extremely expensive. However, in Costa Rica, the dollar still goes a long way. I just came back from a trip to the coast and was able to find a room in a rustic motel for $15.00 per night. So the many of millions of tourist that come to Costa Rica many are buying condos or building homes for vacation homes. This is causing Costa Rica to be the hottest real estate market in the world according to a recent MSNBC news segment. Billions of real estate dollars are flowing into the country and this is causing another boom in all the other related businesses, construction, hotels, malls, restaurants, office buildings, supermarkets, telecommunications and the numerous other small businesses that are needed to serve growing communities.

Business Community

The central government offers tax exemptions for those who are willing to invest in the country. Several global high tech corporations have already started developing in the area exporting goods including chip manufacturer Intel, pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, and consumer products company Procter & Gamble. Trade with South East Asia and Russia has boomed during 2004 and 2005, and the country is expected to obtain full Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) membership by 2007 (the country became an observer in 2004).

For the fiscal year 2005, the country showed a government deficit of 2.1%, internal revenue increased an 18%, and exports increased a 12.8%. Revised economic figures released by the Central Bank indicate that economic growth stood at 5%, nevertheless the country faced high inflation (14%) and a trade deficit of 5.2%.

In recent times electronics, pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development, and ecotourism have become the prime industries in Costa Rica’s economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investing location.

The unit of currency is the colón (CRC), which trades around 503 to the U.S. dollar; currently about 756 to the euro. On October 16, 2006, a new currency exchange system was introduced, allowing the value of the CRC colón to float between two bands as done previously by Chile. The idea is that by doing so the Central Bank will be able to better tackle inflation and discourage the use of US dollars. Since that time, the value of the colón against the dollar has stabilized.

Costa Rica’s location provides easy access to American markets as it has the same time zone as the central part of the United States and direct ocean access to Europe and Asia. A country wide referendum has approved a free trade agreement with the United States.

Foreign affairs

Costa Rica is an active member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the United Nations University of Peace are based in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican State is also a member of many other international organizations related to human rights and democracy.

Costa Rica’s main foreign policy objective is to foster human rights and sustainable development as a way to secure stability and growth.

Costa Rica is also a member of the International Criminal Court, without a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

On June 1, 2007, Costa Rica broke ties with the Republic of China in Taiwan, switching to the People’s Republic of China in mainland China.

Flora and fauna

Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.1% of the world’s landmass, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity. About 23% of Costa Rica is composed of protected forests and reserves.

One national park that is internationally-renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including big cats and tapirs) and where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife is the Corcovado National Park.[26][27]

The Clay-colored Robin is Costa Rica’s national bird.

Tortuguero National Park – the name Tortuguero can be translated as “Full of Turtles” – is home to spider, howler and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, the three-toed sloth, 320 species of birds (including eight species of parrots), a variety of reptiles, but is mostly recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered green turtle and is considered the most important nesting site for this species. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to about 2,000 plant species,[28] including numerous orchids. Over four hundred types of birds can be found here, and over one hundred species of mammals.[29] As a whole, around eight hundred species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBIO) is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance.

Demographics

According to the CIA World Factbook, Costa Rica has a population of 4,133,884 of which 94% are Mestizo or white, 3% black, 1% Amerindian, 1% Chinese and 1% other. The exact amount, however, is not known because the Costa Rican census combines mestizos and whites in one category. The white population is primarily of Spanish ancestry with significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish and Polish descent. In contrast to its neighboring countries’ populations, less mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations occurred. Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of Spanish or of mixed mestizo heritage

Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent. The majority of the afro Costa Ricans are Creole English-speaking descendants of nineteenth century black Jamaican immigrant workers, as well as slaves who were brought during the Atlantic slave trade.

The indigenous or Amerindian population numbers around 1%, or over 41,000 individuals. In the Guanacaste Province a significant portion of the population descends from a bi-racial mix of local Amerindians and Spaniards. There is also an expatriate community of people of all ages from the United States, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Britain, and other countries, especially in the Central Valley city of Escazú.

Costa Rica hosts many refugees, mainly from Colombia and Nicaragua. As a result, an estimated 10% to 15% of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans, most of whom migrate for seasonal work opportunities and then return to their country. There is also a growing number of Peruvian refugees. Moreover, Costa Rica took in many refugees from a range of other Latin American countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 80s – notably from Chile and Argentina, as well as those from El Salvador who fled from guerrillas and government death squads.

Religion

Christianity is the predominant religion in Costa Rica, and Roman Catholicism is the official state religion as guaranteed by the Constitution of 1949. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are Christian and like many other parts of Latin America, Protestant denominations have been experiencing rapid growth. However, three in four Costa Ricans still adhere to Roman Catholicism.

Due to the recent small but continuous immigration of communities from Asia, the Middle East, and other places, other religions have grown, the most popular being Buddhism (because of an increasing Chinese community of 40,000), and smaller numbers of Jewish, Bahá’í and Hindu adherents.

There is a Jewish synagogue, the B’nei Israel Congregation, in San José, near the La Sabana Metropolitan Park. Several homes in the neighborhood east of La Sabana Metropolitan Park are festooned with the Star of David and other recognizable Jewish symbols.[35]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has seen modest growth in Costa Rica in the last 40 years and has built one of only two temples in Central America in the San Antonio de Belen region of Heredia.

Language

The only official language is Spanish. There are two main accents native to Costa Rica, the standard Costa Rican and the Nicoyan. The Nicoyan accent is very similar to the standard Nicaraguan accent due, in part, to its vicinity. A notable Costa Rican pronunciation difference includes a soft initial and double [r] phoneme that is not trilled as is normal in the Spanish speaking world..

Jamaican immigrants in the 19th Century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the Mekatelyu creole dialect.

Marriage

Because Roman Catholicism is the official state religion, only that church’s marriages are legally recognized by the government. Any persons wishing to wed outside of the Catholic church must hire a lawyer who will perform and then register their civil wedding for them. Legal age for arriage in Costa Rica is 18, the age of consent is 15.

Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as tico (masculine) or tica (feminine). “Tico” comes from the popular local usage of “tico” and “tica” as diminutive suffixes (e.g., “momentico” instead of “momentito”). The phrase “Pura Vida” (literally “Pure Life”) is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. Some youth use mae, a contraction of “maje” (mae means “guy/dude”), to refer to each other, although this might be perceived as insulting to those of an older generation; maje was a synonym for “tonto” (stupid).

Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences.

The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most afro Costa Ricans, however, derive from nineteenth-century Jamaican workers, brought in to work on the construction of railroads between the urban populations of the Central Plateau and the port of Limon on the Caribbean coast. Italian and Chinese immigrants also arrived at this time to work on railroad construction.

Music

Costa Rican popular music genres include: an indigenous calypso scene which is distinct from the more widely-known Trinidadian calypso sound audience that supports nightclubs in cities like San José. American and British rock and roll and pop are popular and common among the youth (especially urban youth) while dance-oriented genres like soca, salsa, merengue, cumbia and Tex-Mex have an appeal as well. Many dances and music of Costa Rica demonstrates an African, pre-Columbian, and Spanish influence. The guitar is a popular instrument especially as an accompaniment to Folk dances.

The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007), one of the highest in Latin America. Elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal public education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities.

There are only a few schools in Costa Rica that go beyond the 12th grade. Those schools that finish at 11th grade receive a Costa Rican Bachillerato Diploma accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education.

Victor Vendetti

http://supermousedv.com/LasOlas/LasOlasEmailtube.html

History of Costa Rica

2009-11-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

El New York Chico

History of Costa Rica

Geography

On the Río Savegre, just below San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Highlands of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the Protected Areas system. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world

Politics

Other current political issues include security, crime, and the limiting of large-scale immigration of people from Nicaragua.

Provinces and cantons

1. Alajuela

2. Cartago

3. Guanacaste

4. Heredia

5. Limón

6. Puntarenas

7. San José

Economy

Tourism in Costa Rica remains

strong despite U.S. economic downturn

“Tourism growth continued to be strong in January 2008, despite fears that an economic slowdown in the United States might put a damper on this year.

Measured by traffic at the Juan Santamaría and Daniel Oduber Quirós international airports, tourism was up 13.7% over January 2007.

Business Community

Foreign affairs

Costa Rica’s main foreign policy objective is to foster human rights and sustainable development as a way to secure stability and growth.

Costa Rica is also a member of the International Criminal Court, without a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

On June 1, 2007, Costa Rica broke ties with the Republic of China in Taiwan, switching to the People’s Republic of China in mainland China.

Flora and fauna

The Clay-colored Robin is Costa Rica’s national bird.

Demographics

Religion

Language

Jamaican immigrants in the 19th Century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the Mekatelyu creole dialect.

Marriage

Music

Victor Vendetti

http://supermousedv.com/LasOlas/LasOlasEmailtube.html

Costa Rica is sometimes called "The Switzerland of Central America

2009-11-04T00:51:00.000-08:00

Can Costa Rica Teach The Swiss Anything? Ecotourism And Tourism

By: Victor Krumm Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Costa Rica is sometimes called "The Switzerland of Central America," probably because of the sensational mountains and scenery each country has been blessed with. No doubt, the comparison is meant to be flattering to the little Central America country but Switzerland and the whole planet would be better off if it were called "The Costa Rica of Europe," at least in terms of sustainability and ecology.

There was a time, centuries ago, when both nations had abundant wildlife. Switzerland had magnificent lynx, wolf packs, and european bears, chamois, and deer but the predators were killed off hundreds of years ago. About a century ago, the last unfortunate bear, probably a creature that wandered into the country, was killed. Apparently, there just wasn't room enough in this bucolic country for all of God's creatures and Man, even though it was only one beast.

Two decades before he was to become one of America's greatest presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, ever the adventurer, climbed the Swiss Alps. No doubt the scenery was spectacular but Roosevelt was shocked by the scarcity of animals. That vacation changed him and, as it developed, America forever because when he became President, he created the National Park System. Switzerland's shortsightedness may have saved America's wilderness.

Costa Rica could have emulated Switzerland but took a radically different approach. You see, while Switzerland has few remaining wild animals, little Costa Rica is bursting at the seams. Just the size of West Virginia, so small it can be driven from the Nicaragua border to Panama in a few hours, Costa Rica has nearly 20% of all the species of plants and animals on earth.

Imagine. One of every five kinds of plant on earth calls Costa Rica home. One of every five species of animal on earth is found in Costa Rica. There are nearly as many different kinds of birds in Costa Rica as in the continental U.S. The African continent has a lot of different kinds of butterflies but Costa Rica has more: more than Kenya, more than Namibia, Mozambique,Tanzania, more than all of the countries combined in Africa. How many? Somewhere between 500,000 and a million species of plant and animal, including more than 2,000 different kinds of orchids exist in the Land of Pura Vida!

Of course, there was a time when several Central American countries were like Costa Rica. Impenetrable forests traversing the Pacific to the Atlantic. Mountains, jungles, beaches, and waters filled with life. Wild, remote, extraordinary diversity of life, Tropical Eden. Easy pickings.

One after the other, countries to the north and countries to the south chose exploitation. Quick gain, quick riches. Once great forests were slashed and burned, north to south, east to west, coast to coast, under the mistaken belief that unfettered development was the ticket to prosperity. Unfortunately, it perpetuated grinding poverty to most except huge landowners, many of which were foreign companies.

Wildlife was terribly exploited. Great caravans of pack animals carried off hundreds of millions of turtle eggs each year from Mexican (and other Central American) beaches, leaving nothing behind. So great was the plunder that within 20 years some beaches went from more than 100,000 nests to two. Sea turtles were fished without regard for sustainability so that a portion of their shell could be sent to the Far East and Italy to make expensive shoes or knick knacks in American tourist shops. Manificent tropical birds were decimated for the American and European pet trades.

Even as its neighbors were burning their forests and destroying their natural heritage, Costa Rica elected to restore its jungles. Sustainability replaced exploitation. Within the last three decades, and despite a per capita income just a fraction of Switzerland or other First World countries it has:

a. Planted so many trees that its forests have grown more than 20%, resulting in the return of wildlife not seen in decades;
b. Set aside more than a quarter of the country as parks, reserves, and refuges. No other country has even come close;
c. Announced that by 2021 it will be the world's first carbon neutral country (and in the upcoming Copenhagen climate change world conference will announce how it plans to do so);
d. Created the world's largest green sea turtle preserve on its Caribbean Coast and the world's largest olive ridley sea turtle preserve on its Pacific Coast.
e. Risen to the very top of the world's "Happy Index", a measure of a country's health, satisfaction with life, and devotion to preservation and development of sustainable resources.
f. Embraced ecotourism in Costa Rica, the result of which has been to replace exploitation with sustainability. It has recognized that, quite literally, plants and animals are worth far more alive to the country's tourist industry than exploited for the benefit of a few.

In 1519, the Spanish Governor of Costa Rica reported that it was the "the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all Americas." My, how things have changed!

One day, perhaps Switzerland will be called "The Costa Rica of Europe" if it takes to heart the lessons the little Latin American country has to offer about ecotourism. I'm optimistic because, after all, it invented the Swiss Army Knife.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

Twenty minutes later, we were wriggling into our wetsuits at Los Sombreros, a dive site composed of two rock islands that look like wide-brimmed hats sticking out of the sea. I noticed the water around the Catalina Islands was considerably bluer than at Playa del Coco. I also noticed a stronger surge, which is dive-speak for the push and pull of the tide. There seemed to be more chilly thermoclines (layered temperature changes underwater) than in Coco.

Frenzied fish caves were a common sight at Los Sombreros, with giant schools of king angel fish, barberfish, moorish idols and cortez angelfish all competing for the same algae. It was fascinating to watch how quickly thousands of creatures pecked and gnawed at the rocks. I had seen similar vibrant species in much smaller numbers at Playa del Coco, and was stunned to see them in such huge quantities just 20 miles south.

Our second dive was at El Elefante, or The Elephant. This dive was a bit deeper, but for the same 40 minute time frame. We spotted everything we had seen previously, plus a number of octopi and green moray eels. Spiky scorpion fish sat so perfectly camouflaged that they looked as if they hadn’t moved a muscle in decades. Once finished, we returned to the dive shop.

Riding on beautiful Playa Conchal

Next, I was off to Hotel Conchal in Playa Brasilito, just ten minutes south of Flamingo. The owner gave me a short tour of the property and offered some suggestions about the area. I was impressed with his warm and caring demeanor, which perfectly matched the ambiance of the hotel. Pleased to feel so at home, I cranked up the air conditioning and took a five-minute nap before preparing for my afternoon horseback ride.

Santana Tours, located just across the street, took me on a private tour along Playa Brasilito all the way to the end of Playa Conchal. My mild-tempered horse named Payaso, or clown, was in fit shape. We galloped about half way down the beach, past Conchal’s open-air souvenir market and down to the sparkling aquamarine waters. The moment we arrived, the skies darkened and threatened to downpour – so we took this as our cue to head back.

Hotel Conchal Pool

I’m not really sure why I torture myself the way I do. Every time a horseback ride gets thrown into the mix, I convince myself that I don’t need long pants to ride – which never fails to result in excruciating pain. Today was no exception – by the time the excursion was over, my exposed legs were scraped raw from the saddle.

To distract me from the burn, I ordered a delicious mahi mahi and avocado pizza from the hotel’s Papaya restaurant. After a quick walk on the beach, I was ready for bed. That night, I drifted off to sleep thinking about how much I love the Gold Coast.

For more information, please see our travel guide to Guanacaste’s Gold Coast

Day 7: Sea Turtles Doing the Dirty

17 September 2009 Written by Genna Marie One Comment

Roca Sucia

Today I was able to dive the legendary Catalina Islands for the second time with Aquacenter Dive Company. Our first immersion was at Roca Sucia, presumably named “Dirty Rock” because it is covered in bird droppings. Visibility was between 30 and 40 feet and in addition to the tropical species we spotted yesterday, we also observed an unbelievably large school of bigeye jack along with blunthead triggerfish, guinea fowl pufferfish, spotted porcupine fish and blennies.

However, the most amazing sighting of the day was not what we discovered underwater, but what we spotted from the boat on the way back. Motoring along, the captain suddenly changed course; he had noticed something in the water and approached it so that everyone could see. Upon closer inspection, we marveled at two Olive Ridley sea turtles mating in the ocean.

Mating Sea Turtles

This was quite a spectacular sight. These stunning creatures typically weigh around 100 pounds with shells ranging from two to two and a half feet long. No matter how close the boat inched to these lovebirds, nothing was going to stop them from their task at hand. As Olive Ridleys typically mate just offshore from where they lay their eggs, it was no surprise we discovered them close to Playa Grande’s turtle haven: Las Baulas National Marine Park.

Like clockwork, Olive Ridleys return each year to lay their eggs in the same exact sands where they were born. During the summer and early fall, members of this species simultaneously migrate to the northern shores of Playa Ostional in colossal numbers of up to 300,000 (over a time span of just 8-10 days). My family and I had witnessed a few females digging nests and burying eggs in Ostional last June, and it was amazing to see the first step in the reproduction process.

After a while, we noticed that the female kept flapping her fin as if she were trying to smack the male in the face. Being incredibly mature, we spent a good five minutes laughing at this – and the fact that a third turtle kept circling and surfacing from below, trying to get in on the action. Apparently, it is not uncommon to have up to three animals stuck together at one time.

After everyone had their fill of cracking sea turtle sex jokes, we returned to shore. Along the way, the captain saw a whale breaching in the distance. We were too far away to see anything but its foamy splash, but it was interesting nonetheless. Seeing a whale this time of year was no surprise, as September is the beginning of their six-month migratory period.

Frijoles Locos Surf Truck

After lunch, I packed up my things and took a taxi about 15 minutes to Playa Grande’s Rip Jack Inn. The friendly owners, originally from San Francisco, greeted me with a cold bottle of water and a delicious Thai chicken salad from the cafe, Upstairs @ Ripjack.

A bit later, I departed for my massage at Frijoles Locos, owned by a young family by the last name of Bean. My masseuse Corynne gave me one the best massages of my life. She intuitively knew my trouble spots without even asking, and worked her hands and forearms like rolling pins over my muscles. Her scalp massage focused on pressure points I didn’t even know existed, and the result was pure heaven. I felt 15 pounds lighter when I walked out the studio.

Playa Grande

Afterward, my body refused to cooperate with my mind – I wanted to stay awake to explore the town some more, but my body just wanted sleep. Corryne must have released some major toxins in my muscles, because en route to the hotel (no more than a five minute walk), I was physically incapable of moving my body another inch. I had to stop for a power nap on the beach – and then had another doze afterward in my hotel room. Around 4:00 p.m., I finally dragged myself out of bed and changed my clothes for yoga – only to fall asleep yet again on the hammock just outside my door. I finally woke just in time to watch the sunset, enjoy some sushi at Sushiko Restaurant, and pass out like a light for the rest of the night.

For more information, see our travel guides on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast and Las Baulas Marine Park.

His model was Seaside, in the Florida

2009-09-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Atlantan Charles Brewer Building a Beach Town in Costa Rica

In 2005, Charles Brewer again found himself at a crossroads.

He had already founded Mindspring Enterprises Inc., an Internet service provider, which merged with Earthlink Network Inc. in 2000 to become the second largest Internet company in the U.S. After leaving the tech field a few months after the merger, Mr. Brewer became a real estate developer, transforming a former cement recycling plant off Memorial Drive near downtown Atlanta into Glenwood Park, a 28-acre neighborhood of houses, condos, shops and parks.

With Glenwood Park nearing completion, Mr. Brewer wanted to do another development, but not in Atlanta. He turned his attention to the tropics, eventually settling on Costa Rica.

“I couldn’t see doing another project in Atlanta,” Mr. Brewer told GlobalAtlanta in a recent interview at Glenwood Park. “Land prices were up 10 times. Everybody and his brother was building thousands of condominiums. I wasn’t comfortable investing in that kind of environment so I got this idea of building a walkable beach town down in the tropics.”

His model was Seaside, in the Florida panhandle, a cottage community launched in the 1970s. But he wanted an even better beach development.

“When we go to Seaside at spring break it’s not warm enough,” said Mr. Brewer. “In the summer, it’s blazing hot. There’s not a particularly interesting culture to go be part of or any particularly interesting nature to go be part of. It seemed like that idea might be interesting to have in some great tropical location. It just didn’t exist. So I just set out on purpose to find the place to do it.”

In 2006, Brewer, partners Robert Davey, Stuart Meddin and Tom Claugus and 20 other investors, paid cash for 1,200 hilly acres fronting the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province. The area will eventually embody Mr. Brewer's vision in a town called Las Catalinas.

For now, the plot is quiet and undeveloped, devoid of the small clusters of man-made structures that will eventually dot its green hillsides. Rocky cliffs line much of the property's coastline. Two peninsulas – one decidedly longer than the other – jut into the Pacific, creating a bow-shaped area between them with wide patches of tan beach.

On a clear day, you can see parts of Nicaragua beyond the northernmost peninsula, Jim Berry, vice president of development, said in a GlobalAtlanta interview atop one of the highest points of the property.

As the vivid orange sun slowly sank into the Pacific, the sunset provided a foretaste of the views that future residents would enjoy, said Mr. Berry, an Atlanta native and Georgia Institute of Technology graduate who lives in Costa Rica and manages the development there.

New urbanist principles dictate that settlements are built at high density levels, leaving most of the land “essentially virgin,” aside from the network of recreational trails that will wind for miles throughout the property, he said.

About 85 percent of the project, nearly 1,000 acres, will remain a natural preserve. Thanks to ongoing reforestation effort, thousands of new trees – about 2,000 this year and 5,000-6,000 next year – will be planted on the property, he said.

Construction on the first seven houses – for the owners of the company and of Lola’s restaurant, which will open its second location at Las Catalinas – is scheduled to begin in November. The first houses will range in size from 1,490 to 7,962 square feet. A beachfront park and trail system for hiking, biking and horseback riding will be also be part of the first phase of construction.

The next phase, which the company will begin marketing later this year, will include 34 houses, a beach club and a small hotel. When fully built, which could take decades, the town will have about 2,000 homes, as well as hotels, restaurants, retail stores and other buildings. Homes will range in price from around $300,000 to more than $2 million, said Mr. Brewer.

“The idea is to have a very compact town but a town with a substantial number of things in it,” said Mr. Brewer. “It will be a lively place but at the edge, it’s the edge, then you’re out in this wonderful nature preserve. You get this gem of a little town surrounded by a great nature experience on land and at sea.”

At the site, Mr. Berry pointed out treeless patches where different sections of the town will be built and outlined the benefits of concentrating human settlements in small areas.

Not only does it keep building expenses low by decreasing the raw material costs for infrastructure like water pipes and power lines, but it also helps the environment in a variety of ways.

For one, because the city is walkable and mostly closed off to car traffic, carbon dioxide emissions will be minimal. Another large source of pollution, storm water runoff, can be more easily controlled in a small area.

Also, traditional subdivisions require clearing big lots. Grading land alters the properties of the soil forever, Mr. Berry said.

The “magic ingredient” of Las Catalinas is its slope, said Mr. Brewer. Although modeled after Seaside, Las Catalinas will also have the feel of a Mediterranean hill town, with elevations ranging from sea level to 650 feet, he said.

“You take this compact urbanism – if it’s on the flat, it can be quite wonderful in some ways,” said Mr. Brewer. “But privacy is hard to achieve and you’re kind of crammed for views. But if you take it on a slope, all of sudden everybody gets a good view. Our views are just incredible. And everybody gets privacy.”

Streets will be narrow and some will be car-free, other than for deliveries, a feature that would be difficult to impose in an urban development like Glenwood Park.

“We’re building a resort town.” said Mr. Brewer. “That gives us some extra leeway to make it better.”

Mr. Berry said Costa Rica provides a unique venue for such a rare type of development.

“Costa Rica is one of the few countries in Central America and the Caribbean where it's very safe,” said Mr. Berry, who has lived in Costa Rica since 2006. “You can get out and walk around, it's safe to drive, you feel safe as a tourist, you feel safe as a property owner here. We felt that was one of the things that was missing here with planned projects is that sense of place that we'll be able to create by building a town.”

Mr. Brewer, who lives in Atlanta’s Ansley Park neighborhood, plans to spend much time in Costa Rica, perhaps a year or two at a time. Las Catalinas in only 21 miles from the Daniel Obuber Quiros International Airport of Liberia. Delta Air Lines Inc. has nonstop flights from Atlanta there, with travel times less than four hours.

Mr. Brewer and his partners are intentionally creating a slow pace for Las Catalinas development as a way to ensure quality. With decades before it is finished, Mr. Brewer believes Las Catalinas will be his last development.

“This is such a lengthy project, I’m not anticipating anything else,” he said. “Our aspirations are really high. I think we can build one of the most beautiful, enjoyable, fun towns ever. I’m not looking ahead to anything else.”

For more information on Las Catalinas, e-mail Robert Davey here.

Jetair Flight Holidays

2009-09-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Liberia airport to welcome charter flights from Brussels

(InfoWebPress – www.journalcr.com) – The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) announced that a new charter flight originating in Brussels will soon be arriving in Liberia, promising to bring at least 2,655 European tourists to Costa Rican in a four-month period.

Jetair Flight Holidays is the airline making the journey between Brussels and Liberia’s Daniel Oduber International Airport on a weekly basis, with a layover in a Caribbean destination yet to be announced.

According to Maria Amalia Revelo, ICT’s marketing manager, the charter flight will operate from November 2009 and March 2010.

It is estimated that the flight will bring some 120 tourists each week to Liberia, or half the seats available in the Jetair Flight Holidays aircraft.

“This is great news for Costa Rica,” Revelo said. “Belgium, to us, is a very interesting market which, as we have seen, generates more and more visitors each year.”

With the goal of opening up this new tourist route, a cooperative campaign is being implemented, for which Jetair NV (Jetair Flight Holidays’ tour operator) and ICT will each invest $46,600.

A cooperative campaign is a joint promotion initiative that requires investment in equal shares by ICT and wholesalers, airlines or trade partners — whether domestic or international.

In the case of Brussels, total investment in the promotional campaign is $93,200, which will be used for publicity efforts including full-color ads in Belgian newspaper — such as Corelio and De Persgroep, which reach approximately 1 million people.

The campaign will also include presence at tourism fairs visited by some 1,000 travel agencies; information delivery to databases with 185,000 contacts; ads in specialized publications; and development of materials touting Costa Rica’s attractions to distribute to 2,500 travel and publicity agents via Jetair Flight Holidays’ website and in-flight magazine.

European tourism has greatly contributed to filling the void left by dwindling U.S. travelers due to the ongoing recession. One of the European countries that has contributed the most tourists to Costa Rica is Spain. According to data from tourism officials, based on reports from the only Spanish airline that flights to Costa Rica, some 25,000 from that country will come to Costa Rica this year.

Last year, some 190,000 European tourists visited Costa Rica — a 21 percent increase compared to 2007.

This year, some 215,000 Europeans are expected to vacation in Costa Rica, that is, 25,000 more than in 2008. Many of these travelers will arrive directly at Daniel Oduber, where a new parking platform has been completed. Such works gave the Liberia terminal room to accommodate 11 large airplanes (four more than its previous capacity). The project also included extensive improvements to the runway.

Does the model Central American country live up to its big green reputation, particularly when it comes to climate control?

2009-09-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

En este blog se recopila cualquier artículo interesante sobre Costa Rica o turismo en general, independientemente de sus inclinaciones políticas u otras consideraciones parciales. Si el artículo tiene interés o información o datos que conviene tener a mano o repasar se presenta en el blog, sin que esto represente una adhesión a la línea o militancia de donde se ubica el artículo.

Carbon Controversies in Costa Rica

Thursday 27 August 2009

by: Rachel Godfrey Wood | Visit article original @ Council on Hemispheric Affairs

At the Bellavista gold mine in Costa Rica, an inspector observes operations. (Photo: Kent Gilbert / AP)

Does the model Central American country live up to its big green reputation, particularly when it comes to climate control?

Everyone needs something to believe in, and for many Latin American progressives, that something for years has been Costa Rica. The country has long been cited as a beacon of progressive tranquility in a region better known for violence, inequality and poverty. Following an uprising in 1948 led by Jose Figueres Ferrer, the country embarked on its own unique path of social democracy, involving extensive progressive taxation, universal health and education availability, and no armed forces. As a result, Costa Rica boasts high levels of human development, including the highest life expectancy in Latin America. Moreover, the country has for years stood out on the issues of environmental protection and conservation, with over 25% of its territory under protective status, as well as an internationally recognized eco-tourism sector. All of the above has led Costa Rica to find itself ruling the roost in the New Economics Foundation's recent publication of the "Happy Planet Index," which claims that Costa Ricans are the "happiest" people in the world, enjoying an enviable life expectancy, and consuming considerably less resources than the nationals of more developed countries.

Now, in the 21st century, Costa Rica claims to be taking these advances to the next level: taking the initiative on climate change, and thereby reconciling the traditionally antagonistic processes of development and environmental sustainability. Its Government has unveiled a nationwide initiative aimed at making "peace with nature," and has put the country amongst a small but growing number of nations committed to going "carbon neutral." Besides the Maldives, Costa Rica, is the only developing country to make carbon neutrality an explicit government objective.

Carbon Neutrality: Definitions and Controversies

Of course, if it were to achieve its goal, Costa Rica would not actually be the first country to have sustainably low levels of carbon emissions. Many countries already have reached them, but they are generally highly underdeveloped societies, with levels of poverty so high that greenhouse gas emissions are negligible. Given the low levels of human development and welfare in such countries, this form of "carbon neutrality" is obviously not considered desirable from a humanist perspective. Environmentalists of all hues have accepted the need to balance human wellbeing with environmental sustainability. It is claimed that the uniqueness of Costa Rica's promise is that it can, and will, increase the wellbeing of its population while simultaneously reducing its carbon footprint significantly. In doing so, the Government is ambitiously claiming to be charting a path to the fabled land of "sustainable development," a somewhat elusive concept which has beguiled governments, development agencies and private companies ever since the Brundtland Report in 1987. In this report, sustainable development was defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

But there may be some discordant to this structure. First, it must be recognized that carbon neutrality does not necessarily mean zero carbon emissions. What it more likely means is net zero emissions of greenhouse gases, meaning that any emissions are balanced by an equivalent offset, or sequester. According to its proponents, offsetting can either removestop greenhouse gas emissions, thereby allowing individuals, companies and governments to have a zero net effect on the world's atmosphere. The attractiveness of the idea has meant that carbon neutrality is fast becoming one of the buzzword phrases of the twenty-first century, used by institutions as diverse as the Vatican, the World Cup, the Chinese Olympics, the World Bank and companies such as Body Shop. However, dependence on the concept of offsetting has led to it now being fiercely challenged in some environmentalist quarters. The London based organization Carbon Trade Watch warns that the idea of "carbon neutrality" is tantamount to indulging in a "business as normal" approach based on the flawed idea that persistently high levels of emissions can be maintained as long as they are offset somewhere else, or at some other time. Carbon neutrality implies, deceptively, that such emissions can then be taken out of the atmosphere, but there is significant scientific evidence that this is not the case.

"A Que Sembrás un árbol": Planting Trees to Save the Planet

We learn to associate trees with environmentalism from an early age. As well as playing a crucial role in climate and water regulation, they are one of the most common and widely recognized manifestations of "nature", to the extent that high-profile conservationist organizations like the Sierra Club use them as their logo, and environmentalists are often derided as "tree-huggers." In their highly critical report Carbon Neutral Myth, Carbon Trade Watch claims that "the idea of planting trees in order to ‘neutralize' emissions taps into a pre-existing cultural notion that something with obvious environmental benefits could be used to cancel out doing something environmentally damaging." Given this, it is unsurprising that any country committed to carbon neutrality would initiate a massive national level tree planting campaign in order to expand its carbon "sinks." This concept has been largely inspired by Wangari Maathai, a legendary Kenyan activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner. By advocating the mass planting of trees to provide incomes to rural families, improve soil quality and combat climate change, Maathai has quickly become the darling of international development agencies, particularly the United Nations, which appointed her as the spearhead of the Billion Tree Campaign.

Nowhere have Maathai's ideas been seized upon so enthusiastically as in Costa Rica, where the government has implemented a nationwide campaign entitled "a que sembrás un árbol", which has mobilized broad sectors of society into planting 4.5 million trees in 2007 and 7 million in 2008. President Arias claims that this initiative means that Costa Rica now has the highest tree/per inhabitant ratio in the world, and that the 7 million trees grown in 2008, for example, meant that 2.3 million less tons of carbon dioxide would now be in the atmosphere. So what could the environmentalist groups possibly be complaining about?

While virtually all environmentalist organizations recognize the importance of protecting forests and reforestation projects as a means of rehabilitating natural habitats and regulating the atmosphere, the extent to which mass tree planting initiatives are viable ways of combating climate change is highly disputed. In The Carbon Neutral Myth, Carbon Trading Watch outlines a whole host of objections to the assumption that tree planting can really compensate for persistently high greenhouse gas emissions. At a basic level, trees function in the active carbon cycle, in which there is "continual movement of carbon among plants, organisms, water and the atmosphere." Emissions from the use of fossil fuels (the primary contributor to climate change) represent the releasing of previously "inert" carbon from the ground into the active cycle. Once released, no amount of trees can permanently remove such emissions from the atmosphere. Furthermore, offset calculations invariably assume that trees will last a full life, and then die naturally. As is well known, though, there are a whole range of factors which could put pressure on the trees in the future, meaning that there is no guarantee of their long term survival. If such trees were to be destroyed, for example by eventual logging or even by climate change itself, they would actually give off greenhouse gases, thereby making a net increase in greenhouse emissions. Moreover, even if one could guarantee their long-term survival, it is doubtful whether such long-term projections of "offset" carbon should really be used in climate change policy decisions. If one were to accept the consensus view of the scientific community that rising emissions in the next few decades will have serious long-term effects on the world's climate, it becomes clear that the emphasis should be on companies and individuals to avoid emissions now, rather than paying to offset them on the basis of highly doubtful estimations.

Ultimately, any reasonable consideration of all the uncertainties relating to trees' ability to act as equivalent carbon sinks makes a mockery of the Costa Rican Government's claims of taking 2.3 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Even worse, in the Costa Rican context, it appears that there have been many interests behind the "a que sembrás un árbol" campaign which have less to do with fighting climate change, and more to do with making profits. The organization Coecoceiba, the local branch of Friends of the Earth, claims that up to 70% of the trees planted in the campaign have been exotic species which grow quickly in plantations, as part of the transnational fruit companies' regular operations. According to Coecoceiba, some of these trees will even be cut down within a few years, totally defeating the objective of providing lasting carbon sinks. In fact, the planting of such plantations is well known to have highly damaging socio-environmental effects across the planet.

None of these criticisms are particularly new. Controversies and scandals regarding early attempts by carbon offset companies to balance emissions via forestation programs were so well documented that contemporary enterprises like Climate Care consciously downplay the extent to which their schemes are dependent on tree planting. All this suggests that Costa Rica's goal of going "carbon neutral" is based on highly disputed claims regarding the effectiveness of tree planting, that even the carbon offset companies which originally promoted them have now accepted as false. Civil society needs to be aware that the symbolic capital gained by governments and companies could easily be manipulated to distract from other environmentally destructive projects. Anyone wanting proof of this need look no further than Peru; one of the other presidents that responded to Maathai's call for a billion trees was Alan Garcia.

Infinito Gold at Crucitas: Profits Prevail Over "Peace With Nature"

In Latin America, development-conservation dilemmas rarely come to the fore as assertively as with extractive industries. Across the region, mining and oil operations represent huge sources of revenues, yet have had disastrous impacts on natural habitats and local communities. Costa Ricans need look no further than the Bellavista mine, which the Canadian multinational Glencairn Gold Corporation abandoned in 2007, leaving behind a socio-environmental wreck. Such dangers had prompted the previous administration of Abel Pacheco to bravely ban mining and oil activities in the country ( the license for Bellavista already had been awarded). Although President Arias has maintained the ban on oil exploration, he also signed a decree allowing open-pit mining in April 2008, insisting that a proposed mining project by Canadian Company Infinito Gold at Crucitas, was "in the public interest." While the mine is estimated to contain 700,000 ounces of gold, Heydi Murillo, President of the Conservationist Federation (FECON), claims that the project will entail the cutting of 115,000 trees, and the expected use of cyanide is certain to threaten local water resources. Not only that, Arias even signed a decree allowing Infinito to log trees, including protected species, as part of the protest.

Most worrisome of all, in November he vetoed an effort by Congress to give local communities the right to squash projects harmful to their interests. For Javier Baltodano Aragón of Coecoceiba, all this proves that Arias' rhetoric about "peace with nature" and carbon neutrality amount to a dangerous tautology which is little better than a "double discourse." Relations between the Government and some environmental organizations are today so bad that FECON actually held a street party to celebrate the resignation of the Minister of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, Roberto Dobles. The Crucitas mine project has even exposed fault-lines within the epicenter of the Government, with the director of the "Peace with Nature" initiative vainly calling for a moratorium on mining activities in November. Given that El Salvador's new FMLN Government has taken the far bolder step of banning mining outright, it may be time to question whether Costa Rica remains at the epicenter of environmental protection in Central America.

Bold Alliance or Cynical Marketing? Bringing the Private Sector Onboard

There was a time when environmentalists assumed that the private sector would prove the most resistant to policies aimed at combating climate change. After all, private companies generally have the greatest stake in perpetuating a high carbon, high consumption economic regimen. One needs to look no further than the USA to see the lengths that major oil companies have been prepared to go to hide, obstruct and obscure the public's understanding of the risk posed by climate change. Such an image, though, is fast becoming outdated; most companies now accept the reality of climate change, and claim to be at the forefront of efforts to combat it. Moreover, many environmentalists, would agree with former Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres that "we will only manage to defend the environment if we turn it into good business." Traditionally, Costa Rica's model of environmental protection has been very much an alliance with private sector interests rather than an alienation of them. This can be seen, for example, in the country's extensive eco-tourism sector, and its enthusiasm for international initiatives like Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and payments for environmental services. Now more than ever, the country is full of local and foreign companies claiming to have gone "carbon neutral." So when we see that multinational companies such as the Dole Food Company are enthusiastically signing up behind Costa Rica's carbon neutral policy, should we see it as a sign of fundamental, pragmatic change, or as a clear case of "greenwash" by a transnational company which in fact has no demonstrable interest in the environment, but every interest in projecting a "green" marketing image?

Dole Cashes in on "Carbon Neutral"

On August 9, 2007, Dole, which claims to be the "world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers", announced that it would go carbon neutral in Costa Rica. Its subsidiary, Standard Fruit de Costa Rica, currently exports 44 million bananas annually from the county, and claims that from now on, these activities will have a net neutral effect on the environment. Whether or not this is actually possible brings us right back to the issue of offsets. While Dole claims to be mixing a strategy of offsetting with mitigation (via better transportation methods, increased energy efficiency), offsets via tree planting clearly form a major part of its claim to be going "carbon neutral". Under an agreement signed with the Ministry of Environment, Dole will purchase certificates to offset the emissions produced by land transportation of the company's bananas and pineapples up to the point of export. In addition, the company explains how it is extending a company program to reforest and plant trees on company property. The problems of this are clear: Dole's claims to be "carbon neutral" in Costa Rica are almost entirely based on the highly questionable strategy of "offsetting." Moreover, Baltodano points out that Dole's claims of going "carbon neutral" do not take into account the emissions caused by external transportation, deforestation or the use of agro-chemicals in fruit production. In fact, there is nothing in Dole's literature which actually states how it is going to significantly reduce emissions. Despite these failings, though, the company will be able to put the "carbon neutral" sticker on its fruits, and thereby gain commercial advantages from presenting itself as a "green" company.

Nature Air: Third World Innovation or a New Level of "Greenwashing"?

As previously mentioned, Costa Rica's passion for carbon neutrality did not start with President Arias. Its private sector have long claimed to be at the vanguard of attempts to reduce or compensate for carbon emissions. The most notable example of this is Nature Air, the only airplane company in the world which claims to be carbon neutral. The promise is tantalizing; everyone, including nature lovers, likes travelling by plane periodically, and it often seems one of the few polluting activities that even the most committed of environmentalists are not prepared to jettison. While the airplane industry contributes to just 3 percent of world emissions, this figure is still significant given that even in 2009, only a minority of the world's population are at all likely to use planes on a regular basis, and in any event, the industry's emissions are expected to rise significantly in the coming decades. Sadly, it goes without saying that Nature Air's "carbon neutral" claims are as highly dependent on tree growth and protection as Dole's. By buying certificates from the government, the company claims to be protecting over 500 acres of tropical forest, in this way offsetting 6,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. Beyond that, Nature Air has helped develop Costa Rica's first alternative fuelling station, and fuels all ground activities with biofuels. Finally, it also claims to have increased its fuel efficiency by 7 percent in just 3 years. However, it is hard to describe such measures as anything other than gimmicks. The company claims that 160 CO2 emissions are avoided through a reliance on bio-fuels, a minimal amount compared to the 6000 tons of carbon "offset" via forest protection schemes. Of course, this figure of 6,000 tons a year is in itself highly open to question. As well as all of the previously mentioned problems of using trees as offsets, the figure could only be legitimate if we were to assume that without Nature Air's contribution, the 500 acres under its protection would have been immediately deforested.

Conclusion: Too Many Things to Be Skeptical About

It is rare that one hears genuinely positive news regarding global warming, and it is extremely tempting to hold Costa Rica up as a model for the world to follow (as did the prestigious New York Times Columnist Thomas L. Friedman). Undoubtedly, there are many well intentioned individuals within the Costa Rican Government and society and in the private sector who generally believe that "carbon neutrality" is a viable goal, and that planting millions of trees this year does genuinely offset the damage done by emissions in other sectors of the economy. Moreover, Costa Rica's efforts to protect its natural habitat and to engage in an initiative involving climate change mean that it does indeed stand out ahead of other governments in the Americas. Its mobilization of its own society in support of "peace with nature," its bravery in prohibiting oil exploration, and its protection of its tropical forest are all necessary elements of a strong developing country's international strategy of response to climate change. It may even be the case that its desire to publicize itself as supporting "peace with nature" actually gives its society stronger tools with which to challenge what have to be seen as environmentally destructive projects. Finally, it goes without saying that whether it is carbon neutral or not, Costa Rica's ecological impact, given the nation's limited resources and small size, remains negligible, and it cannot be held responsible for playing a major role in global warming.

However, the idea that it is actually going to become "carbon neutral" is highly dubious, and needs to be challenged strongly by its own civil society and academic and research institutes. Far too many of the projects in which it is engaged are based on the extensive planting of trees. For all of the reasons outlined in this essay, it is highly doubtful that such schemes actually can end up offsetting emissions in the way the government says they do. At a global level, it simply defies logic to suggest that fossil fuel emissions could be offset by tree-cultivating or even by any other means. Larry Lohman, founder of the Durban Group for Climate Justice, goes as far as to claim that "attempting to absorb the carbon dioxide released by the burning of fossil fuels still in the ground would require additional planets full of trees."

Although Costa Rica can be proud of preventing oil exploration, its constant trumpeting of offset programs send out a totally contradictory message: that companies can be considered "green" just because they participate in such initiatives, regardless of whether they actually realize any emissions reductions. The broader impact of this could be that transnational companies seek to exploit Costa Rica's environmental reputation to take part in offsetting projects, in order to gain prestige as "clean" companies and thereby increase their own market competiveness without fundamentally restructuring their operations or assuming any additional costly obligations. Moreover, the idea of offsets could be telling society a dangerous lie: that current consumption patterns are sustainable, and that businesses can continue more or less normally. This idea is highly contrary to the real goal, which should be to permanently shift the world economy away from its addiction to fossil fuels. As Lohman has made very clear, the danger embedded in the "carbon neutral" concept is that it allows major polluting companies to tinker around the edges of their operations, and claim to offset their emissions, thereby gaining enough political and environmental capital to avoid making substantial, genuine reductions that would clearly involve more of a commitment than they are now prepared to make.

Driving through Costa Rica's countryside it is an obvious nature lover’s paradise.

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Tortuguero- Sea Turtle Watching

Tortuguero, Limón, Costa Rica

Sunday, Aug 23, 2009

Driving through Costa Rica's countryside it is an obvious nature lover’s paradise. Fifty years ago the Costa Rican government protected a lot of land for national parks and are now reaping the rewards of tourism. They seem to be very proud of the land and biodiversity they have, with very recent environmental education being taught to the children. Speaking with the locals they say they have a lot of challenges today, much like what we have at home. With governments wanting to dam rivers and increased tourism taking a toll on the national forests. However, on the whole, the green campaign has made it here and people are talking about it. It

Banana Plantation

is very refreshing to hear this after passing through Mexico to Nicaragua.

Banana Plantation

Mom had noted she wanted to see the Sea Turtles while she was in Costa Rica and it just happens to be the time when the turtles were arriving on the beaches for their seasonal laying of the eggs. Tortuguero is an interesting place as it sits on a peninsula located on the Caribbean ocean with the ocean on one side and a river on the other. It is such a small peninsula that you can walk from the river to the ocean in 3 minutes. It’s also quite remote with the only transportation to the town being a boat. The locals are of Caribbean descent, speaking Spanish and English, and it’s quite easy to hear the Jamaican (Caribbean) accent while they speak.

Banana Plantation

The boat ride was amazing… as you can see we took full advantage of Mom’s new Nikon camera. We arrived into the small town of Tortuguero and the town was quaint and colourful, with dirt pathways and palm trees everywhere. We stayed at Miss Junnies Lodge and booked ourselves in with a guide to see the turtles. The viewing is strictly controlled as 100’s of people can be on the beach at one time. The conservationists organized two viewing times to break up the amount of traffic on the beach one at 8:00-10:00 and another at 10:00 – 12:00. We ended up on the later viewing time and had a local guide by the name of Carla who was a local from 4 generations back. It was apparent she knew what she was talking about, as not only was she a guide but a biologist trained in conserving the green sea turtles. So we learned a lot about the turtles but also a little bit about the history of the area.

Banana Plantation

The tour was organized very well as Carla, our guide, was advised by a spotter on the beach of the location of the turtle. Quickly we rushed off to the numbered section on the beach. Upon arrival we were told to turn off our flashlights and slowly and quietly walk on the beach. We could see that there were probably 4-5 other groups waiting patiently to share the experience. We were group one and we arrived in perfect timing to see the turtle dig her nest and hole for the eggs. By the time all groups viewed the nest building we were able to go back in and see this massive turtle laying her eggs, coming back to exact beach where she was born after 30 years. Once our turn was up we rushed over to see a second turtle finishing the process and crawling back to the Ocean. It was truly an amazing experience and one I’m sure we will never forget.

Banana Plantation

The next day we decided to have a relaxing day checking out the town and finished the night up with a game of Hearts. Chrisitina and Mom booked themselves another tour with a Canadian expat by the name of Darryl, this was a jungle river tour. Apparently he was taking on the persona of the late Steve Erwin, using the term "isn’t this amazing," often. They both enjoyed the tour and were able to give me a run down on all of the Monkeys, Toucans, Heron, and Caymans (alligator) they had spotted amongst the gorgeous rainforest.

On the whole, our visit to Totuguero will be memorable and definitely a must see on a trip to Costa Rica.

Sleeping at River's Edge

Santa Clara, Limón, Costa Rica

Saturday, Aug 22, 2009

After staying the night in San Jose Devin and I got up early to prep Wesley for the big visit. We had him washed up, vacuumed out, and shinning like new as we drove tithe airport.

Driving to the river edge

Costa Rica is like many foreign airports in the fact that they don't allow any guests into the airport. So we had to wait outside and look for his mother. We had our faces pressed against the glass so that we wouldn’t miss her. However, we still did. She came out of the airport and, of course, got harassed by men asking if she wanted a taxi. She was trying to explain that shedding’t need a taxi because she was looking for her son when she saw Devin’shat. We were very excited to see her and we quickly headed off for our first night.

Rivers Edge

In true fashion, it took us awhile to get out of the city because there were no street signs and we drove in circles. Once we got on the main freeway we enjoyed the passing scenery. We drove through a national park on our way East. Devin and I figured we should introduce Bev to our crazy form of boon docking right away. So we drove down a pretty rough road looking for a place to camp for the night. We ended up right next to a river with a pretty full jungle around us. We got everything set up and Dev was able to put some parts on the VW that Bev was nice enough to bring down from Canada. We also got a birthday present from Kellie, Devin’s sister. She sent us a citronella candle and a picnic mat… they will both come in handy. After all the catching up we got ready to cook Bevy her 'welcome to Costa Rica’ dinner… green curry.

Rivers Edge

As we were chatting a few guys with machetes started walking down from the mountain. They we refinishing up their workday and one, in particular, decided he wanted to stop and chat with us! He stayed and went on and on for about 30 minutes, in Spanish. Of course we didn’t understand that much but whatever he was saying he was very excited about it.

We enjoyed the excellent meal down by the river and settled in for Bev’s first night in Wesley.

Costa Rican Boarder- Worst Yet

Curubandé, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

We arrived at the Costa Rica boarder early. We were greeted by at least 7-10 guides running at the vehicle, hoping to get our business.Since this wasn't our first boarder crossing, and probably won’t be our last,we always choose to do it ourselves. Guides often can be helpful but on occasion they will rip you off. So we feel its better to do it ourselves and eliminate any opportunity. Since we were up early this particular morning the persistence of the guides was driving me crazy. Telling someone "no" 10 times still seems to be a yes in their minds. I’m very lucky for Christina’s calming abilities.

Second annoyance! In order to drive across the boarder you have to get you car sprayed for insects. I went to pay for this car spray and when I was given change Accidental dropped it on the ground. There was a truck driver standing next me who reached down to pick up a coin, I’m assuming he’s helping me, and he stashes my money straight into HIS pocket. Awkwardly, I called him out on it and he gives me the money like nothing even happened. Weird!!

The third hurdle of the day was the line up for passport stamping. It is well know fact that Costa Rican boarders are the busiest in Central America. We unfortunately arrived right after the tourist buses arrived,which turned into a 50-person line-up at passport control. Christina and Could’t understand why the line up wasn’t moving. Well it was because apparently if you are from Costa Rica you can walk to the front of the line. So something that should have taken us 30 minutes ended up taking 3 ½. hours The best part of the boarder was there were no charges.

Basically Christina and I have decided that we are not fans of boarder crossings. The great thing is that it’s still worth it in the end.

San Juan del Sur- Paradise on the Beach

Christina at the office

After the Isla, Devin and I made our way over to the beach to enjoy a few days of sun before picking up his Mom in Costa Rica. Our two new friends, Taylor and Anna, came with us. We took the ferry back across to the main land then drove the quick 30 minutes to the beach. Pulling up to the view we thought we had died and gone to heaven. Out of all of the amazing beaches I've seen, in all the countries I've been to, this has to be on my top 20 list. It was incredible. The sand the perfect, the ocean clean, and the harbor around it was a sight to reveal in.

We quickly found a spot to park the Wesley, an ocean front property,

San Juan Del Sur

and made our way over to a bar with beach chairs and hammocks. Devin

did a little work while I jumped in the ocean. We spent the last few fading hours of daylight enjoying the sunset, a few beers, and dipping in the warm, crystal clear ocean. That night we cooked a nice dinner as we enjoyed out view then meet our friends out for a she-saw (hookah).

The next morning I woke up to take my first swim on the day at 7:30 AM. It was so refreshing and I loved having the ocean to myself. I was standing in the crystal clear water, just enjoying the view, when I saw something swim towards me. I quickly jumped over it with my heart in my chest. It looked like a sting ray! I ran back to the van to tell Devin what I saw. He quickly assured me that if it was they weren't dangerous to swim with. They were only dangerous if you step on one and the chances of that were very slim. So we both heading back out together, and sure enough, we saw more sting rays! They were everywhere! They were riding in the waves and even jumping out of the water. It was beautiful and so surreal. At one point Devin thought he might have seen a small fin but wasn't sure. Also, we were in pretty shallow water so we knew if there were any sharks they wouldn't be dangerous ones. After our swim we rode our bikes to the store to get food for breakfast. Devin cooked me a wonderful breakfast of pancakes and eggs. After that I went back in the ocean, my third time that day, and you'll never guess what I saw right in front of me! Two shark fins. They were tiny and I was only in water about 3 feet deep so I know I was safe. They came out of the water about 6 feet in front of me, then dipped and came back out again. It was amazing. What a wonderful experience in a Pacific. Devin and I enjoyed another lazy day on the beach and a bonfire that night.

San Juan Del Sur

Devin and I fell in love with this little surfing village and we are

defiantly sad to go...

Four years ago this September, Maggie and Steve Jacobus dropped everything, sold their house in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin and packed their three sons f

2009-08-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica Blogger

Lessons From The Rain Forest ... Wisconsin Family's Move to Costa Rica Spawns Education Web Site

Four years ago this September, Maggie and Steve Jacobus dropped everything, sold their house in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin and packed their three sons for a one-way trip to Costa Rica.

Leaving Milwaukee and everything familiar: Scary.

Educating your children about the world: Priceless.

Tierra Magnifica Vacation Resort - Nosara, Nicoya Peninsula, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

"The American dream is to give your child a 'better life,' " Maggie Jacobus said. "For most people, that has had a more materialistic meaning. We wanted to give them the world. We wanted them to understand and be able to move easily in other cultures, which you need language to do."

In return, the boys - Ryan, now 14, Michael, 12, and Will, 11 - earned bragging rights to stories their former neighbors can only imagine, like the one about the night a monkey ran into their living room and hid behind the couch.

They didn't just get exotic stories from the move. They're also the stars of their own online nature series, "Super Natural Adventures." The Web series, which they started filming four months after moving to Costa Rica, is available at www.SuperNaturalAdventures.com.

www.SuperNaturalAdventures.com

Each boy has a role in educating viewers about different features of the rain forest. For example: Ryan shares what he learned about bats.

"The first time my family visited Costa Rica, I was only 7 years old, and I totally loved it," Ryan said in his SNA biography. "One of coolest things I did on that trip was stay up until, like, 1 in the morning with my mom netting bats and working with some scientists to study them. I couldn't believe I was 7 and working with scientists!"

Michael shows viewers where chocolate comes from and rivals Rachael Ray with his presence and charm. Will goes on a sloth search with a professional guide and finds one.

At last count, the videos had viewership from more than 70 countries, said Maggie Jacobus, 44, who has a master's degree in broadcast journalism and started the project as a shared lesson with her boys. She began marketing SNA to schools last year.

Maggie said she had always taken advantage of Milwaukee's educational resources, from the Betty Brinn Children's Museum to the Milwaukee County Zoo. But when she saw how excited Ryan became during a first-grade unit on the rain forest, it felt like permission for them to experience it.
12-day trip planted seed

The family took their first trip to Costa Rica in 2002, a 12-day adventure over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

"That really planted the seed," she said. "I want to live like this with my family. I want to learn like this. I want to interact this way as much as possible.

"This was no light decision to be made," said Maggie, who sold her public relations company before she left. Steve, 46, also sold his business, the Olson Co., before the move.

"We scouted around," Maggie said. "We had criteria for what we wanted, which was to be in a nature-rich area. We wanted a community that was aware of the environment. We loved the idea of living on the Pacific coast."

They landed in rural Nosara.

"It's not Haiti, but it's certainly not Whitefish Bay," she said. "A lot of the kids couldn't afford shoes to go to school. But what was beautiful about the experience is that our kids were A, young enough, and B, open enough. They noticed it, but it wasn't a barrier."

Obviously there were some apprehensions. No one spoke Spanish fluently. On that first day of school, Maggie remembers feeling as if she just left her kids off in the middle of the jungle.

"We dropped them off," she said. "Steve and I got in the pickup truck, and I burst into tears: 'Oh, my God, what have we done to our children?' "
Friends skeptical at first

Back home, friends were surprised by the family's move.

"We thought they were just crazy," said Eric Jorgensen of Delafield. "How would they leave what they have in Milwaukee, what they know, and take their kids and put them in a full-immersion, Spanish-speaking school?"

Jorgensen, who knew Steve from business, changed his mind after he, his wife and their three daughters visited not long after the family moved to Nosara. The poverty was striking, but the residents seemed not to notice. It was a valuable lesson, he said.

"You go down there and say, 'Boy, this really makes sense,' " said Jorgensen, who has been back to Costa Rica since.

From the beginning, the Jacobus family knew they wanted to share their experiences, whether it was learning to surf or frog hunting. Jacobus calls it her "no child left inside" rule. As the Web site took shape last year, teachers took notice.

"It's a fun unit," said Jacki Carapella, who teaches kindergarten in Glen Ellyn, Ill. A student in her class brought the site to her attention, and Carapella put it to work.

"It's very, very kid-friendly, and it was dead silent in the room watching it," she said. "You know then that you've got them captured."

Toren Anderson met the Jacobuses at an Atlanta expo on green living last year. Anderson, who lives just outside Atlanta, hires tutors to teach her children at home but was intrigued by Maggie, Steve and "Super Natural Adventures."

"SNA" appeals as much to her 17-year-old as it does to her 8-year-old, Anderson said.

"It's been six weeks now, and we just love it," she said about "Super Natural Adventures." "We do it for creative writing. I have the children watch, and then we ask them to write about what they learned from it."

She was inspired by the series to assign her children to write an international cookbook.

"I just love the little boy that makes cocoa," she said about the episode in which Michael explains how chocolate is grown, harvested and turned into powder. "I could just eat him up."

The videos are a snapshot into the family's daily life, so the boys aren't self-conscious about it.

"I don't feel so much like a teacher," Ryan said. "I just like nature. I like talking about it."
Family opens a retreat

The episodes begin in Nosara in 2005, which is where Steve and Maggie opened an executive retreat resort called Tierra Magnifica. The couple joke privately that it's a little like "Fantasy Island," in that people think they're going on vacation when "some sort of momentous shift happens to them."

Then, a decision. When Ryan was approaching high school age, he wanted more challenges from school. The family had to choose together between moving back to the United States or finding another solution.

"We take a vote on everything," Jacobus said, laughing. "I find it cuts down on the whining."
A move to the capital

They moved to Costa Rica's capital, San Jose. Steve commutes from the capital to the resort in Nosara by puddle jumper, a 40-minute flight, or by car, which takes 4½ hours on a good day.

Some of the SNA episodes now include classmates of the boys, such as last year's three-day educational field trip to northern Costa Rica with Will's fifth-grade class to learn more about the rain forest, paper recycling, mammals, crocodiles and a native tribe, the Malekus.

"Mrs. Jacobus proposed to include my class in a 'Super Natural Adventures' video project," Sairy Sanchez wrote in an e-mail. Sanchez was Will's teacher last year and has Michael in class this term.

"As a teacher, I was really happy to participate in this experience with my students. I felt they had a unique experience that they will never forget," Sanchez wrote. "The videos that they have produced are very useful in the classroom environment because they are made about things that the students are naturally interested in."
Trips back home

The Jacobus boys come back to northern Wisconsin every year for summer camp, and their visit this year, which included a stop in Milwaukee with their parents, felt like culture shock reversed. The brothers say they sometimes speak English and Spanish in the same sentence.

"Living there is more interesting. There's always something new to look at," Ryan said during his Milwaukee visit. "I thought about it on the plane. I'm leaving the jungle and going into the pine forest."

To their mother, the transition worked out smoother than expected.

"I had thought perhaps after seven weeks of being in the states with family and friends, our boys might not be excited about coming back here," Maggie recently e-mailed from home. "But they continually surprise me with their sense of adventure and their enthusiasm for our particular adventure as a family. They couldn't wait to get back - and start school! - which is how this experience has been able to continue for FOUR YEARS.

"Every time I think the kids might start whining, they don't. Instead, they inspire me, which is pretty cool as a parent to experience."

Jacobus Family - Nosara, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

source: sjonline.com

Welcome to the Jungle: Lapa Rios Rainforest Ecolodge - The Informed Traveler

2009-08-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Jungle: Lapa Rios Rainforest Ecolodge - The Informed Traveler

Costa Rica is simply beautiful.

2009-08-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

costaricaviews.com

Location Spotlight – Costa Rica, Pura Vida Adventures

Author: Shanel Evans

Source: Examine

I recently learned about an amazing girl getaway founded by a woman that visited Costa Rica, fell in love with the location, tried her luck with surfing…and instantly became hooked! Any woman with enough guts to fall in love at first “sight” with Costa Rica and build a business around the beautiful location and surfing, I just had to meet. Here’s a peek into the life transforming active escape:

I “met” Tierza Davis, founder of Pura Vida (Pure Life) Adventures, via telephone and while we weren’t able to physically connect, I immediately felt her positive energy and inspiration through the time zones.
Where did the vision for Pura Vida Adventures come from?

In 2002, Tierza, found herself in Costa Rica, on a mission to relax and regroup after her dot.com company went bust. She says that while she’d never visited the location before, she immediately found solace in the warm breezes and ocean waters, and knew her life had been changed. As Oprah might call her “Aha! moment”, it was her courage to try and master surfing that sparked the idea for the Adventure company.
What makes surfing so attractive?

Tierza says that surfing is much like a metaphor of life – battling water symbolizes your fight with life. Surfing for Tierza and the women that visit her camp is about self-confidence and believing in oneself. She strongly believes that while surfing (and during life), if you listen to your heart, you’ll find your direction.
Who’s a typical Pura Vida visitor?

Most women that visit Pura Vida Adventures are busy professionals and visit the retreat not just to unplug from their stressful lives but to try a new activity as well. Tierza says that surfing is one way women can conquer their fear…of basically anything. There are skilled surfing instructors ready to train and guide visitors every step of the way. What’s also cool is while women tend to visit the camp solo, they often meet new friends. One group of 3 solo visitors arrived as strangers and left as traveling buddies, creating their own girlfriend getaways, visiting new places together like Brazil and Dominican Republic.
How does the yoga fit in?

Incorporating yoga into the retreat was a natural fit. Tierza actually instructed yoga for years, well before she became hooked to surfing. While surfing is quite rigorous, yoga provides the perfect balance with focus and stretching. The camp’s Yoga Master also incorporates mantras into the classes, so women are encouraged to truly get in touch with their center.

What do women take away from the Adventure?

Costa Rica is simply beautiful. The combination of the natural beauty, animals, plants along with the adventure of surfing and yoga is like heaven for women. And often times, women tend to find themselves on a spiritual journey during the retreat. The amazingly beautiful location paired with newfound rejuvenation can often provide spiritual balance, that many didn’t even realize was missing.
What’s the most rewarding part of owning Pura Vida?

Tierza says that she’s been transformed since the start of the business. She loves meeting cool, inspiring women and enjoys seeing repeat visitors that choose her camp as their annual vacation. Tierza also works very closely with her Mom, whom she calls her “office guru” that handles several tasks for the retreat and is amazing to work with.

Costa Rica

2009-08-11T21:36:00.001-07:00

A Quick Swing Through Little Costa Rica

By Robert Stone

Published: Sunday, November 16, 2003

The tourists appear to be blocking one lane of the coastal road outside Tárcoles, a busy thoroughfare that sees a lot of serious 18-wheelers coming and going from the Pacific port of Caldera. When the first burly local driver arrives with his rig and brakes, he appears a bit distressed. He looks thoughtfully at the bus and at the foreigners lined up along the highway. None of them, however, look at him. Their binoculars and cameras are fixed on the astonishing sight of six scarlet macaws in a nearby ceiba tree. Scarlet macaws in the wild are mind-bending, the total technicolor parrots, flaunting every color in the rainbow. To realize that we still share the ordinary world with the scarlet macaw, that it's not some kind of copyrighted entertainment phenomenon in Orlando, Fla., is to hope good things for the future.

The truck driver puffs out his cheeks and shakes his head. The entranced bird-watchers, ogling and filming away, never glance away from the treetops. The driver carefully drives past the 20-passenger Toyota tourist bus. He isn't happy, but he doesn't take it out on the turistas.

Travelers in this hemisphere will know that this can only be Costa Rica, a land of great beauty with a commitment to democracy and reasonableness that has guided its history and its public life for 50 years and longer. This is not to say that, in Costa Rica, some hothead may not flatten you for bending his fender rounding some pothole on the Interamericana, or that ill will does not exist. But Costa Rica is a land of good intentions.

In Costa Rican society, the frictions of daily life are eased by humor and politeness. Relatively unused to foreigners before their ecotourist boom began in the 1990's, the egalitarian ticos still take visitors one on one, so to speak.

In its history, Costa Rica shares much with its neighbors up the isthmus. It has at times been as impoverished as they, reduced to the mercy of foreign fruteros. With the spread of coffee cultivation in the mid-19th century, an overheated prosperity based on monoculture brought wealth to a handful of families whose descendants have traditionally served as a ruling class. It is the differences, however, that have distinguished Costa Rica in the region.

By now, Costa Rican exceptionalism is a near cliché, but it is based on some facts of life that one doesn't have to be a sociologist to recognize. This is the only country in Central America that abolished its army as a constitutional reform -- its fortified barracks overlooking San José are now the National Museum. It takes deep pride in a welfare state that labors to retain a nationwide social safety net in a country not unscathed by recent economic developments.

Amazingly, this very small country, half the size of Kentucky, contains the greatest variety of plant species on earth as determined by the World Resources Institute, along with 615 separate species of bird and mammal. This abundance exceeds that of any country in Africa and proportionally rivals Brazil's.

A few things seem worth saying about travel to this spectacularly beautiful place. One is that the national park system is the repository of its national treasure and that the best places to stay adjoin parks and adjoin them as inconspicuously and harmoniously as possible. The other, to the many people who normally do not consider traveling in groups with guides, is that easy access to national parks in Costa Rica is best afforded that way. Animals in the forest make a point of being hard to see. Guides are trained to see them and, unless one is a skilled spotter or bird-watcher, extremely helpful.

My wife, Janice, and I were part of a group of 11 Americans, all well traveled, touring under the auspices of Overseas Adventure Travel of Cambridge, Mass. Our 13-day itinerary took us generally north and west of the capital, San José, once descending to the edge of the Caribbean slope as far as the Sarapiquí River area and its Centro Neotrópico.

The centro is an eco-tourism complex established by presidential decree in 1997 at the entrance to the Tirimbina Rainforest Preserve. It's a trip of a few hours from the capital over paved roads, almost 50 miles from the Caribbean itself but with the terrain that exemplifies the jungles on the east side of the Central American Great Divide.

At Sarapiquí there are gardens and one of the country's few anthropological sites. Maleko Indians left 70 burial sites here, along with some pottery and petroglyphs. There's a small, well-appointed anthropological museum near the site and a pleasant bar to reflect on it all while listening to howler monkeys and catching the rain-forest breezes. We were traveling in the late-summer rainy season, but our first few days were spared spectacular downpours.

The centro offers accommodation in large rooms within thatched buildings in the pre-Columbian village style. The Tirimbina preserve, 820 acres of rich tropical woodlands, is easily accessible across suspension bridges from the Sarapiquí complex. Trails lead through Tirimbina, and, for visitors who want a closer experience of the Sarapiquí River, guided white-water rafting. The rapids are fun, novice class, and along the river, creatures abound: iguanas, sloths and basilisks, along with enough exotic birds to provide regular new entries in a birder's logbook.

Our next destination was in the humid tropical forest of the Bosque de Chachagua, not far from the volcano at Arenal. We spent an hour in the town of Quesada, buying meat and vegetables to be cooked later at our hotel, a cluster of pleasant but basic cabins on a hillside. Maintaining the good will of a market stall merchant while attempting to purchase a food item you most imperfectly pronounce -- which in fact you have never tasted, which could be for all you know animal, vegetable or mineral, which in fact you would not recognize if a three-toed sloth hit you on the head with it -- is a reasonable test of a town's civility. For the patience and kindliness of the market people of Quesada -- may they long prosper in happiness.

From the hotel we made some novel expeditions -- novel at least for me. One such took us to the San Rafael de Chachagua elementary school, where Elizabeth, aged 11, made me dance the Zapateada, waving my checkered bandanna while she twirled prettily before me. Nor was I released until I had seen the sixth grade's garden, met its pets, listened to Elizabeth read ''Mr. Gilligan's Pig'' in resolute inglés. The children seemed delighted to entertain foreign visitors, and our group of Americans, mostly teachers, responded enthusiastically.

For lunch several of our band visited the home of one of the students. By this time we had discovered that food in Costa Rica is noticeably good, and the home-cooked meal (rice and beans, beef, hearts of palm, with coconut rice pudding for dessert) was even better. After lunch we spent part of the afternoon playing dominoes, in a fractured mixture of Spanish and English. If anyone had suggested a year before that I would spend a September afternoon playing dominoes in San Rafael de Chachagua -- I would have been, well, puzzled.

Also from Chachagua we traveled north to the great Caño Negro swamp, a vast expanse of wetlands that are known in Costa Rica as llanuras and are reminiscent of the Everglades. Much of this area is national park or wildlife reserve; it's scarcely inhabited and, being close against the Nicaraguan border, was further depopulated by the contra wars of the 1980's. The town of Los Chiles is a river port on the Río Frio with a back-of-beyond feeling. Here boats arrive from Nicaragua with Nicaraguans applying for Costa Rican labor permits. (Several dozen were turned away by the border police the day we turned up.) At Los Chiles one can rent a boat, with a guide, to go farther into the area along the river. The shores are a mixture of private and public land; there are Brahman bulls placidly feeding in the Caño Negro, which happens to be one of the top spots in the country for reported jaguar and puma sightings. The river and its shores are teeming with life. The principal amphibian here is the innocently Pogo-esque caiman, which, sometimes achieving a snout-to-tail length of five feet, is too big to be funny. Birds migratory and specific are seen in great numbers; there are parrots and huge Amazonian kingfishers, hot blue and iridescent green mangrove swallows, white ibises and roseate spoonbills, wood storks -- a list would be pages long.

All four types of Costa Rican monkeys turn up here, the white-faced, the spider, the squirrel monkey and the ubiquitous howlers whose alpha males will soon be driven unhinged by mimicking tourists challenging their supremacy over the band. The Caño Negro is a dreamscape that leaves an imprint on the imagination: its waving grasses, punctuated by ceibas and the enormous conspiring sky, suggest infinity.

For a gently inclined, highly civilized country, Costa Rica yielded a disproportionate number of spectacular experiences, perhaps the most impressive of which was the eruption of Monte Arenal, one of the nine active volcanoes in the country. We arrived in the town of Fortuna to see the mountain that loomed in the range above us on the front page of the paper La Nación. The night before, it had blown, spewing golden lava far down its northwestern slope, which was fortunately where it was expected, having been smoking and tossing molten rock down since 1968. The 5,357-foot Mount Arenal destroyed two villages and killed about 80 people during the 1968 eruption, and it continues to take a toll of the occasional rash tourist and guide who decide no visit there complete without going eye to Cyclopean eye with the great mountain. For two nights running, from the very comfortable, well-provisioned bar of the Volcano Lodge -- even from the terrace of our well-situated room -- we watched Arenal, when it was not covered with cloud, fume and glow with earth's fire, roaring like a fiend. The lodge, with air-conditioning, cable TV, pool and Jacuzzis from which to watch the volcano, was about the most upscale accommodation on our route.

The next day, we went over the Cordillera de Tilarán and Costa Rica's continental divide into the dry tropical forest of Guanacaste province, much of it actually open savannah that supports the culture of the sabanero. The classic sabanero is the tough mounted herdsman of these plains, known in the old cowboy way as independent, chivalrous and capable of iron endurance. Fancy saddles, good horses and skilled riding are admired and many towns in Guanacaste feature a rodeo, called a tope, where the main event is bull riding. We stayed at the Buena Vista Lodge and Adventure Center, an extensive former cattle ranch at the entrance to Rincón de la Vieja National Park, where accommodations in interconnected, motel-style buildings are basic but comfortable. Here in the drier forest the rainy season overtook us, but only intermittently.

Horses and thermal mud baths were available, but our favorite diversion was the canopy tour, an operation in which the tourist rides a wire on a kind of breeches buoy from elevated platform to elevated platform at a speed controlled by a hand brake, literally one's hand encased in a leather glove. High-minded and unexcitable persons are invited to inspect the scenery and the perspective on nature afforded by a view from the treetops. Most people, I think, succumb to the sheer kick of the thing, as we did, zooming through the branches at high speed. The monkeys we expected to hoot and jeer had apparently seen enough of human folly and failed to show themselves. But the landscape, from the high peaks of the Vieja volcano to the Pacific miles to the west, was breathtaking.

From the old port of Puntarenas, sleepy and louche in the rainy season, one may take a party boat across the Gulf of Nicoya to a point on the Nicoya Peninsula called Punta Coral, where a private reserve offers a beach with cabanas. Kayaks and snorkeling equipment were available, and an elderly gentleman, professionally know as Abuelo, played the marimba at lunch even for those whose beach toy was a hammock.

We finished near the Tárcoles River, staying again at the edge of a national park, in this case the Parque Nacional de Carara. The mangrove swamps of the world, it is now known, play an important role in the vitality of the world's oceans, and they give a home or shelter to an uncountable number of bird species.

And, quite close up on the Tárcoles River, we watched a 13-foot crocodile challenged on the riverbank by a man armed with nothing more than a green towel. The crocodile went for it, and the sound of those jaws snapping shut is still with us.

Photo: The caldera of the Poás Volcano, on the way to Sarapiquí; fauna around the Tárcoles River ranging from crocodiles to butterflies; the thrill-a-minute canopy tour at Rincón de la Vieja.; Scaling a coconut palm; painted ox carts are a Costa Rican tradition; iguanas in conversation; students at the San Rafael de Chachagua school.; Two places to relax / aboard a tour boat on the Tárcoles River, and the thermal springs at Buena Vista Lodge. (Photographs by Robert Lewis for The New York Times) Maps of Costa Rica

Irish surf team

2009-08-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Ireland in Costa Rica's surf competition.
Herald

Surf's up for rookie Liam at World Games in Costa Rica
By Lloyd Murphy
Monday August 03 2009 Liam Joyce will be up against some stiff competition this week as he makes his debut for the Irish team at the International Surfing Association Billabong World Games. The competition started over the weekend in Costa Rica and runs until next Saturday. The Irish team is led by manager Stevie Burns and coach Marcos Dias. Joyce said: "It's great to represent Ireland in the World Championships." From a large Irish family that emigrated to New Zealand from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, Joyce has been living back in this country for the last two years. He and team-mate Emmet O'Doherty will be earning their first caps for their country, while Fergal Smith, will be taking in the event on his return journey from Western Australia were he spent the last couple of months chasing monster waves. And Sligo surfer Stephen Kilfeather, who claimed a podium finish at European Junior level in 2002, makes his return to the team. The Irish team will be aiming to maintain or improve upon its current ranking, having finished 16th at the 2008 World Surfing Games -- the team's best result for many years. Following the World Games, Joyce will travel down the west coast of Europe, competing in the ASP World Qualifying Series contests in Spain, Portugal, France, and the Canary Islands. He will also represent Ireland at the European Surfing Championship in Jersey from the September 26 until October 4. reefs In the last few years, Ireland has stamped its name on the map of international surf destinations, with its abundance of natural reefs along the coast providing ideal conditions for Atlantic swells to break. Lahinch, Co Clare, and Bundoran, Co Donegal, are now surfing hot spots and surfing is the fastest growing sport in the country. The quality of the Irish waves and the unique surf culture that the country offers attracts thousands of tourists to the west coast each year. hnews@herald.ie - Lloyd Murphy

Lapa Rios Review | Costa Rica | Fodor's Hotel Reviews

2009-07-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Lapa Rios Review | Costa Rica | Fodor's Hotel Reviews: "Lapa Ríos
Member Rating: ***** 5.0 | Rate It

* Address: 20 km/12 mi south of Puerto Jiménez
* Mailing: Apdo. 100-8203, Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
* Phone: 735-5130
* Fax: 735-5179
* www.laparios.com

* Price range: $$$$
* Location: Cabo Matapalo

Fodor's Review:

The most spectacular eco-resort in Costa Rica, Lapa Ríos has won numerous awards for its mix of conservation and comfort. After catching your breath when you see the view from the high, breezy jungle ridge rife with wildlife, your next sharp intake may be when you see the bill. But in this case the price is not inflated. Spacious, airy cabins built of gleaming hardwoods have four-poster queen beds, up-to-date bathrooms, and showers with one screened wall open to nature. Private teak-decked garden terraces allow you to view passing monkeys and toucans from a lounge chair. There's an infinity pool, a spa, and a new yoga deck. Inspired meals, served under a soaring thatch roof, include lots of seafood, exotic local fruits and vegetables, and mouthwatering desserts. You can eat whenever—and as much as—you want. Resident naturalist guides lead tours through pristine wilderness and to nearby beaches on foot or o"

Central & Southern Pacific

2009-07-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

costaricaviews.com

Best Surf Points in Costa Rica

Source: Info Costarica

Central & Southern Pacific :

Boca Barranca : It’s a river mouth with a very long left. Paved road. Lots of places to stay. Some of the best waves in the country specially for longboards.
Playa Escondida : Its located to the south from Jacó where you can get a taxi and head to an excellent point break that form a very good left and a surfable right.
Playa Jacó : Its 2 hours away from San José. This waves tend to close out when it gets over 5 feet. Close to a great quantity of places like Playa Hermosa, Escondida, Barranca and Puntarenas. Lots of hotels, cabins, restaurants, bars and camp grounds.

Roca Loca : A rocky point next to Jacó with rights that break over submerged rocks.
Playa Hermosa : Very strong beach break. Its a long beach break but the preferred point its located in front of a large tree called “El Almendro”. The waves conditions are generally best when the tide is rising.
Playa Dominical : Good, strong beach breaks with lefts and rights. Very tropical with beautiful landscapes.
Pavones : Excellent left point, considered one of the largest in the world. Good shape and very fast.
Caribbean :

Manzanillo : A very fast beach break located 20km from Puerto Viejo. Easy to get to.
Puerto Viejo : A very thick and voluminous wave that comes from deep water to a shallow reef. Its called “Salsa” for its juice power.
Black Beach, Cahuita : Excellent beach break, not well known and therefore not crowded. You can find waves there all year round.
Playa Bonita : A point reef break. Very thick powerful and dangerous left. 50km north of Limon.

Northern Pacific :

Potrero Grande : A right point, with very feast and hollow waves. 270km from San José with no road access. You have to go to Playas del Coco or Playa Ocotal and take a boat.
Playa Naranjo : “Roca Bruja” also called “Witch’s Rock” one of the best beach breaks in the country with very strong offshore winds from December to March. Its located in the National Park Santa Rosa so a 4WD is a must.
Playa Grande : Beach Breaks located 20 min north of Tamarindo.
Playa Tamarindo : Here you can find two different points the first one is a rocky one called “Pico Pequeño” in front of the hotel Tamarindo, and “El Estaro” an excellent river mouth break.
Langosta : A right and left point break that curls off the mouth of the mouth of a small river, 1 km south of Tamarindo.
Avellanas : Good beach break, very hollow rights and lefts. 15km south of Tamarindo.
Playa Negra : A right point break with very fast waves. Restaurant and Cabins on the point.
Playa Coyote, Manzanillo and Mal Pais : Beach breaks, with very consistent lefts and rights and several points.

The point breaks, beach breaks and perfect lefts and rights found here, all make this tiny Central American country a leading surfer hotspot in the wo

2009-07-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica Surfing

Find Surf Camps / Boats / Packages in Costa Rica

A surfer’s paradise, Costa Rica has been a top surfing destination for some time now. The point breaks, beach breaks and perfect lefts and rights found here, all make this tiny Central American country a leading surfer hotspot in the world today. And with beaches that are usually very clean, pristine and rarely crowded, Costa Rica has indeed become a favorite surfer hangout, especially for those who want to take on some of the more challenging waves found on the planet.

With a fantastic coastal climate, year round warm water temperatures and both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts to contend with, Costa Rica has well over 50 famous surf breaks along its shoreline. Legendary and truly spectacular, the waves here are big and with the many reef breaks found along the coast, surfer’s here are in for hollow and fast rides. And though some of the surfer beaches maybe kind of hard to reach, due to poor road conditions, they are well worth the trip as the waves here are good all year round. Some breaks like Pavones have the longest rides in the world and is definitely worth the long trek to get there.

Less crowded than places like Sydney, Hawaii or Southern California, the beaches of Costa Rica have a lot to offer like inexpensive accommodations, hotels and resorts, top notch breaks, local clinics and surf rental shops with all the amenities. If you are surfing on Costa Rica’s Caribbean/Atlantic coast keep in mind that the surfing season is not very long here and most of the waves are produced by tropical storms off the Mexican coast. On the Pacific Coast however, the waves though smaller are more consistent, and are usually generated from low pressure troughs off New Zealand. Major swells can be found on the Costa Rican coast between the months of April and October, but it is from December to April that the surf is at its cleanest.

While the top five surf destinations are at Playa Hermosa, Playa Grande, Pavones, Witches Rock and Salsa Brava, some other popular surf points in Costa Rica are Dominical, Santa Teresa/Mal Pais, Playa Negra, Playa Junquillal and Playa Avellana. The surf at Playa Naranjo or Witches Rock is also very good with many surf scenes from the movie Endless Summer II filmed here.

While many surfers enjoy bringing multiple boards, I would warn against this. Bringing too many boards can limit your mobility, plus getting around with many surf boards can be very challenging. However, if something does happen either on the flight or while you are surfing, there are quite a few places where your board can be fixed, but for a price. Popular towns like Tamarindo and Jaco for example have a number of surf equipment rental and repair shops.

If you decide to travel by air to Costa Rica make sure you double check with the local airline to see if they accept surf boards as baggage. Sansa usually does accept them up to a certain length or out of the board bag. However, for an extra charge some surfboards are accepted. Sometimes Nature Air will not even take your board due to weight restrictions. On a flight to Tambor (Mal País) I had to abandon my board, luckily I had a friend in San José that picked my board up. Because of this most people on Costa Rica surfing trips rent cars. But do make sure you bring your own soft racks and straps as most rental cars don’t have them.

Choose Surfing by Region:

Click on the map to select a costal region.

Click to enlarge map - Costa Rica Surfing Map

View all Travel Times in Costa Rica

Click on the map to select a region or select a coastal region below.
Limon	North Puntarenas
Guanacaste	South Puntarenas

The ten finalists have been announced in the second annual Geotourism Challenge – the competition sponsored by the National Geographic Society and Ash

2009-07-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Best of Geoto urism

Meet John Van Kirk, the Travel Answer Man. Follow his journeys, experience his adventures, see

By travelanswerman | July 20, 2009

Top Ten Geotourism Finalists Unveiled

The ten finalists have been announced in the second annual Geotourism Challenge – the competition sponsored by the National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers

From now until Wednesday, Aug. 12, the public can vote online for the three finalists they consider most cutting-edge in providing visitors with authentic travel experiences. The three winners will be announced Wednesday, Sept. 9, and each will receive a $5,000 prize.

A panel of expert judges — including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, the editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine, and the founder of Lonely Planet — selected the finalists based on their innovation, social impact and sustainability/viability.

The ten finalists are:

• Evergreen Brick Works of Toronto, Canada, is an adaptive re-use of the heritage structures at the Don Valley Brick Works, converting the city’s abandoned ravines into a much respected public park and nature exploratory center. See geotourism.changemakers.com/fr/node/23438

• Mongolia’s Ger to Ger Foundation links visitors with genuine nomadic families and guides as a way to stimulate cultural understanding through non-commercial outdoor activities and to provide alternative incomes for these Mongolian people. geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/23485)

• Nature Air, the 100 percent carbon neutral airline in Costa Rica, offsets 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions to encourage reforestation of tropical forests in southern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/20613)

• Virgin Islands Youth Heritage Exchange Farm Excursions focuses on food as the basis of youth identity and education, with visitors contributing to local mentoring through hands-on workshops and nature-based lifestyle-skill building. geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/24143

• Context Travel, based in Philadelphia, offers walking seminars in major European cities. It encourages sustainable ways to visit urban destinations and contributes funds to cultural preservation projects — such as an artist apprenticeship — to benefit local residents. geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/21933

• RiverIndia.com’s Bamboo Eco-Lodge River Trips help protect India’s Siang River through increased conservation and locally guided rafting, kayaking and fishing expeditions.geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/19044

• Trout Point Lodge, a Five Green Key-designated nature retreat in Canada, has revitalized backwoods and Acadian French cultural tourism through its Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School and staff naturalists providing guided access to the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/21375

• PEPY, Cambodia’s Educational Volunteer Tourism Program, is where on-site learning projects combine with donations to personally invest visitors in sustaining and enhancing education in Cambodia. geotourism.changemakers.com/node/21931

• Wikiloc Community Maps, created by a company in Girona, Spain, are built on information provided by visitors and hosts to offer honest and authentic impressions about destinations geotourism.changemakers.com/es/node/22687

• Reality Tour Viagens e Turismo Ltda’s Route of Freedom commemorates the “Memory of the African Diaspora in Brazil” with seven interpretive trails winding through 15 cities of the Paraiba Valley. geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/24996

Valere Tjolle www.travelmole.com

Costa Rica Bedfinder currently represents more than 600 vacation rentals located throughout the country including popular destinations such as Conchal

2009-07-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Avoid the Pitfalls in Vacation Rentals – Costa Rica Bedfinder Offers an Insider’s Perspective

Dominical, Costa Rica, July 20, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Those who have experienced vacationing in private homes and villas know the benefits of renting over staying in hotels: savings, privacy, freedom and space. However, the flipped side is that with vacation rentals what you see may not be what you get.

According to Costa Rica’s largest online vacation rental resource, Costa Rica Bedfinder, here are a few vacation rental pitfalls to avoid:

Photos - Do not fall in love with the photos and base your decision on the photos alone; a good photographer can make a tiny room appear spacious, hide a bad spot or make the neighboring houses disappear. Some condo unit owners prefer to display pictures of the model unit used for real estate sales rather than their own. In some cases, the view that you see in the picture is not a view from the property; while a picture tells a thousand words, it does not always tell the truth.

Internet - If you must have access to internet during your travel, you should confirm with your vacation rental host on internet availability and the mode of connection before you book. Costa Rica is not as widely wired as in the U.S. or Canada. Some vacation rentals may indicate internet access in the listings, but the access is through an extremely slow telephone dial-up connection, or the availability in the listings actually refers to an internet café in town.

Air Condition - Not all vacation homes that offer air conditioning are air-conditioned throughout; many, including some of the most luxurious villas, have air conditioning only in the bedrooms. And just because the property is fitted with A/C does not mean it is included in the rates. Due to electricity cost being notoriously high in Costa Rica, A/C is sometimes charged a specified extra daily or weekly price.

Taxes – Thanks to the recent annulment of the 3.39% hospitality room tax, tourist now pay just 13% sales tax on accommodation. For vacation rentals that are professionally managed by rental agencies, 13% sales tax is applicable but is not always included in the advertised rates, so clarify with your host if the rates are tax inclusive to avoid a last minute shock if you are on a tight budget. Vacation homes rented directly from homeowners on the other hand are not subject to government tax unless the owner has tax obligation through a corporation.

Pool - It is not enough to know the property has a pool; the question to ask is if the pool is regularly cleaned and chemically maintained. A family with 4 young children recently arrived at a VRBO vacation rental at a beachside village in the Central Pacific coast to find the pool alive with frogs and tadpoles.

Utilities - It is never a good idea to rent a vacation home at a location near ongoing construction no matter how good the discount is. Even with the guarantee of minimum noise, there are sometimes other graver risks involved. A young couple with a baby recently decided to cut short their one-week vacation in an oceanfront community on the south coast after enduring 3 days without running water; the villa owner received the bitter complaint and got hold of the community developer, who told her that they needed to divert water to the construction site to meet building deadlines.

Cleanliness - No matter what and where the vacation rental property is, renters are entitled to a thoroughly cleaned house; at times a property may fall short of expectations in ways that are not within the host’s control, but when it comes to cleanliness, there is never a justifiable excuse; renters should demand immediate remedial action or compensation if cleanliness is an issue.

Last word

To minimize the risk of disappointment, do your due diligence by asking as many specific questions as possible on what matter to you the most. To get the most enjoyment out of your stay, be prepared to adapt and always keep an open mind. Remember that, although Costa Rica rivals many developed countries in terms of healthcare and education, it is still a developing country, and the living environment may be very different from what you are accustomed to. In certain parts of the country for instance, there will be potholes on the road, power cuts from time to time, non-potable tap water, stray dogs in the streets and crawlies in the house.

Costa Rica Bedfinder currently represents more than 600 vacation rentals located throughout the country including popular destinations such as Conchal, Flamingo, Tamarindo, Nosara, Los Suenos, Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Dominical.

The founder and administrator of www.CostaRicaBedfinder.com, Elaine Turner, has been in the hospitality industry for 25 years, during which she regularly traveled and stayed in vacation rentals. She was an absentee-owner of three vacation rental properties during her globetrotting years as a career hotelier. Presently based in Dominical, Costa Rica, she manages a group of Hideaway Residences in addition to promoting lodgings and vacation rentals throughout Costa Rica on www.costaricabedfinder.com.

Costa Rica Bedfinder
Elaine Turner
1.888.699.0272
info@costaricabedfinder.com
www.costaricabedfinder.com
Costa Rica Tel 506-27870179

This river is widely known in rafting communities throughout the world and National Geographic has called it one of the top 10 river trips.

2009-07-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hannah Smith

Go to Hannah's Home Page

Sacramento International Travel Examiner

Rafting the Rio Pacuare in Costa Rica

July 20, 1:09 PM

Photo: Austin Smith

Costa Rica is well-know for its tropical beauty and laid-back culture. Laying on the beach with a fruity drink in hand is usually the ideal day for vacationers, but there is also the chance for some outdoor adventure by taking a whitewater rafting trip smack dab in the middle of one of Costa Rica’s natural wonders, the Rio Pacuare. This river is widely known in rafting communities throughout the world and National Geographic has called it one of the top 10 river trips. Below is an account, written by my dad, of a rafting trip he and my mom took down the Pacuare in April. It paints a picture of this rainforest river and what guests can expect on a trip with Rios Tropicales. And as you can tell, the travel bug was definitely a gift from my parents.

The main section of the Pacuare is located about an hour and a half south of San Jose running for 18 miles from Turrialba to Siquirres. The best way to get there is to book with an outfitter that will pick you up at your hotel in San Jose and either return you there at the end of the trip or take you on to your next destination. Make sure you are very clear if you are not returning to your hotel as alternate destinations may have a charge. Most transportation you contract for (vs. public bus) is door to door and very prompt. Interbus was very good. The outfitters we saw all seemed to run similar operations. You can run the river in one day for $85-100 which includes pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, breakfast, lunch, and post trip refreshments.

Our Trip:
At 6:20 am we were picked up at our hotel, and after gathering a few more tourists, took the ride to Rios Tropicales' River Center near Siquirres. On the bus, Andres, a veteran of several seasons in Coloma, gave us a standard, but a very humorous safety talk. We had to walk about ½ mile to the river and put-in. Our group was a mixed one – rafts on one and three day trips and kayaks on a two day trip. The guides are mostly Ticos – local Costa Rican men. I didn’t see a single woman guide in three days. They were very friendly and helpful and all spoke enough English that our poor Spanish wasn’t an issue.
The river was warm, semi-clear and light green. We floated through Class II/III rapids on our way to the lunch where we parted with the one day group. After lunch we hiked up a creek to a nice waterfall and swimming pool and then ran several class II/III rapids to the lodge. The lodge was far nicer than I was expecting. There were decks overlooking the river with hammocks, beautiful tropical gardens and a cascading creek running through the middle. The food was very good with tropical drinks at happy hour. Rooms were very nice and airy and a cool breeze came up in the evening. We had a very relaxing and comfortable stay. After a layover day of ziplining, swimming, and hiking to waterfalls, we met up for a large one-day through the Class III/IV section.

April is the end of the dry season so the river was low and technical. We did lots of rock dodging, scraping, and pin balling. We had the only non-tico guide; a Hungarian giving commands in Spanish. I asked him if there were any whitewater rivers in Hungary and he replied, "No, very flat.” Yikes! As we entered the Huacas River Gorge, the rapids became steep class IV chutes and short steep drops. Our boat took some interesting lines and we did a lot of improvising. In Upper Huacas, we dump trucked at the top and had a bumpy swim down. This was my first swim since the 1980's and Mary's first ever in thirty years of rafting with me. I was not amused, but the swim was soon forgotten by the sight of Huacas Falls cascading into the river over the sheer canyon walls. Lower Huacas soon followed, as well as several other class IV rapids. Many of the class IV rapids are created by rock bars forcing the river against the canyon walls. High siding opportunities abound. A lower lush and shady gorge afforded time to swim in the warm waters.

Lunch was on an expansive beach where the guides served a deli lunch with fresh tropical fruit. A guide threw some bread in the water near the rafts. You couldn't see the fish very well, but the bread was immediately shredded. It brought to mind piranhas, though these fish only wanted bread, not our toes. We finished the trip with several more Class III rapids. At the takeout we were immediately loaded on our air-conditioned bus and taken to the river center for showers, change of clothes and refreshments. A slide show of our trip was already being shown and offered for $40. We were the only ones going to the Caribbean so we said our goodbyes, and loaded into a mini-van for the three hour trip.

The Pacuare is a beautiful river fully deserving of its international renown. I definitely recommend it as part of any Costa Rica trip.

-Austin Smith

Costa Rica, whose rich biodiversity is breathtaking, emerged just ahead of the Dominican Republic and well above the United States with its 114th rank

2009-07-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica is happiest, greenest place on earth, survey says

9:12 AM, July 7, 2009

Costa Rica is for many outdoors enthusiasts the most magnificent place on earth. The Central American nation is blessed with good surf. It teems with more than 800 bird species. Its fishing fleets ply waters that abound with sailfish and tarpon. Its eco-lodges are watched over by tall green trees and monkeys.

Its volcanoes are sights to behold and with this in mind we share an image captured recently by Zach Smith of Arenal.net, a website promoting tourism to and around Costa Rica's spectacular Arenal Volcano.

Now Costa holds another distinction: happiest and greenest place on earth.

A survey by the New Economics Foundation, a British think tank, made the determination after looking at 143 countries that are home to 99% of the world's population and using an equation weighing life expectancy and happiness against environmental impact.

Costa Rica, whose rich biodiversity is breathtaking, emerged just ahead of the Dominican Republic and well above the United States with its 114th ranking. Australia was third.

The survey found that Costa Ricans, with their pura vida or "pure life" outlook, have a life expectancy of 78.5 years, and 85% of those interviewed said they were happy. That combined with the nation's tiny ecological footprint helped place it atop the Happy Planet Index.

The happy part is somewhat surprising as I've been there many times and witnessed poverty and know that lots of women and even girls there are drawn to prostitution, which sadly is also a primary tourist attraction for some.

As sociologist Andrea Fonseca said in an Agence France-Presse story about the survey, Costa Rica's rise to the top of the happy list "has a lot to do with social imagination." Not that there's anything wrong with that.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. Credit: Zach Smith

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Costa Rica is happiest, greenest place on earth, survey says:

Comments

im Costa Rican. and yes we are happy. im very proud of living here, and wouldn't change that for anything. i dont agree with the whole prostitution thing. i mean yes there is prostitution, just like every country in the world, its not as evident as you want to put it. poverty? well yes, we are after all a developing country, of course there is poverty, but we are one of the most developed countries in latin america, with a great education and public health system, and that means we have a very large middle class, and thankfully a poor minority.
Even if we all are developing countries, I praise the spirit of Latin America...with all of our dificulties, 9 out of the 10 top spots are for our countries...we choose to live happy and if you come here, you'll notice that :)

Posted by: Elia | July 08, 2009 at 12:08 AM

I have been living in Costa Rica for the past 2 years in a magnificent place called Los Suenos. Los Suenos is an American developed Master Planned Community and the Rich and Famous from all over the world flock here to get a piece of the Costa Rican Happiness which surrounds you in the hope it will rubb off... and that it does. Costa Rica is a very happy nation due to a strong social network and an appreciation peope have for their gorgeous surroundings. Sure this country has problems too, drugs and prostituion but the government lateley has done a lot to get a grip on it and overall it is not a major issue. If you do not look for it you will not see it....

Posted by: Tina Mueller | July 08, 2009 at 04:02 PM

This is my opinión about be a Tico, and how learned from this survey, please read it at http://www.dyncr.com/blog/costa-rica-happiest-nation/

Costa Rica has a lot of benefits, consider this when you are looking for a good place to live, or have business, is not just low salaries, is all that you can get from a country, and that is why we are happy. come and enjoy with us!!!!

Posted by: Luis Pereira | July 09, 2009 at 05:50 PM

“Our goal was to build a single level resort that fit within the picturesque eco-environment of Costa Rica, plus adding an element of sophistication,”

2009-07-16T02:33:00.000-07:00

TravelandTourismNews.com

The Breeze is Costa Rica’s Gold Coast Hotspot for Summer 2009

Tamarindo’s finest and newest modern luxury boutique retreat is really all about lifestyle. Especially well-suited for family vacations, The Breeze’s accommodations and facilities invariably are ideal for hosting any type of special gathering – from weddings, family reunions, yoga retreats, incentive business meetings, to sports or adventure groups.

“Our goal was to build a single level resort that fit within the picturesque eco-environment of Costa Rica, plus adding an element of sophistication,” said co-proprietor Jean Marc Lageyre. “We have captured our dream within the walls of The Breeze.”

Situated just 150 meters from the beach, our five superb vacation homes lie nestled in a perfectly serene and relaxing tropical setting.

A magnificently preserved Guanacaste tree accentuates the ground’s beauty.

Lush gardens are woven around five sensational one and two-bedroom, two bathroom jewels, each fairly secluded for your privacy, yet all opening up to a cascading split-level pool and lounging area – perfect for a dip in the water or an afternoon of soaking up Costa Rica’s rich rays of sun.

Each unit boasts a sublimely open sensation, a feeling of being one with nature.

The front of each unit is wall-to-wall glass, providing a window to many of Costa Rica’s natural delights, from the sunbathing iguanas to a variety of vibrant birds and the Howler monkeys who all cohabitate in the surrounding trees.

Dine outdoors on your covered patio as you take in all the sites, sounds and scents that breeze by.

Sleekness and simple elegance are synonymous with The Breeze. From the living room’s stylish red sofa to the bedroom’s tasteful bed linens, the décor has been meticulously chosen by the proprietors – husband/wife team Jean Marc and Rhonda Lageyre – to blend boutique hotel-style intimacy with a flair for the cosmopolitan.

Among the many amenities are air-conditioning in all bedrooms, two flatscreen TV’s per house, complimentary hi-speed wireless internet, 24-hour security within a gated community, free maid service, and babysitting and laundry services for a minimal fee. Each unit accommodates 4 to 6 people.

Four units are single story, the first bedroom has a king-size bed and the second bedroom has two twin beds (that can be converted to a king). Each bedroom suite has it’s own private bathroom, and sliding glass doors open up onto each bedroom’s patio.

The fifth unit, ideal for honeymooners, features a larger bedroom on the ground floor with a king-size bed, private bath and patio, plus a second story mezzanine that offers a queen sofa-bed and second full bathroom.

Although there are many delightful dining options in Tamarindo, each home at The Breeze has a fully equipped kitchen. Contemporary dishes, cookware, fabulous linens and carefully selected artwork are just a few of the personal accents that make The Breeze a gem that shines bright and stands alone in quality destination resorts.

For more information on daily and weekly reservations and group sales, please contact Rhonda Lageyre at www.thebreezetamarindo.com, or call 506-2653-0476 in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is truly a paradise for tourists, not only due to the incredible beauty but also the various activities that you can partake in.

2009-07-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

What You Should Know About Costa Rica Tourism

Costa Rica is truly a paradise for tourists, not only due to the incredible beauty but also the various activities that you can partake in. When it comes to Costa Rica tourism there are a few different issues that you are going to want to take into consideration, especially if you are planning on taking a trip there yourself.

About Costa Rica

On the subject of Costa Rica tourism, you should first learn about the country itself. Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus, between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has a very favorable climate and its varied landscapes make this small country the perfect getaway for a spectacular vacation. Known as the land of peace, Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in Latin America with more than 100 years of political stability.

Economy

One aspect of Costa Rica tourism that you will definitely want to educate yourself on is the economy. The economy here has been constantly growing, especially over the past decade, and the economic development that has taken place here has been encouraged by direct ocean access on both coastlines as well as regular flight connections to North America, Latin America, and Europe.

Planning Your Trip

Once you have made yourself more aware and familiar on Costa Rica tourism, you can begin to actually plan your trip. The first step you should take is to decide exactly where in Costa Rica you want to stay. There are many great hotels, motels, condos, and other accommodations that you can stay in, just make sure that you book early enough ahead of time to ensure availability.

The best idea is to go through a Costa Rica tourism and travel bureau, especially if you feel lost or overwhelmed about the planning of your Costa Rica vacation. These travel agencies make it easy for you and take care of all the details to make it simple and convenient for you to plan and book your holiday to the beautiful country of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica tourism is a very important issue, and you will never understand this more than when you actually visit the country yourself. The beauty is unimaginable, the people friendly and welcoming, and it is definitely a trip that you will never forget. Just make sure that you have everything planned and prepared beforehand so that you can really make the most of your time there.

First shown in the Hypnos concept car during the 2008 Paris auto show, the diesel-hybrid system combines a diesel engine with a rear axle-mounted elec

2009-07-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Gran Turismo

July 14, 2009, 8:15 am

Citroën Confirms $2 Million GT Supercar.

By Nick Kurczewski

The Citroën GT was first envisioned for the Gran Turismo 5 PlayStation 3 video game.

Citroën has confirmed plans to build the Citroën GT, a two-seat sports car originally created for the virtual world of the Gran Turismo 5 racing simulator for the PlayStation 3. The car will be available worldwide, said Anouk van Vliet, a Citroën spokeswoman.

Despite being a volume car company – PSA Peugeot Citroën sold 3.26 million vehicles in 2008 – only six examples of the GT are going to be built, with each mid-engine two-seater costing $2.1 million. For that price, you could opt for one Citroën GT or 35 C6 luxury sedans.

The carbon-fiber bodied GT was revealed last year during the Paris auto show. Its aggressive exterior – complete with gull-wing doors, gaping air intakes and large rear diffuser – was a joint effort between Citroën and designers at Polyphony Digital, creators of the Gran Turismo racing game series.

The GT would be Citroën’s first production supercar. A production version is expected to be introduced this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Citroën has since been busy hustling the GT around Europe to prestigious racing venues like the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the Britain.

While it has a long history of building technically innovative cars, the GT represents Citroën’s first leap into a market normally reserved for the likes of Bugatti, Ferrari and other boutique automakers.

Until now, arguably the closest Citroën has come to building a supercar was the futuristic and ferociously complex SM coupe. Built from 1970 to 1975, the SM combined a sleek aerodynamic body with a punchy Maserati V-6 engine (Citroën bought the Italian company in 1968, but relinquished control after going bankrupt in 1974).

The SM had a self-leveling hydro-pneumatic suspension, variable assist power steering, and (in European models) headlights that turned with the steering. This earned the SM high marks for engineering bravado, but a reputation for inflicting major headaches and huge repair bills whenever something went wrong.

The Citroën GT will probably play a similar role as the company’s halo car for daring design and technological innovation. In Gran Turismo 5, the Citroën GT is powered by a 646-horsepower hydrogen fuel-cell, fitted with regenerative braking and an over-boost function that provides an extra 138 horsepower. This video shows the virtual version in action:

That ultra high-tech powertrain will remain video-game fantasy. Ms. van Vliet, the Citroën spokeswoman I spoke to, could not comment about the engine and transmission scheduled for the production version of the GT, though several online forums have suggested Citroën could opt for a traditional (and possibly American-sourced) gas-powered V-8.

This would be a quick and easy solution, but is hardly in keeping with Citroën’s push to environmentally friendly engines and clean diesel technology. One alternative to the gas-guzzling V-8 theory is that the Citroën GT will use a version of the company’s coming diesel-hybrid drivetrain.

First shown in the Hypnos concept car during the 2008 Paris auto show, the diesel-hybrid system combines a diesel engine with a rear axle-mounted electric motor. Citroën plans to bring the drivetrain to market by 2011.

A performance-tuned variation of this diesel-hybrid technology could, potentially, make an early cameo in the Citroën GT. The production version of the GT is scheduled to appear later this year at the Frankfurt auto show.

The following is just a short guide to some of the resorts in Panama.

2009-07-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

Panama City Beach Hotels

Panama Resorts

Many people on their first vacation to Panama want to stay at one of the many Panama resorts for their holiday. This is probably the best decision, when a country is not known to you. You know you will get a relaxing vacation, lots of activities, close to a beach for relaxing, swimming and other water fun in the sun. You know the price is all inclusive so there are no surprises. If you love Panama after your first trip, you will be back for more and want explore other venues and hotels in Panama, such as the San Blas Is lands, Bocas del Toro or Boquete, to name a few. The following is just a short guide to some of the resorts in Panama.

The most popular resorts in Panama would have to be Intercontinental Playa Blanca, Gamboa Rainforest Resort, The Royal Decameron, and Playa Bonita. Why are they the most popular? Well, they offer everything that one has come to expect at a resort, everything is taken care of for you. They are excellent resorts, offering great food, activities, the beach, pools, spas and free drinks. Most of them are rated 4 star resorts, but to be truthful, they should be classified as 5 star resorts in Panama. We’ve written long reviews of these resorts on this site, but here we are adding some more resorts such as the Mango Beach Club Resort and the Playita Resort for you to consider when booking your vacation in Panama.

The Royal Decameron Beach Resort:

The Royal Decameron Beach Resort is on the beach, just 90 minute from Panama City. This is a popular resort destination in Panama for tourists and most especially first time visitors to Panama. Read more about the Royal Decameron Beach Resort in our article here on this site.

The Gamboa Rainforest Resort:

Interested in eco tourism, and want to visit your first rainforest? The Gamboa Rainforest Resort could be the best place for you to stay. Exploring the rainforest, swimming, spa treatments and many more activities are yours. Read more about the Gamboa Rainforest Resort here.

The Playa Blanca Resort:

Playa Blanca Resort, also about 90 minutes from Panama City will offer you ecological adventures and beach time on your travel to Panama. The Playa Blanca Resort has its own secluded beach and is another one of the luxury resorts that are popular for tourists. Lush tropical vegetation full of wildlife surrounds the resort Another perfect place to kick back and enjoy the beach, the pool and the natural surroundings.

Read more about the Play Blanca Resort on our website here.

The Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort and Spa:

The Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort and Spa on the beach. Just think sun, sand and surf. The sunrises and sunsets over the Pacific ocean are gorgeous. The resort is magnificent, with nicely decorated rooms. It’s a favourite resort for tourists from around the world.

Read more about the Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort and Spa on our website here.

The Mango Beach Club:

The Mango Beach Club in Bocas Del Toro is definitely a romantic getaway. Rooms start at $79 US during the low season. Close to the town of Bocas del Toro, it is situated on a beach beside the ocean. There are 14 rooms and one suite in the Mango Beach Resort. All rooms come with air conditioners and there are kitchen supplies if you need them. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and internet is available. There is a pool close to the Playa Mango beach. There are hammocks available for those who want to truly kick back. Great food is available at the hotel restaurant. The staff is friendly and the service is good.

This resort is an excellent choice for people looking for a tranquil place while still having quick access to the town of Bocas del Toro. Activities include swimming, exploring and relaxing on pristine beaches or kayaking to the reefs.

The Playita Resort:

Not far from Boquete by a few hours drive, at Los Santos on the Azuero Peninsula you will find the Playita Resort. Owned by Lester, the service is wonderful and personal. This is a nature lover’s paradise, not for someone who wants to stay at the Marriot. The wildlife photography opportunities are amazing. The resort is beautiful, one and two bedroom units surround a central kitchen and outdoor dining area. Local foods, fresh fish and tropical fruits are plentiful on the menu, all prepared to order, fresh and delicious. Rooms come with air conditioning, and are well cared for. There is no hot water, no cell phone access. A room starts at $70 per night plus 10% tax. The beach is small, with white sand and protected. Mask, snorkel, fins can be rented. Fishing trips are arranged and if you catch something, they will clean and cook your big catch.

As you can see, there are many diverse resorts in Panama for you to choose from where you can experience the resort experience, nature, the beach and surf. Panama is the most wonderful country, the newest vacation destination, just waiting to be explored.

The “Happy Planet Index” is calculated based on “average years of happy life,” as measured by life satisfaction and life expectancy.

2009-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Happy Planet Index

By Catherine Rampell

We’ve written before about alternative measures to gross domestic product. These are generally attempts to take into account how happy, healthy and environmentally friendly a nation is, not just how much it produces in goods and services.

One of these measures is the Happy Planet Index, produced by the New Economics Foundation. The foundation has just released its 2009 rankings.

The name “Happy Planet Index” may be a bit misleading, because it does not actually indicate which countries are happiest, or have the highest well-being. Rather, the measure is about environmental sustainability relative to well-being — that is, how efficiently a country consumes ecological resources to support a given level of happiness.

It is calculated based on “average years of happy life,” as measured by life satisfaction and life expectancy. That number is then divided by the populace’s “ecological footprint,” as measured by “the amount of land required to provide for all their resource requirements plus the amount of vegetated land required to sequester (absorb) all their CO2 emissions and the CO2 emissions embodied in the products they consume.”

Scores range from 0, the worst, to 100. To get a perfect score, a country should have high levels of life satisfaction and life expectancy, as well as a small ecological footprint. But a country could score relatively well if its citizens are, for example, very happy and use a moderate amount of natural resources (e.g., Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic), or if its citizens are just moderately happy but use very few resources (e.g., Vietnam and Egypt).

By these measures, the United States does not do very well.

With relatively high levels of life satisfaction and life expectancy, but a very large ecological footprint, the United States ranks 114th on a list of 143 countries ordered by the Happy Planet Index.

Latin American and Caribbean countries, on the other hand, represent 9 of the top 10 highest-ranking countries in the index:

1. Costa Rica
2. Dominican Republic
3. Jamaica
4. Guatemala
5. Vietnam
6. Colombia
7. Cuba
8. El Salvador
9. Brazil
10. Honduras
11. Nicaragua
12. Egypt
13. Saudi Arabia
14. Philippines
15. Argentina
16. Indonesia
17. Bhutan
18. Panama
19. Laos
20. China

Read more…

21. Morocco
22. Sri Lanka
23. Mexico
24. Pakistan
25. Ecuador
26. Jordan
27. Belize
28. Peru
29. Tunisia
30. Trinidad and Tobago
31. Bangladesh
32. Moldova
33. Malaysia
34. Tajikistan
35. India
36. Venezuela
37. Nepal
38. Syria
39. Burma
40. Algeria
41. Thailand
42. Haiti
43. Netherlands
44. Malta
45. Uzbekistan
46. Chile
47. Bolivia
48. Armenia
49. Singapore
50. Yemen
51. Germany
52. Switzerland
53. Sweden
54. Albania
55. Paraguay
56. Palestine
57. Austria
58. Serbia
59. Finland
60. Croatia
61. Kyrgyzstan
62. Cyprus
63. Guyana
64. Belgium
65. Bosnia and Herzegovina
66. Slovenia
67. Israel
68. Korea
69. Italy
70. Romania
71. France
72. Georgia
73. Slovakia
74. United Kingdom
75. Japan
76. Spain
77. Poland
78. Ireland
79. Iraq
80. Cambodia
81. Iran
82. Bulgaria
83. Turkey
84. Hong Kong
85. Azerbaijan
86. Lithuania
87. Djibouti
88. Norway
89. Canada
90. Hungary
91. Kazakhstan
92. Czech Republic
93. Mauritania
94. Iceland
95. Ukraine
96. Senegal
97. Greece
98. Portugal
99. Uruguay
100. Ghana
101. Latvia
102. Australia
103. New Zealand
104. Belarus
105. Denmark
106. Mongolia
107. Malawi
108. Russia
109. Chad
110. Lebanon
111. Macedonia
112. Congo
113. Madagascar
114. United States of America
115. Nigeria
116. Guinea
117. Uganda
118. South Africa
119. Rwanda
120. Congo, Dem. Rep. of the
121. Sudan
122. Luxembourg
123. United Arab Emirates
124. Ethiopia
125. Kenya
126. Cameroon
127. Zambia
128. Kuwait
129. Niger
130. Angola
131. Estonia
132. Mali
133. Mozambique
134. Benin
135. Togo
136. Sierra Leone
137. Central African Republic
138. Burkina Faso
139. Burundi
140. Namibia
141. Botswana
142. Tanzania
143. Zimbabwe

Find the full report here.

The H.P.I. is somewhat controversial. For some critiques of the index and its components, go here, here, here and here.

Costa Rica became a logical choice in a Hat Trick

2009-07-08T02:15:00.000-07:00

Pirates, sunken treasure, torrential downpours: Is this New Orleans or Costa Rica?

Pirates, sunken treasure, torrential downpours, over 150 species of wildlife, thriving wetlands…
is this a day at the Audubon in New Orleans, or a few days on the Osa Peninsula in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica?

On a budget and desperate to explore new territory, Costa Rica became a logical choice in a Hat Trick ~ flight is 5 hours or less from either coast, they accept US Dollars, and (with our current environmental issues) it is eco-friendly. Eager to grow my level of understanding about the environment, as well as bring back viable sustainable living ideas that we may be able to put to use here in New Orleans, I set out on my first solo eco-friendly adventure to what the locals call “the Osa.”

Without consulting the Lonely Planet, I scanned the Internet for Eco-friendly Lodges in Costa Rica and found Sabalo Lodge (www.sabalolodge.com), an eco lodge in the mangrove-filled wetlands nestled over 18 acres along the Rio Sierpe between Bahia Drake and Palmar Sur operated by former Southern Californians, Dan & Holly Pesta. The couple left the States three years ago to get away from the chaos of Orange County and enjoy an eco-sustainable life. They searched the Internet and found a lodge owned and operated by a Costa Rican woman. Sabalo lodge boasts an organic garden that includes sweet potato vines, a pineapple patch, and plenty of banana and coconut trees. They are also solar-equipped to handle the energy use of both guest cabins and the main house with its fully-operational kitchen. Water is pumped from the clear mountain stream for sanitation and shower purposes. The grey-water is handled through the use of a “Banana Circle” consisting of a pit where the grey water is directed and surrounded by sweet potatoes, taro and banana plants whose roots act like a filtration system and absorb and purify the water used from sinks and showers. The grey water feeds the plants and the fruits and vegetables are safe for consumption.

All lights at the lodge are low wattage halogen bulbs and the toilets are low-flush to help conserve water. Metal, glass and plastic are transported to the local town of Sierpe where the school has a recycling center. The proceeds from this center benefit the local school. Food and produce scraps are composted reducing the amount of waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Because the lodge is in the middle of the wetlands, several species of wildlife were frequent guests. The morning brought two macaws mating in the trees above my cabin, then parakeets, and white-faced monkeys by afternoon tea.

Holly & Dan provide their guests with delicious California-style cuisine ~ my stay included fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast, grilled cheese with organic greens for lunch, and chicken curry for dinner. Even freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert! A portion of your lodging fee is donated to the local school.Prior to my stay at Sabalo lodge, Holly had me booked in for two nights in Drake Bay at her package lodge, The Pirate Cove (www.piratecovecostarica.com).Eco-adventurers seeking biodiversity can choose from several “eco-lodges” in Drake Bay, although I found only Pirate Cove and Aguila De Osa Inn (www.aguiladeosainn.com ) to be the coolest.Drake Bay is located along the Pacific coast, has virtually no mosquitoes, fabulous sport fishing, diving, snorkeling, and the most diverse natural rainforest in Corcovado National Park. Suzanne, the proprietor of Pirate Cove, coordinated a day trip to Corcovado Park where seven adventurers (a Texan, a Virginian, two French Canadians, and two French provincials plus myself) experienced macaws, white-breasted and black hawks, spider-monkeys, white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys, and squirrel monkeys, a 350+ lb tapir sleeping in the grove, an anteater high up in the balsa trees, a red-breasted woodpecker, guans, iguanas, crocodiles, blue-spotted heron, and even puma tracks. It was a good day in the wild.

How to get to Drake Bay/Osa Peninsula ~
I chose DELTA Airlines (www.Delta.com) from MSY to SJO connecting in ATL for under $500 RT; other airlines that operate from the US include American, Continental, United, all of which can be checked on low-price travel site www.kayak.com with regional connection options on eco-friendly Sansa or Nature Air to Drake Bay. WARNING: weather can wreak havoc on your travel plans back to SJO from the Osa Peninsula if your regional plane decides to cancel and leave you at the air strip. Plan B ~ grab five or six fellow travelers and split a cab to drive you back for $250 total. US Dollars are preferred. The entire country will accept US Dollars, although they have ATMs dispensing local currency in most areas. Traveler’s Checks are not as widely accepted, so be sure to ask before you go.

If you find yourself (as I did) in San Jose overnight, I recommend the Adventure Inn as a clean, safe, affordable hotel who will also coordinate area activities with pick-up from their lobby door (www.adventure-inn.com). This hotel is a great base camp to explore the volcanoes, coffee plantations, rainforests, canopy tours, hot springs, or even Tortuga Island tours. It is a good central point to explore in many directions for a day or two and return.

What to pack for Costa Rica ~

Rain gear & rubber boots as downpours are severe from April to December, a light raincoat or poncho will be soaked through.
Sunscreen 30+ because you are near the Equator
Flashlight, batteries, bug repellent, anti-itch lotion, small medical kit
Plastic garbage bags for wet clothes and to put your bag in when on the boat in rain
Bathing suit
Shorts, tanks, t-shirts, pair of sturdy long pants, sturdy sandals or hiking boots
Whistle, in case you get lost
Good books to read after dinner
A flexible attitude, ready for anything

Flights to Cancun and all inclusive hotel prices have brought the Mexico Caribbean Coast within more family budgets than would have been believed poss

2009-07-07T01:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Mexico Caribbean Coast Could Give You A Cheap Family Holiday

The Mexico Caribbean Coast isn't renowned as being the place to go for a cheap family holiday but in fact it is one of the few Caribbean Vacation Spots where you can take a family holiday and entertain your children without spending too much of your hard earned cash.
Flights to Cancun and all inclusive hotel prices have brought the Mexico Caribbean Coast within more family budgets than would have been believed possible ten years ago.
The question remains what do you do to entertain the children that won't cost the earth outside the hotel. Are you ready to best alaska tour at all. It seems a shame not to explore the Mexico Caribbean Coast when there is so much that is interesting to see and do, especially when you can do much of it relatively inexpensively, and yet keep the children entertained, educated, and happy.
If you want to see crocodiles, then go to Croco Cun at Puerto Mereles, and not only crocs at this zoo.
Go to north of Playa de Carmen to the Tres Rios Ecopark where you can float down a clear clean river all the way to the beach. Watch me die and germany tourism brochure blame, of course. It is a real all day activity centre with canoes, kayaks, bicycles, snorkels, or even horseback riding, or take a boat tour to the coral reef.
South of Playa de Carmen is Xcaret an eco archaeological park which has grown up around the Maya ruins of the port city of Pole, and there is a lot to be enjoyed here.
Bring bathers so you can snorkel in the underground rivers, and don't worry life jackets are provided, and you can rent snorkels.
You can swim with the dolphins but it's important to know that you need to get signed up early in the day for this.
There is a terrific butterfly exhibition in a canyon.
There is the ruins of the old Mayan port and also scale models in the museum.
You can ride on horseback through the jungle and on the beach.
Finally there is early evening entertainment for all the family.
Go to Akumel which is like a big warm bathtub with shallow water going out a long way, and a great place for rock pools. She put her hand auction discount travel the quilts. Older children can take their first steps to scuba diving, and snorkel, whilst mums and dads can go diving and have their children cared for.
Close to Akumel is the Aktun Chen Cave with plenty of stalactites and stalagmites.
The Xel-Ha Lagoon National Park is another unmissable treat with beach, snorkeling, archeology, and hiking. No one could become canada railroad tours her again. Lots to do and equipment to hire.
Tulum is the only real Mayan ruin overlooking the Caribbean Sea, and lots to look at, and you can then go for a swim on the beach below.
For the good swimmers go to Grand Cenote on the road to Coba, and when in Coba visit their Maya ruins.
If you are prepared to travel inland then the Maya Ruins of Chichen Iiza are a couple of hours away.
This has been just a few ideas, and there are many more things to do on your Mexico Caribbean Coast Vacation which could give you the best family holiday package ever.

Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any acco

2009-07-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica Eco Travel

The evolution of 'Ecotourism'

As a world-wide leader in nature-oriented travel, with 5% of the world's biodiversity within only .035% of the world's land, Costa Rica continues to be in the spotlight for ecotourism. He decided to show agency england travel incredulous, then continued. Since 1993, tourism has been the top generator of foreign revenues for Costa Rica, surpassing both bananas and coffee. Kiera told him it cure de tour to react. The ICT (Costa Rican Institute for Tourism) acknowledges that the tourism in Costa Rica has become mainly ecotourism. She kissed the frown discount travel online travel agency cheap cruise expedia hard, angry. It is easy to see why, with Costa Rica's 26 national parks, 58 wildlife refuges, 32 protected zones, 15 wetland areas or mangroves, 11 forest reserves, 8 biological reserves, as well as 12 other conservation regions. Is there a particular cheap tickets flights airlines travel watching her. The array of flora and fauna is staggering. Are you still feeling delta queen cruise reviews go along peacefully. Martha Honey of the CESD (Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development) cites the following:

"This West Virginia-sized country boasts more bird species (850) than are found in the United States and Canada combined, more variety of butterflies than in all of Africa, more than 6,000 kinds of flowering plants (including 1,500 varieties of orchids), and over 35,000 species of insects. Henry roared, trying to gill travel vancouver do in preparation. Costa Rica is, as former minister of natural resources Alvaro Umana put it, a biological superpower." (Honey 2003)

All of this natural wonder in the most stable country both socially and politically in Central America, perhaps even all of Latin America, is heaven for especially the ecotraveler. Colin closed his eyes aarp travel discounts please him. To its credit, Costa Rica has the highest percentage of protected land in the world (Fenell and Eagles 1990). He was very thorough commodore cruise san francisco of her vile gossip. Further, Costa Rica has preserved these lands and natural habitats in such a way that they are more accessible to tourists than those of any other country in the region (Budowski 1993). She had brown hair carl barron tours her start gagging again. The small size of the country is a huge factor as well; a traveler has the opportunity to visit more destinations per visit if desired.

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as:

"Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people."

The history of ecotourism is interesting. Colin tried not to adventure aussieoffroadtourscomau australian kimberley tour tour his throat. The term 'ecotourism' was coined in 1983 by Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, one of Mexico's top architects as well as renowned environmentalist and Ecotourism expert. Gelfrid had rushed down california francisco guide san travel a good time. Ceballos-Lascurain is the Director General of the Programme of International Consultancy on Ecotourism (PICE), and special advisor on Ecotourism to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Particularly not when the board iowa tourism of the satchel. The following definitions are quoted from Ceballos-Lascurain in an ecoclub.com article Meet the Architect of Ecotourism.

1983 definition: "Ectourism is tourism that involves traveling to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural aspects (both past and present) found in these areas." His hope was that the result would be that people would become more knowledgeable and aware of nature and thus likely to be more involved in conservation issues. You told me once alaska spain airline travel watched, transfixed. This very desire came to fruition.

He revised the definition in 1993, which was then adopted by the IUCN in 1996 as its official definition, which states: "Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features, both past and present), that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations."

What began as a niche in the early 80's has grown exponentially with far-reaching effects. She put the folders australia bike daytona package tour week you come back inside. From the roots of ecotourism sprang 'responsible' and 'sustainable' tourism, and as seen above ecotourism is now defined to include the latter. His mouth made her british airways discount travel airline tickets creaking of the floor. In October of 2008, United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. She bumped his chin cruise henry lee their minds. The new criteria was developed to offer a common guide to the burgeoning practice of sustainable tourism and to help consumers, businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations and education institutions to ensure that tourism has positive, rather than negative effects on local communities and the environment. Yes, he whispered back axa ppp travel insurance makes me feel better. To find out more, check out "SustainableTourismCriteria.org." SustainableTourismCriteria.org. Wheeling it from word discount england europe religion snet spain travel travel travel walking toward her.

In order to promote tourism providers that practice sustainability, the Costa Rican ICT developed the Center for Sustainable Tourism (CST) which provides certification to businesses that are committed to sustainable practices. How are you capable backpacking tours in europe on his laughter. The certification is given at levels from 1 to 5 green leaves, with many businesses currently certified and in process. No one was supposed band punahou sea travel wind curled around his neck. The Rainforest Alliance recognizes the CST as a valid entity to promote and ensure sustainable practices in Costa Rica. He raised his glass bath somerset tourist information the fire in her. Countless others in tourism are involved in sustainable practices in Costa Rica that are under the radar. Her children, an insane coast cruise repositioning west the spot? Also there is the newly formed Costa Rican National Chamber of Ecotourism (CANAECO) which is Rainforest Alliance affiliated. You make me forget bulgaria tourism information outside, below your knuckles. With all of these organizations to help promote and enforce authenticity, backed by huge consumer demand, there is sure to be more and more in the tourism sector on board to protect Costa Rica's priceless ecosystems and communities.

NatureAir and NatureVacations are proud to practice environmental and social responsibility. He fell to the automotive california directory germany mesothelioma religion snet travel travel did glance her way. NatureAir is The world's first certified Carbon Neutral Airline and presents an informative video at "natureair.com/carbonneutral/"natureair.com/carbonneutral/ . The wood shiny from bar staff jobs cruise ships bloody pulp. Also to learn more about our biodiesel program see "blog.natureair.com/."blog.natureair.com/.

The small country of Costa Rica, tucked in between Panama and Nicaragua in Central America, has had a burst of public attention over the past few mont

2009-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica Boosts its International Presence

Posted on July 6th, 2009 by Carolyn Ramer

The small country of Costa Rica, tucked in between Panama and Nicaragua in Central America, has had a burst of public attention over the past few months thanks to several articles published by well-known authors and public media.

The positive publicity has been very well received during these times of economic difficulties for many. The country of Costa Rica and the highlights of its natural attractions and adventures have been featured from websites to national television in the United States and Canada.

Among the articles about Costa Rica that can be mentioned are “Costa Rica Any Way You Want It” by Ethan Todras-Whitehill featured in the New York Times; “(No) Drill, Baby, Drill” by three time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman in which the country’s Ministry of Environment and Energy is praised and a report by Pauline Frommer on CNN about Costa Rica.

The current head of the Costa Rican Ministry of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, mentioned that the world crisis has begun to take its toll on Costa Rica hotels and tourism in general. However, the country’s tourism industry still remains in very good condition thanks to the positive exposure it has had on an international level.

The number of tourists that visited Costa Rica in 2008 was historic having passed the 2 million mark, however for 2009, the number remains slightly below the mark. Costa Rica hotels have sought to attract as much tourism as possible by offering special deals and low rates for the current Green Season that will last until late November.

Although the months of May through November are also synonymous for the rainy season, it is a great time of year to visit the country on a low budget and still get to enjoy the vast rainforests, flora and fauna.

Costa Rica en la red

Walter Ferguson

This is an article by my FB friend Kimberly Barron for Eye on Costa Rica

Agouti

Infowebpress

Tortuga Island

One-Day Tour of the Natural Beauty of Tortuga Island, Costa Rica

Things to Do on the Island

What You Can Expect

Getting around

Golfito

Golfito: A bustling natural town

Tags: Cost of Living in Costa Rica, Costs in Costa Rica, Live in Costa Rica, Living Costs in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica

Living Costs in Costa Rica

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Flights to Cancun and all inclusive hotel prices have brought the Mexico Caribbean Coast within more family budgets than would have been believed poss

Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any acco

The small country of Costa Rica, tucked in between Panama and Nicaragua in Central America, has had a burst of public attention over the past few mont