Archive for August, 2009
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
The ocean front property in Costa Rica is a tropical like paradise. Costa Rica beaches are one of the most beautiful in the world. Have you thought about making the giant leap and purchasing beach front property as a second home or an investment? During the past 5 years real estate has been increasing at a remarkable 18 – 30 % per year. How do you invest in Costa Rica beach front properties?
There are only two ways to go about buying beach front property in Costa Rica. Make sure the area your looking at is a place you would like to vacation at. If you plan on making a large purchase then spend a few days in the area to see if it is the right place for you. You will get a more in depth idea if you spend more time there. You don’t want to in your “tropical dream paradise” regretting that you’ve done it.
Find a competent lawyer to represent your investment. Do not use the lawyer who is associated with the buyer. Always find your own lawyer to manage your purchase. It’s important to find one that has considerable knowledge of maritime zone law. Costa Rican maritime law is different in every Central American country and you need to know all of the details before purchasing beach front property in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, the maritime zone is 200 meters from the average median high-low tide all year long. The first 50m is public property and the 150 meters from that line is restricted. The 150 meters stretch can not have an “original title”, but can be leased by a concession by the local municipality.
Once your sure of purchasing your property act quickly. Since property in Costa Rica is in high demand a good deal won’t last long. Land prices are on the rise, and not showing signs of slowing down any time soon. Once your sure, act. The current owner may have second thoughts and want to renegotiate or may not want to sell. Negotiate directly with the owner. There are many middle men that light be charging you too much. If an agent says you can’t speak with the owner then do not waste your time or money.
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Hundreds of passengers of the Heredia - San José once again were once again left on foot when the, this time, however, the problem was not due to the train tracks or the locomotives or the politics that has afflicted the project for some time, it was rather not due to a road block of the train tracks by areas residents of Santa Rosa de Santo Domingo de Heredia.
The blockage forced the cancellation of the remaining 11 runs of the train Monday evening.
The parents taking part in the protest were there to bring attention to the poor conditions of the Rubén Darío school, accusing the school principal for the physical deterioration of the school building,
“We are asking that the principal resign because since he has been here there have been problems, donations that end up in the pockets of the principal”, yelled one angry young woman for the television cameras.
The parents complain that the children attending the school cannot even wash their hands after using the bathroom, as there never is any water in the restrooms, children forced to have to used the water in the laundry tub where they also wash the plates from the school cafeteria.
For officials of the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer)- Costa Rican railway - there was no way to get the trains through the blocade, forcing the trains back to the station, leaving some 250 passengers to find another way home last night.
The protestors demanded the presence of the ministro de Educación, Leonardo Garnier, at the scene to listen to their complaints. Garnier never showed and the protested ended peacefully.
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
More than 150 doctors and health experts descended on Costa Rica this week to discuss the challenges medical personnel face when providing immunizations in the region.
The 18th conference organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) comes in the embrace of the H1N1 pandemic; the largest influenza outbreak in the Americas since the Hong Kong Flu of 1968.
The H1N1 virus will certainly be a theme of the three-day event, which began Monday, said event organizers. But it’s also a time to share immunization successes and challenges in the hopes “that international dialogue will strengthen national health,” said Socorro Gross-Galiano, assistant director of PAHO.
The swine flu has thus far claimed 33 lives in Costa Rica, and infected more than 1,000 people, including Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. As the flu continues to approach its peak in the country, the Arias administration has invested an additional $1.7 million for a “roaming team” of medical professionals, who will travel to vulnerable areas to assist in prevention activities.
To date, there is no vaccine for the swine flu and health officials have been using immunizations against the seasonal flu to protect vulnerable populations. They expect to develop an H1N1 virus-specific vaccine in September, according to PAHO.
In welcoming the 150 medical experts to Costa Rica on Monday at the National Theater, Arias thanked them for their efforts in immunization and made a specific mention of PAHO, which he said has ensured that “ America is better today than yesterday and worse than tomorrow.”
The Regional and Urban Planning for the Greater Metropolitan Area (PRUGAM) and the Housing Ministry (MIVAH) inaugurated a new park on Tuesday morning that is to serve an example for sustainable urban development.
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
The Costa Rican government has declared a phytosanitary emergency in the north and central Pacific regions of the country, where a camp rat plague known as “Sigmodon hirsutus” has been raging, the Phytosanitary Service of the State said on Tuesday.
The camp rats affect sugar cane, rice, corn and pineapple harvests in the region, and the Costa Rican authorities have issued a decree requesting the collaboration of local farm owners in controlling the plague.
The phytosanitary service said it would take harvest samples to determine the damage, and conduct researches to decide the population of the rats.
Luis Sanchez, chief of the agency’s Plague Vigilance and Control Office of the Gunacaste region, said regional organizations and independent producers would also join in the efforts to control the plague.
Experts said that a long drought period in humid regions or pouring rains in drought areas have contributed to the plague by killing many of the rat’s less adaptable natural predators.
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Saprissa of Costa Rica defeated the Puerto Rico Islanders 3-1 on Tuesday in Group C of the CONCACAF Champions League.
The islanders took a surprising 1-0 lead in the 25th minute with a goal by defender Domenic Mediate.
Jairo Arrieta equalized in the 34th with a driving, long-range shot that beat Islanders keeper Mike Behonick. Midfielder Walter Centeno made it 2-1 six minutes later and Armando Alonso wrapped up the scoring in the 48th.
Saprissa has three points from its first two games, and the Puerto Rican club has lost both of its opening matches.
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
The Costa Rican government on Tuesday delivered 600 soccer balls and 335 bikes donated by China to poor young people in rural areas.
The delivery was part of the donation of 10,000 balls and 1,000bikes from the Chinese government after agreements were reached between the two countries last November.
“I want my first words to thank the Chinese government for this generous donation of bikes four our youth and soccer balls for our students,” Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said at the delivery ceremony.
“China is an example to follow,” Arias said. “In the last 25 years it has helped 300 million people out of poverty … It is the fastest growing economy in the world.”
About 400 million people ride bikes in China, said Chinese Ambassador to Costa Rican Wang Xiaoyuan.
Bikes are environmental friendly and must be promoted, he said.
“I think all governments should promote the use of bikes and in this sense I think Costa Rica shares China’s point of view, because bikes have low costs, produce no greenhouse gases and take less space on the road,” Wang said.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Nicaraguan health officials have confirmed that the death of a Costa Rican woman in that country was infected with the AH1N1 flu virus. Guillermo González, Nicaragua’s ministro de Salud made the confirmation Monday morning.
The woman whose identity was not disclosed, died 12 hours after entering the Antonio Lenín Fonseca hospital in Managua.
According to the Nicaraguan ministerio de Salud, the woman was overly obese, weighing over 112 kilograms, developed respiratory problems after entering the country. Salud officials said that the woman also suffered from a sore throat, cough, sneezing, muscual pains, tiredness and a fever, among other ailments.
The woman had visited various private doctors and treated with antibiotics. However, when her condition worsened, friends and family decided to take to the hospital in a moribund state.
Despite receiving antiviral drugs, she died a hours of being admitted.
Minister González told the press that the woman had probably entered the country with the infection, though he did not specify the woman’s arrival in Nicaragua.
This is the second victim of the AH1N1 recorded in Nicaragua, while the death toll in Costa Rica is 31.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
I’ll bet we have heard that expression used hundreds of times. Well in Costa Rica many people can get back their lives.
Because of the recent financial crisis in the U.S. a large number of middle class retirees are facing the prospect of outliving their financial assets. Furthermore, even if the stock market comes back it is highly unlikely anyone will recover 100% of their loss. Fifty percent at best according to the experts. Those who planned on using the equity in their homes to help with their retirement are going to lose out, too because most of their equity of that is now gone. So what can you do?
One solution is to move offshore to a country like Costa Rica to get more bang for your buck and to enjoy a high quality life style. Nobody wants to spend their retirement years worrying about money and not enjoying themselves. In Costa Rica you can live on a few thousand dollars a month and have all the amenities of home. You will have to the time to do things that are important, such as devoting more time to the grand kids, pursuing a new hobby, making friends, traveling and in general enjoying a lifestyle you could never have afforded in the States.
Costa Rica has more foreign retirees per capita outside of the U.S. They can’t be wrong! They have discovered what life is for — living.
This is all possible in Costa Rica since the country offers year-round spring-like weather, every imaginable indoor and out door activity to stay busy and happy, low cost housing, first-world affordable medical care, high-speed Internet, first-run movies in English, theater, shopping malls, private mail services to help you stay in touch with the States and order products and so much more. The medical care alone is what brings scores of people here. In the States many people’s nest eggs have been wiped out by illnesses. That isn’t the case in Costa Rica which offers several attractive health care plans. I have had dozens of people on my monthly relocation/retirement tours end up moving here just for the medical care alone.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Costa Rica stuck with the same core of players that has taken it to the top of regional qualifying for the World Cup when it announced its squad for key games next month.
Midfielders Walter Centeno and Celso Borges and striker Bryan Ruiz were all included in a 26-man squad announced on Monday for qualifiers next month against Mexico and El Salvador.
Coach Rodrigo Kenton also called up three new players to the squad, including defenders Heiner Mora and Giancarlo Gonzalez. Kenton was roundly criticized after Costa Rica’s 4-0 loss in a qualifier earlier this month against Honduras.
After six of 10 qualifying games in the North and Central America and Caribbean region, Costa Rica leads with 12 points followed by the United States and Honduras (10), Mexico (9) and El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago (5). The top three teams advance automatically to next year’s World Cup in South Africa. The No. 4 team faces a playoff with the No. 5 from South America for another berth.
Costa Rica plays at home against Mexico on Sept. 5, and goes to El Salvador on Sept. 9. It is at home against Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10 and plays at the United States on Oct. 14.
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Mexico is working with Latin American peers Colombia and Costa Rica to fight greenhouse gases via carbon storage, the nation’s Environment Secretary Juan RafaelElvira Quesada said on Monday.
“We are working with Costa Rica and Colombia on environment mitigation and education, and seeking a joint system for storing carbon,” Elvira said in a press conference.
Methane, produced by rotting organic waste, and carbon dioxide, mostly produced by engines and electricity turbines, are main greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon capture and storage serve an effective way to check and reverse the climate change.
Even without other countries’ cooperation, Mexico will endeavor to combat climate change since it has realized the high cost of ignoring it, Elvira said.
He estimated that if Mexico chose to do nothing about climate change, it would suffer a heavy loss of nearly 15.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), while the cost of prevention over the same time would be around 5.6 percent.
“Climate change clearly costs more than mitigation,” he said. In 2007, heavy rains flooded 70 percent of southern state Tabasco, inflicting a loss of 0.5 percent of GDP, he said.
He said that the Mexican government had committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 128.5 million tons from 2008 to 2012.
“We aim to emit less without sacrificing growth … (the plan) helps boost foreign direct investment and budget efficiency and create a low carbon economy,” he said.
Mexico produces 6.4 tons of greenhouse gases per person, around 9 percent less than the world average of 7.1 tons. It is responsible for around 1.6 percent of total world emissions.
Mexico has started negotiations with the United States and Canada, its two partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement, about trilateral collaboration on clean energy and energy efficiency, Elvira added.
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
A total of 40 corrupt “tránsitos” (traffic officials) have been fired during the current government according to the director of the Tránsito police force, Germán Marín, during an online chat on www.aldia.cr.
Marín was answering a question by a man who expressed concern of the “chorizos” (bribes) that may be demanded by Tránsitos once the new Ley de Tránsito takes effect starting September 23, when traffic fines multiply up to 20 times or more from the current.
The concern by many, expressed during the chat, centred on the requirement of a first aid kit that has to be included in every vehicle. Another concern by chatters is the requirement under the new law that a vehicle must have seatbelts for every passenger even if the vehicle does not come equipped with such. (more…)
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
The U.S. military has sent two specially equipped helicopters and 15 military personnel to aid in the search for an American missing in Costa Rica, according to the military and the missing man’s congressman.David Gimelfarb, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, was last seen August 11, when he went hiking in a Costa Rican national park. His parents have been searching for him with the aid of the Costa Rican Red Cross and friends of the missing man.
Gimelfarb’s congressman, Rep. Mark Kirk, D-Illinois, wrote to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday requesting assistance from the U.S. military, and the military agreed to send UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, equipped with infrared sensors that can detect a human body by its emitted heat. There are 15 U.S. Air Force and Army troops, including medics, pilots, crew and communications specialists, accompanying the helicopters in the search, according to a military spokesman.
The helicopters and personnel are from a base in Honduras that houses a joint task force under the United States Southern Command. The task force’s mission includes supporting rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the region, according to a spokesman for the Southern Command.
The Blackhawk helicopters flew two missions Wednesday in support of the search and continuing the flyovers on Thursday, according to the spokesman, Jose Ruiz.
Gimelfarb was hiking alone when he disappeared, according to information posted on a Facebook page set up by his family and friends. He had traveled to Costa Rica to explore the volcanic region in the Rincon de Veija National Park, and he was last seen by a park ranger there before he entered an area of “dense rainforest,” according to the Facebook page.
“The search for David is particularly appropriate for military assets because this is one American lost in the jungle,” Kirk said in a phone interview. “right now we think it boosts the chances to find David.”
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
Honduras’s supreme court has rejected a Costa Rica-brokered deal to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya to power and ordered his arrest if he returns.
The ruling also affirmed the legitimacy of the government of interim leader Roberto Micheletti.
The move comes on the eve of a planned visit by a delegation from the Organisation of American States (OAS), which backs the Costa Rican proposal.
It is unclear if the court ruling will affect the delegation’s plans.
The court reminded Mr Zelaya that he faces several charges - including crimes against the government, treason, and abuse of power - and would be subject to trial if he re-entered the country.
It said Mr Micheletti’s government had been installed as part of a lawful “constitutional succession”.
Correspondents say Mr Micheletti is increasingly confident that he will be able to remain in power until elections at the end of November.
The ruling is a blow to a proposal mediated by Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, to try to end the crisis.
Under the proposal, Mr Zelaya would be reinstated as president, while Mr Micheletti would return to his pre-coup post as the speaker of Honduras’s parliament, and early elections would be called.
Mr Zelaya has been in exile since 28 June when he was forced from office amid a power struggle over his proposals for a public consultation on constitutional change.
His critics said the move was aimed at removing the current one-term limit on serving as president and paving the way for his re-election.
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
Corcovado National Park is situated on the Osa Peninsula of south west of Costa Rica. The national park has been described as the most exuberant one in the Central America, which is richest in biodiversity. As per the National Geographic, it is ‘the most biologically intense place on Earth’. The park is not only the home for numerous flora and fauna, but also the home for plenty of wildlife.
The Corcovado National Park is going to present you a lifetime experience. The national park is a combination of 13 major ecosystems including highland cloud forest, lowland rain forest, mangrove swamps, jolillo palm forest and coastal marine habitat. It is also the right place to spot some of the endangered wildlife like Baird’s Tapir, Harpy Eagle, Scarlet Macaws, Red-backed Squirrel Monkeys, Jaguars and White-lipped Peccaries. Enjoy a romantic walk on the golden beach. You may also swim on the sea, but be careful as sharks and crocodiles are much common in the Corcovado Lagoon.
The national park has six ranger stations, among which 5 ranger stations are inside the park and they are connected by a network of trails. Trails are well constructed and you can take guide or walk alone through the trail to discover the forest. The stations have clean camping areas, potable water and telephone connection. Rented accommodation facilities are also available at these stations. Otherwise, you may carry your tent and enjoy a wild and rustic camping experience. The nearest town is Puerto Jimenez, which serves as an unofficial gateway to this national park. Plenty of lodging arrangements and restaurants are present here outside the park.
August through November is the rainy season at Corcovado. During this time, you may expect less tourists and better wildlife. January through April is the drier months and best for outside camping and trekking. Register with the park authorities in well advance, if you want the permission for camping or cooking inside the park.
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Friday, August 21st, 2009
For years pilots have had to make the decision to not land at the Juan Santamaría (San José) international airport when weather conditions are less than optimal, especially during the rainy season when heavy fog can affect up to more than 1/3 of the flights coming into the airport.
But, that will all come to an end soon as the Consejo Técnico de Aviación Civil (CTAC) began work on installing the landing light system began yesterday, lights that will give pilots a clearer view of the runway, especially during heavy fog.
The Ministra de Obras Públicas y Transportes, Karla González, said that the installation of the lighting system guarantees better security, reduces the cost of operations of the airlines who are forced to increase costs with the detour of flights to other airports and most important the delays experienced by passengers.
The ministra added that the lighting system also improves night take off and landing at the airport.
The approach lighting system at the international airport have been inoperative for years. Pilots have had to constantly decide not to land in San José, choosing the nearby airports in Liberia and Panama, when weather conditions are such that landing becomes risky.
Frequent flyers to Costa Rica will at one time or another have had to circle the air in approach to the airport waiting for weather conditions to improve, while many others have had the experience of ending up in Panama or Liberia, arriving in Costa Rica hours late or the next day.
The new lighting system allows pilots to line the aircraft to the runway even in poor visibility conditions, allowing the landing.
The costs of the system is ¢1.5 billion colones and should be functioning by the end of September
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