Archive for December 4th, 2009
Friday, December 4th, 2009
Once again street vendors and the municipal police clash in downtown San José, this time around, 13 were injured and 5 detained, after one of the vendors seized a gun from one of the police officials.
The intense confrontation began shortly after 3:30pm on Calle 3 and Avenida Segunda, lasting for about 2 hours.
Deitel Beita, head of operations for the the Policía Municipal de San José, confirmed that during the melee one or more of the vendors grabbed the gun of the officers.
Of the 13 injured, 8 were police officials, one of which was wounded with a knife.
Controversy surrounded the confrontation, many of the vendors claiming that the municipal police officials abused their authority and used violence, triggering the reaction by the street vendors.
The official report indicates that the confrontation began when police officials confiscated merchandise from one of the illegal street vendors, who reacted aggressively against the officials, when the situation heated up and others vendors stepped in, as more police officials responded to the call for assistance.
Local merchants immediately closed their doors, dropping the steel curtains over their store windows in fear of an all out and out riot. when street vendors began to throw stones at police.
Confrontation between municipal police officers and street vendors have been numerous this year, following a crack down by the Municipalidad de San José, to curb the prolifiration of street vendors along the “boulevard” and other pedestrian walkways in the downtown core.
Street vendors face a ¢3.000 colones (us$5.45) fine and the confiscation of their merchanside, which is sent to the Juzgado de Contravenciones as evidence. The confiscation of the merchandise by police has been the major source of the confrontations.
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
The US dollar climbed an average of ¢13 colones by the end of close of business Wednesday.
The dollar opened Wednesday morning at ¢557 for the buy and ¢567 for the sell, as posted by the Banco Central de Costa Rica. At the close of business yesterday, most banks were trading at ¢572 and ¢584, respectively, at some banks.
The Banco Popular was trading at ¢573 and ¢584, while the Banco HSBC closed with a rate of ¢570 and ¢584.
The Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) - Central Bank - posted the reference exchange rate Thursday morning at ¢571.39 for the buy and ¢582.01, up from ¢557.82 and ¢567.89, respectively, the day before.
The dollar began its rise on Tuesday after more than a week of continued drops. However, on Wednesday it gained in one single day almost half of the drop during the past several weeks.
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
The United States Embassy in Costa Rica is looking to simplify the process for foreigners traveling to the states this Christmas season.
Whether it’s to load up on presents during the holiday sales, to visit family or simply to play in the snow, the process might be a little easier this year with added interviews in the afternoon and a reduction in wait time for a visa interview to eight days.
According to an embassy statement, the afternoon appointments are an “unprecedented step” that will allow “as many qualified travelers as possible to enjoy the holidays in the manner they prefer.”
Consular personnel expect to receive 540 applications per day in the coming weeks. To handle the expected surge in requests, embassy officials are asking Costa Ricans who do not plan to travel during the holidays to postpone their appointment.
“Costa Ricans and other third-country nationals … can request an appointment now, but can help their countrymen who are making last-minute plans by requesting that their appointment be scheduled in January, when the number of applicants generally drops,” read a statement from U.S. embassy.
According to the embassy, 5,533 Costa Rican citizens applied for U.S. visitors visas in November. Of that number, 4,345 (78 percent) were issued visas.
The U.S. Embassy recommends
Scheduling a visa appointment: Persons needing to schedule a visa interview before Christmas are urged to call 0-800-0521465 to schedule an appointment as soon as possible, and are cautioned not to pre-pay any travel expenses (airlines, hotels, etc.) until after they have been told at the interview whether they are currently eligible for a visa. With the high volume of cases currently being handled, the embassy will not be able to accommodate any direct requests for preferential treatment.
Preparing for your interview: The embassy encourages visa applicants to be prepared for their interview. It is important for an applicant to arrive on time the day of the interview and present all required documentation needed to apply for a U.S. visa. To learn about the documentation needed for the interview, visit the U.S. Embassy Web site at: http://sanjose.usembassy.gov/consnonimmigrant.html.
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
A GOLD Coast woman who was mailed 1.5 kilograms of cocaine in chocolate boxes from Costa Rica has been refused the chance to appeal her sentence.
In 2008, Simone Cianna Harris, of Palm Beach, pleaded guilty to attempting to present a marketable quantity of unlawfully purchased border control drugs.
She was sentenced to seven years’ jail, with a non-parole period fixed at four years.
The court heard in March 2007 that Customs staff in Sydney intercepted an Australia Post registered mail item that had been sent from Costa Rica and was addressed to a false name in Jefferson Lane, Palm Beach, Queensland.
An investigation of the package revealed it contained four boxes of confectionery and within each box were 14 or 15 chocolates.
Also in each box was a package of cocaine.
The court heard an analysis of the cocaine showed a purity of 74 per cent, with a total weight of 1,489.7 grams of cocaine.
Australian Federal Police then replaced the cocaine, worth $2 million in street value, with an inert substance and a listening device.
The court heard the listening device overheard Harris mention that she was receiving the package for a man whom she owed $19,000.
“This here is supposed to wipe out my bill,” the listening device heard her say.
Later that day she offloaded the cocaine to her debtor, who was also convicted in 2008.
Harris applied for leave to appeal against her sentence in the Court of Appeal, arguing it was manifestly excessive.
However in a written judgment released today, Justice Philip McMurdo dismissed the application.
“It was precisely that asked for by her counsel at sentence and was appropriately less than the sentence imposed on her co-offender,” he said.
“The application for leave to appeal against sentence must be refused.”
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
Orchids, butterflies, iguana, crocodiles, slots and monkeys fill the lush surroundings. It may seem impossible, but the tiny country of Costa Rica - although only about one-eighth the size of California - contains the greatest density of species in the world.
Within only 19,730 square miles of tropical rainforests, volcanoes, mountains, beaches and urbanized cities reside more than 850 identified species of birds, 9,000 identified species of vascular plants, more than 900 different trees species and roughly 1,500 species of orchids. Many people might be shocked to know Costa Rica even has a small jaguar population.
The list is endless for this Central American country that acts as a bridge between North and South America, which is one reason it has so many different species - because it has become a bridge for many exotic creatures to travel from north to south and vice versa.
Besides the migrating species, there are still plenty of endemic species - species that originated in Costa Rica - such as the Mangrove Hummingbird and the Sulphur-winged Parakeet.
With all this amazing wildlife, Costa Rica has taken special care to conserve its tropical areas and the species. It is known worldwide for its conservation efforts with groups such as the Costa Rica Conservation Trust and the Costa Rica Conservation Federation. Also, Costa Rican environmentalist Carlos Manuel Rodriguez received the Blue Moon Fund’s first annual Conservation Leadership Award.
As tourism grows to an all-time high, some hotels have joined efforts to help conserve and run as sustainably as possible.
About 25 percent of the country is conserved within the protected areas, which consist of national parks, biological reserves, forest reserves and wildlife refuges.
Pan American Health Organization estimates that about 75 percent of the air pollution is caused by transportation. That is more than likely after seeing bus after bus go by with thick black and even blue clouds of exhaust that billow out and stick to the humid air.
Between hunters, deforestation and pollution problems, there are about 155 endangered species of plants and animals in Costa Rica.
“As commercial and residential lands get developed they leave nature on the outskirts, literally,” said James Botti, a student from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who is studying in Costa Rica. “Most residents here that I have seen or spoken to do not fully realize the immense benefit that the climate and geography of Costa Rica add to their daily lives.”
INBio Park is a facility known globally for its amazing educational exhibits of wildlife from re-created environments such as cloud rainforests and coffee farms. Aside from informing citizens and visitors - especially kids - it also contains laboratories where, according to its Web site, it studies chemical substances and genes present in plants, insects, marine organisms and microorganisms. This information may be used by the pharmaceutical, medical, biotechnology and cosmetic industries, and also in nutritional and agricultural applications.
This park is a great way to not only experience firsthand Costa Rica’s immense diversity, but also to gain a better understanding of the environment and world.
As with anything, there are positive and negative aspects of Costa Rica. But apart from the growing pollution and urban development, it still manages to host some of the most unique species and beautiful sights.
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
The thought of retiring in a lush tropical paradise is enticing enough, even if it costs an arm and a leg. But American and European retirees heading to Costa Rica are reaping the rewards of an unparalleled lifestyle and a reduction in the cost of living. This double attraction has been drawing retirees to Costa Rica’s rich coastal regions for years, and continues to have huge appeal thanks to the country’s universal healthcare, affordable cost of living and year-round gorgeous weather. If you or your loved ones are considering taking the plunge, this article should help you take a step in the right direction and live the retirement of your dreams.
The Costa Rica Lifestyle
One of the biggest benefits of living in Costa Rica is adopting the citizen’s relaxed, stress-free lifestyle that celebrates life’s simple pleasures. With a healthy diet consisting of delicious fruits and vegetables, an abundance of drinkable water and fresh outdoor air, Costa Rica residents enjoy long, healthy lives. Costa Rica’s stunning Nicoya Peninsula is actually considered the world’s strongest ‘blue zone’, an area where inhabitants lead exceptionally rich, long lives.
Aside from their focus on enjoying life, Costa Ricans are known for their friendliness and the emphasis they place on socializing. Strong social ties have been shown to improve quality of life in old age, which is another reason the country’s citizens live healthily well into their 90s and beyond. If leaving behind the hustle and bustle of city life to enjoy food, friends and socializing sounds appealing, retiring in Costa Rica just might be for you.
The Costa Rica Healthcare System
Another reason many retirees head to Costa Rica is the affordable universal healthcare system. Costa Rica has both private and public health care insurance, both of which cost under $100 per month and can be purchased by foreigners. Leading hospitals like CIMA (in San Jose and soon in Guanacaste) boast internationally trained doctors as well as cleanliness and operation success rates above many American hospitals. Procedures and prescriptions are also much more affordable than they are in the United States, as are regular office co-pays. The amount retirees can save on health care alone is often enough of a draw to lure foreigners down south to a blissful life in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s Real Estate
The final compelling reason that many retirees choose Costa Rica is the gorgeous views, pristine beaches and rural hideaway escapes that can be purchased for much less than most homes in the United States or Europe. Costa Rican real estate ranges in price depending on a retiree’s taste and style of living, but a gorgeous ocean-view three bedroom home in a resort community can be purchased for a small fraction of what it would cost in the United States. Combine the attractiveness of an enjoyable lifestyle, affordable health-care and gorgeous yet affordable real estate, and it is easy to see why so many retirees flock to Central America’s Costa Rican shores.
For more info check out Gap Real Estate
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