Costa Rica information, activities and news
This is a big deal, and an even bigger event.
Think models—both local and imported from San Jose.
Think Miami fashion, DJ’s, cocktails…all in the jungle!
ESTANCIA NOSARA PRIVATE CLUB presents KREL Fashion Show from Miami
Thursday, January 28th, 2010 Doors Open 9 pm Tickets 3,500 colones
Special Guest DJ + Full Bar + After Party + Tropi Movil Transport
This coming week will be a dream come true for many Costa Ricans, a dream that has taken more than 30 years and many administrations to make a reality. We are talking about the San José – Caldera route, a road of decades in the making, that officially opens on Wednesday, January 27.
The new rout will shave off about 45 minutes or more from all destinations to and from the Pacific coast.
The idea began in the late 70′s when it was first proposed to cut a route through the mountains of Puriscal and Atenas to the get to the Pacific ocean in less than an hour.
The new highway not only does that, but makes the drive even pleasant.
Currently, to reach the Pacific coast of Caldera/Puntarenas there are two main routes: the Interamericana and the “Aguacate”.
Both routes mean climbing to the summit of a mountain and then dropping to sea level. Both routes are only two lane highways that are clogged with heavy truck and bus traffic, with the average speed climbing and descending the mountains of between 20 km/h and 50 km/h, and requiring the heavy use of brakes and/or engine compression to slow down the steep descent, especially that of the Aguacate.
The new road cuts through the valley and with speeds of between 80 km/h and 100 km/h, depending on the section and with no steep hills or mountains to climb or descend.
The new route, Santa Ana (Piedades) to Orotina takes about 20 minutes, with no mountains or hills to climb. So, to Jacó or Puntarenas, the total time is about an hour.
The new route will be expensive for some, as it is a toll road. The total cost, one way from San José to Orotina is ¢1.930 colones for a light passenger vehicle. Buses, mini vans and heavy trucks will pay double or more. The cost of using the Interamericana is only ¢150 colones (toll paid only en route to San José) and ¢480 each way to Jacó/Caldera.
The tolls are at Escazú, San Rafael de Alajuela, Atenas and Pozón. For the time being the tolls at La Guacima and Cuidad Colón (Piedades de Santa Ana) will not be charged as yet, as the government decides on an action following complaints of local residents.
In addition to those two destinations points, destinations like Quepos/Manuel Antonio will be under 2 hours, Liberia will be only 2 1/2 hours, and take off 45 minutes from any of the Guanacaste beach destinations.
Although the new road opens in a few days, there is still much to complete.
You may want to make sure to fill up your gas tank before you leave for the beach because the 40 kilometre route between Santa Ana and Orotina still has no services like gas stations, hotels, sodas or restaurants.
A recent analysis performed by AyA has led to the implementation of water rationing to some 140,000 people starting the second week of February.
Among the communities that will be affected include: Escazu, San Antonio de Escazú, Ciudad Colón, upper Alajuelita, San Juan de Dios de Desamparados, San Antonio de Coronado, Moravia and all of the province of San Joseph.
Rationing will also apply to parts of Perez Zeledon, Esparza and Athens.
This measure reflects the decrease in the flow of surface water (rivers, streams and springs) that serve those areas which stems from the lack of rain in recent months.
Ricardo Sancho, president of AyA, said that in some cases the reduction was as high as 40%.
“Everything will depend on the behavior of rainfall and the water saving ability of consumers,” he said. If the situation doesn’t improve therationing could remain in effect until May.
Stephen Schultz entered a guilty plea in federal district court in Miami to 12 counts of an indictment pending against him, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today. Schultz pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, and three counts of wire fraud. The actions against Schultz are part of the government’s continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud.
Schultz was arrested on Dec. 12, 2008, in Costa Rica following his indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami on Nov. 20, 2008. According to the charges against him, Schultz and a co-conspirator, Jeffrey Pearson, purported to sell beverage and greeting card business opportunities, including assistance in establishing, maintaining, and operating such businesses. Following his arrest in Costa Rica, Schultz was extradited to the United States.
Schultz worked for USA Beverages Inc., Twin Peaks Gourmet Coffee Inc. and Cards-R-Us Inc. Beginning in 2005, USA Beverages sold business opportunities to own and operate coffee beverage display racks. USA Beverages rented office space in Las Cruces, N.M., and otherwise made it appear to potential purchasers that USA Beverages’ operations were fully within the United States. However, USA Beverages actually operated from Costa Rica.
After USA Beverages, Schultz worked for Twin Peaks, which was a Florida and Colorado corporation. Twin Peaks sold business opportunities to own and operate coffee beverage sale display racks. Twin Peaks rented office space in Fort Collins, Colo., to make it appear to potential purchasers that its operations were fully within the United States. In truth, Twin Peaks also operated from Costa Rica.
Schultz next worked for Cards-R-Us, which was a Nevada corporation that sold business opportunities to own and operate greeting card sale display racks. Cards-R-Us rented office space in Reno, Nev., to make it appear to potential purchasers that Cards-R-Us’ operations were fully within the United States. Like USA Beverages and Twin Peaks, Cards-R-Us actually operated out of Costa Rica.
Schultz and his co-conspirators made, and caused others to make, numerous false statements to fraudulently induce the purchase of business opportunities. Potential purchasers were falsely told that the companies were established years earlier, had a significant number of distributors across the country, and had a track record of success. Potential purchasers were referred to references who told false tales of their success as business opportunity owners. Through these and other misrepresentations, purchasers of the business opportunities were led to believe that they would likely earn substantial profits.
“Business opportunity fracud targets Americans who are working hard to start a business and earn an honest living. While these fraud schemes may sometimes operate beyond our borders, they aren’t beyond the reach of United States law,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who steal through false promises of financial success.”
In pleading guilty, Schultz admitted that his role in the conspiracy resulted in between $2.5 million and $7 million in losses to investors and harmed more than 250 victims. Schultz faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy count, and 25 years on each of the mail and wire fraud counts. He also faces a possible fine and mandatory restitution.
Assistant Attorney General West commended the investigative efforts of the agencies involved in this matter, the Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Trade Commission, which previously brought a related civil suit and made a criminal referral. The Justice Department’s Civil Division is handling the criminal prosecution.
The newly elected Honduran President of the Congress Juan Orlando Hernandez has taken office at a preparatory meeting for the new National Congress over the weekend.
Hernandez was elected as the president of the Congress for the coming four years last Thursday.
Hernandez, a four-time congress deputy, was born in Lempira province of western Honduras.
During the preparatory meeting, six vice presidents and two secretaries of the new National Congress were also elected.
As scheduled, the new congress is to hold the first plenary session on Monday and will appoint Honduran President-elect Porfirio Lobo Sosa as president of the country.
On June 28, 2009, former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a military coup and the then legislature leader, Roberto Micheletti, became interim president.
The Honduran Congress voted against the reinstatement of Zelaya after Porfirio Lobo won the presidential vote on Nov. 29, which was boycotted by Zelaya and slammed as illegitimate by Brazil and Venezuela.
But the United States and Mexico viewed the election as a way to move forward.
Zelaya, who was forced to exile in Costa Rica, sneaked back into Honduras in late September and has been taking refuge in the Brazilian embassy.
Costa Rican families who want to adopt Haitain children orphaned following last week’s devastating earthquake cannot do so, says Mario Víquez, president of thePatronato Nacional de la Infancia, Costa Rica’s child welfare agency.
Víquez explained that adoptions can only take place with countries that have ratified the Hague Convention or with home there is a bilateral agreement, and Haiti does not meet either of the two conditions.
The requirements is included in the “Procesos de Adopción del PANI” (PANI adoption process).
The PANI director said he does not consider it advisable, since the disaster represents a big impact for children and adding to this the uprooting could affect them even more.
Víquez said that his office has received dozens of requests by Costa Ricans anxious to adopt children from Haiti.
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake, the third one above 5.0-magnitude in the past two days, hit Costa Rica on Saturday morning without immediate reports of casualties or damage, the country’s quake and volcano observation center reported.
The moderate quake occurred at about 8:43 a.m. local time (1443 GMT) on Saturday on the Pacific coast in southern Costa Rica. The quake was felt in the capital city San Jose.
Five hours before the quake, another 5.1-magnitude tremor struck 20 km northwest of Punta Burica at a depth of 20 km below the sea level, said the observation center.
On Friday morning, a 5.0-magnitude quake hit the Pacific area near Jaco in southwest Costa Rica, which was felt in most areas of the country.
Although there are no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the authorities have asked the public to be alert against new quakes.
