Archive for August, 2010
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Only an hour from San Jose, the mountain village of Sarchi makes an ideal excursion for travelers wanting to catch a glimpse of rural life in Costa Rica. Navigate the lovely little streets full of flowering trees and vines, stopping occasionally to take a photo, before heading to the main plaza for a peek into the pretty town church, painted a lovely and unusual blue hue.
Shoppers will also find delightful crafts to purchase for gifts, or to keep for themselves as an unusual memento of their Costa Rica vacation. In fact, Sarchi is considered the premier artisan craft destination in the country. Sarchi is primarily known for its woodworking and visitors can watch many of the artists hard at work in the back of stores and in workshops throughout the small town. (more…)
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Friday, August 27th, 2010
You have checked your phone again and again, taken out the battery, turned it back on and made calls, but no one has called you since yesterday. Well, like the rest of us, you are one of the hundreds, thousands, maybe tens of thousands, caught in ICE’s failing network problems.
A call to 193, ICE’s customer service for cellular, reveals a “general problem” with the 3G network that will not allow calls to connect to the cellular phone.
Callers have been getting the “telefono fuera de area de servicio o apagado” (telephone our of service area or turned off) since Thursday afternoon.
The nice young lady with a sweet voice assured us that the service would be back to normal anytime now and apologized for the problem. However, no details on how many or which lines are affected, why and when exactly the problem would be solved.
This is just another case of ICE at work.
Story by ISCR
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Friday, August 27th, 2010
Over 53 percent of Costa Rica’s population, or 2.4 million people, use internet services, up from 45 percent in 2009. Moreover, around 52 percent of Costa Rican households (648,000 homes) own at least one computer, versus 46 percent in 2009, according to a CID Gallup study commissioned by Costa Rica operator Radiografica Costarricense (Racsa). Over one million Costa Ricans go online using a home internet connection, up from 700,000 in the same period of 2009. The study further shows that Costa Rica web users go online three hours a day on average. Web users in Costa Rica go online mainly to check their e-mail, search for information, study, and chat.
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Friday, August 27th, 2010
Yeah, I’ve been trying to run from it but the time has come. The waves have reached the beach and they are not receding no matter what I try: skin creams, rubs and pats, staying out of the sun, not drinking coffee, no smoking, no drinking, and no staying up late.
The waves of time are moving quicker every day. The other day someone told me about meditating, but the only thing I seemed to meditate on is wondering how long it would take for those waves to hit the beach. You know the ones you get on the forehead, around the mouth and eyes. Not to mention that my breasts are now repositioning themselves. Everyone talked about gravity taking control but no one mentioned the spread. Oh, my God, how do you control all the things happening? It seems they never happen one at a time; they appear all together. One day you wake up and your hair is gray and thinning. Then your eye lid is drooping. Your bust needs lifting and your hip does too. Your problem is not that your thighs rub together any more. Now they are waving at each other as you walk! (more…)
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Friday, August 27th, 2010
Eight hours marinating in lime or lemon juice is the ‘cooking’ part of ceviche, a versatile seafish dish that each Latin American country puts its own spin on.
Ceviche is a popular local dish across Central and South America, each region adding its own flavors. But no matter if the ceviche is “from” Peru, Panama, or Costa Rica, they all have similar elements: raw seafood marinated in lime or lemon juice until it is opaque, salt, something sweet (tomato, mango, pineapple), something hot (peppers, chili, hot sauce), and something to soothe the tongue (cilantro or parsley).
What is ceviche, anyway?
Ceviche is a party appetizer made from fish and lime or lemon juice. It is not sushi. Sushi is raw and this is not raw. If you are invited to a party in Central America, namely Panama, you will undoubtedly be served ceviche with crackers. It is not raw, as the lemon juice “cooks” it. Proof that it is cooked, is that it turns white. Cooked fish is white in color. It is a very healthy thing to eat. In Central America, they make ceviche from the Corvina fish, which is a bottom fish that is caught in the open sea. I believe it is called White Sea Bass in North America. Corvina is considered a fine, classy white fish (and is not cheap) and you will also find it on menu cards in any good seafood restaurant in Central America, not only in ceviche as an appetizer, but also broiled, breaded and fried or sauteed in garlic, as an “entreé,” your main dish. It is well known there, but apparently it does not like the waters off the coast of North America, as this fish is relatively not known in these waters, or in any restaurant that I have been to here in Florida. If you would like to make this ceviche, you can use any white fish…..it does not necessarily have to be Corvina…..(White Sea Bass). They might have slightly different recipes for it in Mexico or in Peru, possibly by adding more ingredients, but this recipe is the basic one and the one that will be found in Central America.
Ceviche is eaten in restaurants across Central America., but you can go ahead and make your own.
Do this at night so that it will be ready in the morning, or do this in the morning so that it will be ready at night:
Ingredients:
Any amount of white fish you would like to use (I make about a half-gallon at a time because people will eat it up quickly)
Chopped/diced onion (one cup for every three cups of fish you make)
Chopped/diced red and green peppers (one-half cup of each) for a festive color
Hot sauce (only if desired) picante
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lime juice, enough to entirely cover the fish completely
A glass or ceramic bowl or large jar
A box of your favorite saltine crackers for enjoying the ceviche
Instructions:
Chop the white fish into small squares and put into the bowl or container you have prepared for this. A round pyrex bowl is perfect.
Add the onion, the green and red peppers (you could also use yellow)
Add the hot sauce (picante) to taste. I particularly, do not use hot sauce but I know that many people enjoy it.
Cover everything well with the lime juice. It should cover the fish by at least 1/4″
Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel or cover.
Leave on the kitchen counter overnight, or until the fish is the color white. 6-8 hours is about right.
The fish will have cooked in the lime juice. If it is too watery, just pour some of the lime juice out.
Refrigerate until cold. When it is cold, it is ready to be served. It will last for about a week.
This is a great diet food, and you can also make shrimp ceviche, too. Just substitute the shrimp for the fish.
Enjoy by placing a bit of the mixture on a cracker, and eat with your favorite drink.
Ceviche is usually well accompanied by a coke, a rum-and coke, or a beer.
Enjoy!
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Online gambling companies operating out of Costa Rica are set to swerve a tax rise planned for land-based casinos, as the new government backtracks on proposals for a 2 percent gross gaming tax on all of the country’s gambling operations.
The National Liberation Party (PLN) administration, led by recently elected President Laura Chinchilla, announced plans last week to tax casinos 15 percent of gross gaming income each month.
Internet gaming companies registered in Costa Rica will remain exempt from gaming taxes and instead pay an annual flat fee of US$50,000, after furious lobbying from The Association of Call Center Employees that looks after their interests.
Draft legislation submitted by the previous PLN government in October aimed to bring both online and offline gaming companies under tighter licensing and taxation controls, in an effort to boost fiscal revenues and tackle money laundering.
Without a tax on internet operators the new proposals will raise an estimated $30m per year, $50m less than the plan presented in October. (more…)
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Following the detention of seven traffic officials in Cartago on Tuesday, being investigated for corruption, Tránsitos are asking for the installation of cameras in their patrol cars.
Traffic official believe that having cameras record their every move would provide transparency and curb corruption.
The cameras would cost some us$3.000 each and transportation officials are looking to China for a donation.
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Marriott Hotels and Resorts of Costa Rica found a way to celebrate the tri-state New York area. Residents of New York, Connecticut or New Jersey can stay at any of the participating Marriott Costa Rica hotels starting at $101 a night through Dec. 31, 2010. Why? Because they like you, and because Marriott is celebrating the recent launch of American Airlines’ direct flights to San Jose from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Those of you looking for deals to Costa Rica will save up to 40 percent off room rates under the “Residents Rate” promotion (code: N9R).
Guests will receive deluxe accommodations for two at Los Suenos Marriott and Costa Rica Marriott (both 5-star hotels) and at the Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Escazu. Los Suenos Marriott stays ($101/night) include free use of the free-form pool with private coves and water activity areas as well as lighted tennis courts and fitness center. Those staying at the Costa Rica Marriott ($119/night) will get complimentary use of the two outdoor pools and a whirlpool, three tennis courts, nature trails, and fitness center. Stay at The Residence Inn by Marriott San Jose Escazu ($112/night) and you’ll enjoy a Studio Suite with a fully equipped kitchen and separate living area, complimentary high speed internet, complimentary grocery shopping service, complimentary laundry service, complimentary breakfast, and complimentary use of the full-service business center.
If you need help deciding which Marriott to chose it’s helpful to know that both Los Suenos and Costa Rica Marriott have brand new luxury spas and the Marriott Los Suenos also has a golf-course located in the Costa Rica rain-forest.
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
“Eggs have a natural protective coating that contributes to a somewhat prolonged shelf-life. But that coating is easily disturbed. Eggs are washed in the US and so that coating is removed. Hence they require constant refrigeration. Some eggs in the US are even pasteurized (pre-cooked!) and then waxed.
Eggs are sold unwashed in many small countries and the quick turnover at the stores gets them refrigerated soon enough at home.”
So, if you ever wondered why it’s OK that eggs aren’t refrigerated in CR supermarkets that would be why.
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
The subject of the state of repair and security of Costa Rica’s bridges is on everyone’s mind, except for officials of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT), the government agency responsible for their repair and maintenance.
It appears that some ¢5 billion colones of materials to repair the 1.400 bridges across the country sits in storage. And have been there since 2008.
The Contraloría General de la República (Comptroller’s office) detailed the deficiencies of the MOPT in its report.
The Contraloría found that bridge building materials are sitting idle in MOPT plants in Colmia de Tibás and Alajuela, which are rusting away and deteriorating.
The ministro de MOPT, Francisco Jiménez, said during a government cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the materials will soon be used as “seed capital” for the bridge and road work programmed to start soon.
The ministro said that MOPT officials are in the midst of taking stock of all inventory.
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Seven traffic officials are being investigated in Cartago by the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) for dereliction of duty and corruption.
The seven Tránsitos were detained by the OIJ and have been ordered to stay away from the local traffic police station while Judicial officials continue to investigate complaints against the officials.
The director de Tránsito, César Quirós, confirmed the OIJ action and expressed concern on the reduction of personnel, but said his office will continue with the zero tolerance policy on corruption.
The seven officials have been suspended, with pay, for the next three months.
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Your Safety should always be FIRST Priority
* Drinking water: The water at the ranger station is potable, but if you are concerned, bring some type of water purifier. The park recommends you carry 1.5 liters of water for the La Leona and Los Patos hike, but I’ve seen people drink this within the first 2 hours. Know your self and your water needs, dehydration and heat-exhaustion are common illnesses in the park.
* Sunscreen: It’s recommended to use sunscreen, a hat, and long sleeved shirt on the hike from Sirena to La Leona. While much of the hike is through the jungle, there are long stretches along the beach that benefit from sun protection.
* Insect Repellent: Recent outbreaks of Dengue Fever in Costa Rica are a concern. Currently there is no Malaria to be worried about. Also, bug spray helps with the sand flies and no-see-ums…
* Solo Hiking? No: It’s best to hike with a guide or a hiking buddy. There are several tricky river crossings and tricky rocky ocean/beach crossings that need to be navigated at low tide…
* No Swimming: Crocodiles and Bullsharks rule the ocean here and love to swim at the mouth of rivers. In addition, the currents and tides are quite powerful.
* River Crossings: Cross carefully and quickly, and never risk crossing the rivers at high tide or during heavy rain.
* Snakes: Watch where you step and touch. There are Fer de Lance and other poisonous snakes in the region. Be especially careful around rivers and streams where they come to eat frogs, especially at night.
* Ants: Seemingly harmless, their bites sting for up to one hour…
* Peccaries/Wild Pigs. There are two different species of peccaries in Costa Rica, the Collared and the White-lipped Peccary. They run in packs and can be very aggressive. If threatened by a group of peccaries, climb a tree until you are six feet or higher off the ground.
These are just some of the most common things to keep in mind. Whatever you do – enjoy the magic… Pura Vida…
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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Driving while reading proved fatal for Andy Gabriel Alvarado Chaves and José Francisco de Jesús Luna Bolaños, when they collided head with another vehicle in an accident at the traffic lights in front of the Panasonic in San Antonio de Belén.
The two men died instantly as the front end of their truck slammed into the rear of a dump truck stopped at the light.
Witnesses say the driver of the Matadero del Valle appeared to be reading something off a brown manila envelop and not paying attention to the road.
Witnesses told traffic officials that the driver did not slow down nor did he apply the brakes.
The brown envelope was still in his hands when authorities arrived to remove the bodies from the vehicle.
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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have been spotted together in Costa Rica.
The Hills co-stars are in the process of divorcing following their split in May, but they were spotted together by TMZ at a resort in the country over the weekend.
Speaking to People, Pratt explained that he was bringing the couple’s dogs to Montag and helping them move in, but added: “[Heidi] thought I was going to leave, but I’m not. I didn’t want to get divorced… I have nothing in Malibu, I’m homeless, I’m nothing without her.”
Montag reportedly told the website that the couple’s divorce proceedings were “going smoothly” and they were enjoying an amicable relationship until recently: “We were really getting along and it was amazing he was being so thoughtful to help me move. Then things turned.”
She continued to deny the existence of a sex tape that Pratt is allegedly attempting to release, insisting that her estranged husband is “trying to drum up press”.
However, Pratt remained adamant that the tape does exist, but added that he would prefer for the footage to remain private.
“I told Heidi… if you don’t want to do the new reality show with me, then I’ll have to release old footage,” he explained. “I can get $5 million from a sex tape, but I really don’t want to do that. It’s not the way I want things to be. Heidi is furious with me but I need to look out for myself.”
It has been suggested that Pratt has two tapes in his possession: one featuring himself and Montag, and one that features Montag and Playboy star Karissa Shannon.
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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Dawn Grainger is resting comfortably after undergoing “liberation” therapy for multiple sclerosis in Costa Rica.
“The procedure took about two hours and the imaging that had been done the day before showed significant narrowing of both jugular veins,” Grainger, the former executive director of the Brant United Way, said in an e-mail sent to The Expositor. “They were able to open both of the veins.”
Grainger will remain in Costa Rica for the next several days recuperating and to undergo further testing.
She has suffered from multiple sclerosis for more than 30 years but was in remission for a long time until it returned with about 10 years ago. She uses a walker to get around, suffers from fatigue and cold feet.
Grainger is hoping to be able to get around without a walker and have an increased energy level as a result of the surgery.
In her e-mail she said the care she is receiving is excellent, adding the neurologist came to her hotel to meet her. She has met many other MS patients in various stages of treatment and aftercare.
The neurologists and cardiac specialists work together for the benefit of the patient, she said.
Grainger is one of a growing number of Canadians who are heading overseas to receive the MS therapy. The procedure is not available in Canada.
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