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More Info on Costa Rican Mystery Spheres

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica education, Costa Rica history, Costa Rica tourism, Osa Peninsula, Village San Buenas.

Original: http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/081810.htm#story5

Ifigenia Quintanilla will shine some light on one of Costa Rica’s oddest mysteries Wednesday.

In the 1940s, hundreds of pre-Columbian stone spheres were discovered throughout the Southern region of Costa Rica and in the north of Panama. The creation of these almost perfectly round spheres and their purpose remains a mystery to archaeologists.

Quintanilla, a Costa Rican archaeologist who has studied the mysterious monoliths for 17 years, will explain what researchers know about these artifacts and what makes them so impressive at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the Hotel Casa Roland in Rohrmoser, in western San José. The presentation is sponsored by the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (Acoprot).

“We have known about the existence of the spheres for many years,” said Patricia Duar, executive director of Acoprot. “But very few of us really know why they are there or their meaning.”

Quintanilla is one of the most knowledgeable experts on these stones. She’s researched for them for two decades and even wrote a book on the mystery called “Esferas Precolombinas de Costa Rica” (Pre-Columbian spheres of Costa Rica ).

The spheres can be as small several centimeters in diameter to massive 15-ton boulders. But all of them have an uncanny spherical shape. Some of the spheres have symbols sculpted on them.

Costa Rica stone sphere
Brent W. "tries" to push an ancient sphere in Palmar Sur's Central Park

In March, Costa Rica presented a bid to have the spheres included by th e United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the list of World Heritage sites. Cultural or natural sites or monuments can make the list if UNESCO deems them to have “outstanding universal value,” according to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (TT, March 15 ).

To reserve a seat at the conference send an e-mail to Mónica Monge at[email protected] or call Acoprot at 2280-5375. Admission is free.

What: Ifigenia Quintanilla on the Mystery of Costa Rica’s pre-Colombian stone spheres
Where: Hotel Casa Roland, Rohmoser
When: 3 p.m.
Cost: Free

NOTE from Nick Halverson

Costa Rica stone sphere
Nick H. at Osa Municipality Building

These spheres are found throughout the entire southern pacific region of Costa Rica – especially in Palmar Sur. Palmar Sur’s “Central Park” has approximately 30 of the spheres – all at least one meter in diameter. It is not unusual to see these spheres in front of homes and restaurants in  Uvita, Ojochal, San Isidro del General and Palmar Sur/Palmar Norte.

The closest spheres to residents of The Village of San Buenas is at the municipality building in Cortez. Simply take a right at the fork in the road at the hospital turn off. Go straight approximately 2 km and the Osa Municipality building will be on your right.

Costa Rica National Parks Generate More Than $1 billion

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica Pictures, Costa Rica real estate, Costa Rica tourism, San Buenas Golf Resort.

Original: http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080510.htm#story4

By Mike McDonald
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
While the upkeep of Costa Rica’s national parks has cost government ministries millions of dollars, the protected areas have proven lucrative for private enterprises.

In 2009, national parks and biological reserves generated more than $1.5 billion

Ballena National Park
Sunset at Ballena National Park, Uvita, Costa Rica (Dec 2009)

for the Costa Rican economy, according to a study released on Thursday by the Center for Economic Policy for Sustainable Development, based at National University (CINPE-UNA).

More than 70 percent of this money went to tourism businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and transportation and travel agencies.

“Tourism is one of the most important sectors surrounding our national parks and protected areas,” said Gerardo Jiménez, director of CINPE-UNA.

The millions spawned by Costa Rica’s preserved plots accounted for 5 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product in 2009.

But the study, which included field research conducted at three national parks, found that Costa Rica and its citizens don’t always reap the bulk of the economic benefits.

In Rincón de la Vieja, a national park in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, 61 percent of the cash generated by the park leaves the country. It flows into the hands of international travel agencies and foreign tour operators.

Roughly 36 percent of the dividends go to national services, such as gas stations or the Costa Rican Water and Sewer Institute. A mere 2.2 percent of the income reaches local businesses around Rincón de la Vieja.

“We recommend that the country implement measures to increase this amount,” Jiménez said.

By contrast, almost all of the money generated by Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste stayed in Costa Rica. International travel agencies took home approximately 7 percent of the money while local businesses saw nearly 30 percent of the capital.

The rest of the funds from Palo Verde went to national tour operators or suppliers.

While 70.18 percent of earnings went to tourism related business, the energy sector saw 26.3 percent of the earnings generated by the parks and reserves. This figure includes the revenue produced by hydroelectric or geothermal plants that depend on resources inside protected areas.

The remaining money trickled into employment – 1.7 percent – and park and reserve entrance fees – 0.93 percent.

Daughter of former Costa Rican president named ambassador to United States

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica history, Government, Laura Chinchilla.

Original: http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/081810.htm#story3

By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
Muni Figueres, daughter of former Costa Rican President José “don Pepe” Figueres, will serve as Costa Rica’s ambassador to the United States, after being nominated by her government on Tuesday morning.

Figueres, who served as foreign trade minister in 1986 under then-President Oscar Arias, has also held high-level positions with the World Trade Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank. She is the daughter of Figueres’ first wife Henrietta Boggs and half-sister to recently appointed U.N. Climate Chief Cristiana Figueres and former President José María Figueres.

Muni Figueres was born in Costa Rica but was also a U.S. citizen because of her mother’s nationality. In order to accept the post in Washington, D.C., she was forced to renounce her U.S. citizenship.

President Laura Chinchilla said she saw Figueres’ former U.S. citizenship as an advantage to Costa Rica because, through her, Costa Rica “will have fluid access to all the doors we need to knock on in Washington.”

During a press conference Tuesday, Figueres said she was proud to be part of Chinchilla’s team and pledged to work on the implementation of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States and security measures.

She said, “I don’t have a doubt that Costa Rica is one of the most popular and most loved countries in Washington. I have lived through times where (foreigners) confused Costa Rica with Puerto Rico. But now, there are few people who haven’t been to Costa Rica or don’t want to go to Costa Rica.  … It’s a country that, despite its size, has won many sympathizers.”

Asked about losing her U.S. citizenship, Figueres said that it “bothered her,” but after speaking with her mother, she was convinced that “to be Costa Rican is a privilege.”

“It’s an honor that I am going to carry with me the rest of my life,” she said.

Figueres will replace Luis Diego Escalante as Costa Rica’s ambassador in Washington D.C. Escalante was appointed by former President Arias.

Nature Air named an overall winner in Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Awards

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica development, Costa Rica real estate, Costa Rica tourism.

We always recommend that clients fly from San Jose to Palmar Sur regional airport when visiting The Village of San Buenas for the first time. Nature Air recently received an international award from Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Nature Air has daily flights to and from San Jose (Pavas) and Palmar Sur.

The Costa Rica-based airline was acknowledged for comprehensive efforts to compensate for its carbon emissions and social initiatives to promote education and the general welfare in the regions they operate. Nature Air received award from Conde Naste Travler

“Our efforts are aimed at raising the standard of living in the destinations we fly to, while offering an exceptional experience to our passengers” said Alex Khajavi, Founder and CEO of Nature Air. “Awards like World Savers help confirm that we are on the right track, and strengthen a growing community of socially responsible industry pioneers that are on the same path.”
Nature Air offsets 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions by subsidizing reforestation and conservation of tropical forests in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Nature Air purchases carbon credits from the government’s National Forestry Financing Fund (FONAFIFO), run by the Ministry of the Environment (MINAET). In addition, Nature Air fuels all ground equipment and vehicles with bio-diesel (a mix of recycled vegetable and cooking oils), collected from airline employees and local restaurants. It’s estimated this biodegradable fuel will reduce roughly 560 tons of CO2 emissions per year.nature air logo
Nature Air also funds a social and educational initiative called the Nature Kids Foundation. Nature Kids aims to provide English education to the communities Nature Air serves. The program has developed two schools, one in Santa Ana and the other in Drake Bay, with the goal of expanding to the rest of the airline’s main destinations. Nature Kids’ students range from elementary age to adults. They learn practical English skills for educational advancement and application in the tourism industry, which dominates regional economies where the schools are located.While some members of the tourism industry have battled tough economic times, Nature Air has continued to grow through eco-friendly cost-cutting strategies. Nature Air continues to invest in its sustainable tourism programs and has increased profits by 22% since 2003.

Alex Khajavi has been invited to speak on a guest panel at the 2010 CNT World Savers Congress on Oct. 20 in Singapore along with representatives from fellow winners: Abercrombie & Kent, Royal Caribbean, Grand Hyatt, and the small Costa Rican hotel chain Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality. He, along with other honorees of the World Savers, will introduce to the heads of the tourism industry – collectively the world’s largest industry at $7 trillion in revenue this year – a range of resources to help them implement more effective and sustainable programs.

Nature Air is the world’s first certified carbon neutral airline and the fastest growing regional airline in Central America. Since its inception in 2000, NatureAir has grown from flying 18,000 passengers annually to more than 140,000 in 2008. Nature Air offers charted flights and 74 daily scheduled flights to 17 destinations in Costa Rica and Panama.

About the Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Awards

The Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Awards are awarded annually to travel companies from around the world for their leadership in social responsibility in the areas of cultural and environmental preservation, education, wildlife conservation, poverty alleviation and health initiatives . An independent panel of 22 judges, leaders from the travel industry and non-governmental organizations, rated airlines, small hotel chains, large hotel chains, city hotels, small lodges and resorts, large lodges and resorts, tour operators and cruiselines against their peers.

New Palmar Sur Airport

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Palmar Sur regional airport now has a new terminal. The old blue one is no longer being used.

Nature Air and Sansa both have daily flights in/out of Palmar Sur, located in Costa Rica’s Osa peninsula.

Art Festival in Costa Rica

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica real estate, Costa Rica Roads, Costa Rica tourism.

By Meg Yamamoto
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/082010.htm#story2
A celebration of the arts, education and culture is set to kick off Friday in the southern Caribbean beach community of Puerto Viejo, with Carnaval ArteViva 2010.

The Southern Caribbean Arts School (EDACS), which first organized the festival in 2006, this year has teamed up with the Puerto Viejo Development Association – as well as some 120 local businesses – to bring free concerts, art exhibits, theatrical performances, workshops and food and craft fairs to the community through Aug. 31.

Tonight’s inauguration, starting at 7 p.m. in Puerto Viejo’s Casa de la Cultura, will feature the opening of various exhibits by local and foreign artists, as well as a school band, street music and Caribbean food. Capping off the evening’s festivities will be a concert at Tex Mex restaurant by Luis Angel Castro, the Costa Rican singer-songwriter who composed the popular song, “Puerto Viejo.”

Putting the carnaval in the festival’s name, a turno will be set up on the waterfront in the center of town for the duration of the festival, featuring amusement park rides, games, food stalls and Tico-style bullfights (where people are more likely to be hurt than the bulls).

However, the main focus of the festival will be educational, said festival organizer Claudio Ambroso, president of EDACS. Free workshops will be offered on topics such as alternative medicine, Caribbean food, creative techniques and bicycle painting, and all of the area’s local schools will be giving performances, ranging from traditional dances to puppet shows.

A full schedule of events is available on the festival’s website, www.arteviva-puertoviejo.com.

Sky Satellite TV Now Available at our Costa Rica House

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica real estate, Las Villas de San Buenas, Technology, Village San Buenas.

Our house in Las Villas de San Buenas (previously The Village of San Buenas) now has satellite TV!!

Installed in my house in San Buenaventura, Costa Rica quickly!

I am one who really enjoys watching the NFL, NCAA Football/basketball and MLB so the last couple of months have been a bit of a struggle since we didn’t have any cable or satellite TV at our house. That problem has now been resolved!!

In fact, I want to give a HUGE “Thank you” to Sky Service in Costa Rica for their QUICK response. I called at noon on August 9th (yesterday) and by 10 am this morning, only 22 hours later, I was watching AXN, ESPN and Fox News from the comfort of my home. There is no way Comcast, Dish or DirecTV would work that fast back in the USA.

Thank you!

These are some photos from the day.

Nick Halverson using SkyTV for first time at house
Nick Halverson using SkyTV for first time at house

Costa Rica’s Central Bank’s Outlook for Last 2Q of 2010

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica real estate.

By Adam Williams
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080310.htm#story2
Rodrigo Bolaños, president of the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), provided an analysis last Thursday of the nation’s economic status through the first six months of 2010,with predictions for the remainder of the calendar year.

Bolaños revised the BCCR’s inflation prediction, foreseeing that the rate of increase in consumer prices should hit 5 to 6 percent by year’s end, a shade higher than the 4 percent goal set in January. In the first six months of the year, national consumer prices have risen 3.4 percent, primarily due to increased prices and tariffs on goods and services traded in the international market, as well as heightened tuition costs of universities and private schools. In the past 12 months, consumer prices have risen 6.3 percent.

Using the Monthly Economic Activity Index (IMAE), BCCR concluded that the national economy has grown 5.2 percent through the first six months of the year, thanks in large part to larger revenue margins in the manufacturing, agriculture and service industry sectors. However, BCCR also reported that revenue earned in the construction sector has fallen 3.6 percent. The bank now expects the sector to finish the year with an estimated 6 percent loss in profits compared to 2009. The diminished growth in construction was attributed to a leveling out of the construction boom from 2005 to 2008, when the sector reported annual growth of about20 percent, and to a decrease in construction in free zones. In 2009, construction fell 5.2 percent over 2008.

Bolaños also addressed the fiscal deficit, which BCCR predicts will finish the year at 5.2 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP). The deficit currently represents 2.18 percent of the GDP, although throughout the year both the BCCR and Finance Ministry have projected it will rise to about5 percent by year’s end.

As for the exchange rate, Bolaños said the current band system used to control the fluctuations of the value of the colón will remain unchanged, at least in the short term.

Costa Rica Housing Expo – 2010

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica development, Costa Rica real estate, Costa Rica tourism.

By Adam Williams
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080410.htm#story1
The eighth edition of ExpoCasa, the Costa Rican national housing exposition, kicks off Wednesday afternoon at the Centro de Eventos Pedregal in San Antonio de Belén, in Heredia, northwest of San José. The expo, which runs through Sunday evening, will feature over 250 stands with information on renting or buying a home or property, financing a home, and real estates agencies, as well as items for home construction and décor.

Fifty of the stands will be dedicated to housing and property offerings in different regions of the country, including the Central Valley, mountain areas and beaches. Jason Alvarado, the spokesperson for the expo, said the sales prices of the homes offered range from $49,000 to $560,000 and that 12 national banks will be on hand to provide interested home owners and buyers with financing options.

“The reason ExpoCasa has always been so helpful for visitors is that it allows them to take care of many of the steps involved in buying a house or property all at the same place,” Alvarado said. “It makes the entire process of home ownership much easier.”

As many as 14,000 people are expected to visit ExpoCasa during the five-day event.

ExpoCasa Schedule
Wednesday – 1 to 10 p.m.; Inauguration at 5 p.m.
Thursday – 1 to 10 p.m.
Friday – 1 to 10 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Entry fee:
Wednesday through Friday: Free
Saturday and Sunday: ₡ 1,000; free for senior citizens and children under the age of 12.
House_Lot 9
House in The Village of San Buenas

Costa Rica Investing in More New Roads and Bridges

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica development, Costa Rica real estate, Costa Rica Roads, Costa Rica tourism.

By Adam Williams
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080210.htm#story3
The Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) pledged on Friday to dedicate $33 million to the reconstruction or repair of 29 bridges along the northern portion of the Inter-American highway in Costa Rica. Most of the bridges in need of repair were built between 1944 and 1952.

A portion of the highway was re-opened on Saturday after being closed two days due to

New highway in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has invested heavily in recent years in roads.

reconstruction of a damaged bridge above the Río Seco, in Puntarenas province near the Central Pacific coast.

On Wednesday night, the river destroyed about 25 meters of the bridge. It was swollen due to heavy rains.

The closing of the highway hindered transportation to and from the northwestern Guanacaste region, as well as travel north and south along Central America’s most important roadway. Detour times were clocked at nearly five hours, as drivers had to take a winding mountain road between San Ramón and Tilarán, in the northwestern province of Alajuela.

The repairs to the bridge cost MOPT an estimated ₡ 50 million ($97,000). MOPT estimates that 400 trucks, 130 buses and around 4,000 cars travel the Inter-American Highway every day.

Over 2 million march in annual pilgrimage

Written by Costa Rica Las Villas on . Posted in Costa Rica history, Costa Rica tourism.

By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | [email protected]
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080210.htm#story2

By 5 a.m. Sunday, there was already a small trickle of marchers making their way through the streets of San José on their way to Cartago.

Within a few hours, the walkers were taki

Cartago's Basilica de los Angeles
Cartago's Basilica de los Angeles (photo Nick Halverson)

ng up one lane, and by late morning the trickle had become a flood.The procession, in which an estimated two million people participated, was largely absent of religious paraphernalia or Catholic ritual. And, except for a handful of people whispering rosaries or walking barefoot – and the huge turnout – it almost could have been any philanthropic walk.

It was only once walkers arrived at the plaza in front of Cartago’s Basilica de los Angeles that they swapped water bottles for plastic crucifixes and MP3 players for hymns of the church. At the threshold of the basilica, many fell to their knees and covered the last hundred meters on the ground and in prayer.

“It’s gratifying to be here,” said 33-year-old Paula Torres, as she sat with shoes off after making the long walk from Desamparados, south of San José. “Each year, we come to say thanks for a year of good health, work and family.”

The romería has taken place every year for the past 228 years, except for 2009, when it was cancelled due to the H1N1 flu virus.

The pilgrimage is made in honor of a small statue of the Virgin Mary, affectionately called La Negrita, which is said to have miraculous powers. Each year, thousands of Costa Ricans pay homage to this small statue in the hope it will bring health and happiness to their families.

Thirty-seven-year-old Leiner Zuniga, who was massaging his feet on a curb outside the basilica, said he made the journey for the first time because of a promise he had made relating to the health of his father and his eight-year-old son.

“They are doing well and I am here,” said Zuniga, who had walked from San José that morning.

Ana Julia Campos, 41, whose face still glistened with sweat from her trek from Heredia, north of San José, said she made the walk in honor of her mother.

“We came here slowly, but with strength,” she said. “It was painful, but we are here.”