Costa Rica has been selected as one of the top 10 eco travel destinations according to www.puretravel.com. All countries are European with the exception of CR, New Zeland and Colombia.
Publicado: 31 March 2010 0 ComentariosPor Aída Araya
Siguiendo las costumbres católicas, en Costa Rica se celebra anualmente la semana Santa en conmemoración de la pasión, muerte y resurrección de Jesús.
Este año la semana Santa va del domingo 27 de marzo –domingo de Ramos, entrada de Jesús a Jerusalén- al domingo 4 de abril –domingo de Resurrección-. Durante la semana, especialmente los días jueves y viernes santos, la iglesia católica celebra actividades que rememoran los últimos momentos de fe y amor a Dios que Jesús vivió camino a la cruz, durante su crucifixión y muerte, y hasta su resurrección. Las procesiones que son coloridas representaciones vívidas de la pasión y muerte de Jesús, la vigilia, las ceremonias religiosas especiales y el ayuno, son parte de la dinámica que practica la mayor parte del pueblo costarricense.
La semana Santa coincide con el final de la época seca, por lo que es común que por ser días feriados, las familias costarricenses aprovechen y visiten playas y centros de importancia turística, en donde igualmente se celebran con actos religiosos estas fechas y se tiene acceso a las comidas tradicionales de la época: miel y empanaditas de chiverre, miel de coco, miel de jocote, arroz con leche, sopa de bacalao y pescados y mariscos –pues las carnes rojas no son sugeridas durante estas festividades-.
Toda la semana Santa es feriada para los trabajadores gubernamentales y a partir del jueves para la empresa privada. La venta de licor está prohibida los días jueves y viernes y los servicios de transporte público son escasos estos dos días.
Si nunca ha vivido la fe católica desde esta perspectiva, lo invitamos a que se acerque a una procesión – las hay en la mayoría de los cantones del país-, y a disfrutar de una sopa de bacalao y de unas empanaditas de chiverre de postre.
Publicado: 29 March 2010 2 ComentariosSegún este reportaje de La Nación el ritmo de la deforestación mundial retrocede. Esperemos que en algún momento se detenga y se incremente la reforestacion.
Según FONAFIFO Costa Rica continúa experimentando recuperación forestal, llegando a un 48% del país (2005) aunque muy poca tiene protección.
Publicado: 29 March 2010 0 ComentariosWith all the talk about health care in the news these days, and the uninformed declarations of Rush Limbaugh regarding his impending move to Costa Rica, I thought we’d offer an article on medical tourism in Costa Rica. Even with the passage of health care reform in the U.S., Costa Rica will continue to be one of the world’s best destinations for medical tourism. And why not? Care in Costa Rica is first-world quality, at a fraction of first-world prices. Thousands of people ever year come here to get great care, save money and even have a vacation while they’re at it.
The article I have linked does not even mention Costa Rica’s national health care system, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, which offers cradle-to-grave care to anyone in need. As a result, life expectancy is higher than the U.S. and among the best in the world. If you’ve had any procedures done in Costa Rica, I’d love to hear your take on the system.
Publicado: 25 March 2010 0 Comentarios
Talking head and world-class blowhard Rush Limbaugh mentioned last week that if health-care reform passed in the U.S., he would come to Costa Rica. In the middle of a childlike demonstration of histrionics and finger pointing both in the House of Representatives and around the United States, a measure of the bill passed and has gone into effect. Meanwhile, many people are looking at Mr. Limbaugh, the wonky radio personality and hypocritical drug abuser, to fulfill his promise and high-tail it out of the north.
We residents of Costa Rica don’t necessarily wish for Mr. Limbaugh to form part of the daily landscape down here, but should he keep good on his word, there are people working to get him down here. This website, run by two men in Brooklyn who don’t have health insurance, is accepting $1 donations to buy Rush a one-way ticket to paradise. Heck, if he does come down here, maybe he’ll learn something about how an effective health-care system is run.
Publicado: 24 March 2010 0 ComentariosUPDATE: The road is now open.
Ruta 32, the main highway that runs between San Jose and the Caribbean port city of Limon, is currently closed due to four landslides that block the road. Work crews are currently clearing off debris; however, as of now there is no estimated completion time. If travelers are looking to get between these two regions, they should take the alternate route through Turrialba and Cartago.
The landslide problem is not new. The entire three-decade life of this road has been plagued with tons of loose dirt plummeting onto the pavement.
Article in Spanish: http://www.nacion.com/2010-03-23/ElPais/UltimaHora/ElPais2311792.aspx
Publicado: 23 March 2010 0 ComentariosHere´s a nice essay by Nomadic Matt on making yourself take that trip you´ve always dreamed of, hopefully to Costa Rica! Later browse around his site, it´s full of tips on traveling around the world on a budget. - Andrés
Publicado: 23 March 2010 0 ComentariosI found an old unpublished piece I wrote after having a lovely meal on an international flight a year ago. In honor of the dying art of in-flight culinary delight, here it is.
I love airplane food.
Sure, drop it in a field and cows could use it for a salt lick. And sure, I’d raise a stink if I had sat down in a restaurant, pulled out my wallet and paid for a starchy chicken cacciatore that may well never decompose. But there is an element of surprise with in-flight meals. When the crew fires up the small nuclear reactors in the galleys and the aroma of chemically enhanced goodness floods the cabin, my Pavlovian juices start flowing.
This is probably due to my inherent cheapness. I refuse to pay the inflated prices that airport food courts charge (exception: Dallas, where Wendy’s Dollar Menu still stands), where you shell out 50% more than street value for the privilege of shuffling through lines of menu-gazing, jet-lagged folks trying to get to their weddings, business meetings and tour buses on time. I try to stay away usually opting to read the paper in some corner near my gate. The cheek-to-jowl environs under pounding fluorescent lights do not make for a pleasant dining experience.
In flight is a different story. My favorite airline, which I choose not to give free publicity to but whose name could be a kind of light breakfast, offers stupendous meals. In fact, their CEO appears on-screen before the safety video, smiling stiffly as he announces that this airline still serves meals at mealtime. His speech already gets my brain working like a child shaking boxes under the Christmas tree: What will we have today? Will they have cranberry juice? Ranch or blue cheese dressing?
I get visibly excited when the flight attendants roll their food trolleys to the front. I try to appear distracted, looking out the window, fumbling with the Skymall catalog, but I’ve always got an eye on the crew as they hand out their nourishing trays of good cheer. As they make their way down the aisles, I can make out what they are saying: Turkey or beef? Oh, turkey or beef, what a delicious conundrum of a life of privilege. When they finally ask me I say, “Surprise me!” and then tear off the foil heat wrapper like a frenzied little boy hoping he made Santa’s list to find… a turkey sandwich! The Red Ryder of coach meals!
On a recent flight, this meal was enhanced by the view. I usually try to get a window seat, as it offers my fat head a place to rest while I try to ignore the rest of the cabin, but on this occasion we were over the U.S.’s Eastern seaboard. Manhattan lie below, blazing like a checked Christmas tree, yellow stripes full of moving red dots, speckled with clusters of glowing phallic ornaments. Visions of individually wrapped brownies and iceberg-lettuce salads danced through my head as I savored the last bites of beef tips in mushroom sauce. A full belly, the world underneath me. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Publicado: 16 March 2010 1 ComentarioContinental Airlines, once the last bastion of airlines offering free, hot meals to passengers, has announced an end to this program. Passengers will now be offered the option to purchase a meal while aboard. I, for one, will choose to go hungry. Blankets, legroom, checked luggage, pillows… that was fine. But lunch? Now I’m downright depressed. Being a frugal traveler, flight habits will have to change. I already stock my carry on with a small blanket, ear plugs and something to cover my eyes. Now I’ll have to cram a sandwich and some grapes into that, too, because I certainly am not going to pay the exorbitant amounts charged by the monopolies in the San Jose airport; nor shall I shell out hard cash for a box lunch on board.
No, my options are reduced to brown-bagging it or waiting until I get to Houston’s international terminal. I love the Chinese buffet there, and occasionally a deal can be had at Wendy’s. Still, I can’t help but wax nostalgic about those foil wrappers containing chicken or beef, unwrapping those edible gifts dished out from flight attendants like disaster relief, or a miniskirted Santa with the Salvation Army. Peeling the Saran Wrap off my peanut butter and banana sandwich will not be the same.
A link to the full story in English
Enlace a la noticia en español
Publicado: 15 March 2010 0 ComentariosLa Cusinga Eco Lodge, located in Costa Ballena and Ballena National Marine Park, has obtained four out of five leaves in the prestigious program Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST). The hotel said in a statement:
Publicado: 11 March 2010 0 ComentariosOur commitment to sustainability, and our ecological and social environments is reflected in the category in which we have been placed. We will continue to work in these areas and promote sustainability in our community, country and world!
