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Editorial Note: Well, it appears that (unintentionally) this issue will be of additional interest to nature lovers out there. In the end we have three nature articles for you to enjoy. I would ask you to pay particular attention to the last, which is a call for help. I also urge you to check on the immigration details in this issue. Changes to Costa Rica are coming fast a furious, and more and more foreigners are looking to come here than ever before. This of course could bring beneďŹ ts, but also potential problems that are unwanted by all. Some of these problems may eventually be overcome, but we should all expect to need a little more patience, at least in the short term.
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Another potential change will likely be the tax situation, but I won’\t yet comment on that until things are more deďŹ nite... - Ryan Piercy
Don’t forget to inform us of any change of address or contact information!
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This magazine has been published every two months for 10 years as the ofďŹ cial communications media of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica. Our organization provides service to thousands of foreigners who have chosen Costa Rica to reside for short periods or for permanent residence. Since 1984 the Association of Residents of Costa Rica has been offering reliable SERVICES, INFORMATION and ADVOCACY to Costa Rica’s foreign residents. We have the experience and ability to help you with your residency application, immigration, business and ďŹ nancial management, real estate purchases and rentals, property management, insurance, pet importation and much more. If you wish to place an ad in El Residente, please contact the ARCR main ofďŹ ce.
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Presidents Repor t by Bob Miller In this issue I’ve decide to tell you a fascinating story about a project I once worked on, rather than just dwell on ARCR activities. I hope you find it interesting, as the global search for more energy continues to be big news everywhere. In my former life as an engineer I was employed as an engineer in the Research and Development division of major chemical company. The project that I worked on was the hydrogenation of coal. This was the process Adolf Hitler used to provide synthetic gasoline for his bombers during World War II. The company I was with was more interested in the by-products: pentanes, amines etc. It worked. Don’t ask why synthetic gasoline from coal not being produced. The only thing I can say is that at that time I was a naïve young engineer and did not believe in conspiracies. An aside* In South Africa there is one company producing auto fuel with this method. Since that time I have been interested in synthetic fuels, and so from August of 2005 I have been following the development of the Alberta Tar and Oil Sands in Canada, and the companies involved in this developing them. Since
last August I have watched the stock of these small producing companies increase about thirty percent. Needless to say at the beginning of this February I decided to put my money where my mind was. Well the day I made my investment the stocks rose over one percent. I felt fantastic. But guess what? The following day they went down one an a half percent, the following days they fell another two and a half percent, and they tanked a total of thirteen and a half percent! Needless to say I was concerned as was my wife, and so was our cat that figured he would have to go out catching birds again if he wanted to be eat regularly. Several days ago the market again reversed, and now I am only one percent down. I was supposed to have had this President’s Report out last week, now you know why the content regarding the ARCR activities is abbreviated. Here I am again. Ready to go again. Back to the ARCR’s activities. I am sure you have read reports lately of the financial conditions in Costa Rica. In reality there is a decrease in the value of the colon of between ten and eleven percent a year. The government has decided to do something to remedy the situation. (Why don’t they leave well enough alone?) Continued on page 4...
Cover Photo National Anthem: Prior to 1852 Costa Rica did not have a National Anthem, but at that time when the UK and USA sent diplomatic representatives to the country for the first time, the President decided an anthem should be composed for a welcome ceremony in honor of the occassion. The request was made to Mr. Manuel María Gutiérrez, the director of the National Army Orchestra, and was first performed for the occassion on June 11th of that year. Interestingly it wasn’t until 50 years later, in 1903, that words were first created for the piece. A contest was held and won by José María Zeledón Brenes. It still was not be as easy as all that for the anthem however, which again took nearly another 50 years until finally declared officially as the National Anthem of Costa Rica, in 1949.
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The newly proposed financial legislation as initially proposed would do wonders for Nicaragua, and Panama had it passed. The gringos leaving Costa Rica en masse due to this bill would have increased their populations. Well through the efforts many, including some of the ARCR’s people, mainly Ryan Piercy, the legislation is being revised. There will be a seminar conducted by ARCR to explain all the changes in the legislation and how the ex-pats coming here from the U.S., Canada and other countries will be treated. This will be done after the legislation is completed and a new law is definite. According to Ryan, some of the recent changes appear to make the proposed laws more acceptable, including the ability to bring in capital, as well as apparent articles to help prevent double-taxation. On a brighter issue, the ARCR has now arranged a formal agreement with the intent of providing assistance to the Hspital Nacional de Niños (Children’s Hospital). We are working with another volunteer organization and have opened a joint account with a $10,000 donation that was generously offered to us.
hope we can count on members for further financial assistance, because these poor kids need it! We will be working closely with the Asociacion De Damas Voluntarias at the hospital, reviewing potential recipients or cases of specific equipmet needs, in order to provide partial financial assistance to them. We have already had one member call in wishing to volunteer as well, so I know some good will come of all the effort. If you are able to help us with a donation, the account is at the Banco Popular, and we can arrange for the necessary receipt for you to obtain your local tax deduction. Account: Asociacion Damas Voluntarias HNN # 161-0100262001116-7 We would appreciate any help you can give, and I assure you the children will also be extremely grateful to you from the bottom of their little hearts. I must apologize for the lesser amount of information regarding the ARCR in this issue. Tomorrow is the first day of this month’s seminar. If you were there you would have understood the smile on my face. Each day the Tar Sands will be increasing in value.
Donations to this account are tax deductible, and we
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Immigration n Update by Ryan Piercy
03-2006 Re: Continuing Change...
It seems everyone went away happy, but change always causes confusion, and so of course there have been hold ups while the new process is implemented. One such problem is that it is taking clients many hours of waiting at immigration while they process and prepare your new cedula. For this reason we want to warn members that you should expect that you will loose all (or much of) whatever day you are given your appointment to pick up your card.
The new Immigration law that is coming into effect is not the only change on the horizon for residents, and in fact the first Another important point is we urge you to NOT miss the appointment given by Immigration, as new appointments will signs have already begun to rear their heads: be issued at the convenience of the government. CEDULA UNICA In February the Department of Migracion in Costa Rica started to issue the new identification card, known as the Cedula Unica, which is very similar to the ID used by Costa Ricans. The new card not only holds information about the individual, but also contains digital fingerprints of the person.
ELECTRONIC APPOINTMENTS Another of the changes that had already been put in place was the new computer system, specifically in the issuing of appointments. Now it has been decided to issue appointments for everything, not just the picking up of the cedula. Appointments to submit the documents, appointments to check on the files, appointments to submit changes, and This new card will be issued for all types of residency, with so on.... the idea of having greater control, and thereby increase National Security. This of course means a LOT of appointments. Unfortunately Of course there is also the issue of a new fee to be paid for as the new procedures are being gotten used to, the backlogs the state-of-the-art ID. A new $14 fee has been added to have again begun to affect the efficiency of Immigration. In cover the costs involved in issuing them, as well as some fact the almighty computer is currently issuing appointments for July, four long months after the request. additional colones for the ever-present Timbres. Some of the first foreigners to go weren’t exactly happy, not because they are opposed to the new document, but simply because they weren’t prepared to pay a fee, and some who had no money on them had to leave without their renewed cedulas.
This of course means we need to ask you to be more proactive, at least for this year. We recomend that you consider beginning the renewal process a few months in advance of the expiry date, with the hope that possible inconveniences are kept to a minimum.
Fortunately we were prepared for the change, and our first clients were already paid for and ready to receive. We were also not aware of the fee too far in advance, but ARCR absorbed the cost for those who had already paid for their renewal process.
Hopefully as the new system proceeds the waits will become shorter, and in the end should be much more efficient and modernized. In the meantime we will just have to continue to practice our patience.
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Learning The Langua age by Christopher Howard
To Give or not To Give In Spanish there are two different verbs that mean to give, Dar and Regalar. Let’s first begin by examining the verb Dar since it is used more frequently, and is an important part of many idiomatic expressions. Dar is most often used as follows: ‘Give me a glass of water - Damé un vaso de agua’, or ‘I want to give you my phone number - Quiero darle mi número de teléfono’. Dar is also used in many important Spanish idioms. Here are a few of the most commonly used expressions with the verb; (Me) da lo mismo. Dar lata a… ¡Dale! Dar de beber Dar de comer Dar a conocer Dar con Dar Darle a cada cual lo suyo. ¿Qué más da? Dar en el clavo.
- It’s all the same (to me). - (I) don’t mind. - to bother someone or be a nuisance - Hurry Up! - to give a drink - to feed - to make known - to bump into - to hit someone - to give someone what they deserve. - What difference does it make? - to hit the nail on the head.
A very common idiomatic use of dar with a noun is similar to our ‘make’ in English. For example ‘Me da vergüenza - It makes me ashamed’ or ‘Me da ganas de gritar - It makes me want to scream’. The verb regalar also means to give, but in the sense of ‘giving away’ something, such as a gift. For instance, ‘Le regalé un libro para su cumpleaños - I gave her a book for her birthday’.
Quite appropriately here are two Costa Rican expressions or tiquismos for this week: Regalar in Costa Rica can mean to give birth. The correct expression in proper Spanish is Dar a luz. In Costa Rica regálame means ‘give me’ like when a person orders something in a restaurant, or requests some merchandise in a store. Regálame un vaso de agua - Give me a glass of water. In correct Spanish it is preferable to use the verb Dar in the latter situation.
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January-February, 2006
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Association of Residents of Costa Rica Come join us at the Annual Picnic. A crafts fair, delicious food, great fun. April 1st starting at 11am, and entrance is just ¢1000 if purchased in advance (¢1500 at the door). This year we will again be at the Banco Cuscatlan finca in sunny La Garita. The picnic also includes the bi-annual meeting of the General Assembly. Call the office for details or tickets at 257-6646. Volunteers welcome. website www.arcr.net Canadian Club
Send us your club news or activities for free publication in this column
PC Club of Costa Rica This computer Club meets on the third Saturday of each month at Pan American school, in Belen, 9 am to Noon 2 months Free Trial for newcomers. For information call Chuck Jennings. Phone 266-0123 www.pcclub.net
Aren’t you just ‘itching’ for a good game of Pool, or maybe Darts? Perhaps the challenge of a competitive match of Backgammon or Chess is more up your alley! Or, maybe you just want to ‘kick back’ with old friends and a Big Screen TV! Then Plan to attend the monthly “ACCR Pub Night” Now, the first Thursday of the month. ‘Laurie’s Bar & Grill’ in front of the ‘Ceviche Del Rey’ on the Old Road to Santa Ana. website www.canadianclubcr.com
Meets at Sabana Park Lake. For information contact Walter Bibb. Wwbbsurf40@yahoo.com
Bird Watching Club
Wine Club of Costa Rica
The Birding Club of Costa Rica sponsors monthly trips to observe local and migrant birds in various areas of the country. For more information contact us at 2825365 or at costaricabirding@hotmail.com
Please mark your calendars The wine club usually meets at 1 P.M. on the last Sunday of each month. Join us to tantalize your taste buds and expand your education. For more information on upcoming events please contact us Phone 279-8927, 257-2223, 285-1276
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (open to men too) Bi lingual group meets in Heredia on the first Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. in the clinic of Mireya Gonzalez. We work on peace and human rights issues. Call Mitzi 433-7078 or write peacewomen@gmail.com Democrats Abroad The Democrats Abroad of Costa Rica meets the last Saturday of each month at the Aurola Holiday Inn, 9:30 a.m. to noon, coffee break menu. Visit cr.democratsabroad.org or call David Sagel 248-0719 for information and reservations. Newcomer’s Club A women’s social organization that meets the 1st Tuesday of each month. We welcome English speaking women who reside in Costa Rica. New and long term residents-contact Carol phone 232-3999
El Residente
Republican’s Abroad The Republicans Abroad of Costa Rica meets the second Tuesday of each month. Contact Francis 286-6060, or 386-1420 Radio control Sailing Club
Women’s Club of Costa Rica SALSA SAMBA MARENQUE MAMBO....Spicy Latin dances and a delicious 3-course luncheon await you at the elegant Costa Rica Country Club, March 15, 11:30 am.The Women’s Club Board of Directors invites you, your friends and relatives (MEN too) to the Annual March Luncheon, featuring talented dancers, Marlene and Felix Lopez, dancing to a variety of Latin rhythms and sharing their expertise with “adventurous” attendees who want to join the fun! For tickets and additional information on this fundraiser call: Elena 268-3748 or Pat 2851276. (¢8000 per person) www.wccr.org Young Expats of Costa Rica Some Expatriates under the age of 40, and currently living in Costa Rica, have formed a new social club to be coordinated through their website This club will help younger expatriates living in, or moving to, Costa Rica meet other expats in their age group for; friendship, romance, travel and activity partners, and professional networking. www.YoungExpatsOfCostaRica.org
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Costa Rican Style by Ana Hernandez
The Presidential Election No matter where in the world, the chore of electing a president is never an easy task. This has been demonstrated by the bloodshed, the oppression and death experienced by innocent people, in so many countries in the pursue of their “God’s” given right to vote. Here in Costa Rica, we have had it relatively easy since the beginning of our political elections, not too long after this country became independent from Spain and began to enjoy its sovereignty, in an easy transition to first Chief of State Juan Mora Fernandez. It is not to say that there have not been frustrating episodes in the election of a new president in Costa Rica. Women were not allowed to vote until 1932 and some years after that, notable children’s writer and educator Carmen Lyra, sought political asylum and died in Mexico in 1949 due to bad health and sadness in exile. She had been persecuted as a result of her radical political activities and tireless protests seeking the right to representation of the left-wing party in Costa Rica. Ex-president Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia, founder of the socialized medicine in Costa Rica, also sought asylum in Mexico in 1948, this time because of the political pressure he experienced for not wanting to relinquish power to a candidate who got more votes than he did. It is rather interesting to note that Calderon Guardia’s son, Rafael Angel Calderon Fournier, served as president of Costa Rica in 1990-94 and was later charged with participation in a corruption scandal and sent to jail. Retracing our steps back to 1948, many good men lost their lives in the first and bloody civil war fought in our country. The insurrection was led by former Costa Rican president Jose Figueres Ferrer, known affectionately by the Ticos as “Don Pepe.” He made a petition for brothers to fight against brothers to defend the long process of democracy and to continue the fight until the rightful winner of the elections, Otilio Ulate, was reinstated into power. Two practically barefoot armies participated in the ‘48 events. The fighters were either Figueristas or Calderonistas, these last ones known as Mariachis in reference to their leader’s exile in Mexico. From that day on, Tico families became partial to a particular political color, based on which side their relatives fought in 1948.
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Many of our grandparents, veterans and survivors of the civil war of 1948, still insist in being known as Figueristas or Calderonistas, even though neither former leader is alive. After the civil strife was over, Figueres Ferrer, in a unusual decision in those years in Latin countries, where coups and power takeovers were the rule, handed back the power to Otilio Ulate, the election winner, but not before being instrumental in amending the national constitution to get rid of the army once and for all, transforming Costa Rica in a model of democracy in Latin America and the rest of the world. Here, it is also interesting to note that Figueres Ferrer’s son, Jose Maria Figueres, also served as president of Costa Rica in 1994-98 and was later investigated for the mishandling of money, but our justice system hasn’t being able to extradite him from Switzerland or Spain, countries where he presently lives and enjoys immunity. Since those long agitated political years in our country’s past, Ticos have gone to the polls almost predictably, choosing their candidates from two main political parties: Liberacion Nacional, which Figueres Ferrer helped found and the Unidad Social Cristiana, the party from which current President Abel Pacheco was elected in 2002. With nothing to choose from but a bipartisan system that never fulfilled the promises made to the public before the elections, Ticos lost interest in politics and absenteeism has grown out of proportion. Luckily, the new century has brought exciting challenges in the way presidents are elected the world over and Costa Rica has not been the exception. Proof of this, is that the Ticos who went to the polls in the election of 2002, tried new tactics of divide and conquer with their votes. Neither of the two main candidates at that time reached the 40 percent required to win and a run-off election was necessary one month later. A new party called Partido Accion Ciudadana (PAC) with its younger and more energetic candidate by the name of Otton Solis, gave strong competition to the traditional bipartisan status. Continued on page 11...
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2006 has been more exciting still. During the vote count, two well-known T.V. broadcasters called this election “the heart attack election.” The main contestants this year were former president and 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias and PAC’s candidate Ottón Solis. In an unprecedented turn of events, both candidates obtained over 40% of the votes with the smallest margin of vote difference ever recorded in Costa Rica elections. It became almost impossible for the Supreme Electoral Tribune (TSE), one of the branches of government, to determine the winner. A manual count of votes was called for by TSE, making it the first time in Costa Rica that we Ticos had to wait for the announcement of an official elected president right after elections, except for the previous 2002 run -off election was necessary. Absenteeism has been the other winner of the 2006 elections, with an almost 35 % of no show votes, this partly due to the fact that people do not want to believe in more political campaign promises. Despite this apparent apathy, Ticos really look forward to that first Sunday in February come presidential elections every four years.
presidential festivities in Costa Rica. Political campaigns are very civilized, compared to other countries. T.V. and radio spots don’t usually go for blood and polite politicians avoid accusations and charges against their opponents. On Election Day, public buses don’t charge on that day, which is a very rare occurrence, and the whole country becomes a beehive of political activity. Party sympathizers honk their cars’ horns at others in the street, waving flags through open windows and giving thumbs up to the ones who respond. Almost anyone with a vehicle takes voters to the polls, lest their chosen candidate runs the risk of loosing a very significant vote. Civil duty turns into pride and nowhere else the show of civility and democracy is more evident than when members of opposing parties happily wave flags and display their choice of colors standing right next to each other, without obvious signs of intolerance, which is too much to say in a country where opposing soccer fans declare open war to each other at stadiums or on the street. Long live the political spirit of the Ticos!
For the most part, we have always being proud of the
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Business Brie efs Wind power Costa Rica is set on doubling electrical generation from wind, as it is cheaper and non-polluting. Today, eolian power accounts for 3 percent of all the electricity generated in Costa Rica. Currently, four plants operating in Tilaran, Guanacaste, generate 71 megawatts, but the president of the Costa Rican Electricity Institution (ICE) in Spanish, Pablo Cob, said that wind power will be increased by 60 megawatts over the next couple of years. Several plants will be built in areas of the country where the prevailing winds allow for good output. Cob explained the project requires winds ranging from 18 to 90 kilometres per hour (roughly 11 to 55 miles per hour), a characteristic of several areas, particularly during the dry season, when power from wind can overtake hydropower. In the generation of electricity from wind, Costa Rica places 16th in the world and is first in Latin America.
Sales to China and Hong Kong grow A strong increase in Costa Rican exports to China and Hong Kong was recorded between January and August this year, mainly in high technology goods. Hong Kong jumped from Costa Rica’s 13th trade partner in late 2004 to 3rd last August, while China moved from position 11th to 6th. Currently, the United States remains Costa Rica’s first trade partner, followed by Holland. The Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER in Spanish) reported that, in the period, sales to Hong Kong went from $85 million to $258 million, while those to China increased from $66 million to $163 million. Costa Rica continues to recognize Taiwan, and as yet has no diplomatic relations with China.
Investment flow Latin America is receiving a strong inflow of private foreign investment this year, and Costa Rica is benefiting from it. The Institute of International Finance, which takes in the 340 major banks around the world, estimates that foreign investment will reach $46.2 billion in the region this year, 50 percent more than in 2004 and 17 percent more than early estimates. The strong flow of foreign currency into Costa Rica is reflected in the dollar reserves, which increased from $1,905 million last January to $2,486 million in September, according to data from the Central Bank.
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Nicaragua discards violence While touring the San Juan River, the President of Nicaragua, Enrique Bolaños, asserted that his country will not use violence on the waterway, in spite of differences with Costa Rica. However, he pointed out his country’s decision to preserve its sovereignty on the San Juan. The Nicaraguan chief executive’s visit to the border area was prompted by the Costa Rican decision to take to the International Court of Justice, at The Hague, the conflict resulting from the fact that Nicaragua does not allow Costa Rican police officers to carry their guns while sailing on the river. During his visit, President Bolaños was accompanied by the chief of the Nicaraguan Army, Omar Hallesleven, who has been in the area recently, visiting the positions his heavily-armed soldiers have reinforced.
Costa Rica loses sugar market Costa Rica is progressively losing the Canadian sugar market, which it had made a major effort to secure, as a result of a 172 percent increase in transportation costs. Because of the increase in the price of oil, the cost of each container carrying 20 tons of refined sugar jumped from $1,100 in early 2004 to $3,000 today, according to Edgar Herrera, of the sugar sector. He pointed out that sales have already dropped, but that the worst impact will be experienced next year. Sugar was Costa Rica’s leading export to Canada in 2004, when it accounted for 26 percent of the total
Intel diversifies operations Intel launched a diversification plan for its operations in Costa Rica. Corporate sources explained that in addition to the production of chips, which started in 1998, Intel will open a finance centre and a customer service centre here. The sources said that several factors have prompted the move, including the operation of financial services with the same schedule effective in the United States, lower cost of qualified staff, and good employee knowledge in areas such as computers and English. Intel will move the Technical Assistance Centre to Costa Rica from Folsom, California. This is one of the corporation’s largest production plants.
JW Marriot in Guanacaste Roble Group, which owns the Multiplaza Mall and the Intercontinental Hotel in Escazu, announced that it will build JW Marriot Hotel & Resort Hacienda Pinilla in Guanacaste. It will have 180 deluxe suites in the first stage. A spa, four restaurants, and a convention centre for 1,000 people will be part of the facilities, according to Roble Group. Construction is to start in mid 2006 and it is expected to start operating in late 2007.
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January-February, 2006
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Sea Turtles s of Costa a Rica by Andrew Guthrie
The Land of Living Dinosaurs That is not the appellation one most often hears when talking about Costa Rica. Nevertheless, this IS a place where residents and visitors alike can see first hand a group of animals that were alive in more or less the same form when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are the sea turtles, these aquadynamic beings who returned to the seas from the fresh water lakes of earth about 110-million years ago. It was this transition that enabled them to withstand whatever killed off the giant reptiles we call dinosaurs during the end of the Jurassic period. Costa Rica is home to five or six species of sea turtle, and is the site of at least three of the world’s most important nesting beaches for these fascinating reptiles. In addition, there are several local and U.S. affiliated sea turtle conservation organizations that can help interested residents learn more by walking the nesting beaches and volunteering to protect the turtles from human and animal adversaries.
The major Green turtle nesting beach in the entire Atlantic Ocean is at Tortuguero in the extreme northeast of Costa Rica. It is the place where the” Father of sea turtle research,” University of Florida professor Dr. Archie Carr found a huge nesting population during his studies in the early 1950s. Today, it is a National Marine Park, with an adjoining Sea Turtle research center operated for many years by the Caribbean Conservation Corps., headquartered in Gainesville, Florida. Many tours are available from San Jose to Tortuguero for residents and tourists, while students come to live and work with the turtles and stay at a dormitory operated by the CCC. Green turtles are the largest of the shelled sea turtles and can grow to more than 250 pounds, with a carapace or top shell, the size of a small dining table. They are also the “cows” of the sea in that they eat almost exclusively “turtle grass” which is found in shallow waters all along the Caribbean edge, especially off the coast of Nicaragua. These turtles are named “green” because their fat or calipee, not their shell, is green due to their almost allgrass diet. Baby greens, called hatchlings, have a dark grey carapace to make them less easy to be seen by predators, and an almost white under shell or plastron. When born their top shell is dark grey, which changes to beautiful shades of brown, with some yellow as young adults, and then darkens to olive green or gray or darker brown. Thousands of green turtles nest each year on the Caribbean beaches of Costa Rica, most of them at Tortuguero, but they can also be seen in lower numbers just to the south at Parismina. The main nesting period at Tortuguero is June through October and guides are available to take residents along the beach at night to see the turtles dig their nests and lay slightly more than one hundred ping-pong ball-sized eggs. Watching a sea turtle come up out of the moonlight-tinged surf, inspect the sand, dig a meticulous, urn-shaped nest with her hind flippers and lay her eggs while in a kind of trance, is a lifealtering experience for most people.
The Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) was once so numerous in the Caribbean Sea that sailors with Columbus described how you could tell you were reaching land even in a fog by the noise of sea turtles bumping into each other. Today, however almost all sea turtle species are either threatened or endangered as their populations have dwindled. Coastal peoples eat the eggs and kill adult turtles for food in ever increasing numbers. In Costa Rica however, conservation has made major inroads on these practices and today sea turtles are protected throughout the country.
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Costa Rica is also home to a pair of the most important nesting beaches in the whole world for the Olive Ridley turtle, (Lepidochelys olivacea) both in Guanacaste Province. One is at Nancite Beach, a remote area of Santa Rosa National Park and the other is down the coast about 60 miles at the tiny village of Ostional. This latter beach is a National Wildlife Refuge and is easier to reach than Nancite, which requires special permission. The road to Ostional is very rough and you have to cross at least one small river, which can be impossible after a Continued on page 15...
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heavy rain. You can also fly to Nosara airport, but again you have to cross a river on a swinging bridge, carrying your stuff, and arrange for a ride on the other side. The Olive Ridley, or “Tortuga Lora” in Spanish, is the next to smallest sea turtle, often weighing only about 80 or 90 pounds, and it has other interesting characteristics. The females of this species have devised a method of defeating the human and animal predators waiting for them to lay their eggs on the beach. They gather offshore, and come in at night in huge waves of tens of thousands of turtles, called by the Spanish name “arribada.” In this way the first few waves of turtles sacrifice their eggs to the wild dogs, pigs, crabs and various birds who descend on the beaches to feast, so that the later eggs will be unmolested in the nests during their six week incubation. One of the other interesting things about all sea turtles is that the temperature of the sand just after the middle weeks of incubation before the babies hatch determines the gender of the hatchlings. Warmer temperatures of just a few degrees produce mostly females while cooler temperatures produce mostly males. I have had what I would call a “National Geographic Continued on page 16...
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Moment”, standing on the beach at Ostional, surrounded by about 50-thousand Olive Ridley females in various stages of reproducing the species as they have done for more than 50-million years. It was an unforgettable experience. There were turtles barely a foot apart covering the beach as far as the eye could see in the dim light of reflected light from the sky. As some finished their laying and returned to the sea, others passed them like so many small rocks, moving inland to begin the process. And all this was done to the accompaniment of “drumming” as the mother turtles who had finished laying, pounded the sand with their front flippers to disguise the nests from predators, It was a surreal experience that conjures up all sorts of images of prehistoric life when I think of it.
provide the reader with more information. You can donate to them, contact them to volunteer in helping the turtles, or simply request information on a trip to see the turtles nest. While it is not my intention to play favorites among these groups, the three first mentioned are almost exclusively Costa Rican and are not widely known in the United States. They therefore have somewhat less money to operate their projects than the latter groups, which conduct substantial fund raising activities in the U.S. and have a wider base of financial support. ANAI can be reached on the web at: www.anaicr.orgpaginas/anai/aboutanai.html PRETOMA can be reached at: www.tortugamarina.org OSA CONSERVATION at: www.osaconservation.org or www.osaseaturtles.com These organizations are U.S.- based and have a wider donor base. CARIBBEAN CONSERVATION CORPS at: www.cccturtle.org THE LEATHERBACK TRUST at: www.leatherback.org
There are two sets of rather basic cabins in Ostional that can be rented, a tiny restaurant for meals, and a little shop for some basic goods. But it is a very small town and it is best to take everything you need with you. Two more modern hotels have recently been built nearby but you still need a car to get to the beach.
Andrew Guthrie is a member of ARCR and a former NBC News and Voice of America correspondent who lives in Reston, Virginia, and has visited Costa Rica three times to study sea turtles and the country first hand. At VOA he wrote several news stories on sea turtles during his 21-year career with the government broadcaster. He is reachable at: turtlelover64@aol.com or cturtlelover68@hotmail.com
One other point of interest is that the people of Ostional, in exchange for their cooperation in conserving the turtles and protecting the beaches, are allowed to gather the eggs of the earliest turtles to sell for the benefit of the village. They are collected in bags, and marked as “legal” eggs and sold in San Jose and other cities where many men still believe they possess aphrodisiacal properties. After the first 30 hours of an arribada, the legal egg harvesting stops, and anyone caught taking eggs after that faces a penalty. In the second of these articles, I will tell you where, here in Costa Rica, you can encounter the world’s largest reptile, the leatherback sea turtle, or “Baula” in Spanish, a gentle giant of the seas that rivals the largest navy ship afloat in its ability to cross the oceans of the world by the thousands of miles. Here now are the web sites of several sea turtle conservation groups with which I have had personal contact that will
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January-February, 2006
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CALL TODAY! (506)
672-1181
www.FirstRealtyCR.com
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New At AR RCR Getting Technical with BNCR: After a long wait, many setbacks, and various other difficulties, at long last we have obtained the ability to receive payment through our own website, with Vis or Mastercard, thanks to Banco Nacional. It was first in July that I became aware of a pilot project that the bank was doing in order to test their online payment systems, and so with a little pressure I convinced them to allow us to join. After all, a great many first affiliate before coming to Costa Rica, and this has always proven to be a complication due to mail problems and so on. Finally in October we were given the green light, and proceeded to work on the link between our website and theirs, and by January we were set.
January-February, 2006
Thus in February began the first processing of members immediately and 100% electronically. So what does this mean for existing members? That is easy... convenience! You can already renew your membership online, but once we are satisfied that the system is working to our satisfaction, we will be able to add other services to the list of online payment. CCSS, pet documentation, legal processes, and whatever else we are able to. In January ARCR increased by 137 new members. This is the highest ever during any one month. As we continue to grow we will be able to offer more services, discounts, and benefits. However even more important will be our ability to lobby in front of the government. We hope the coming changes will make ARCR of more service to you than ever.
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Wild Side XXX by Ryan Piercy
Golden Pendulum! Many of you who may have frequented local restaurants or other local sites may have been curious (like I was) about the funny, sock-like object hanging on the wall or from the ceiling, especially if you were not familiar with a local bird, the Oropendolas, so named for their pendulumshaped nests. Costa Rica is home to two distinct species, the Montezuma Oropendola and the Chestnut-Headed Oropendola, belonging to the Icteridae family. When I first heard of this bird several years ago (due to a nest I saw) I found it quite interesting that a bird would make such a long, hanging nest. In fact the average size nest of a Chestnut-headed is up to one meter long, while the slightly larger Montezuma will builds a nest as big as two meters! And yet these birds are not particularly huge at 14” and 20” respectively.
So far we have had the fortune of showing a habited nest to our kids on a trip to Guanacaste, but no luck in seeing the actual bird. They are a species that generally nests in colonies as opposed to individually, and seem to like forest areas for foraging. Though they also nest often in clearings or isolated trees. The diet of the Oropendola includes small invertebrates, seeds and fruit. They also drink nectar from the flowers of Banana, balsa and Norantea. They are often loud when travelling around or nesting, apparently even screaming in agony when concerned for the well being of their offspring. If you have the chance, this pretty bird is one to add to your birding list while visiting the lowlands of the Caribbean or certain location s on the Pacific side, up to about 1500 m. They are a quite common resident and should be quite easy to distinguish once you are lucky enough to find a flock.
The Oropendula (translation: golden pendulum) is found primarily from Mexico through Ecuador, while the Montezuma is only as far south as Panama. They are quite pretty, with sharp greenish-ivory bills and colourful plumage. As its name indicates the Chestnut-Headed Oropendola has a head, as well of much of the body, in chestnut, with the back, wings and central rectrices in black, and it has a touch of yellow trimming the tail. The Montezuma has in fact more chestnut colour, including its back and wings. Its bill has a distinctly orange tip, and its eyes are dark as opposed to the pale eyes of its cousin. Pay particular attention to the photos, the Montezuma is shown above, while the Chestnut-headed is below.
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Living in Co osta a Rica and US Tax xattion by Randall J. Linder E..A.
Do Not Fall Into An IRS Trap! (1 of 3) Filing Your Tax Returns Living and or working in a foreign country does not release you from your responsibility to the United States Internal Revenue Service. The fact is you may have increased responsibilities, which if not fulfilled, could lead you into a Pandora’s box of trouble. Do not think that just by living, working, or investing in a country outside of the United States you are protected from the strong arm of the U.S. Internal revenue Service. It is very easy to convince yourself by listening to friendly advice from some long time expats that you do not have to concern yourself with the IRS. They might tell you there is no way the IRS can do anything to you while you are living here. They might tell you that they have been living here for a long time and have had no problems. They might ask how the IRS can audit you from outside of the U.S. Are they going to send an auditor here just for you? Some of this may be true, but only to a point. For starters the IRS can do what is called a mail-in audit. Second, no matter how insignificant you may feel your income is, beware. The IRS carefully chooses its audits to set examples for others, not just for the amount of money they think they can get. While you are out of the U.S. it is a bit difficult for the IRS to do much of anything to you if all of your assets and family members are also outside of the U.S. The problem arises when you return to the U.S. on a permanent or a temporary basis. You could be faced with answering many difficult questions, paying numerous penalties, and not being permitted to return to your foreign country of residence. Living and working outside of the U.S. can be a great experience for everyone involved. However, you need to be aware of, and follow the rules of the U.S. government. To make the best of your time living overseas it is a good idea to be well informed, and avoid being surprised by the long arm of the Internal Revenue Service. Use the rules to your advantage.
January-February, 2006
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Ambiental Aler t! by Sara Arrand/ Berit Fun nke e
Wetlands in Danger... Every year tens of thousands come to Costa Rica to see the beauty of the extremely diverse natural environment in Costa Rica, and more important even are the feathered visitors who migrate through here annually. Both aspects face the very real danger of being destroyed, even by the very people who are developing land in order to accomodate the human tourists. February, March, April, the driest months of the year in several parts of Costa Rica, especially in Guanacaste, pose a tremendous danger to the wetlands of these regions. Swamps, “lagunas,” puddles, fall dry in these three months and run the risk of no longer being recognized as “wet”lands. Many of them, tiny or big, appear in that time of the year as the perfect locations for building lots. The hunger for “desarrollo” that Costa Rica is facing right now, especially in the coastal areas of the country, puts these biotopes severely at risk of development. Land hunters, realtors, and finca owners take advantage of the dry season to sell everything. Even mangrove swamps, protected by the Costa Rican law, are not safe from the fast money-making scramble. Playa Sámara just last year lost 7500 m2 of mangrove swamp to the greedy land sellers. The environmental committee of Playa Sámara, Guanacaste,
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with the authority of MINAE and the municipal agents, put a stop to that and is trying to reclaim, in a reforestation program, the natural state of this brutalized ecosystem. Another example of the perilous situation for the endangered small niches of nature is the Humedal Cantarrana, a prime bird sanctuary, the only remaining part of what was once a biological wet corridor running all the way between Playa Buenavista and Playa Sámara. The Humedal Cantarrana is a refuge and feeding ground for more than 42 species of birds and many other animals (see facing page). It is in extreme peril of being converted into a housing project in the suburbs of a prime tourist destination. (See attached article in the Tico Times from 17.2.06). The environmental committee of Playa Sámara will not rest until this little paradise for every bird- and nature lover is safe forever from any development. But we need your help! We need national and international attention and pressure on the authorities to declare this and many other puddles, swamps, “lagunas,” muddy holes and whatever they are considered, as protected zones They are all part of the big system. Most of them are in private hands -- that makes it even more difficult. We need local collaboration, local surveillance, and prompt action against any “Se Vende” sign -- now. The authorities like MINAE are not able to do that job, but they might help. Please get connected, spread the urgency of the subject where ever you are. Go and check on your favorite birding places now, daily! Only a nationwide network can preserve the many spots that make Costa Rica’s reputation as an ecological paradise real. For further information about Humedal Cantarrana contact Berit Funke or SaraArrand at the ComitéAmbiental de Playa Sámara, Tel 656 0295, email: lazdivaz@hotmail.com
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January-February, 2006
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Dollars & $ense by Alan Weeks
The Land Up North Canada may be best known to many Americans as the land from which Arctic cold fronts originate. Of course, Canada may also be known for its hockey players, the original Captain Kirk, lovely singers, and a prominent female on Baywatch. In fact, other than for its relatively frequent elections and referendums, Canada is rarely mentioned in the US news. Throughout much of the 20th century, significant portions of Canadian manufacturers’ were basically branch plants of US companies. And Canada has long been a supplier of natural resources to the US. As a consequence of being heavily dependent on US exports, the Canadian economy has always been directly affected by its neighbor’s boom and bust cycles. FROM THE FROZEN NORTH Over the last two decades, major pipelines have been completed and expanded to deliver huge volumes of oil and natural gas to the US. As a result, Canada has become the largest foreign supplier of energy to America. And with the availability of natural gas, most new US power generation plants use this fuel because the plants are cheaper to build and gas is cleaner burning. To Canada’s benefit, the supply of gas is largely recession proof because demands for electricity and for heating remain relatively constant. Even Newfoundland, the desolate land of chronic unemployment, is starting to prosper from the flow of oil and gas from its new offshore rigs. One of the newer areas in Canada undergoing major development is the Alberta tar sands, now that high oil prices are here to stay. Measured by investment, the industry had projects totaling $25 billion in 2001. Last year, the total amount to be spent on projects through the rest of the decade was over $64 billion. And the number and size of projects continues to escalate. It is now expected that the speed of tar sands development is likely to be slowed only by the scarcity of skilled construction and maintenance workers even with the extraordinarily high wages being offered.
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RISING EASTERN DEMAND In recent years, demand for Canadian natural resources has also increased significantly from China and the rest of Asia. The Chinese even looked recently at investing in an oil sands project and a pipeline to the west coast. The Far East demand for metallurgical coal from British Columbia has also increased significantly in recent years. And, Chinese demand for nickel, copper and other metals has prompted other Canadian mines and mills to increase production. Now, uranium from mines in northern Saskatchewan is becoming popular again as a fuel source. The overwhelming problems of guaranteed energy supply, in addition to air pollution and global warming considerations, are causing nations around the world, particularly China, to put nuclear power plants back on the drawing boards as the cleanest available alternative fuel. THE NEW MONEY FLOW When the huge infrastructure requirements in British Columbia and Alberta for rail-lines, pipelines, ports, new communities and other major projects are added to the direct investments in resource development, there should continue to be some serious cash flowing into the Canadian economy. Moreover, it should not be difficult to attract foreign investors because Canada does not tax their capital gains. THE US SLOWDOWN There is widespread evidence that the US economy is slowing down. Housing sales are faltering, bankruptcies and foreclosures have increased, and consumer spending has slowed dramatically. In fact, after adjusting for the huge inventory build-up in the last quarter of 2005, the US GDP growth turned negative for the 1st time in years. Even the stock market exuberance in early 2006 now looks unsustainable. WILL IT BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME? Many economists are expecting the Canadian economy to slow, as the US economy surely will. There is no doubt that the Canadian housing market and consumer spending will also slow. However, some wise people think the great Canadian commodities play has much further to run. The reasoning is that a reviving Europe and Japan as well as ongoing growth in China and S.E. Asia, should take up any slack from a slowing US economy. This seems much likely Continued on page 25...
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now than ever before because the other Asian countries have been the major investors in China, accounting for over 60% of its FDI inflows this decade. In addition, most of the Asian countries including Japan have become each other’s major trading partners. Thus, it is not so much a US-centric world anymore, which has got to be good for Canada. Perhaps Canada is beginning to experience another major trend in its favor. Toyota recently announced the decision to build a major new auto assembly plant in southern Ontario rather than expand in the southern US to supply the American market. One key reason mentioned for the choice was that Ontario has a better educated workforce that is believed to be more capable of learning to operate high tech manufacturing systems. A second major factor was that the future Canadian employees already have national health care coverage. Could this be the start of another significant long-term trend? It should also be noted that the Canadian dollar has been
January-February, 2006
strengthening steadily relative to the US dollar for more than two years. This seems all the more unusual because the other major world currencies declined in value last year against the US dollar. Perhaps Canada is now being considered one of the “Petrodollar” countries. In this regard, now that the price of oil is high enough to make the Canadian tar sands economically viable, this huge deposit in northern Alberta can now be counted on as an oil reserve at least equal in size to that of Saudi Arabia. Plus, Canada is a safe, stable country with these long-term energy sources relatively close to the US border. Will the abundance of fresh water in Canada be the “next big thing”? International investors have already been paying attention and getting involved in the many Canadian resource opportunities. Maybe Canada will start getting more respect soon from the rest of its American friends from Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. For more information please contact Alan Weeks at 256-5848
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Exchange rate of the Costa Rican ¢ to the US Dollar August 482.76 September
486.40
October
489.16
November
492.32
December
495.65
January
498.77
Basic Interest Rate August 15.50 % September
15.25 %
October
15.25 %
November
15.25 %
December
15.50%
January
15.25 %
Exchange rate of other currencies to the US Dollar Japanese Yen 117.26 Swiss Franc
1.2826
Canadian $
1.1437
Giro (DEG)
1.4454
ÂŁ Sterling
1.7721
Euro
1.2119
Mexican Peso
10.448
Korean Won
964.7
Danish Krone Norwegian Krone Argentine Peso
6.1588 6.6782 3.0645
Colombian Peso 2,267.5 Brasilian Real
2.2165
Libor Rate 1 month 4.5700 % 3 month
4.6800 %
6 month
4.8100 %
12 month
4.9400 %
Prime Rate
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7.25 %
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Holidays Of Costa Rica April 11th ‘Battle of Rivas’ April 13th ‘Holy Thursday’ April 14th ‘Good Friday’ May 1st ‘Labour Day’ ******************** A Touch of Wisdom “He that respects himself is safe from others.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) “Keep no more cats than will catch mice.” J. Dare (1673) “Never cut what can be untied.” Portuguese proverb ******************** English Translations That Went Wrong DRY CLEANERS, BANGKOK: Drop your trousers in here for the best results. HOTEL, ZURICH: Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for the purpose. NAIROBI RESTAURANT: Customers who find our waitresses rude ought to see the manager. MATERNITY WARD, PUMWANI, KENYA: No children allowed.
January-February, 2006
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