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Editorial Note: The charity committee continues to work hard providing assistance to various groups and areas in Costa Rica, and in this issue we talk a little more about some of these. But also we have begun a series of permanent raffles, designed to help raise more funds for these causes, and so you will also find information on this within this issue. Without funding we cannot help as much as we would like. The Picnic went very well, and we did raise money, and immediately after received a few donations which help fill the coffers a bit, but Aid is always needed, as more donations are always needed. If you can please consider helping some of the projects with a small donation, or consider buying a raffle ticket. Enjoy. - 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 Well it’s that time of the month again. So here goes! Problem Solving is on the Agenda I have been down here in Costa Rica so long now that I have forgotten a lot of things about how the civilized world works. Am I referring to the countries north or south of the U.S.Mexican border. Of course from what I have been seeing on TV and in the New York Times The border between Mexico and the U.S seems to be like a rubber band. Of course in the states they need people to do the low paying jobs no American wants to do. Many don’t realize that the people who are doing these jobs will do anything to improve their standard of living from what they have in their own country. Isn’t that the reason our grandparents and great grandparents left their countries in Europe to come to North America These people want to and will educate their children. Will
these children after completing their education. Take the low paying jobs that their parents are doing. Of course not, they will take jobs that they feel their education qualifies them for. Ten years later the parents of these kids will retire. The U.S. will need another twenty-five million low wage people to replace them. Here we go again! Mexico is winning the Mexican-American War. There is I believe only three ways to reverse this. One is for Mexico to improve their education system and opportunities for their people. Will they? Can they? The second, is to put a fifteen foot high fence around the country, along with armed guards The third is to raise the minimum wage so that Americans will take the jobs that the Mexicans are now doing. Now that I have solved that problem, you can rest easy George, I don’t want your job. Now to come back to Costa Rica. Here I am. A friend of mine came over the other day. He has been in Costa Rica for nine years now. He looked a bit a down in the mouth. I said to him “whats wrong Roberto?” “I have just finished talking to my daughter in California.” He replied and “I am in a state of shock.” Continued on page 4...
Cover Photo Traditional Costume: One of the more typical costumes of Costa Rica, as worn by Grupo Tiqicia on the cover, consists of a wide skirt and most often using vibrant colours. On the cover you will note they have chosen the colours of Costa Rica for this particular example. It is also common for them to braid their hair, and adding a flower as adornment. On their feet they often wear sandals. The men on the other hand are most often in a more simple outfit, consisting of white shirt and pants, with a red sash at the waist and red hankerchief at the neck. Also they often wear a small hat known as a Chonete.
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Now I knew that Bob had been project manager in the states on jobs that ran from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars. This was about ten to twelve years ago. His salary was never over sixty five thousand dollars a year. His daughter was thirty years old had a university bachelor’s degree in business administration. She was supervisor of a small manufacturing plant. When she told him she had a tough time getting along on her salary. He suggested that she go back to university to get a “masters” and she would get sixty thousand a year. The shock he said came after she replied “Dad I am now earning sixty-five thousand a year.” Now I can tell all you Gringos and Canucks down here “Expenses and living here is a plus. Don’t bitch. There are three planes a day coming into and three planes a day leaving Costa Rica.” Now this is to all gringo and canucks down here, who are science and technology university graduates If you can, help the kids here get university scholarships in the schools you attended. Kids here are as smart as any other kids, but they have two strikes against them. There aren’t enough teachers in science and technology.
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Costa Rican’s will tell you that they have the highest literacy rate in Latin America. They do, but remember that means the ability to read and write. A Good education can be had, but it is available in private schools. That cost a thousand dollars a kid per month. COME ON HELP Give to our Charity Committee ***** To make a donation for childrens education please contact the committe at the office, or to help children in need of medical care please donate directly to the account below, and fax us your deposit. ALSO check out Project Talamanca and our Permanent Raffles, discussed in this issue... 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.
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Business Brie efs More expansion in Guanacaste Three new shopping malls are being built in Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste province. The first, Plaza Santa Rosa, is scheduled to open April 6 with 57 stores, a food court, a supermarket and parking for 228 cars. Centro Comercial El Llano will be opened near the Liberia airport in December, and among other things will feature US chain bars and restaurants. It is located near a new Holiday Inn. Plaza Futura will open in January 2007. The airport in Liberia is now host 48 to flights per week, and is slated for a major expansion. The nearby Best Western El Sitio has doubled its casino size and industrial expansion around the airport is continuing. Real Estate prices in many areas of Guanacaste, particularly the beach areas, have doubled and redoubled over the past couple of years. Condo prices in Tamarindo now run up to $470,000 and in Flamingo $680,000. Luxury hotel, condo and villa construction was up 85% in 2005 when compared with 2004. Most construction is in the area of Conchal, Cocos, Flamingo, Tamarindo and Ocotal Beaches and on the Gulf of Papagayo. From February last year to this February requests for construction permits increased 762% over the previous year.
More call centres Two more multinational companies are setting up operations in Costa Rica. The US company PeopleSupport will be providing services to the Spanish speaking population in the US by hiring 500 Spanish speaking employees to take their calls. The company was attracted to Costa Rica by its educated and bilingual labour force. PeopleSupport has been operating calls centres in the Philippines, where it employs 5,000 people. The Japanese company Fujitsu’s consulting division will open in April, offering business consulting and information technology services. It is hiring 450 English-speaking customer service agents during its first year. Fujitsu employs 150,000 people worldwide. With these two companies 39 multinationals will have call centres in Costa Rica. In 1998 there were two call centres with 200 employees, now over 8,000 people are employed in the sector.
January-February, 2006
Wal-Mart takes over Supermarkets The world’s biggest retailer purchased 51% of Central American Holding Company, now called Wal-Mart Centroamérica, which owns 375 supermarkets and other stores in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Included is Costa Rica’s biggest supermarket company, Corporación de Supermercados Unidos, which owns Mas X Menos, Pali, Hypermas in Costa Rica and two major chains in Nicaragua. The holding company plans a huge investment in new stores and remodelling existing stores, which they say will create around 6,000 new jobs. Wal-Mart’s annual sales are about eight times the gross domestic product of Costa Rica! They currently operate 6,200 outlets with 1.6 million employees worldwide.
Division in Congress The handling of the Legislative Assembly in the coming administration is going to be a demanding task, as the party that will take power in May, National Liberation (Liberals), will have only 25 of the 57 congressmen. Even though they will have eight deputies more than currently, it is not enough for a simple majority. The second largest group is the socialist Citizen Action Party, with 17 deputies, followed by the Libertarian Movement with six deputies and the conservative Social Christian Unity - currently in power - down to five congressmen from the 19. Four minority parties share the balance of four seats.
Fiscal Plan Rejected A comprehensive tax package that could raise corporate taxes to 30% across the board, tax foreign income, introduce personal income tax, add more items on which sales tax is charged including rent and professional fees, plus many other changes, was sent to congress four years ago. Filibusters, motions and legal actions stonewalled it. The government of outgoing President Abel Pacheco tried various tactics, including canceling all other legislation until it was passed and then refusing to submit the US free trade agreement to congress until it was passed. He had to back down on both, however the bill finally passed first reading a short while ago. The process by which it was passed has now been declared unconstitutional by Sala IV, the constitutional court, so it is back to the drawing boards. Incoming President Oscar Arias had hoped to have this controversial piece of legislation passed before he assumes the presidency in May, but the bill will likely have to be replaced or redrafted during in his term in office.
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Wild Side XXXI by Ryan Piercy
Flying Flippers!
(apparently) to have greater brain mass/body weight ratio than even Humans? And Costa Rica besides the Common Dolphin has such species as the Orca, False Orca, Grey, Hose, Blue, Spotted, Bottlenose, Spinning, and so on. In fact 14 potential species here gives great opportunity to see a variety of this intelligent mammal, which has even been recorded to save people from dangers. Yet it is important to be sure that if you intend to swim with the animals on a tour that you please select a responsible group with a reputation for carefully treating with our dolphin friends. We don’t need to be responsible for adding more to their problems. Yes, in Costa Rica there are dolphins, but also commercial fishing. It is a fact that Mankind is the biggest threat, especially from commercial fishing and pollution. Every year thousands worldwide are drowned in nets, especially drift nets commonly used for catching tuna, and some of the money raised by certain groups goes to educate fishermen how they can help (just) the dolphins escape from the nets.
It is often that we miss things below the surface, and in reality that is something most of us do when we think of the wildlife in Costa Rica. The forests and jungles, along with their inhabitants, come quickly to mind when thinking of this tropical country, but many miss the incredible beauty to be seen in one of the world’s most diverse underwater eco-systems. One gem of this other world is the everenchanting Dolphin. Costa Rica is fortunate to have several species of dolphins in its waters, and for that reason the country has attracted many scientists to do research. In fact there are several groups who help fund their research and conservation through dives and tours to see dolphins, always a favourite. Possibly it is their great intelligence, combined with the amazing things that many have seen dolphins do such as aerial acrobatics, even if only on TV.
Unfortunately however smart they are, they have not seemed to learn one simple thing, to stay away from the greatest threat of all, mankind. Or have they? Last year in Australia it was discovered that a sub species was in fact a different species (the Snubfin) proven by DNA samples, and another, after 30 years knowing of its existence, the Fraser’s dolphin remains largely unknown because it turns and runs at the sight of ships! For their sake, lets hope that they can teach other species the same survival technique before extinction becomes inevitable.
Some of the common dolphins can swim in groups upwards of 10,000 individuals, which would certainly be an exciting experience for someone, and imagine that in the black sea there have been groupings up to 300,000 individuals in areas of high fish concentration! Just Amazing. Wouldn’t it be exciting to swim or dive and meet the only animal
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Association of Residents of Costa Rica ARCR has now begun a series of continual Charity Raffles to be available through the office. We will be holding 4 series per year, with many prizes to be won at each draw. Tickets are only ¢1000 each, with thousands of dollars in prizes to be won, so don’t forget to buy some on your next visit to the office! All proceeds go to Charity. website: www.arcr.net Alcoholics Anonymous Groups meet daily throughout the country; times and places change frequently. Call for up-to-date information. San José 222-1880 (Anchor club, also serves Narcotics Anonymous) Av 6 Calle 1, 2nd floor Maryland Building. Heredia (Laura) 267-7466, Puerto Viejo Limon 750-0080, Zancudo 776-0012, Tamarindo 653-0897, Flamingo (Don) 654-4902, Manuel Antonio (Jennifer) 777-1548, Jacó (Nancy) 637-8824, Zoo Group Escazu 293-4322.
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 Republican’s Abroad The Republicans Abroad of Costa Rica meets the second Tuesday of each month. Contact Francis 203-6131, or or fax 282-2150.
Al-Anon Meetings
Radio control Sailing Club
Sabana Vigilance Club: Sandy 288-4836 or Martha 483-1275
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 282-5365 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
Canadian Club 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 Democrats Abroad The Democrats Abroad of Costa Rica meet 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 contact Luisa Kaufman for information and reservations. 820-1912 or 239-5042, ladyauag@gmail.com 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
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Women’s Club of Costa Rica Founded in 1940. The Women’s Club of Costa Rica is one of the oldest, continuously operating service clubs in the country. The name has changed in 63 years, but our motto “friendship and service” has remained the same,. An English-speaking organization, our club has approximately 350 members, originating from over 30 countries. Please join and help us to continue to grow. Remember that you can contact us or keep in touch through our website www.wccr.org 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 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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A Cleaner Optio on Propane in Costa Rica Most people, whether you drive or no, are aware of the ever rising price of gasoline. Though there is often little we can do, we try to save money through various methods, carpooling, etc. Even the Government recently tried a pilot project to add alcohol to the petrol, but apparently it hasn’t worked well as engines run poorly on this mix. Now however a new option has appeared on the local market, propane gas. Many companies offering propane conversion have appeared, and much like in North America, at least public transportation as well as the corporate sector seems to have taken a great interest. Banco Nacional is considering converting its entire fleet of vehicles, which is quite sizeable. Also the gas stations have taken notice, and many are beginning to offer propane (locally called Gas LP) and there is even a new brand of gas stations evolving out of this new market. But is it really something individuals will take to? That can only be determined by time, but lets take a look at the arguments. What is the incentive of converting your vehicle? The incentive is a drastic reduction in your fuel costs (up to 40%), and your maintenance. With a gas system, you change your engine oil at 10,000 kilometers instead of 5,000, will never need to clean your injectors, and you will prolong your engine life, and your exhaust system another 25%. Another incentive is that your vehicle will pollute the air 90% less. This would be a great benefit for the country if most vehicles were converted.
What is the cost? Most of the systems are in the $900-1400 range. Similar systems in the U.S. cost between $50007500. Though you will save money on consumption, many will likely evaluate this against the initial installation expense. How is the performance? In most cases, better. GLP gas has higher octane than gasoline. In addition, the gasoline in Costa Rica is not of the same quality of the US or Europe, and its poor quality results in poorer performance. All vehicles using gasoline here have considerable carbon deposits internally, and this affects performance. Your engine carbon deposits should disappear within a few months of normal driving with a gas system. Is a gas conversion system dangerous? Both gasoline and glp gas are combustibles and can explode under certain conditions. There exists official data from the US Department of Transportation, and many other national counterparts that attest to the fact that gas conversion systems when properly installed are 40% safer than the gasoline system that exists in the same vehicle. The reasons are very simple. Gas enters your vehicle tank in liquid form, the holding tank is five times thicker than the gasoline tank, and there are three safety shut off valves to stop any leak that may occur in an accident. In Europe hundreds of thousands of these systems have been installed during the last 40 years without one single explosion. ARCR member Joseph Sacchetti, and Didier Melis, a Belgian automotive engineer with fourteen years experience installing these systems, run EUROGAS s.a. They are distributors and installers of glp (propane) gas conversion systems for vehicles. When a vehicle is “converted”, they do not replace the existing gasoline system. The vehicle has the dual capability of using both gasoline and propane gas. Didier is currently collaborating with MOPT, the CR Dept. of Transportation to establish norms for these systems for the country of Costa Rica. Didier and MOPT plan to have these norms in place in the coming months. None of their competitors are involved in this process.
Continued on page 11...
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Most, but not all vehicles are compatible with gas conversion systems, and your vehicle’s condition is also very important. Eurogas offers a free diagnosis to make all determinations. They currently have two installation centers. One in La Garita, Alajuela and another on the autopista to the direction of Hatillo. Soon they will have a third in Cartago, possibly in May 2006. Eurogas also offers a 100% guarantee on all parts in labor for one year with no mileage limit. In addition a CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE. If for any reason you want your money back in thirty days, they will refund your money no questions asked. They are that conďŹ dent that you will love their system. If you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to call Joseph or Didier at EUROGAS: 294-5325, 487-4504, 818-1441 Editors Note: In February of this year I personally converted a 4x4 with a large engine, and actually find I am saving near 50% of my previous fuel costs. I believe this is because my engine is running so much better on propane, as the engine was having idle problems with the gasoline. This problem seems to have simply disappeared.
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Project Tala amanca by Peter Aborn
An Outreach Project for the BriBri
de trabajo’ in Amubri, July 2005. This trip was the second of many planned to coordinate and deliver services to many communities living on the reservation. The objectives include establishing a main ‘base of operations’ which will provide needed health services (dentistry, medicine, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, social work, etc. From this base mobile units will be used to reach the outlying areas that have minimal or no resources; i.e., electricity, water, accessibility. In some of these areas, children have never seen a dentist.
Database In April the ARCR Charity Committe agreed to help with funding and transportation for a new project aimed at helping the BriBri Children in Talamanca, especially after hearing preliminary deatils from Dr. Peter Aborn. We hope this will be just the first of many such trips to help this remote community.
History Project Talamanca was established in 2005 by Drs. Aborn, Boza, and Pereira after torrential storms affected the area of Talamanca. The impact of this volume of rain was devastating- major flooding, serious erosion of land, loss of crops, produce, homes, school equipment, etc. Help from people living and working in other parts of the country was directed to the lower mountain areas mainly Daytonia and Sixaola near the frontier of Panama. Almost no aid reached the indigenous living on the reservation of Talamanca… above Bribri. There are approximately over 30,000 Indians who inhabit this area. 60-70% of this population are children and young adolescents. After two fact-finding missions were made to understand and define the damage, problems, and needs, Drs Aborn, Boza, and Pereira made the first ‘campo
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Adriana Herrera, coordinator for statistical information, used 2 of her lap tops to establish a permanent data base of information. Not only will we be able to track patient treatments, but also continue an epidemiological study to define the problems and progress. In this way we will also be able to adjust our focus on treatments and areas needing help, expand other services, and add more variety and types of dental treatment. Although Str. Hererra has not completed entering all the data, approximately 300 patients were seen and more than 400 procedures were made in the 2 ½ days that the clinic was operational.
Documentation Many photographs, video recordings were made of the people in all areas of operation by Jake Harris. Special interviews of families from different communities were conducted by Mr. Harris with the assistance of Natalia Ramirez . This information will be used to formulate a web page and write articles for publication to inform people in both the US and Costa Rica. These people need help, your help. Please make a donation to the ARCR Charity committee to help fund future aid to this area. Call us at the ARCR, 233-8068, or email arcr@casacanada.net
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Sea Turtles s of Costa a Ric ca by Andrew Guthrie
Meet the ‘Mother of All Sea Turtles’ Please understand that paraphrasing Saddam Hussein is not something I do every day, but since his words of defiance prior to the first Gulf War have now entered the U. S. Lexicon as the newest form of exclamation, I thought it especially appropriate in discussing the Leatherback sea turtle. This animal is truly “The Mother of all Sea Turtles” weighing in at well over 1,000 pounds and often measuring at least six feet from the top of its carapace or top shell to the bottom. These animals are also the largest reptile alive in the world today, having survived whatever happened to the dinosaurs and adapting nicely to their lives in the ocean. Those of you who live in Costa Rica are in a wonderful position to view these huge animals of the deep in several beaches on both of the nation’s coasts. The Leatherback is a most remarkable animal, traveling the oceans of the world with ease and clocking mileage that would make many a human sailor jealous. This turtle is the only one of seven species that does not have a hard shell, but rather a leathery carapace that has a series of seven ridges running from head to tail, hence the common name Leatherback. The top “shell” appears black but the ones I have seen look like a very, very dark blue, almost like a hard plastic, and the tops of these seven ridges, which appear to help the animal literally glide through the water, are very white in the infants, and still light-colored in adults. Leatherbacks roam the seven seas, and due to the high amount of body fat and great deal of oil in their bodies, they are the only sea turtles able to tolerate both temperate and even cold ocean water. Every once and a while a Leatherback strays as far as the Arctic Ocean in search of its one and only food, jellyfish. In fact one of the huge contributions
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this turtle makes to man, is that it consumes millions of Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish each year, eliminating this potentially lethal creature from the world’s swimming beaches. In fact, last year in southern Europe, there was a large increase in the population of Jellyfish and many people were treated for the severe and painful stings they cause. There was speculation that the decline in Leather populations has allowed the jellyfish population to get out of hand. Unfortunately, during the past two decades the population of the Pacific Leatherback has dropped like a stone and the animal is in very real danger of extinction from that ocean which is the largest body of water on earth. Part of this is due to extreme perdition at critical nesting beaches in Malaysia and Indonesia. In fact in the eastern Malaysian province of Trengganu at the fishing village of Rantau Abang, nesting has decreased from roughly 20-thousand nests within the past two decades to NONE last year. Only recently has the Malaysian government taken steps to protect the beach but it is doubtful that any major nesting can return to this critical place within the next one hundred years. Luckily, you can still witness the incredible sight of this huge turtle coming up out of the serf and slowly making her way up the beach until she finds the right place to dig her nest and lay her eggs. On the Pacific Ocean, the Costa Rican National Park Service has a major reserve for this turtle, called the “Baula” [pronounced B OW-(as in-cow)-lah] in Costa Rican Spanish at Baulas National Park at Playa Grande in Tamarindo, West of the city of Santa Cruz. This is an excellent facility, with uniformed park service guides, a pleasant, air- conditioned hotel near the beach, and a sea turtle museum which features displays of the life cycle of the Leatherback and other information. Be sure to check out the gift shop as well which has an appealing supply of turtle-oriented products. The season for these turtles begins in December and runs until about the end of March. Another beach farther down the Nicoyan Peninsula where the Pacific race of Leatherbacks nests is Playa Caletas where PRETOMA has been conducting a conservation program. Continued on page 15...
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Dr. James Spotilla of Drexel University in Philadelphia has been conducting research at this site for more than a decade, and it is he who has been ringing the alarm bell about the possible extinction of the Pacific Leatherback. His studies show that from 1998 when about 1,400 females nested at Las Baulas, they have declined to only about 160 in the 2003-2004 season. At present he estimates there are slightly fewer than 36-thousand female Leatherbacks alive in the world, but fewer than ONE THOUSAND in the entire Pacific Ocean!
Turning to the nation’s Caribbean beaches, where the Atlantic Ocean “race” of turtle is in much better shape, one of the best places to witness nesting is the GandocaManzanillo Wildlife Refuge where the Costa Rican conservation organization, The ANAI Association has been conserving the turtle and conducting research on nesting for more than two decades. It was the pioneer sea turtle conservation program in all of Costa Rica and they are very proud of that. ANAI has been able to work with the local residents, convincing them that sea turtle conservation is in their interest; that a live leatherback attracting eco-tourists is worth much more than several dead ones, and dozens of nests poached. About 30 miles up the coast, ANAI also runs a turtle conservation program on the beach at the Cahuita National Park. In the extreme northeast, The Caribbean Conservation Corporation operates a monitoring program for the Leatherback at Tortuguero, in cooperation with the National Park officers at Tortuguero National Marine Reserve. Just down the coast, there are two other conservation programs that include some Leatherbacks along with the Green turtle, at Parismina and on the beach of the Pacuare-Matina. Forest Reserve. The Caribbean and Atlantic Leatherback Continued on page 16...
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begins nesting in Costa Rica about the time the Pacific animal finishes nesting, in early March with the peak of the season coming about June. There are three other species or sub-species of sea turtle that nest along Costa Rica’s coasts, but they are far more difficult to encounter. One is the most beautiful Hawksbille or “Carey” as it is referred to in much of the Caribbean. It is this turtle from which the mis-named “Tortoiseshell” comes, the material that has caused this turtle to be put on the world’s endangered list. For centuries, Japanese and other craftsmen have made jewelry, combs, cigarette lighters and many other items from the top shell or carapace of this lovely animal. Even today, Cuba holds thousands of tons of Hawksbill shell in warehouses, trying to get permission from world conservation authorities for a temporary moratorium on international trade in the shell. The cash-starved Cuban government would like to sell it to Japan, and the Japanese would like to buy it, but environmentalists are afraid that opening up this trade for even one year, would put a price on the head of all hawksbills still alive.
the summer from about April to October. 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 LAS BAULAS National Park Ranger Headquarters at 653-0470 (usually has an English-speaker) 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 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
This turtle is one of the smaller sea turtles, only larger than the two Ridleys, and one of the most beautiful of all reptiles. Its serrated upper shell is a medley of browns and yellows, orange and cream colors, and if you get to see one, especially while snorkeling, you will immediately see why it has been so popular with artisans. Its beauty has really led to its undoing. The hawksbill is also unique in that it nests on solitary beaches, usually only one at a time, and that its food consists, in adulthood, almost exclusively of sponges which its nibbles off coral reefs. In this way, the turtle keeps the proliferation of various species of sponges healthy, and so contributes to the balance of the ocean’s eco-system. In Costa Rica, the Hawksbill is also protected, and your best chances of seeing it are at Tortuguero, Cahuita, Playa Negra, and 12 Millas Beach along the Caribbean coast. It generally nests during
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CALL TODAY! (506)
672-1181 www.FirstRealtyCR.com
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Learning The Langua age by Christopher Howard
In The Blink Of An Eye In Spanish there are many similar phrases to express the idea of something being done ‘quickly’ or ‘in a jiffy’. Because the meanings of most of these phrases are not apparent they usually confuse non-native Spanish speakers. Learning these phrases below will increase your comprehension and language fluency. This is of course no guarantee that you will get things any quicker than before however. Considering the recent election, the first is one you may enjoy knowing in the case that it presents itself in the near future. En menos que el presidente hace mil promesas – in less time than it takes the president to make a thousand promises. In no time at all In one Hail Mary (literally) At full speed As quickly as possible Full sails ahead In the blink of an eye In a two by three In one sudden action In one saying In one leap In a gust or blow In a whistle Full speed On the run
en un santiamén en un avemaria a todo prisa a toda prisa a toda vela en un abrir y cerrar de ojos en un dos por tres en un improviso en un decir Jesús en un salto en un soplo en un chiflado a todo trapo a la carrera
Other words that relate to moving quickly or rushing are included in the following list: rapido apurase muevense vayanse
quickly or quick hurry up move it (move yourself) get going
Quite appropriately here are two Costa Rican expressions or tiquismos for this week: “A la choya” or “a raja tables” are both sayings that mean to do something quicly or at full speed.
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New At ARC CR Donate...and WIN: Support has been so good from our sponsors that ARCR has decided to run a series of Perpetual Raffles to continue raising funds for the many projects we are assisting. Our last raffle took place at the picnic in April and we raised several hundred dollars. We have now begun selling tickets for the next raffle, to be drawn in June of this year. Tickets are ¢1000 colones, and there are thousands of $$ in prizes to be won, so please make a donation, and secure your chance to win!
New Discount Providers: Need a place to stay? Why not try out Cariari B&B where you will be looked after by Laurie GouldBlizzard and treated like gold. Located in Cariari, the location is convenient and prices are fair, call her at 506-239-2585 and ask for your ARCR discount. Hungry for Italian? Well our friend D’Giorgi has not only generously offered a raffle prize, he has also offered members a generous 10% discount at his restaurant in Sabana Sur, so that we can all be winners. Drop by and try out his fabulous pastas. Car trouble? Why not get a 10% discount the next time you need to repair or paint? Gonzalez Auto restorations is a full Body Shop & Paint Specialist, willing to help after that nasty accident, even with your claims through INS. Let them deal with the bureaucracy while you simply relax.
NOTICE FROM ARCR: Regarding Residency we would like to take this opportunity to bring two items to your attention.
This gold Pre-Columbian style necklace, donated by Plaza Esmeralda in Pavas, is one of the prizes waiting to be won in the next draw. Also a generous donation by Grupo Papagayo of a 3 day 2 night stay at the Jungle Lodge in Tortuguero. These and many other prizes will be taken by some lucky winners. All winners will be contacted, and you do not need to be present to win. Some of the winners in Aprils draw: Arturo Montealegre, 2 nights at Hotel Canciones del Mar Mel Goldberg, Diamond Ring from Diamantes y Esmeraldas Lic Murillo Elizondo, lunch for 2 at Hotel Europa Daniel Piercy, lunch for 2 at Restaurant Mañanitas Arturo Montealegre, Alamo car rental Joan Dewer, Cafe Britt Tour for 2 Allan Weeks, Dinner for 2 at restaurant D’Giorgio Esther Reyes, Dinner for 2 at La Condesa Terry Renfer, Rain Forest Tram tour for 2 Cindy Solano, Isla Tortuga on Bay Island Cruises
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Firstly for those considering applying for residency before the new law takes place, be aware that you will need to apply by July 1st at the latest, even though the change is August 12th. This is because the residency will not be considered as ‘in tramite’ until the fingerprint check has been received, and this will normally take 1.5 months. So if you, or someone you know, is planning on applying to get in under the new law, make certain to get a move on gathering all the required documents as quickly as possible. On the second point, we covered last issue the problems of obtaining appointments, which are several months away (now September) yet many people are missing their appointments for various reasons. We feel it important to advise you that aside from the long wait to obtain another appointment, this sort of action probably does not rest well in the eyes of Immigration. The Immigration Police feel that correct documentation is quite important, even if you don’t, so we advise that everyone do their best to not miss appointments without a good cause.
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Living in Co osta a Rica and US Tax xattion by Randall J. Linder E..A.
of dollars. The fact that the company is not making a profit does not release you from filing this form. Even if you have an inactive corporation for your car, home or other assets you are required to file this form with your tax return. In today’s world of computers and Internet, the exchange of information between countries is commonplace. The United States has an exchange of information treaty with many countries including Costa Rica.
Do Not Fall Into An IRS Trap! (2 of 3) Banking and Other Investment Accounts Working in a Foreign Country Another new responsibility you have for living Living, working and investing in a foreign country does have its tax advantages. One of the biggest advantages and one of the most misunderstood is the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. With this exclusion you have the potential to deduct up to $80,000.00 of your earned income from your tax return for each year that you qualify. The most important thing is that the exclusion is for income you earn as a wage earner. This is income you receive as a self-employed person or as an employee for a U.S. or foreign company. This does not include interest, dividends or capital gain income. For the self-employed person this exclusion does not include the self-employment tax (Social Security). If you are married and if your spouse qualifies, there is also the possibility to exclude up to another $80,000.00 of earned income. That’s a total of $160,000.00.
in a foreign country is the reporting of bank accounts that you have outside of the U.S. to the U.S. Treasury Department. If the total value of all your foreign accounts worldwide exceeds $10,000.00 (for even one minute of one day) you must report these accounts. This also includes accounts that you have signature power over and are not directly owned by you. The form does not carry any tax and is easy to file, but failure to do so is not easy to resolve. The problem begins when you elect to move yourself or your assets back to the U.S. Think of this. What are you going to say to the treasury agent when he knocks on your door and starts asking questions about your sudden deposits from outside of the country? You may have to prove that the money is not money illegally gained, and/or that you did pay income tax on the money.
This exclusion is not automatic. The first requirement of this exclusion is that you must file your tax return. The IRS can disqualify you from the exclusion just on the basis that you have not filed a tax return. Then, to make things even worse, that income becomes taxable and carries with it penalties that could equal 100% of the original tax.
Investing in and/or Owning Your Own Business If you invest in a foreign corporation or start a business corporation of your own, there are some advantages. One of the advantages is that you are generally not taxed on the profits until you either take the earnings as a dividend or in the form of a wage. Even then you may escape tax on the income because of the foreign tax credit or the foreign earned income exclusion. If you are an officer, director, or more than a 10% stockholder of a foreign corporation, you are required to attach an additional set of forms to your tax return. The amount of information that you must supply on these forms depends on the amount of ownership in the corporation and position with the company. Failure to file this form can result in a variety of fines and penalties in the hundreds of thousands
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Dollars & $ense by Alan Weeks
A Case For Investing Globally
a decline since late 2002. This may not come as a surprise because the Chinese market has gained a reputation for a lack of effective investor protection. When looking for stock market winners, it was surprising to realize how well the stock markets of Germany and Japan have done recently despite their relatively low economic growth records.
Wall Street, global economists, and the financial press have been touting CHINA & the US as the world’s strongest economic growth engines for many years. Indeed, the American consumer, whose willingness to borrow and spend, has been the primary driver of world growth for the past 5 years. And, the annualized rate of GDP growth in the US was 3-1/2% or higher from early 2003 until late 2005. As one experienced global economist said about Chinese economic growth: “The speed and scale of growth in such an orderly fashion over the last 15 years, has been a miracle”. Not only has its continuing, rapid economic growth created a boom in commodities, it has been providing a helpful “economic wind” for long enough to boost and sustain the growth of the other Asian economies. The stock market in the US has performed well since the fall of 2002. But, looked at internationally, the American bull market appears much less impressive, having increased only 14% over the last 2 years. In fact, few stock markets around the world have performed worse -when measured in US$ - than the US market over that period.
A YEN TO GROW As reviewed in a previous article, Japan’s economy is back, and with a vengeance this time. They have enjoyed 5 consecutive quarters of solid growth, including a huge surge in the last quarter of 2005. Throughout the 1990s, the steady external demand on Japanese companies from the US was never sufficient to generate sustained economic growth. However, the added strong demand from China’s booming economy has remained long enough for Japanese companies to increase profits significantly, strengthen balance sheets, pay debts, boost spending, and start hiring full-time staff again.
Companies are now much leaner and more competitive. In fact, things have recently been so good that many large manufacturers are now short of capacity for the first time since the early 1990s. And, employers around the country are also facing the worst staff shortages in 15 years.
Even the stock markets of 24 of the 25 members of the European Union have outperformed the American market since late 2002. In spite of China’s continuing high economic growth, its stock market has been one of the worst performers in the world. In fact, it is the only market of any note to show
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Japan first started to show signs of a domestic-led recovery in 2004. Economists were eagerly watching to see if the revival in consumer spending would prove sustainable. This now appears to be happening. The strong pick-up in consumer demand was the biggest driver of growth in the last quarter of 2005.
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Consumers are now spending much more because staff shortages have required wages to be improved substantially. Jobs are finally more plentiful as indicated by a steadily declining unemployment rate. The stronger consumer demand is further increasing company profits, allowing the companies to continue raising salaries and hire still more workers. This is additional evidence that the Japanese economic recovery has entered a virtuous cycle. The new prosperity in Japan has spurred a surge in imports. Once known as a fortress for home-grown products, Japan’s market is now increasingly open to overseas companies and entrepreneurs. That means Japanese growth may this time be a boom for the rest of the world, not only in trade but also in financial services. The rich Japanese, and those wanting to become wealthier, are now seeking specialized financial products and services, including American offerings, which will make better use of their money. Finally, investors in Japanese companies are also being well rewarded. The Japanese stock market increased 51% over the last year, as indicated by the Nikkei 225. Were you in on the action? And, the rising corporate profits bode well for future stock price gains. A much-anticipated Asian currency rally may also commence this year - an event that could further boost the returns of overseas investors. Many believe there are very significant currency under-valuations across the region. Now the Central Bank of Japan, which deliberately kept the value of the YEN low to aid their economic recovery, is talking about a change in its monetary policy. The Bank should be able to tolerate significant appreciation from the current level, since the YEN fell over 13% against the US dollar last year.
The widespread prosperity of German companies has yet to lead to prosperity for its economy or wage earners. In fact, real wages actually fell in the last 2 years. Because “capital has mobility, German companies have been able to tell workers that they can either accept reduced pay, or watch as the companies close factories and reopen new ones in Poland or India”. Also, German companies are less dependent on domestic sales than the other industrialized nations. Indeed, household consumption in Germany fell in each of the last 4 quarters. But, that may be about to change. In the most recent Manpower survey, German businesses said they expect to increase their work forces by 5% in the 2nd quarter. US multinational companies also report there are signs that German industry is tooling up to produce more for local consumers. Economists hope the German people will feel better about opening their pocketbooks if – as surveys suggest – employers start taking on more workers. Germany has an aging population and shrinking labor force, which create other problems. However, as many of its manufacturers are relocating to cheaper locales in Eastern Europe, they should be able to remain competitive and profitable, which will be good for investors. Also, when German business confidence rose to the highest level in 15 years, currency traders started betting the European Central Bank will lift its interest rates. This should strengthen the value of the EURO, by at least the 14% it lost last year against the US dollar. This would add that much more to new North American investor gains. And, “we’re seeing stronger growth around the globe that is also translating into higher euro-zone expectations”. The expected slowing of the US economy later this year, coupled with a pick-up in the Japanese and German economies will start to correct the global economic imbalances, as many had hoped for but few, until now, expected. Growing local demand in emerging economies, especially in India and China, will also make a difference. ANOTHER STOCK MARKET SURPRISE
GERMANY – ANOTHER INVESTMENT POWERHOUSE Yes, as measured by the DAX 30 index, the German stock market has gained 49% over the last 2 years, about 3-1/2 times that of the US market. Maybe it is time to stop thinking of Germany as the laggard in the heart of “Old Europe”. The main reason is that the earnings for the major German companies have nearly doubled. It is hardly surprising then, that German business confidence is at levels not seen since the reunification boom of 1991.
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India has not been foremost in the minds of most investors. It was overshadowed first by the smaller Asia Tiger countries and more recently by China, as the emerging countries of choice for investors. However, the Indian stock market has increased a very impressive 99% over the last two years, as measured by the Bombay BSE Index, and at a relatively steady pace. While most people think of India as a huge country with successive minority governments lacking political consensus, lousy infrastructure, and burdensome over-regulation, it is easy to overlook the fact that India’s economy is still doing so well, in spite of these problems. Continued on page 24...
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And, unlike the Chinese, who have good reason to be the world’s highest savers, the Indian population is consumer oriented. Right now and for the foreseeable future, India is and will experience a consumer boom driven by low interest rates, and a growing number of young, increasingly affluent urbanites. As one example of the big money being spent, the value of durable goods sold in India last year grew 25% on average. There are good reasons to believe this pace will continue for decades to come. There are many important reasons why investors should have much greater confidence in future Indian stock market gains. First, India is a stable democracy, and its economy is very strong, structurally and cyclically. In addition, it has a young population, giving it a fast-growing workforce and a declining proportion of dependents. Industry meanwhile, has recovered from a splurge of overinvestment, has improved efficiency, is now reaping the financial benefit, and is re-investing in new capacity. With exports nowhere close to potential, growth opportunities are also available to the global-minded businessmen. Prominent American companies are taking notice of India for both production and local sales. Dell Computer is but one of many that has noticed strong increases in foreign sales, now accounting for 43% of its total revenue. While Dell is hiring in the US, and has opened a new facility in North Carolina that will employ 1,500 people within 5 years, it just announced plans to hire 10,000 new employees over the next 3 years – in INDIA. William Pesek, in a recent Bloomberg article said: “If you want to shock an audience of investors or businessmen, present this argument: Twenty years from now, India’s rise will be more impressive than China’s.” Pesek bases his assertion on the following: For all its warts, India boasts a level of “grassroots” entrepreneurship that China’s top-down model cannot match. India has created world-class, globally competitive companies, and it has a real stock market. India also has a liquid bond market and its banking system is not bogged down by bad loans. Pesek also expects that the rise in China’s economic power itself should provide a wakeup call to India that may just be the catalyst needed to shake Indian politicians and bureaucrats out of their lethargy. This will help kick the Indian economy into higher gear.
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Education policies, an ever-increasing pool of English speakers, and a young population with a “burning desire” to succeed, are also very important and ever-growing strengths. According to Morgan Stanley’s Chief Economist, Stephen Roach, “India is on the cusp of something big”. As a share of GDP, its burgeoning consumer sector is outpacing China, Europe, and Japan. One investment letter writer is predicting that 90% of the world’s investment profits for the next generation will come, directly and indirectly, from “Chindia” (China and India). He contends that the world center of capital accumulation and growth has already moved to Asia. He also maintains the true Titans of money are the Asian Central Bankers. And, he predicts that both “Chindia” currencies are inevitably going to rise dramatically in value relative to the US dollar. Some savvy global investors have already taken advantage of India’s rapidly growing stock market. But, for those that prefer to leave the stock-picking in foreign markets to proven professionals, the Excel India Fund is one fund that has made very strong gains for several years. For example, if one had invested $10,000 in this Fund on January 2, 2003, it would have appreciated to $29,700 by the end of 2005. And, the Excel India Fund has already gained over 19% to the end of March this year. An increasing number of experienced investment advisors are recognizing the need to invest far more globally than ever before. How well is your investment portfolio diversified internationally?
For more information please contact Alan Weeks at 256-5848
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January-February, 2006
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Exchange rate of the Costa Rican ¢ to the US Dollar October 489.16 November
492.32
December
495.65
January
498.77
February
501.38
March
504.84
Basic Interest Rate October 15.25 % November
15.25 %
December
15.50%
January
15.25 %
February
15.25 %
March
15.25 %
Exchange rate of other currencies to the US Dollar Japanese Yen 117.88 Swiss Franc
1.3055
Canadian $
1.1654
Giro (DEG)
1.4409
ÂŁ Sterling
1.7367
Euro
1.2104
Mexican Peso
10.904
Korean Won
971.65
Danish Krone Norwegian Krone Argentine Peso
6.1658 6.5802 3.0825
Colombian Peso 2,279.0 Brasilian Real
2.1805
Libor Rate 1 month 4.8294 % 3 month
5.0000 %
6 month
5.1400 %
12 month
5.2875 %
Prime Rate
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7.75 %
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Holidays Of Costa Rica May 1st ‘Labour Day’ July 25th ‘Guanacaste Day’ July 26th ‘National Day’ ******************** A Touch of Wisdom “Presumption first blinds a man, then sets him a running.” Ben Franklin (1706-1790) “The best sauce in the world is hunger.” Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) “To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) ******************** English Translations That Went Wrong TOKYO HOTEL’S RULES AND REGULATIONS: Guests are requested not to smoke or do other disgusting behaviours in bed. HOTEL LOBBY, BUCHAREST: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable. SWISS RESTAURANT MENU: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for. HOTEL, YUGOSLAVIA: Flattering underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.
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