HOWLER oct 2020
C osta R i c a Li fes t yle, T ravel & Adv en t u r e
m a g a z i n e s ince 1996
Escape
Coco
to Isla del Freecopy
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
#S earch F ind Howl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE
|1
2
| #searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE
|3
4
| #searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE
|5
Reserva Conchal’s most captivating views AT C O C O B O LO W E A R E N O T I N N AT U R E .
THE TREE HOUSE 818 m² - $615,000 An ideal terrain for an infrastructure raised from the ground, one that gives the impression of floating in the air.
W E A R E N AT U R E .
HIGH BREEZE 819 m² - $635,000
Surrounded by spectacular valleys and the most privileged views of Reserva Conchal, Cocobolo is a place to experience the best of both worlds: here the exotic
A privileged space for receiving first-hand the perennial breeze of the Pacific.
seamlessly meets comfort.
TIMELESS VIEW Being part of the Reserva Conchal community means
796 m² - $645,000
—among other things— being able to enjoy all the available
A land with a captivating and
amenities, including: an exclusive beach club, a
everlasting view.
magnificent spa, access to fabulous restaurants, hiking
6
trails, full-time entry to the wildlife reserve and the
COCOBOLO SANCTUARY
possibility of enjoying unlimited outdoor sports.
1639 m² - $675,000
There are five exclusive homesites carefully crafted to
DEEP NATURE
enhance the inspiring views of Reserva Conchal.
1875 m² - $595,000
Discover more real estate opportunities at: +(506) 2654-3100 | info@reservaconchal.com | www.reservaconchal.com
| #searchfindhowl| online
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
howlermag.com
CONOCÉ TU LADO SALVAJE La chispa se enciende solo cuando es exclusivo Guanacaste se convierte en el escenario de uno de los primeros W Escapes en el mundo: W Residences Costa Rica, su locación brillante – rodeada de las doradas playas de Guanacaste sirve como punto de partida para conjugar el estilo excéntrico de W con una narrativa de conexión natural. 14 residencias disponibles, cada una con su personalidad única y rebelde. Conectate con nuestro especialista en vida tropical y desbloqueá tu acceso a un paraíso emocionante y fresco.
reservaconchal.com 506 2654 3100
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE
|7
HOWLER T r o o p
H
owler is pleased to showcase in our October e-magazine the remarkable efforts of Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center. Click here for the Animal Life story and photos by Lori Anne Haskell in our Pura Vida section. It is crucial that Rescate continues to save Costa Rica’s wildlife through its programs to rehabilitate animals for release back to their natural habitat, or lifetime care in the minority of cases where re-release is not possible. For the past 30 years, its vital work has been funded through visitor entry fees. But now the center is struggling financially because it was forced to remain closed to the public for several months during the COVID-19 quarantine. You can help by donating through the Rescate website or its Gofundme campaign. Rescate is also in need of volunteers, or by visiting the lifetime care sanctuary in La Garita. Entry fees and any money spent in the facility goes directly to help the animals.
8
| #searchfindhowl| online
Author Lori Anne Haskell recently welcomed the opportunity to share her photographic expertise with Rescate. The pictures she takes are used to educate the public about the plight of the rescued animals, as well as important conservation and biodiversity preservation issues. Lori Anne is a wildlife and birding stalker based in Herradura, Costa Rica, who spends her days hiking and travelling with her camera. Finds joy in capturing the personality of birds and animals and sharing the images and stories with the world. Find her on Facebook and Instagram @puravidablonde, and email: loriannehaskell@ gmail.com.
howlermag.com
OCT 2020 Vol. 26 No. 8 PUBLISHER / EDITOR-in-CHIEF John B. Quam
WRITERS Sylvia Barreto Benites. Founding director of IREN Renaissance Institute and owner of Spanish for Expats. E-mail: spanishforexpats23@gmail.com Nicola Bertoldi. Introduced kiteboarding to Costa Rica in 2000 and opened Central America’s first kiteboarding school in Bahia Salinas. With wife, Josellyne Bonilla, he runs Blue Dream Kiteboarding Resort at Playa Papaturro. Tel: 2676-1042. WhatsApp:8826-5221/8470-8481. www.bluedreamhotel.com Joanna Blanco. Integrative nutritional health coach who helps clients embrace wellness in five interconnected areas of life: relationships, livelihood, physical activity, spiritual awareness and diet.
Mary Martin Mason. Published author whose latest book, Casa de Doloros, was inspired by her experiences and adventures as a U.S. expat living in Atenas, Costa Rica. A regular writer for the Mango Musings blog, and also an award-winning former columnist with The Southwest Journal in Minneapolis, who also taught high school English in Houston, Japan and Minnesota. Laura Méndez. Founder of Pura Vida Vibrations. Offering sound journeys, breath work experiences, cacao ceremonies & other activities. hello@ puravidavibrations.com Marian Paniagua. Certified nurse and yoga Instructor, and local artisan, born and raised in Guanacaste. 8914-0199. marianpaniagua@gmail.com
Terry Carlile. Served as a U. S. Navy journalist for eight years, and is also a workshop trainer and keynote speaker.
Tom Schultz. BS Biology and Geology, avid birder and nature photographer, retired software executive. tom@ pananima.com
Daniel Gómez Vargas. Journalist with Medical Cannabis News in Costa Rica. Contact: dan.gomezv@ medicalcannabisnews.com or +506) 88798706. Visit www. medicalcannabisnews.com
Lussania Viquez. APublic relations officer and well-known TV presenter and speaker at corporate events in Costa Rica, with a degree in marketing communications. Visit her on Facebook
Ivan Granados. Managing Partner at GM Attorneys, specializing in real estate and corporate law. igranados@ gmattorneyscr.com
C r e at i v e D i r e c t o r Adriana C. Zerpa marketing director Terry Carlile Victoria Rice Kelly Norris Mary Fernández
E d i t o r i a l S ta f f Debbie Bride - Editorial Coordinator Laurie Quam - Copy Editor Graphic Design Cover Design - Adriana C. Zerpa S pa n i s h T r a n s l at i o n CPI Flamingo HOWLER (™) 2017
C o n ta c t
John Quam - Managing Partner headmonkey@howlermag.com Editor: editor@howlermag.com Advertising: ads@howlermag.com Design: design@howlermag.com CR Office: (506) 4701-5942 Howler Magazine Costa Rica @thehowlermag @howlermagazine The Howler Gold Coast CR S.A. Ced. Juridica: 3-101-725213 The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Howler organization or its advertisers.
.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests write to: info@howlermag.com. The Howler Magazine does not assume responsibility for the content of its advertisements. Images not credited are acquired from stock photography services.
Copyright © 2020 The Howler Gold Coast CR S.A.
Read all current and past articles online
howlermag.com #s earchf indh owl
#S earch F ind Howl
Copyright © 2020 Howler Media Holding, Inc. Panama The Howler Gold Coast CR S.A. Ced. Juridica: 3-101-725213 HOWLER (TM)2017 HM HOWLER MAGAZINE
|9
% 0 1
de o c se 10 u t, ler re n e ouHow k H c s ic Di Cl
10 | #searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
% 10
de co e us 10 t, ler re un w He co o k is HClic D
| 11
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE
#s earchf indh owl
EDITORIAL
Want To Stay In Business? Staying Connected in a Secluded World newsletter? Did you intersect total new audiences with your promotions?
I
n March, we entered a season of experiencing challenges that we’ve never had to deal with.
The saying is true, “tough times make or break us.” For a country and a business base that is so dependent on tourism, it certainly has shifted our foundation, business models and bottom line. With all the world online, sadly, many businesses have chosen to stay “dark or diminished.” They disappeared into the abyss. While online traffic increased significantly, where were you? The audience that you spent years building — did you stay in touch with positive messages? Did you remind them what you will be offering when they return? Now with international travel opened up, people around the world are ready to “get out of town,” and now more countries are spending millions to capture that tourism market. And where are you? Has your number of active followers grown on social media? Have you had more sign-ups for your dynamic
Costa Rican snowbirds, world travelers, visitors, second-home residents, our retired community and holiday adventurers are making plans already. Where is your business on their www radar? Howler has continued to support businesses during the recent challenging season. We’ve expanded our platform with innovative resources. We answered the question, “yes, we want to stay in business” and we’ve worked diligently to not only survive, but excel. Now, you answer this question for your business. Can you afford not to market? Howler Answers the Call When it comes to marketing, can you afford not to? Marketing is always a challenging endeavor. During the last few months, we’ve witnessed a variety of approaches by businesses — from the “we’re not doing anything till 2021” to the “we have got to stay in front of our audience.” Tough times can make or break you. At Howler, we’ve maximized all
opportunities to improve, innovate and design effective strategies for our business partners. We never missed a month of promoting Costa Rica and our business partners. The Howler of March 2020 is not the same creature for October 2020. We endeavor to provide the best highquality publication for our readers worldwide. As you can imagine, online readership skyrocketed during this season. We averaged over 40,000 reads each month. Thanks to tracking analytics, we know that 60% of these readers were in North America, 19% Costa Rica, the rest worldwide. But we continue to identify more platforms to increase readership. As you know, social network followers may be a lot, but the actual “active” followers is a different number. So we’ve increased our social networking to expand across more groups and media. For example, Howler is hosted on both Issuu and Press Reader. The subscriber base is over 100 million on those two platforms. Do a search and see how many English Costa Rica publications you’ll find on those avenues.
Terry Carlile
Read more by clicking here!
HOWLER
Read all current and past articles online
Read all current and past articles online howlermag.com #S earch F ind Howl 12 | #searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 13
14 | #searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Cover: Cocos Island
Click on the section to discover!
-Cocos Getaway Beckons Us Back Again As Legend Would Have It More Than Sharks
Travel & Adventure
! W
NE Kite Surfing CR
Pura Vida CBD Effective Treatment for Breast Cancer Gifts of Love and Hope from Within Simple Steps to Sleep Better Yoga in Breast Cancer Care
Spanish Quarterly Issue
Arts, Culture & Entertainment Legends of Atenas New Hobby Sculpted from Beach Driftwood Finds
CR Biz s f h Print Regional # earch ind owl
IREN Renaissance Institute I Dare to Make a Difference Emotional Intelligence HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 15 VAT Modified for Tourism Due to COVID-19s
COVER STORY
ESCAPE
to Isla del Coco! How We left the World Behind for the ‘Lost World’ Story and photos by Tom Schultz
"W
e are going to Cocos Island!” drew the usual response when we told our friends:“Looking for sharks?” “No, no we are not diving,” we replied. ”What?! Why go then?”
If you are going to Isla del Coco not for the sharks, then what do you actually see and do there? 16 | #searchfindhowl| online
Isla del Coco, or Cocos Island, is a tiny island ( just nine square miles) 550 kilometers to the southwest of Costa Rica. It became part of Costa Rica in 1821 as the country attained independence, was one of the first named national parks in 1978, and was named a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1997. The island’s fame has been driven by historical figures ranging from the pirate Sir Henry Morgan and scientist Charles Darwin, to the authors Robert Louis Stevenson and Michael Crichton, to the famous explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau. Even the U.S. mobster Bugsy Siegel is connected to the story of Cocos Island. And sharks. It is perhaps the best place in the world to see sharks. howlermag.com
Initially, seven people signed up for the trip, plus our guide, Serge. Two dropped out and a third tested positive, so five of us headed out with our negative PCR tests in hand to Isla de Coco. Our ship was the Okeanos Aggressor I, a “liveaboard” dive ship, based out of Puntarenas. It is the only way to visit, since there are no facilities to stay on the island, and overnight stays are prohibited. So home for the next 10 days would be in shared tiny cabins for two. Ours was complete with a porthole that looked like a front loading washing machine since it was underwater when the ship moved. On departure day, the Aggressor crew notified us that they wanted to leave early to catch the high tide. So we left home early, almost breaking the 5 a.m. rule for vehicle license quarantine restrictions. Since we were not allowed to drive that day, we carried with us an official document in case we were stopped.
UNUSUAL I N CENTIV E
The global pandemic brought a unique opportunity to sail out to Isla del Coco as part of the first non-diving tour in many years. The 10-day excursion was not for the usual reason of seeing sharks, but for nature, history, pirate and treasure lore, and more importantly — four special birds. Yes, it was a birdwatching and nature tour, organized by Serge Arias of Costa Rica Birding and operated through the Aggressor Fleet. With Costa Rica’s international borders closed for the most part, the ship could not fill itself with only Tico and resident divers. Therefore, the tour company offered an amazing deal that we could not refuse. All it took was time, money and a negative PCR test for COVID-19. #s earchf indh owl
We boarded the ship along with passengers who would be diving: a Spanish expat and another from the U.S.; two tourists from the U.S. and Sweden who have been trapped in Costa Rica for five months; a German former divemaster with his Tica wife who has lived in Costa Rica for 20 years; a Polish filmmaker and photographer resident with his Tica friend (and his incredibly expensive Hasselblad cameras): and six other young, well-heeled Ticos. With so many nationals and longtime residents, it was a lively, funny and all-around great group. And, more importantly, since everyone in the crew and every passenger had tested negative for COVID-19, we went back in space and time once we boarded the ship to a world of
no masks or social distancing. It may be worth the trip just for 10 days of remembering and experiencing “The Before Times.” HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 17
OF F TO I SL A D E L CO CO
The question at hand: if you are going to Isla del Coco not for the sharks, then what do you actually see and do there?
COVER STORY
Let's start with the beginning. The voyage out to Cocos is long — 36 hours long. The island is actually closer to the Galapagos Islands than it is to Costa Rica. Heading out of port southwest for the 350-mile voyage, everyone was on deck and excited. Leaving early in the afternoon allowed for great viewing of wildlife in the Gulf of Nicoya: birds, dozens of leaping rays, dolphins, and — since it is whale watching season — amazing views of several, including a breaching humpback whale. We also all enjoyed our first beautiful sunset, with a glass of wine or a cold beer in hand. Dinner was a surprise for two reasons. As once-avid cruise ship fans, we were amazed at the cruise ship sharpness, friendliness and the amazing quality of the meals offered. Our group members included three with diet restrictions — two vegetarian and one gluten-free — and they
18 | #searchfindhowl| online
were extremely well treated and fed. The second surprise at our dinner table was the bowl of what looked like candy, but was actually seasickness pills. It was around this time that we left the comfort of the calm seas in the Gulf of Nicoya. At only 110 feet long, the Aggressor is prone to the merciless turbulence of the open Pacific waters. Almost half of the 19 people on board would not be seen again before reaching the island. For the next day and a half, those of us who were able, basically stood at the ship’s bow birdwatching. We were looking for pelagic birds — those that basically live at sea, coming to land only to breed. The ones we saw sailing by included boobies, storm-petrels, shearwaters, petrels, tropicbirds and frigatebirds. Many were “lifers” for the birders among us who keep count of the birds we have seen on a life list. It was a fun way to spend our day at sea. At night, while growing closer to the island, we braved the heaving decks to watch and attempt to photograph yet another bird — the ghostly swallow-tail gull — as it followed the ship in the dead of light. howlermag.com
AR R IVAL AT COCOS IS L AN D A N D CH ATH AM BAY
The seas calmed and the ship slowed very early in the morning, a sign we were arriving at the island. We arrived and anchored at the north side of the island near sunrise. All hands were on deck to witness the first sunrise over Isla del Coco and Chatham Bay. Overhead flew scores of giant frigatebirds, red-footed boobies and the stunningly beautiful white terns, called espĂritu santo by Costa Ricans because they look like drawings of the holy spirit dove hovering over things. An unforgettable sunrise! There are only two small harbors to anchor on the island coast. Chatham is the larger of the two bays, but is unused. It has the former park ranger station, now abandoned, and a small hydroelectric power plant that was built to power the large marine radar tower at the top of the peak 300 meters above. This was once used to monitor illegal fishing activities, as described in past Howler articles, Click here to read more. Thus began our Cocos Island adventure. Stay with us and click here to read more in this e-magazine’s Travel & Adventure section.
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 19
20 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 21
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
There were plenty of reasons to plan an escape to Isla del Coco.
22 |#searchfindhowl| online
Birdwatching in pangas around the columnar basalt of Big Dos Amigos island. howlermag.com
COCOS Getaway Beckons Story and Photos by Tom Schultz
W
FEATURED ADVENTURE
e were finally there! Our arrival at Isla del Coco through Chatham Bay marked the end of our 36-hour journey from Puntarenas, Costa Rica on board the Aggressor I dive ship. Our anticipation of what awaited gave way to excitement, but there was no customary docking ritual. Instead, our ship was equipped with two pangas (named for the panga fish caught from small boats in southeast Asia) to shuttle us ashore. Chatham Bay has no dock facilities, so all landings are “wet” — you simply jump out of the panga into the water and wade ashore. Chatham Bay affords a rewarding walk to one of the most spectacular island vantage points, which we were fortunate to enjoy. We hiked uphill behind an abandoned park station to a lookout, complete with benches and an abandoned new facility said to be a gift from the United States. The view from this overlook is so stunningly beautiful and mesmerizing, we lost track of time sitting there. We hiked further to the hilltop to view the radar system. This involves climbing up on a ridge dividing Chatham Bay and Wafer Bay, which is the rim of one of two ancient volcano calderas. You can look down into the caldera, which is now the source of water from the hydro electric generation for the radar. We then headed back down, discovering that the trails, which are suffering from neglected maintenance during the pandemic, are much harder to walk down than up. #s earchf indh owl
WAF ER BAY
Wafer Bay, the smaller of Cocos Island’s two safe harbors, houses the currently active national park station. There is another small hydro generation station, and the park headquarters and living facilities for staff and volunteers. Normally the island is occupied by about 30 people, a mix of park rangers, volunteers, Red Cross, firefighters, and even national police to deal with accidents and illegal activities (fishing and drugs). In pandemic mode, only a skeleton crew of seven were stationed there when we visited. A sightseeing highlight of Wafer Bay is the ”El Copey” bridge, named for the surrounding trees. It crosses the Rio Genio, the source of fresh water and power for the Wafer Bay park station. The bridge was assembled and built in 2006 from five tonnes of fishing lines and buoys seized from poachers entering the waters off the Island. Artist Francisco "Pancho" Quesada, from San Vito, along with volunteers, built the bridge to protest the constant threat of illegal fishing in the park. It is modeled after the Golden Gate Bridge, but designed so that with the passage of time it’s become part of the environment, slowly covered with moss and other plants, GEOLOGY
We ventured out several times in the pangas to the small islands surrounding Isla del Coco. One is called Manuelita and is famous as a dive spot, and also for the scary face people see on the one side. To us it looked like the mask in the “Scream” movies. To cut down on travel time to dive sites in the pangas, our ship shuttled between Chatham Bay and Wafer Bay. One day from Wafer Bay, we traveled out to the windward HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 23
Hiking the Cerro Yglesias trail and posing at the top of Cerro Pelom.
”El Copey” bridge
FEATURED ADVENTURE
side of Cocos to visit some other little outcrops — the Big and Little Dos Amigos. Why their names are Spanglish I do not know. On pre-20th century maps they are called the Wafer Islands. These two little islands jutting out of the sea are composed of columnar basalt. If you have ever visited Devil's Tower or the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, these are similar geologic features: long columns of geometric hexagons packed like a bee hive, Photography was difficult with the seas being a tad rough on the windward side of the island. But travel to and from the two Dos Amigos gave some wonderful views of the rugged coast and endless waterfalls pouring off the island. Q UI T E A HI KE
All activities on the island must be approved. We got permission to do some hiking, with two trails open to us. In both instances, we did some intense hiking and climbing. Many areas can only be ascended with the assistance of ropes that are fastened to the hill or trees.
24 |#searchfindhowl| online
The trail between Wafer Bay and Chatham Bay is only about five kilometers in total. It goes from sea level almost straight up to the radar tower at 300 meters, then back to the overlook at Chatham and returning to the bay. The other trail we hiked is much longer, six kilometers each way up to Cerro Yglesias at 600 meters. Starting at Wafer Bay, we were joined by three of the divers and a crew member. The trail followed another ridge that was the edge of the island’s second, larger ancient volcano caldera. It led through random coffee bushes in an area that was an attempt at a coffee plantation a hundred years ago, then up and up to the world’s lowest elevation cloud forest at only 400 meters elevation. We hiked further up the fog shrouded trail towards the Cerro Yglesias peak, bushwhacking the final 50 meters or so to the summit in tall grass. That’s because the trail was not being maintained during the pandemic, and basically gone. We arrived to find we had made it to Cerro Pelon, 90 meters short of the highest peak Cerro Yglesias. We declared victory and slowly worked our way down the four hours back to sea level. howlermag.com
Underwater photos of hammerhead sharks and reef fish, courtesy of the Aggressor Fleet
JAC QUES C O USTE AU, SHA RKS A N D AN EXT REMELY PE RSO NA L EXPE RIEN CE
The Cousteau Rock: this famous rock carving in Chatham Bay was made by the iconic marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau and the crew of his research ship Alcyone in the 1980s. Cousteau’s TV documentary specials filmed here helped make Isla del Coco the mecca for sharks that it is today. In his later years, the revered explorer looked back and called it, “the most beautiful island in the world.” I cannot disagree. Jacques Cousteau was my childhood hero and idol. I watched every special on TV and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Pursuing double-degree program studies in marine science at university, learning to scuba dive in 1975 and performing research at Duke University 120 feet underwater, 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina, I knew I was to be the next Cousteau but life, and computers, changed all that. #s earchf indh owl
Cousteau Rock
So this trip to Cocos Island in September 2020 was a personal moment for me. Decades after being swayed by the lure and the money of the computer industry and leaving my first love behind, and more than 20 years since I last donned scuba gear, I returned to the sea. OMG, I forgot how much I loved it. And yes, yes there were sharks. Endemic birds and animals, spectacular and unique scenery, Treasure Island and The Lost World … cruising the high seas and getting away from the pandemic-riddled world. There were plenty of reasons to plan an escape to Isla del Coco, with a shark or two as an extra added attraction. Another trip is planned in December.
CLICK HERE!
READ MORE ABOUT OUR COCOS ISLAND ADVENTURE.
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 25
Get your first lesson for FREE! Online or offline, just mention this ad
San JosĂŠ, JacĂł Beach & online >>> Native expert teachers >>> Accredited school >>> Fun classes, serious learning Sign up for our flexible programs at:
www.academiatica.com
26 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Take advantage of social distancing and work with ocean views!
Work from anywhere
We take social distance serious
Your health is a priority for us! - Check in with zero contact - 48 hours between reservations - Cleaning by professionals
Special rates! www.vacasa.com
Casa La Cima Hermosa Beach, Puntarenas #s earchf indh owl
4001-8476
Explore Casa La Cima 3D
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=gujEqcyYFDd HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 27
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
This rock was engraved by the famous woman pirate Mary Welsh.
Dinosaur-like anole lizards are endemic to Cocos.
Endemic bromeliads are part of the island’s cloud forest ecosystem, with its “Lost World” feel.
It is said that Captain Henry Morgan buried treasure in the bay. 28 |#searchfindhowl| online
One of the island’s largest waterfalls, nicknamed howlermag.com Hundreds of spiders inhabit the cave dug by early Hidden Falls, can only be reached by swimming 20th-century treasure-seeker August Gissler. from the coast.
LEGEND WOULD HAVE IT Cocos-Inspired Classics Match Reality Story and Photos by Tom Schultz
T
he spellbinding remoteness of Cocos Island has been captivating imaginations for centuries, in overlapping layers of literary legends or mixtures of fact, fable and science fiction. It’s not hard to understand for anyone fortunate enough to visit the island, a place of wonder at almost every turn.
T HAR’ BE PIRATE S!
Some claim that the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island came from Cocos Island. Whether true or not, treasure and pirate lore abounds there. Chatham Bay is a rugged beach filled with rock carvings etched by pirates and others, depicting ancient sailing ships, names and symbols. It is said that Captain Henry Morgan buried treasure in the bay.
COOL PLACES
Among the many carved rocks on the beach you can see one by a woman pirate named Mary Welsh, with a famous map of treasure she said was buried where “X marks the spot.” Mary later returned to not find the treasure. Another famous example is the Treasure of Lima, hijacked by pirates and said to be worth $1 billion today. Untold hundreds of people and expeditions have come to Cocos Island over the course of as many years. It is said that the founder of Las Vegas, the mobster Bugsy Siegel, came to Cocos in 1938 searching for buried treasure. When the island was created as a Costa Rican national park in 1978, treasure hunting was finally prohibited. #s earchf indh owl
In Wafer Bay, we accidentally crawled up the wrong trail — incredibly rough and steep — to find the tunnel carved deeply into the hill by the German adventurer August Gissler at the dawn of the 20th century, looking for the Treasure of Lima. This was a massive and deep excavation. Using our phones as flashlights, we quickly turned around as the entire cave roof was covered in giant grasshoppers and spiders. Having seen too many horror movies, we retreated. LOS T W OR L D
Cocos Island was also the inspiration for Isla Nublar in Michael Crichton’s book Jurassic Park. Our tropical immersion while hiking the island did have all the Lost World trappings of Crichton’s story: waterfalls cutting into every slope, endemic hibiscus flowers and orchids, antediluvian tree ferns and giant bromeliads, endemic crabs and dinosaurlike anole lizards. Add moss-draped trees and the constant mist shrouding our cloud forest trek. We all felt there were hiding velociraptors in the tall grass. Queue up the John Williams music!
CLICK HERE!
READ MORE ABOUT OUR COCOS ISLAND ADVENTURE. HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 29
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Galapagos warbler
Female Cocos finch
Female Cocos Finch 30 |#searchfindhowl| online
Cocos cuckoo
howlermag.comCocos flycatcher
MORE
THAN
SHARKS Cocos a Bird and Wildlife Wonderland Story and Photos by Tom Schultz
A
s incredible as it sounded when we told friends about our Cocos Island trip plan, seeing sharks was not the main purpose.
CREATURE FEATURE
Our most compelling reason for the excursion was to search for the four special birds found on the island. As much as I would love this to be a tale of how daunting our quest to find these birds turned out to be, it was nothing like that, but every bit as rewarding. As in the Galapagos Islands, they are not afraid of man, these special birds of Isla del Coco are not afraid of humans and therefore incredibly easy to find. First is the Cocos finch, an uninspiring little black bird (although the female is more colorful). It is one of the endemic birds of the island, found there and only there, and famous for its“Darwin finch” moniker. Charles Darwin noticed differences between the finches on each of the Galapagos Islands, which strongly influenced his contention that environmental isolation was a driver for differences in evolutionary changes. Although the Cocos finch is among the birds he was #s earchf indh owl
studying, it is the only one Darwin never actually saw, since he never visited Cocos Island. Sitting in the trees near us at the abandoned park station at Chatham Bay, our initial landing point on the island, we spotted another endemic species in the special four group: the Cocos cuckoo. It, too, is way too easy to see. ECOS Y S TEM IM BAL AN CE
An unavoidable sight at Wafer Bay, among other spots on the island, are the roaming white-tailed deer and feral pigs. They, along with rats and feral cats, were introduced to the island over the centuries, all creating an imbalance to the ecosystem there, since there is no native mammal population. Any management or eradication efforts are thwarted by costs and animal activists. With a large tidal beach area and a river entering, there were lots of coastal birds to see in our birding quest, and also our first views of the two other target species we were looking for. The endemic Cocos flycatcher is another special, but unimpressive-looking bird. And one of the more interesting birds in terms of evolution is the Galapagos warbler. The Galapagos warbler is, or was, a North American yellow warbler. About 1.5 million years ago, migrating warblers from North America decided to not go back, and started to diverge from their North American forefathers. Over the next million years, they have become different species in several different Caribbean islands and the Pacific coast. One species on Costa Rica’s mainland is now called the mangrove warbler. About 250,000 years ago, they split again into new species living on the Galapagos Islands and Cocos Island. These warblers may be the first North American expats! HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 31
Great frigatebird
White tern
The small islands surrounding Cocos Island are covered with a booby colony, filled with hundreds of brown, masked and nazca boobies with their adorable fuzzy chicks. These rock outcroppings off the coast of Cocos are one of the few places where you can see nazca and masked boobies in the same place, distinguished by their yellow bill or orange bill. We also searched for the black noddy there, a bird much more at home in Australia and New Zealand.
CREATURE FEATURE
These warblers may be the first North American expats!
Red-footed booby roosting
While hiking the trail between Wafer Bay and Chatham Bay on Cocos Island, the forest is filled with roosting great frigatebirds, and red-footed boobies. Baby boobies
CLICK HERE!
READ MORE ABOUT OUR COCOS ISLAND ADVENTURE.
32 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com Introduced white-tailed deer
Olga M. Araya #s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 33
34 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Two additional Howler publications. Click the covers to see! Spanish quarterly issue is intersecting new audiences worldwide. Regional print (contact us to create one for your region)
Contact us for advertising opportunities: info@howlermag.com #s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 35
OCTOBER TIDE CHART
Maui...Jan 2020 Massive Waves:
36 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
SURFIN G COSTA RICA
See more of howler's surfing section in our website
click here! #s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 37
SURFING COSTA RICA
kite
SURF COSTA RICA
by Nicola Bertoldi
BOARDING WITHOUT BORDERS s a pioneer of kiteboarding in Costa Rica, where I’ve been privileged to teach the sport for 20 years, I can recommend no better place for chasing the same passion. Whether venturing out for beginner lessons or to practice advanced moves, there’s nothing like sharing the warm waters with sea turtles, dolphins, tuna, pelicans and occasionally, whales, in what is widely regarded as Central America’s premier kiteboarding location.
SURF FEATURE
A
Those unfamiliar with kiteboarding may be fascinated to know it’s a tridimensional activity — you can ride, jump and fly without being a pro. This is achievable after a few weeks of practice if you want to push your limits. For those wanting to push even further, imagine these kiteboarding records. In 40-knot winds, one jump reached 28.6 meters high with an airtime of 8.5 seconds. Some kiteboarders have exceeded 55-knot speeds, outpacing large trimarans to become the fastest wind-powered crafts in the water!
38 |#searchfindhowl| online
Different styles of kiteboarding include freestyle (wake style or air style), freeride, speed and course racing. More recently, foil kiteboarding has gained popularity. Having been introduced to Costa Rica in 2000, kitesurfing is ideally suited to the conditions where four fully equipped training sites now exist: one on Lake Arenal and three at Playa Copal, Bahia Salinas in La Cruz, Guanacaste. Bahia Salinas, whose northern area is in Nicaragua, offers more than 300 windy days per year, from early November to the end of August. Besides being havens for local kitesurfers, these schools offer equipment for rent, certified instructors and kitesurf classes from “zero to hero” experience levels. Beginners and advanced kitesurfers alike, and all levels in between, can find the right conditions and services. Above all, they can’t help but be inspired by the natural beauty at Costa Rica’s beaches.
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 39
40 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
D R E A M LO C A L E I N C O S TA R I C A Blue Dream resort offers an all-inclusive experience for kitesurfers learning, practicing and savoring the sport in idyllic surroundings. The southern area of Bahia Salinas, with Bolaños Island, is the owners’ favorite kitesurfing spot in Costa Rica, with side/onshore winds.There are no buildings or structures on the beach here, only shaded areas with hammocks are available for relaxing, sharing, and hanging out with local riders and kitesurf instructors. It’s a great place to learn. We have a private entrance to reach the best spot (upwind) at the kite beach, so you don’t have to walk with your gear and you can park your car behind the launching spot. After just three or four hours of lessons, an absolute beginner can already appreciate the beauty of this sport. During the second day, your adrenaline pumps higher as you learn to plan on the water and enjoy your first rides. From the third day on, you are independent … you can practice all you learned and start progressing fast.
Hope to see you in the water!
CONTACT INFO Nicola at 8826-5221 bluedreamcr@gmail.com www.bluedreamhotel.com Instagram: bluedreamresortcr FaceBook: Blue Dream Resort Costa Rica
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 41
New Home Construction Condo & Home
“Building Better Pools & Homes”
Remodeling Projects Custom Pool Construction & Restoration
Costa Construction Watch the time lapse pool construction video here!
Mention the Howler Ad and receive a local discount on our services.
Treating difficult spots ULTRAFREEZE Coolsculpting 4 Areas $280
Contact us! medicallasercr@gmail.com WhatsApp 506 7075 1911 Phone (506) 4700-0341
Two Locations: Tamarindo Plaza Garden Automercado Commercial (front area for kid's play) Solárium Liberia, Across from Airport, near Hilton Garden Inn 42 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Delivery Available!
200 m. west of the Brasilito/Huacas crossroads
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 43
Relax in a hotel inspired b y a co ff e e p l a n t a t i o n .
¡ R E S E R V E NOW! www.marriott.com/sjocr l (506) 2298-0000 Marriott findhowl| online Hacienda Belén l La Ribera de Belén, Costa Ricahowlermag.com 44Costa |#searchRica
E n j oy t h e a d v e n t u r e o f t h e Green Coast of Costa Rica.
¡ R E S E R V E NOW! www.marriott.com/sjols l (506) 2630-9000 Los Sueños Marriott#Ocean & Golf searchfind howl Resort l Herradura bay, Costa Rica
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 45
ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT
LEGENDS of
ATENAS
Story and photos by Mary Martin Mason
A URBAN TOURISM
legend is a folktale, often historically grounded, that changes with each “I swear this is true� retelling. Small towns, by their very gossipy nature, support legends. Over the years, the origins of a tale blurs as it is woven into the fabric of the community. Atenas, a town in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, has its share of curiosities. There is a road named White Naked Man Curves, and a rickety boat that is permanently moored in a front yard. Once, a worshiper was killed by a falling object from the church tower. Another more recent curiosity is a Madonna statue, recently installed outside San Rafael Church, that has enormous feet. With a bit of sleuthing, and the help of Marietta Arce and Maricela Soto who are experts on the town, the following is offered to clarify and edify several urban myths about Atenas.
Her most distinct feature are enormous feet that are out of proportion to the rest of her. 46 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
WHITE NAKED MAN ROAD The odd name of an infamous road, Las Vueltas del Macho Chingo or White Naked Man Curves, is based on a story told by an infamous gossip who everyone called Nacho. One day in a barrio of Atenas known as Rio Grande, Nacho shared a story with a friend who was sitting on a park bench. Nacho’s father, who he affectionately called Tata, was known for being quite fond of women and of more than a few drinks. Nacho said to his friend, “I have to tell you what happened to my old man last night after he left his mistress’s house in Rio Grande. On the way home on the curvy road, he heard some footsteps. He was so frightened that he trembled. Finally, he turned around and saw a huge man, of fair skin and naked except for a tie around his neck. The large menacing man — if he was a man — was levitating above the ground and had eyes that shone. Tata wanted to run away but was so frightened that he couldn’t move. “He blessed himself on the forehead and in an effort to ward off evil, shouted the Magnificat, a prayer to the Virgin Mary. The naked menace raised a hatchet and threw it against the ground. Tata was terrified that he was about to lose his life. Expecting to be decapitated, he closed his eyes and repeated the Lord’s Prayer. When he next opened his eyes, the shadowy man was retreating, shouting, ‘Just wait. I'll be back.’ At that point, Tata fainted. “Around the time the sun rose, Manuel happened by in his oxcart. Seeing Tata on the ground, Manuel rescued him and returned him to my mother. When she saw him, she knew that something terrible had happened to her shameless husband. She said, ‘Those who are into mischief always get taken by the devil.’" To this day, few venture out alone on the Rio Grande road after dark. People still say, perhaps not realizing why, “I'll never be crazy enough to go through the Las Vueltas del Macho Chingo at night!” No doubt, this story has an element of truth to it. This segment of the road contains a series of hairpin turns. It is easy to imagine two inebriated men, one Tico and one gringo, each recalling their encounter through the woozy eyes of an inebriate. The tale is credited to Maria del Rosario Rojas Venegas de González’s book, Atenas: Recuerdos de Antaño. #s earchf indh owl
NOAH’S ARK MOORED IN A YARD Many years ago, Don Rolando Rojas Sanchez owned a coffee plantation on what is now Calle 2. Today, this bustling street leads to the Mercado Central de Atenas and the red taxi stands in the heart of Atenas. Sprinkled among the businesses that include some popular eateries are a few houses and apartments. In one of the yards is a permanently secured boat that has never been to sea. READ MORE ONLINE
PARISHIONER FELLED BY PART OF A CHURCH CLOCK
One of the most unusual deaths in Atenas is still a part of the town lore. The clock that hangs in the tower of San Rafael Catholic Church accurately chimes the time to those in the park across the street and to most of the town. Every hour and half hour, Atenas citizens can rely on the bell announcing the time.
READ MORE ONLINE
MADONNA WITH EEEE FEET In Atenas, a statue of the Virgin of the Roses rests in a barred enclosure, just outside San Rafael Catholic Church. To honor her name, she has a rose on each hand and each foot. Her most distinct feature are enormous feet that are out of proportion to the rest of her. READ MORE ONLINE
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 47
ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT
NEW Hobby
Sculpted
from Beach Driftwood Finds by Howler Staff
W
ithin the
ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT
unclouded silver linings to emerge from the darkness of COVID-19 in recent months, creative expression has been a common thread. Fraught with unprecedented challenges and constraints in quarantine circumstances, many people have embraced the opportunity to nurture dormant or untapped artistic talents. The day-brightening results can be a pleasure to share on social media, which is how Glenn Gatley’s wood carvings came to the attention of Howler staff. “While my wife keeps busy with reading, sewing and gardening, I found myself a new hobby in wood carving, specifically beach-found driftwood,” Gatley told us. “I’ve been finding and collecting interesting pieces of driftwood off of our local beaches to ultimately repurpose into various Costa Rican inspired sculptures.”
Gatley may not have envisioned his days in Costa Rica being spent this way when he and his wife permanently relocated here from the United States in early 2019. “Like most people during this pandemic, we both found ourselves having to find new ways to occupy our time while remaining isolated at home.” Each sculpture is completely handcrafted and unique, true to the original driftwood piece in its natural form, he explained. “In addition, every carving is created entirely out of one single piece of wood, slowly removing the material to create the subject matter.” Most of the final carvings are hand painted using acrylics and then treated with a sealing coat of polyurethane.
To view Gatley’s creations, visit Facebook link here.
48 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Each sculpture is completely handcrafted and unique, true to the original driftwood piece in its natural form.
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 49
50 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 51
PURA VIDA / LIVING CR
RESCATE
WILDLIFE
Many Ways to Help Animals in Need
ANIMAL LIFE
R
Story and photos by Lori Anne Haskell
rescues remain under lifetime care ecently, I was contacted by at the facility; these are animals that Rescate Wildlife Rescue would not survive in the wild due to Center and asked if I could use my health or behavioral issues. photography skills to help Costa Rican animals in need. Rescate is Rescate receives over 3,000 an animal sanctuary and wildlife conservation center that rehabilitates animals yearly and releases most of them back into the wild. The center wildlife, breeds endangered species, also has successful breeding preserves habitats programs that help protect and provides lifetime Rescate endangered species from care to wildlife when extinction. The lifetime care necessary. Rescate receives over sanctuary is the only part of is also a nonprofit 3,000 animals Rescate that is open to the foundation that uses all public. Only staff are allowed of its funding to help yearly and to enter the rehabilitation the animals that they releases most and breeding facilities rescue. of them back so maximum privacy is provided to animals Previously, Rescate into the wild. undergoing rehabilitation was called Zoo Ave, but or in the process of the name was changed reproduction. to more accurately reflect the organization’s mission as it is truly a The lifetime care sanctuary wildlife rescue center, not a zoo. houses more than 125 species of animals (over 800 individuals) Since its formation in 1989, that have been rescued and cannot Rescate has been located in La be released back to their natural Garita, Alajuela, on 34 acres of habitat. These animals live within tropical rainforest. The rescue center the beautiful botanical gardens rehabilitates orphaned, injured, or confiscated animals and then releases of Rescate. The rescued animals them back into the wild at two release all have large enclosures that are naturally designed to offer these sites located in Nicoya and Golfito. animals high-quality lives. Only 2% of the animals Rescate
52 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 53
PURA VIDA / LIVING CR
P H OTO S TO E D UC ATE
ANIMAL LIFE
My first visit to Rescate was in August 2020. The drive takes me about 70 minutes from where I live in the Central Pacific. Upon arrival, I was greeted by two volunteers and a staff member and was put to work right away taking pictures of the animals. I have since visited Rescate two other times. Each time I visit, the staff has a list of animals that they want me to photograph. The pictures I take are used to educate the public about the plight of the rescued animals, as well as important conservation and biodiversity preservation issues. I already feel like part of the family at Rescate, even though I have only visited three times so far. I have a connection to the people there as well as the animals. I want to detail some of the animals I have had the chance to photograph and fall in love with. First, there is a jaguar named Guapo. Guapo has a huge enclosure and seeing him is not guaranteed while at Rescate. I
54 |#searchfindhowl| online
have been lucky enough to see him all three times I have visited. Guapo eats about two kilograms of meat per day, and the monthly cost of feeding him is approximately $250. I was asked to participate in environmental enrichment with Guapo, and was able to work with the staff member who prepares the daily meal for him. I also got to witness Guapo eating his meal, which he devoured in about 10 seconds. He is such a powerful, beautiful creature. Rescate also houses two pumas, named Luna and Dota. The worker who feeds them sometimes wraps each puma's food in banana leaves. This is done so the pumas have to use their senses to find the hidden food in their enclosure. During my last visit, I got to see the resident tapir, named Piki, a little bit more closely. He is usually pretty far back in his enclosure, but on this visit he was right next to where I was standing. I got to see his mouth and teeth and monitor his behavior. His behavior seemed very similar to a pig, but he is much larger than a pig! howlermag.com
VITA L EF FO RTS It is crucial that Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center continues to save Costa Rica’s wildlife. For the past 30 years, its vital work has been funded through visitor entry fees. But now the center is really struggling financially because it was forced to remain closed to the public for several months during the COVID-19 quarantine. Additionally, due to the lack of tourism in Costa Rica because of the pandemic, Rescate is only generating roughly 10% of the income required for animal care. You can help by donating through the Rescate website or by making a donation to its Gofundme campaign. Rescate is also in need of volunteers, and the website provides a contact link to learn more. Another way you can help if you live in Costa Rica or here visiting. Simply take a trip to Rescate’s lifetime care sanctuary in La Garita. It is a wonderful way to see many animals that are difficult to see in the wild. Your entry fee to the sanctuary and any money spent in the facility goes directly to help the animals. #s earchf indh owl
BA BI E S GROW QU I CKLY During my visits to Rescate, I have really enjoyed watching the baby animals grow. Since I am only there about every two weeks, some of the small babies get significantly bigger between visits. One of the babies I have enjoyed seeing grow a little bit bigger is a baby sloth named Frai Choco. He is so cute! Other babies I have been watching grow up include a pair of squirrel monkeys, a trio of howler monkeys and a pair of capuchin monkeys named Bugsy and Diego. Another fun experience I had at Rescate was visiting a group of parrots. As I walked into the building to take a picture of a yellow-naped Amazon parrot, I heard a voice say "hola, hola." I knew a person was not saying this and soon realized it was one of the parrots. So far, my work at Rescate has been at the main facility in Alajuela, but I look forward to visiting the release sites in Golfito and Nicoya in the future as well. HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 55
Huacas
56 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 57
PURA VIDA / LIVING CR
CBD
Effective Treatment for Breast Cancer
B
reast cancer is one of the tumors with the highest mortality and incidence in Costa Rican women and around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 458,000 people die from the disease.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPY
This is not only bad news, but also a situation that we must deal with. In Costa Rica, records indicate that the incidence of these cases has been increasing considerably over the past decade. Reasons for tumor spread may be related to hereditary issues, radiation exposure, obesity and other factors. However, early detection and prevention has managed to reduce related deaths in recent years. In fact, the country registers 87% of cancer survival. The reasons: better access to diagnostic methods and a great diversity of approaches to the therapeutic treatment.
58 |#searchfindhowl| online
by Daniel Gómez
CBD AND THC: A NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO BREAST CANCER The invasion and metastasis of aggressive breast cancer cells is the final and fatal step during cancer progression and is the least genetically understood. Currently there are therapeutic interventions, but they are still limited for breast cancers that are aggressive and metastatic. The effects of cannabis on cancer have been studied since 1970, when researchers found that cannabinoids (several molecules found naturally in our body and in cannabis) have the ability to regulate tumor growth and in some cases lead cancer cells to death. Although there are more than 100 cannabinoids found, the most studied are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The fundamental difference between the two is that the first provides psychotropic effects, while the second provides no psychotropic action. That means that it will not give you the “high” commonly associated with marijuana. howlermag.com
Scientific research has found that these components working together can reduce or even eliminate different carcinogenic tumors, and also helps as a treatment against the side effects of chemotherapy. Among them are nausea, insomnia and mood changes.
Scientific research has found that these components working together can reduce or even eliminate different carcinogenic tumors.
Last year, new research published in Egypt showed that a CBD extract induced the death of cancer cells in a study of women with breast cancer. All these results support evidence found by Cristina Sรกnchez, a researcher at the Complutense University of Madrid, on the ability of cannabinoids to decrease or treat various types of cancer, including breast cancer. A few years ago, Sรกnchez presented her research "Cannabinoids as Anti-Tumor Therapy" in the country to raise awareness of the subject. CAN CBD BE IMPLEMENTED FOR THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE IN COSTA RICA? At least 40 countries have regulated the production of hemp or medicinal cannabis. In Costa Rica, President Carlos Alvarado and the Congress are promoting initiatives to regulate local production. The government promotes hemp cultivation, while the bill entitled "Law for Medical Cannabis and Hemp Production" of Congresswoman Zoila Volio, would regulate the production of both medicinal cannabis, and hemp.
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 59
PURA VIDA / LIVING CR
"Marijuana" and hemp are both varieties of the cannabis sativa plant and have great potential for medicine, industry and food. CBD is present in both varieties, but the big difference is that marijuana produces higher THC levels than hemp. The local industry could benefit from THC, CBD or fiber production. In Costa Rica, the production and sale of cannabis products remains illegal. According to international reports, at least 70% of hemp CBD products are contaminated or mislabeled. Therefore, a proper local regulation would benefit local patients looking for legal products.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPY
Patient groups such as the Fundación de Pacientes Pro Cannabis (FUCOCAME) are glad about political conversations, although they are concerned about possible overregulation and bureaucracy in the governmental initiatives. "For the sector to be internationally competent, we must avoid excessive bureaucracy,” said FUCOCAME President Mauricio Liscano. “The initiatives have progressed, but fundamental aspects such as citizen participation, seed distribution and the licenses are not yet clarified." With the current political context, the future of cannabis medicine in Costa Rica could be decided in the upcoming months.
60 |#searchfindhowl| online
Medical Cannabis News has more information Website: medicalcannabisnews.com Instagram: @mcnglobal www.facebook.com/mcnglobal Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ Medicalcannabisnews/videos
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 61
250mg Balm $44.99
Pharmaceutical Grade
$39.99
500mg Balm $69.99 $59.99
Pet Meds $39.99
Broad Spectrum Hemp CBD Oil
$29.99
ADDITIONAL 15% OFF ALL PRODUCTS See bottom of page for details!
“Not All Hemp Is Created Equal, Not All CBD Is The Same” Soft Gels
Energy Sticks
Tinctures
Facemask
$124.99
$99.99 $5.99 each
$54.99
$44.99
$99.99
$69.99
$15.99
$8.99
$4.99 each
QUALITY products VALUE in the industry!
The best st and the be
City Hemp Rx sells Pharmaceutical Grade, Broad Spectrum Hemp CBD oil products with our NEAT (Nano-Enhanced Absorption Technology): Increases bioavailability in your body by 500% & WAT (Water Absorption Technology): Our products gets absorbed into your body in minutes vs hours
MAKE US YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR ALL YOUR HEMP CBD OIL PRODUCTS. $49.99
$39.99
findhowl| online 62 |#search 412.389.4333
GO TO
Use code 15OFF at checkout!
howlermag.com cityhemprx.com cityhemprx@gmail.com
LEARN MORE ABOUT CBD At cityhemprx.com/articles featuring a variety of topics such as: “Drugs That May Interact with CBD Oil” “10 Strategies to Fine-Tune Your CBD Oil Dosage” “CBD for Insomnia” and more! Pharmaceutical Grade
Broad Spectrum Hemp CBD Oil
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 63
GIFTS
of LOVE and Hope from Within
When Cancer Hits the Pause Button
I
by Lussania Viquez
remember when they told me "Lussania, you have to repeat the biopsy. It came out suspicious but not conclusive." I told them, "Okay, no problem."
I was so sure that there was no need to feel afraid. Two years ago I had had a biopsy done for the same reason and the result had been negative. Unfortunately this result was very different.
Awareness
64 |#searchfindhowl| online
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
And that is how my life battle began. In January 2012, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at only 26 years old — a young woman with a healthy lifestyle and many projects in hand. I had all the will to live, but a diagnosis that forced me to disrupt my life. I had surgery in February that year to remove the tumor and then in March to place a catheter to apply chemotherapy. In April I started the treatment: a total of 16 sessions for six months in a row. After finishing chemo, I received 33 radiation therapy sessions every day for two months. It is no secret to anyone that chemotherapy is a very powerful treatment, so it inevitably changed my physical appearance. I lost my hair completely: my waist-length hair, my eyebrows and my eyelashes. My nails peeled away from my skin and I gained weight from fluid retention. M ETAM OR P H OS IS W ITH IN Even more devastating than these physical side effects was the metamorphosis that I lived internally to try to stay on my feet. Many radical and unexpected changes were occurring emotionally and spiritually at the same time.
howlermag.com
This pause that life imposed allowed me to know another part of myself. I learned to show off my best beauty, inner beauty. I learned from my own experience that God gives us what we need to overcome trials if we ask him from the heart. Although it sounds ironic, we must carry the cross with joy to make it easier.
need hope! MA N DATOR Y BR EAK I think the hardest part for me was taking a mandatory break in my life. It is like zooming along in a sports car at 200 kph and suddenly, colliding with a concrete fence! That's how I felt when they told me, it's cancer!
Many times I had fear and moments of weakness during the treatment. So many things came to a halt, but never my dreams or my desire to fulfill them.
But this unexpected pause helped me focus on the really important things in life. It allowed me to identify more with the suffering of others and do what I can to help others. It helped me to value every To encourage myself, I kept ray of sunlight and every detail of thinking that it was a process, that creation, no matter how small it may it was temporary, and that seem. It taught God squeezes but does not me not to wait It taught me hang. I learned to ignore for tomorrow these messages: "Poor not to wait for to tell someone thing, so young and with I love them or cancer" and "Oh, what tomorrow to tell refrain from a shame she is sick."he giving a hug. someone I love sunshine — without having to wait to reach the after them or to refrain thatToday, final destination. tough from giving a hug. experience, One day reading a I am totally book, it occurred to me healthy. My life that I was focused on myself, on returned to normal little by little moving forward with "me," and on and God has blessed me with a job “me” being well. But I realized there that I am passionate about. I am a were other people who were going communicator by profession and I through difficult things too, and a can develop in the area that I love need for me to show caring for them. the most, the media. That's how I decided to share my history, helping women who are going through the same experience. In short, I began to do what I could from "my chair." Although it is true that all cases are different, we all
#s earchf indh owl
Photos by Daniel Moreno
Family photos Family photos
I feel deeply blessed and chosen, because despite the ordeal, cancer made me a better human being in all aspects of my life. Cancer has allowed me to touch many hearts with the grace of God.
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 65
PURA VIDA / LIVING CR
by Marian Paniagua
YOGA
in Breast Cancer Care It can make a difference
R
egular practitioners of yoga attest to its positive impact on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Yoga can be empowering as we strive for balance and inner awareness. Moving from one pose to another, slowly and deliberately, encourages us to maintain sensations and notice what’s happening in our body, with curiosity instead of fear. This sense of presence and compassionate self-awareness is how we identify unresolved issues in our physical body.
YOGA WISDOM
But what if those issues have already manifested in our body as a disease like cancer? Can a regular practice of yoga have an effect on a person’s recovery? There are compelling reasons to answer, yes. Yoga has much to offer during recovery from illness, including breast cancer. Various yoga poses — particularly forward bends, back bends and twists — can help pacify and then activate the adrenal glands, which are depleted through the stress and anxiety typically associated with cancer treatment and recovery.
66 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
One of the ways yoga promotes this is through the practice of “santosha,” which translate as contentment — accepting the present moment as it comes. It does not mean giving up, but rather is an active form of surrender to the here and now. Instead of judging a life experience as good or bad, we can adopt a neutral point of view, detached from the outcome. Many attribute their acquired wisdom in dealing with life’s difficulties to this practice of detachment or contentment. Science supports yoga as a complementary therapy for breast cancer recovery. A 2014 Ohio State University study, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that yoga significantly improved symptoms of fatigue, low vitality and inflammation.
Daily yoga practice has also been shown beneficial in overcoming fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and depression. It can lift our spirits and help us regain valuable energy. Equally important, it’s a time for meditation and quieting the noise of our mind, so we are better able to make thoughtful, careful choices. When a woman undergoes chemotherapy, the impact on her body is dramatic. In addition to hair loss, her nails may become darker and more fragile and her skin appearance may change. Yoga can help a woman adjust to these changes in her body. It can help her develop the emotional strength to feel more comfortable embracing the way she looks, the way she moves and how she is feeling.
#s earchf indh owl
Women in the test group attended 90-minute hatha yoga classes, twice a week for 12 weeks. They were randomly selected from 200 research participants in different stages of breast cancer, all having completed treatment within the past three years, and follow-up therapy at least two months earlier. Comparisons with the control group showed that the women attending yoga classes had significantly higher vitality rates early in the study and at the end. Fatigue and inflammation symptoms were significantly reduced in the yoga group after three months. The investigators concluded, “Chronic inflammation may fuel declines in physical function leading to frailty and disability. If yoga dampens or limits both fatigue and inflammation, then regular practice could have substantial health benefits.” HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 67
CB D + E SS E NTI A L O ILS A N D H EA LT H Y T ERP EN ES
Our mints and vape pens are made with all-natural, whole plant CBD, terpenes, essential oils and vitamins and formulated with true wellness in mind. Our products are crafted to meet the unique needs of personal relaxation, energy and sleep to help you feel your best. Let us provide
Y O U R D A I LY D O S E O F N A T U R E .
SH O P N OW
Learn more:
68 |#searchfindhowl| online
www.ECOTherapyCBD.com
@ecotherapycbd
howlermag.com
REVIVE Uplifting cannabinoids and terpenes bring a focused, creative energy, breathing new life into your routine.
2020 High Times Hemp Cup Winner! Best CBD Vape Pen Award: Revive 500mg Pen
RELAX
REST
A calming blend of essential oils, cannabinoids and terpenes create a tranquil consistency throughout the course of your day.
This fusion of essential oils, vitamins and terpenes helps achieve a new understanding of sweet dreams.
G ET 1 5 % O F F YO U R O R D E R W IT H COD E H OW L E R1 5 #s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 69
PURA VIDA / LIVING CR
by Laura Méndez
SIMPLE
Steps to Sleep Better
Wellness Feature
H
1. Take the TV out of your bedroom. 2. Stop watching the news, especially at night.
ave you ever tossed and turned all night long, not being able to sleep?
3. If you enjoy watching movies at night, limit yourself to only specific evenings, and not every day. Less is better. 4. Don't drink coffee or other stimulants after midday.
Getting a good night’s rest is crucial for multiple reasons. Allowing our bodies and minds to “reset” is key for cognitive and memory function, body detoxification, mood stabilization and cellular repair.
5. Practice earthing every day: walk barefoot in contact with the earth, the soil or the sand for at least 15 minutes. 6. Work out a minimum of three days a week and make sure each workout lasts at least 40 minutes.
What can we do when poor sleep or even insomnia becomes an ongoing problem? Here are some solutions you can start applying today to improve your sleep. I find it useful to group these simple steps into three interconnected pillars of wellness: body, mind and emotions. Let’s start with the easiest one to manage.
7. Include adaptogenic foods in your day-to-day diet to repair adrenal fatigue. 8. Eat whole foods that are fresh and organic. Reduce or eliminate packaged food, dairy products, gluten, GMÓs, refined sugar and alcohol. (Check my Howler article about the mind and gut connection in the July 2020 e-magazine.) 9. Reduce or eliminate the consumption of alcohol.
70 |#searchfindhowl| online
10. As much as possible, stop the use of electronics after 8 p.m.
body
Be aware of the type of information you choose to watch, listen to, read and accept.
11. Wear glasses with orange lenses during nighttime to block blue light, which affects our bodies and natural sleep cycle. 12. Take a warm shower before bed to wash away all the energies of the day. howlermag.com
Here are a few extra recommendations that you can research and test to find out if they are suitable for you. 1. Supplement your diet with ashwagandha root by consuming some daily around 5 p.m.
mind
1. Answering this simple, yet powerful, question can provide insights to many aspects of your life: what thought is keeping you awake? 2. Practice meditation daily. There are many different styles of mediation, so if you don't have a practice yet, start testing different modalities until you find what suits you best. 3. What are you feeding your mind? Be aware of the type of information you choose to watch, listen to, read and accept. Is this information based on fear or love?
2. Use a small amount of calming essential oils like lavender before bed. 3. Practice yin yoga or restorative yoga in the afternoon. 4. Add a sweet bath rinse to your shower routine by mixing in a pot four cups of water and a handful of basil leaves, holy basil, chamomile, rosemary and rose petals. Heat on low for 10 minutes and let cool. Use this herbal infusion after your shower by pouring it over your head and rinsing your whole body. Do not rinse this off ‌ it IS your rinse. Then dry yourself with a towel.
emotions
Reach out to me and let me 1. Manage stress and strong emotions in a healthy way. Recognize them, acknowledge their presence but don't cling to them. 2. What unresolved issues are keeping you awake? 3. Are you afraid of something?
#s earchf indh owl
know which of these solutions you implemented and what results you noticed.
Until next time! HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 71
72 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 73
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
IREN
RENAISSANCE INSTITUTE
New Solutions to Learn and Thrive
COMMUNITY FEATURE
by Sylvia Barreto Benites
74 | #searchfindhowl| online
R
enaissance Institute, known as IREN, is a Costa Rican nonprofit organization focused on finding educational solutions for children and adults. Barely two weeks after our inauguration, the pandemic that shut the country down in March 2020 found us having to change course. New problems needed new solutions and IREN was there to find them. The prolonged isolation of children and growing concern of families guided IREN to its newest adventure. We coupled with Black Stallion and opened an educational nature center that allows children to return to nature while learning core subjects.
howlermag.com
We take the stress of homeschooling out of the home.
What does IREN offer? IREN offers study methods, focused learning groups and individual tutoring. Computer science, reading, body expression, languages, painting, theatre, writing, drawing, mathematics, geography and history are part of our proposals to the local and international community. Another IREN service is helping students and parents navigate online and remote education. IREN can guide students from online programs and offer a curriculum for home education. We teach students to navigate the system and make sure they complete their classwork. IREN can take any program your child works with and modify it in a project-based learning system.
#s earchf indh owl
IREN does not offer a diploma, degree or title; rather we tutor. We help students and parents navigate online and distance education. IREN has worked closely with the Ministry of Education of Costa Rica, various U.S. districts and distance learning programs and various Canadian educational systems, as well as the U.S. GED program. This enables us to take any program you work with and modify it into a project-based learning system. We can guide students in online programs, offer a curriculum for homeschooling or follow your country's homeschooling requirements. IREN teaches your children to navigate the system themselves and make sure they are completing their assignments. We take the stress of homeschooling out of the home.
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 75
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
Why IREN?
COMMUNITY FEATURE
IREN’s philosophy comes from years of frustration, study and innovation. To my role as director, I bring a Masters in Education and 25 years of experience in public, private and alternative classrooms, both as a teacher and a mother. My family's frustration with education led us out of New York to Costa Rica and then jumping from school to school. I realized there was a better way and I would have to create it. I studied the brain, linguistics and alternative teaching methods for my adult Spanish language students and my children. My goal is to create a space for young people and adults to learn in their own way, where students can explore their own talents, find hidden ones and finally thrive. This is what I wanted for my children and what I have created for yours. IREN believes that what some call a deficiency is actually a trove of abilities. We search for the strengths of people individually and learn their weaknesses, in this way giving each person power over them. IREN knows that every person has potential; it is just a matter of finding the key to unlock it.
76 |#searchfindhowl| online
How do we do it? We have all been offered alternatives in education before, but in the end we find ourselves in the same learning dynamics. IREN offers a controlled growth approach in each phase. In the current campus, IREN will offer 30 spots in our three programs: five students from ages 2 to 5, 15 students aged 6 to 11 and 10 students 12 years and older. Having so few enrolled in each age group allows us to focus completely on each student, taking the time to create an individual study plan and modify it as we go. These 30 students will have five dedicated educators catering to their educational and emotional needs, as well as supplementary professionals offering the opportunity to learn skills from masters. In addition, students utilize the 33 acres of lush forest in Black Stallion’s Eco Camp. There they learn survival skills, gardening and animal care, and in general, will strengthen their positive attitudes for life.
howlermag.com
Why choose IREN? If you are looking for a transitional place during the pandemic or a real change in the way your children are educated, or want to eliminate the stress of homeschooling, then you have a home in IREN. Your kids will love and look forward to coming each day. Our facilities are exceptionally spacious, well-equipped, modern and safe, helping to rapidly expand knowledge. Expect your children to return home full of stories about their experiences, and also sweaty and muddy from play and being outdoors. Your kids will find a love of math, reading and all other subjects. IREN will become your partner to resolve educational weaknesses and help heal emotional trauma.
#s earchf indh owl
This is what IREN does! IREN continues to help the community by organizing clothing donations and now is hoping to get computers into the homes of local families. We are currently raising money to bring hundreds of donated laptops to the schools, nonprofit organizations and families that have suffered educationally from a lack of technology.
Check us out: irencr.com
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 77
Try out our new search bar.
We’ve upgraded HorizonPacificVacations.com to help you find the perfect property for your vacation needs! Our vacation rentals in Tamarindo are as varied as the clients who rent them. From the traveler on a budget to the one with a fondness for luxury, one of our Tamarindo vacation rentals should accommodate you. We have villas in tranquil settings, condominiums with spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding countryside and homes of varied sizes and locations. Some properties have access to a huge tropical pond-like pool while others have small community or private pools. • All Staff in Masks • Flexible Cancelations • Safe Check-in and Check-out •
Vacation Rentals • Property Management • HOA Management 888-795-7373 (US & Canada) • (011) 506-2653-0390 • HorizonPacificVacations.com 78 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
NEED A WEEKEND GETAWAY? Get your MAILA Dufflebag now...
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 79
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
‘I visited the facility and immediately sensed the vibe — a fun, positive atmosphere where the people are happy.’
80 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
‘I DARE TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE’
A Foundation with a Solutions-Driven AGENDA
DOING BUSINESS RIGHT
by Terry Carlile
#s earchf indh owl
L
ocated in the impoverished community of La Carpio, Heredia, you’ll discover a settlement of nearly 50,000 people, made up of Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, and people of other nationalities. Nestled in that neighborhood are the operating facilities of a group called the SIFAIS Foundation. Financed by various organizations and individuals, it provides free socio-educational services through volunteers in communities severely impacted by economic poverty and social segregation. SIFAIS offers educational activities with the intent of restoring enjoyment in the lives of participants. Learning is encouraged in ways that revitalize people and organizations through critically important social inclusion. The foundation’s interactions with members of vulnerable communities have proven beneficial in breaking through common negative stereotypes and disregard. Demonstrations of great talent and a desire to excel have been an outcome.
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 81
DOING BUSINESS RIGHT
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
82 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
BETWEEN THE SEAMS As part of the SIFAIS learning platform to enrich the lives of thousands, Entre Costuras (Between the Seams) has an education component geared to women. This program proved to be a fortunate discovery for young, enthusiastic entrepreneur Isabelle Eppler, while researching companies to produce her fabric creations. “I visited the facility and immediately sensed the vibe — a fun, positive atmosphere where the people were happy,” Isabelle recalled. Having moved from Switzerland in 2017 and settled in Tamarindo, where she enjoys surfing and the friendly Costa Rican culture, Isabelle was ready to pursue her business ambitions. “I’ve always been creative, yet my career path led me away from what I really enjoyed,” she said. Isabelle started making bags for fun and selling to friends in the community. Her next step was to start searching for a factory in Costa Rica that offered good-quality products and favorable working conditions. This led her to SIFAIS, where she was immediately impressed by the Entre Costuras program and convinced it was an ideal fit. “I got to meet all the ladies who were to be involved in making my product and heard the variety of stories that brought them to this junction in their lives,” Isabelle told us.
#s earchf indh owl
MAKING A DIFFERENCE “These workers are from severe poverty, with seemingly no hope. But participating at SIFAIS, they get to experience an enthusiastic learning, working environment. My friends are being an asset in their community. That’s the fire that inspires me … engaged with a project that IS making a difference.” Fittingly, “Dare to make a difference” is the motto that Isabelle came up with when founding her Maila Surfbags line in 2019. “I didn’t want to be just another brand flooding the market with bags made somewhere in Asia with unknown conditions,” she stated. Maila is Hawaiian for “girl who loves water” and describes Isabelle exactly. You can view Isabelle’s surf and yoga bags online and at some local outlets. If you’re a consumer who supports excellent communityempowering programs while shopping consciously, then consider Maila products. Be assured they were created by women whose lives have been changed for the better by SIFAIS. Click here for SIFAIS website.
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 83
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE The Importance of Knowing How to Manage Your EQ by Joanna Blanco
B
eing an entrepreneur with a business to run can sometimes be overwhelming. Maintaining a business is a demanding role that requires significant time, attention and energy. Meanwhile, your entrepreneur mind has many great ideas that you don't want to slip away.
ENTREPRENEUR CR
Creating an equilibrium is important to keep growing as a person and in your business. I hope some inside information about the concept of emotional intelligence — commonly known as EQ — will help you strive for a balance to succeed in your goals. Let's say that your EQ is measured by: how you deal with your positive and negative emotions + how this impacts your behavior = how you react with others and with yourself In my July 2020 Howler e-magazine article I outlined some ways for entrepreneurs to practice mindfulness. Using mindfulness can also help you deal with your EQ. Why?
84 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
How you react to these opposite pieces of information reflects your EQ level. That means the extent that you control your euphoric emotion in response to the excellent news preceding the terrible news. Focusing on the emotion that will impact the other person in this instance, you might want to react empathically to the bad news rather than show you are extremely happy about your own news. This example illustrates the leveling of your emotion to convey an empathic reaction. This behavior can have a positive result in your relationships; think of business as a basket for relations. Now you are wondering how to improve your EQ. I am not an expert in this area, but I will give you some tips that I learned when I became a coach. Let me start from the standpoint of selfawareness, which enables you to recognize how an emotion makes you react. Example: You have the best news of your life. At the same time, someone (an employee, client or friend) comes to you with news that is terrible but doesn’t affect you personally. #s earchf indh owl
NO JU D GMEN T It is difficult for human beings not to judge or criticize. Our culture has taught us rules for what we “must do" to belong to society. But in truth, we are all different. We come from different families and have different educational backgrounds. Maybe we learned at home that the best coffee is black, while other families think espresso is the best coffee. HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 85
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
So what seems best may be what you were taught as a child and related to ever since. Yet, even if we live in the same country, our beliefs might be different.
What you think and how you show it can impact your business.
EM OTI O N P E RC E P T I O N Instead of reacting to a contrary belief or behavior by concluding it is wrong, analyze the situation and work on your emotion perception. “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes” when striving to respond with empathy. WO RK O N YO U R S E L F
ENTREPRENEUR CR
Check the way you express yourself verbally and through body language. Perhaps you tend to overexpress your feelings, or not show them at all. Consider what works better in your environment, circumstances and relationships. Improved control of emotional intelligence can contribute to better relationships and work environments. What you think and how you show it can impact your business. Changing behavior patterns can lead to success in your business and personal relationships. When you make EQ adjustments that enhance your wellbeing, repeat them over time. Then your emotionally intelligent responses become routine and occur naturally. To learn more about this fascinating topic, contact me. Visit joannablanco@vivesattva.com or Instagram: Movimiento Sattva. Your first coaching session is free, with no obligation for a second one.
86 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
We take social distance serious
Your health is a priority for us! - Check in with zero contact - 48 hours between reservations - Cleaning by professionals
Work from anywhere
Take advantage of social distancing and work with forest views www.vacasa.com
4001-8476
Special rates! Casa Cielo San Carlos, Alajuela
Explore Casa Cielo 3D
#s earchf indh owl
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=vG2c7jLVCvW
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 87
CR BIZ MINI-MAG
The tax rate will be reinstated in stages over a period of time. 88 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
VALUE ADDED TAX MODIFIED FOR TOURISM Due to COVID-19 by Ivan Granados
T
he Costa Rica government continues to adjust to the financial implications of COVID-19. To help stimulate future tourist spending as the country gradually reopens for foreign visitors, on August 19, 2020, the law N. 9882 was published in “La Gaceta.”
LEGAL EASE
Law 9882 modifies the transitory IX’s first two paragraphs of the Law to Strengthen Public Finance, Law 9635. It refers to the Value Added Tax (VAT) that must be applied to tourism services rendered by those duly inscribed in the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT). This law establishes gradual adjustments to required VAT payment amounts that ultimately reflect decreased income for tourism service providers. Although it does not exonerate the tourism sector from VAT indefinitely, the tax rate will be reinstated in stages over a period of time as follows: 1. July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 inclusive — fully exempt rate of 0% VAT
#s earchf indh owl
2. July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 inclusive — rate of 4% VAT 3. July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 inclusive — rate of 8% VAT 4. July 1, 2023 forward (for all tourism services) — fully restored to previous general rate of 13% VAT In addition, a final paragraph is added to Article 26 of Law 9635, Strengthening of Public Finance, as follows: “Article 26 - Tax credit in operations subject to a reduced rate: “… In all cases of international air transport services, included in Article 11 Point 1, the taxpayer will have the right to a full tax credit in the purchase of goods and services related to the provision of the service at a reduced rate.” If you operate a tourism service business and would like further details or guidance on this helpful VAT modification, we are at your service at info@gmattorneyscr.com
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 89
90 |#searchfindhowl| online
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 29
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 91
RE/MAX OCEAN SURF & SUN
Buying or selling a home? Find a RE/MAX Agent In Playa Tamarindo since 1999. Sales of condominiums, homes, lots, fincas and businesses. Playa Tamarindo Monday to Saturday, 9-5 2653-0073 ~ 866.976.8898 www.remax-oceansurf-cr.com
92 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Considering Costa Rica? Then Make Informed Decisions Learn from 30+ Years of the unique blend of Canadian and Costa Rican legal practice, helping expats. Learn the important issues, from: • Choosing your optimal lawyer or realtor • The U.S./Canadian vs the Costa Rica legal system • Applying for residency for renting or p • Legal process purchasing property • Benefits of incorporating a company • Costa Rica Banking System and Escrow process...
...to any other concerns you may have. Online Consultations • Limited Attendance Seminars with an Open Q&A Session • Private Consultations in the Flamingo, Tamarindo, and Playas Del Coco Areas Learn from someone who’s living your dream...
LIC. RICK PHILPS, COSTA RICA LAWYER
www.costaricacanadalaw.com
Information and Reservations at Email: rick@costaricacanadalaw.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 93
94 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
Stem cells are being used to treat:
Contact the experts at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute to learn more about stem cell therapy!
∙ Diabetes. ∙ Orthopedic injuries and chronic conditions. ∙ Wounds. ∙ Spinal cord injuries and spinal stenosis. ∙ Traumatic brain injury. ∙ Cardiovascular disease. ∙ Erectile dysfunction. ∙ Some neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
THE BENEFITS OF STEM CELL THERAPY Stem cells have the ability to grow, repair and regenerate any type of human cell or tissue. Stem cell therapy is a medical procedure that uses stem cells to repair damaged tissue from certain diseases or physical injuries. Stem cell therapy can offer relief to patients suffering from chronic pain, difficult-to-heal injuries, and certain chronic conditions.
#s earchf indh owl
info@stemcellstransplantinstitute.com
Tel US: +1 305 506 6405 / CR: +506 2208 8618
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 95
Use Discount Code 10% HOWLER 96 |#searchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com
#s earchf indh owl
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 97
Social Media Videos Commercial Production Photography Events
Schantz
Studio.com
98 |#searchfindhowl| online
for more information contact
info@schantzstudio.com howlermag.com
Let´s celebrate love in Costa Rica...
+506 8333-9000 #s earchf indh owl
diverseweddingscr
info@diverseweddingscr.com
www.diverseweddingscr.com
HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 99
Contact us to learn more about how we can create your own personalized magazine.
info@howlermag.com
100#s| earchfindhowl| online
howlermag.com