Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Orchids
The national flower of Costa Rica is the purple orchid known as Cattleya Skinneri.There are many orchid shows around the country, where they are exhibited along with the sale of other plants and supplies.
Specially during the months of February, March which is when most species are in full bloom.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
World Bank analysis
83 %of the countries in the world ranked below Costa Rica according to the World Bank who analyzed 209 countries between 1994 and 2004, they took in consideration the political, civil and human rights, political stability and violence, government effectiveness, unfriendly market policies, rule of law, and corruption control.
Costa Rica 83. %
Chile 76.7 %
Uruguay 62.1 %
Panama 55.3 %
Dominican Republic 48.1 %
Mexico 43.7 %
Brazil 43.7 %
Nicaragua 43.7 %
El Salvador 39.8 %
Argentina 38.3 %
Bolivia 28.6 %
Peru 27.2 %
Honduras 26.7 %
Paraguay 25.7 %
Ecuador 23.3 %
Guatemala 21.8 %
Venezuela 13.6 %
Colombia 5.8 %
Costa Rica 83. %
Chile 76.7 %
Uruguay 62.1 %
Panama 55.3 %
Dominican Republic 48.1 %
Mexico 43.7 %
Brazil 43.7 %
Nicaragua 43.7 %
El Salvador 39.8 %
Argentina 38.3 %
Bolivia 28.6 %
Peru 27.2 %
Honduras 26.7 %
Paraguay 25.7 %
Ecuador 23.3 %
Guatemala 21.8 %
Venezuela 13.6 %
Colombia 5.8 %
Arenal Volcano
The Arenal volcano is approximately 4,000 years old and grew to 1,633 meters/ 5,372 feet in height, the area around it is a national park with a view point for tourists to see the lava flow day or night.
A few small fumaroles opened in it´s summit in 1938, then again in 1958 and 1960.
In 1967 the water temperature of Río Tabacón started rising, then in 1968, the volcano became active again and started blowing ashes that covered the capital of San José, 78 people died from nearby towns of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo, people had to carry their umbrellas to cover themselves from falling ashes, during this time President John F.Kennedy was visiting.
In the national park there are several marked trails that you can hike along part of the volcano to get a closer view.
One of the main attractions of Volcan Arenal are the hot water springs that flow from the top or the Arenal volcano, in recent years many hotels and pools have sprung up between the volcano and the town of La Fortuna, such as Arenal Springs, Baldí, Tabacón, there is also a small public area next to the road where people take a dip day or night.
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
A few small fumaroles opened in it´s summit in 1938, then again in 1958 and 1960.
In 1967 the water temperature of Río Tabacón started rising, then in 1968, the volcano became active again and started blowing ashes that covered the capital of San José, 78 people died from nearby towns of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo, people had to carry their umbrellas to cover themselves from falling ashes, during this time President John F.Kennedy was visiting.
In the national park there are several marked trails that you can hike along part of the volcano to get a closer view.
One of the main attractions of Volcan Arenal are the hot water springs that flow from the top or the Arenal volcano, in recent years many hotels and pools have sprung up between the volcano and the town of La Fortuna, such as Arenal Springs, Baldí, Tabacón, there is also a small public area next to the road where people take a dip day or night.
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Should I buy or should I rent
This is a common question that I have heard many times among people relocating to Costa Rica.
When someone has decided to move to another country, there wish is to be a homeowner and not rent for the rest of their lives, we all know the advantages of being a home owner, although now in some places in the USA it is better to be renting because of tax issues, however this is not a problem in Costa Rica since property taxes are usually very low.
Some people have been saying that it is better to rent for a period of time than to buy right away, this has several implications, we believe that a person relocating to Costa Rica has already decided to live here because they have visited the country on vacation and loved it enough to live here at least part time, so taking this in consideration, buying would be the more intelligent thing to do since real estate prices in Costa Rica are always going up and have never gone down in the past, yes they must go down at some point, but most likely not in the near future, since
Costa Rica is continually becoming more popular all the time, thereby increasing the demand of residential homes, the recent approval of the Free Trade Agreement with the USA will only add more demand to commercial and industrial property as well as residential homes.
I have seen several cases of people renting first and then deciding to buy the house that was being rented at a price quoted originally only to find out that a few months later the owner had already raised the selling price almost double, why did this happen, well the explanation is that the price was very low to begin and when she found out what other homes were going for she raised the price and the demand had also increased, the owner decided to move and find another deal, so far after about five years and several other opportunities the renter is still renting and probably will continue to do so.
Prices for real estate in Costa Rica vary a lot from as low as $50,000 to as high as a couple million dollars, depending on the area and the size.
There is always something available for any budget, cooler climates, warmer climates and everything in between.
A good idea when buying a house in Costa Rica and anywhere else for that matter is to know what your budget is for buying a property, what size land, house and specifications you absolutely need, what type of neighborhood and area, do you prefer near the beach ? in the mountains ? in the city or outskirts ?
By narrowing down your requirements you will save a lot of time and effort in choosing a house.
When someone has decided to move to another country, there wish is to be a homeowner and not rent for the rest of their lives, we all know the advantages of being a home owner, although now in some places in the USA it is better to be renting because of tax issues, however this is not a problem in Costa Rica since property taxes are usually very low.
Some people have been saying that it is better to rent for a period of time than to buy right away, this has several implications, we believe that a person relocating to Costa Rica has already decided to live here because they have visited the country on vacation and loved it enough to live here at least part time, so taking this in consideration, buying would be the more intelligent thing to do since real estate prices in Costa Rica are always going up and have never gone down in the past, yes they must go down at some point, but most likely not in the near future, since
Costa Rica is continually becoming more popular all the time, thereby increasing the demand of residential homes, the recent approval of the Free Trade Agreement with the USA will only add more demand to commercial and industrial property as well as residential homes.
I have seen several cases of people renting first and then deciding to buy the house that was being rented at a price quoted originally only to find out that a few months later the owner had already raised the selling price almost double, why did this happen, well the explanation is that the price was very low to begin and when she found out what other homes were going for she raised the price and the demand had also increased, the owner decided to move and find another deal, so far after about five years and several other opportunities the renter is still renting and probably will continue to do so.
Prices for real estate in Costa Rica vary a lot from as low as $50,000 to as high as a couple million dollars, depending on the area and the size.
There is always something available for any budget, cooler climates, warmer climates and everything in between.
A good idea when buying a house in Costa Rica and anywhere else for that matter is to know what your budget is for buying a property, what size land, house and specifications you absolutely need, what type of neighborhood and area, do you prefer near the beach ? in the mountains ? in the city or outskirts ?
By narrowing down your requirements you will save a lot of time and effort in choosing a house.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Things to do in Costa Rica
There are many things to do in Costa Rica Beaches are very pretty all are different, white sand, tan sand and dark sand and shells instead of sand.
Visit one of the eleven different micro climates in the country such as the cloud forest, rain forest, activities such as seeing the works of artisans, artists at different exhibits, beaches, canals of Tortuguero, canopy tours, climates, cloud forest, forests, mountains, see and buy hand painted oxcarts and souvenirs, white water rafting, learn spanish, surfing, have a beach lunch in Tortuga island, visit the volcanoes and hot water springs, volcanoes, canopy tour, learn spanish, go to concerts, walk along central avenue, go dancing, sing karaoke, visit little towns, go on train rides, sailing, fishing, swimming, boating, golf, canopy, snorkeling, bungee jumping, try your luck at the casinos.
Visit one of the eleven different micro climates in the country such as the cloud forest, rain forest, activities such as seeing the works of artisans, artists at different exhibits, beaches, canals of Tortuguero, canopy tours, climates, cloud forest, forests, mountains, see and buy hand painted oxcarts and souvenirs, white water rafting, learn spanish, surfing, have a beach lunch in Tortuga island, visit the volcanoes and hot water springs, volcanoes, canopy tour, learn spanish, go to concerts, walk along central avenue, go dancing, sing karaoke, visit little towns, go on train rides, sailing, fishing, swimming, boating, golf, canopy, snorkeling, bungee jumping, try your luck at the casinos.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Territorial divisions of Costa Rica, (Provinces and Counties)
Population= 4,133,884
Costa Rica consists of seven provinces (provincias): Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón,Puntarenas, San José.
Costa Rica consists of seven provinces (provincias): Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón,Puntarenas, San José.
The provinces are further divided into 81 counties(cantones), which are subdivided into districts (distritos).
Province-Population - % of total-Pop. density (/km²) - Area - % of total
San José 1,345,750 35.3% 271.3 11,266 22.1%
Alajuela 716,286 18.8% 73.4 10,141 19.8%
Cartago 432,395 11.3% 138.4 9,754 19.1%
Puntarenas 357,483 9.4% 31.7 9,189 18.0%
Heredia 354,732 9.3% 133.5 4,960 9.7%
Limón 339,295 8.9% 36.9 3,125 6.1%
Guanacaste 264,238 6.9% 26.1 2,657 5.2%
Costa Rica 3,810,179 74.6 51,092
County Province
San José San José
Escazú San José
Desamparados San José
Puriscal San José
Tarrazu San José
Aserrí San José
Mora San José
Goicoechea San José
Santa Ana San José
Alajuelita San José
Vázquez de Coronado San José
Acosta San José
Tibás San José
Moravia San José
Montes de Oca San José
Turrubares San José
Dota San José
Curridabat San José
Pérez Zeledón San José
León Cortés Catro
Alajuela Alajuela
San Ramón Alajuela
Grecia Alajuela
San Matéo Alajuela
Aténas Alajuela
Naranjo Alajuela
Palmares Alajuela
Poás Alajuela
San Carlos Alajuela
Orotina Alajuela
San Carlos Alajuela
Alaro Ruiz Alajuela
Valverde Vega Alajuela
Upala Alajuela
Los Chiles Alajuela
Guatuso Alajuela
Cartago Cartago
Paraíso Cartago
La Unión Cartago
Jimenez Cartago
Turrialba Cartago
Alvarado Cartago
Oreamuno Cartago
El Guarco Alajuela
Heredia Heredia
Barva Heredia
Santo Domingo Heredia
Santa Barbara Heredia
San Rafael Heredia
San Isidro Heredia
Belen Heredia
Flores Heredia
San Pablo Heredia
Sarapiquí Heredia
Liberia Guanacaste
Nicoya Guanacaste
Santa Cruz Guanacaste
Bagaces Guanacaste
Carilllo Guanacaste
Cañas Guanacaste
Abangares Guanacaste
Tilarán Guanacaste
Nandayure Guanacaste
LA Cruz Guanacaste
Hojancha Gaunacaste
Puntarenas Puntarenas
Esparza Puntarenas
Buenos Aires Puntarenas
Mones de Oro Puntarenas
Osa Puntarenas
Aguirre Puntarenas
Golfito Puntarenas
Coto Brus Puntarenas
Parrita Puntarenas
Corredores Puntarenas
Garabito Puntarenas
Limón Limón
Pococí Limón
Siquirres Limón
Talamanca Limón
Matina Limón
Guácimo Limón
San José 1,345,750 35.3% 271.3 11,266 22.1%
Alajuela 716,286 18.8% 73.4 10,141 19.8%
Cartago 432,395 11.3% 138.4 9,754 19.1%
Puntarenas 357,483 9.4% 31.7 9,189 18.0%
Heredia 354,732 9.3% 133.5 4,960 9.7%
Limón 339,295 8.9% 36.9 3,125 6.1%
Guanacaste 264,238 6.9% 26.1 2,657 5.2%
Costa Rica 3,810,179 74.6 51,092
County Province
San José San José
Escazú San José
Desamparados San José
Puriscal San José
Tarrazu San José
Aserrí San José
Mora San José
Goicoechea San José
Santa Ana San José
Alajuelita San José
Vázquez de Coronado San José
Acosta San José
Tibás San José
Moravia San José
Montes de Oca San José
Turrubares San José
Dota San José
Curridabat San José
Pérez Zeledón San José
León Cortés Catro
Alajuela Alajuela
San Ramón Alajuela
Grecia Alajuela
San Matéo Alajuela
Aténas Alajuela
Naranjo Alajuela
Palmares Alajuela
Poás Alajuela
San Carlos Alajuela
Orotina Alajuela
San Carlos Alajuela
Alaro Ruiz Alajuela
Valverde Vega Alajuela
Upala Alajuela
Los Chiles Alajuela
Guatuso Alajuela
Cartago Cartago
Paraíso Cartago
La Unión Cartago
Jimenez Cartago
Turrialba Cartago
Alvarado Cartago
Oreamuno Cartago
El Guarco Alajuela
Heredia Heredia
Barva Heredia
Santo Domingo Heredia
Santa Barbara Heredia
San Rafael Heredia
San Isidro Heredia
Belen Heredia
Flores Heredia
San Pablo Heredia
Sarapiquí Heredia
Liberia Guanacaste
Nicoya Guanacaste
Santa Cruz Guanacaste
Bagaces Guanacaste
Carilllo Guanacaste
Cañas Guanacaste
Abangares Guanacaste
Tilarán Guanacaste
Nandayure Guanacaste
LA Cruz Guanacaste
Hojancha Gaunacaste
Puntarenas Puntarenas
Esparza Puntarenas
Buenos Aires Puntarenas
Mones de Oro Puntarenas
Osa Puntarenas
Aguirre Puntarenas
Golfito Puntarenas
Coto Brus Puntarenas
Parrita Puntarenas
Corredores Puntarenas
Garabito Puntarenas
Limón Limón
Pococí Limón
Siquirres Limón
Talamanca Limón
Matina Limón
Guácimo Limón
Christmas time in Costa Rica
December is probably the best time to visit Costa Rica.
There are parades and festivals of all kinds, two of the traditional parades are the Christmas parade and the horse parade which are held near the end of December, in recent years the Christmas parade had been replaced by the Parade of Lights organized by the Municipality of San José.
The Carnivals in Zapote and Palmares also attract huge crowds of people who go dancing, partying, beer drinking, and cruising around, they also have costarrican bull fights where many people gather in a rodeo style structure called el ¨redondel¨, many improvised bull fighters tease and get close to the bull, while the crowds laugh and scream every time the bulls catch or scares one of them, it is a dangerous sport and the red cross is always attending the improvised bull fighters that are caught and thrown up the air, very few have been killed.
At the end, the bulls never get hurt much less killed and it ends with a firework display.
People in Costa Rica celebrate the whole month of December and usually into January.
another traditional activity is the ¨avenidazo¨ which is the stroll along central avenue throwing confetti to others.
After people receive their ¨aguinaldos¨ which is the yearly Christmas bonus people start the serious Christmas shopping.
Costarricans become extra giving during the month of December and you will very likely see people and organizations collecting funds, toys and school supplies for underprivileged children in poor communities.
There are parades and festivals of all kinds, two of the traditional parades are the Christmas parade and the horse parade which are held near the end of December, in recent years the Christmas parade had been replaced by the Parade of Lights organized by the Municipality of San José.
The Carnivals in Zapote and Palmares also attract huge crowds of people who go dancing, partying, beer drinking, and cruising around, they also have costarrican bull fights where many people gather in a rodeo style structure called el ¨redondel¨, many improvised bull fighters tease and get close to the bull, while the crowds laugh and scream every time the bulls catch or scares one of them, it is a dangerous sport and the red cross is always attending the improvised bull fighters that are caught and thrown up the air, very few have been killed.
At the end, the bulls never get hurt much less killed and it ends with a firework display.
People in Costa Rica celebrate the whole month of December and usually into January.
another traditional activity is the ¨avenidazo¨ which is the stroll along central avenue throwing confetti to others.
After people receive their ¨aguinaldos¨ which is the yearly Christmas bonus people start the serious Christmas shopping.
Costarricans become extra giving during the month of December and you will very likely see people and organizations collecting funds, toys and school supplies for underprivileged children in poor communities.
Tradition is a very important value that costarricans cherish, Christmas is more a religious holiday celebrated with a large Christmas dinner on the 24th of December where all the family gathers to exchange presents, see relatives that they may not have seen recently and share Tico tamales, Christmas cake,wine, coffee, beer, etc
New Years eve on the other hand is one big party, usually people gather in homes until midnight and then give each other a happy new year kiss, light up firecrackers, blow horns and dance, many have a lot of good luck belief which they do on December 31st, such as eating a dozen grapes at the stroke of midnight, start counting money for wealth, carry a suit case all around to travel during the year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
Paternity immigration question, Costa Rica
Question from a reader:
My half sister was born in Peru. Her dad also my dad is costarican her mom is peruvian. She (my sister) has been living here in CR for 13 years now but my dad is a punk and doesn't want to help her because he only cares about his 3rd wifes´ family and himself. So now my little sister is 19 and she hasn't been able to get her CR cédula because my punk dad cant take the time to go with her to sign the paper at the Registro so she can get her cédula. She now has a daughter that was born here and is almost a year old and her boyfriend is a little kid and they are not going to get married. So i just want to ask. Is there anything else she can do to get her cédula or can i sign anything for her being her big brother or can our grandma sign anything so that she can be a legal Costa Rican? After all, she is half costa rican!
Attorney...
Answer :
Hello Yes, your sister as well as you are entitled to costarrican citizenship through her/your fathers nationality.But if he refuses to have her registered or accepts being the father then she will have to do another procedure to prove that she is his daughter.
This process is called a paternity investigation and is done through an attorney and through the courts in Costa Rica.
I have done many of these procedures and in the court process a DNA test is applied for, if he does not show up for the test after a couple of dates he will be considered the father of your sister along with tall the rights and obligations that that entails.After the Judgement is obtained it then is registered, finally after it is registered your sister will have costarrican citizenship.
This however must be done before her 26 birthday !!!!!!!The sooner the better,
I know it might seem like a complicated procedure but it really isn´t, it involves three procedures that are not that complicated.
Another option is to do a paternity acceptance with a Lawyer and have him sign the Lawyers protocol book where the original document of paternity is done by the Lawyer and then registered.
Many times a father will not want to go register as the father of his son or daughter if they are under 24 years old because of the possibility of having to pay for child support, so they wait until the child is over that age, but if they were not born in Costa Rica then it will be more complicated to obtain costarrican citizenship for the son or daughter.
If you would like more information or representation you can contact our offices at
(506)8-841-0007, (506)2-221-9462or at costarica@attorneykearney.com http://attorneykearney.com/ http://attorneykearney.blogspot.com/
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
Attorney...
Answer :
Hello Yes, your sister as well as you are entitled to costarrican citizenship through her/your fathers nationality.But if he refuses to have her registered or accepts being the father then she will have to do another procedure to prove that she is his daughter.
This process is called a paternity investigation and is done through an attorney and through the courts in Costa Rica.
I have done many of these procedures and in the court process a DNA test is applied for, if he does not show up for the test after a couple of dates he will be considered the father of your sister along with tall the rights and obligations that that entails.After the Judgement is obtained it then is registered, finally after it is registered your sister will have costarrican citizenship.
This however must be done before her 26 birthday !!!!!!!The sooner the better,
I know it might seem like a complicated procedure but it really isn´t, it involves three procedures that are not that complicated.
Another option is to do a paternity acceptance with a Lawyer and have him sign the Lawyers protocol book where the original document of paternity is done by the Lawyer and then registered.
Many times a father will not want to go register as the father of his son or daughter if they are under 24 years old because of the possibility of having to pay for child support, so they wait until the child is over that age, but if they were not born in Costa Rica then it will be more complicated to obtain costarrican citizenship for the son or daughter.
If you would like more information or representation you can contact our offices at
(506)8-841-0007, (506)2-221-9462or at costarica@attorneykearney.com http://attorneykearney.com/ http://attorneykearney.blogspot.com/
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Perpetual tourists
This question has been asked and answered many times,
Permanent residency is for those of you that want to live here permanently most of the year and not worry about immigration or getting back in the country or looking over their shoulder when your visa has expired.
Law number one in Costa Rica is you can do it if you think you can getaway with it!
But if you want to be on the correct side of the law, then get your permanent residency started if you plan on living here!
Many tourists get away with being a perpetual tourist but immigration, being a strange creature that changes constantly always changes it´s rules, their policy has always been that tourist visas are for tourists and permanent residency is for those that want to live here permanently.
Those perpetual tourists may be in for a big surprise when immigration decides to continue to crack down on them.
It is much easier to apply for residency and be legal, it does not matter how long they will take because you will be legal in the country no matter how long they take to approve your residency, the ball is in their side and you will be safe from having to pay bribes or end up in a cell awaiting deportation.
I have gone many times to immigration detention to get foreigners out of jail because they thought it wouldn´t be a problem and got caught in an immigration raid, most are Nicaraguans, Colombians and Dominicans but there are always several americans and Europeans that get caught and deported.
My best advice is don´t push your luck too much.
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
http://attorneykearney.com/
Permanent residency is for those of you that want to live here permanently most of the year and not worry about immigration or getting back in the country or looking over their shoulder when your visa has expired.
Law number one in Costa Rica is you can do it if you think you can getaway with it!
But if you want to be on the correct side of the law, then get your permanent residency started if you plan on living here!
Many tourists get away with being a perpetual tourist but immigration, being a strange creature that changes constantly always changes it´s rules, their policy has always been that tourist visas are for tourists and permanent residency is for those that want to live here permanently.
Those perpetual tourists may be in for a big surprise when immigration decides to continue to crack down on them.
It is much easier to apply for residency and be legal, it does not matter how long they will take because you will be legal in the country no matter how long they take to approve your residency, the ball is in their side and you will be safe from having to pay bribes or end up in a cell awaiting deportation.
I have gone many times to immigration detention to get foreigners out of jail because they thought it wouldn´t be a problem and got caught in an immigration raid, most are Nicaraguans, Colombians and Dominicans but there are always several americans and Europeans that get caught and deported.
My best advice is don´t push your luck too much.
Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
http://attorneykearney.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)