http://costaricare.blogspot.com/
http://paradiseweddingscr.blogspot.com/
http://costaricapi.blogspot.com/
http://leonescr.blogspot.com/
http://genealogycr.blogspot.com/
http://attorneykearney.blogspot.com/
http://attorneykearney.com/
Friday, March 6, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Comments about San José and customs
San José, the capital of Costa Rica also shares the name with the central province of the country.
I sometimes hear comments from expats, other blogs and websites as well as visitors talking about San José, distorting or misinterpreting the city.
San José is a small city compared to cities in the USA or Canada, like most of those cities you will also see that the crime rate increases, it is not as clean, has smog from cars and factories and has a faster pace in lifestyle than most other places outside of the capital.
You will see some narrow streets, more cars and people than in Heredia, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Santa Cruz, Liberia or Golfito.
Costa Rica values tradition very much and although there is a lot of American and European influence, it still keeps some customs which are a mixture of the influence of it´s roots, it´s inhabitants and it´s traditions, which by the way are very unique and different than other latin american countries.
Their is a party attitude among the general population specially among people in San José, many young adults, older adults, university students are always going out dancing, drinking beer, whiskey or wine, singing karaoke, eating bocas /finger foods), this goes on all week long, mondays included.
Bull fights: Costarrican Bull fights are similar to the Mexican and Spanish bull fights where a bull is let loose inside a closed ring, the difference is that in Costa Rica the bull is not hurt or killed, approximately 50-100 improvised bull fighters run, jump and tease the bull, until the animal starts chasing someone and many times catches them and throws them in the air, some are seriously hurt but most are just seriously scared after a close call, on rare occasions the bulls kills someone.
Sometimes to make the bull fights more exciting and as an incentive for the bull fighters, they put a bill between the bulls horns.
San José has many very modern malls, theaters, bars, fancy restaurants, museums, live music, movie theatres, parks, stores, internet cafes, hotels, art shows etc.
One thing you will notice all over the country and not just in San José are the houses with bars on the windows, this is basically for two reasons, 1- decorative purposes and 2- security.
It has been a tradition for many years even before the security issues that have risen in the past 10- 15 years or so started, most people when buying a new house choose what type of iron decorations they will have made for their windows and gates, through the years these bars are now used for security also since in recent years there have been break ins to homes and in the last 5 - 10 years or so there have also been some home assaults in some areas.
Luckily this is not even close to being near as dangerous or as common as it is in most cities in the USA, Canada, Europe.
Friendliness is a trait that most costarricans have in San José as well as every other corner of the country, people are friendly and like to make foreigners feel at home, it is a place where you can make friends very easily, however also beware that there are also people who prey on innocent people, natives and foreigners who are cons or people of bad reputation, use common sense and precaution at all times no matter who you are with or where in the world you are located when meeting someone for the first time.
Avoid going to dark allies, streets, whore houses, bars with prostitutes and the red light zone, if you are looking for illegal activities you will most likely find trouble more soner than later, although prostitution among adults is not legal it isn´t illegal either, it´s more or less tolerated in certain areas.
Central avenue is the main street that runs from east to west and divides the downtown area, it begins at the bottome of the hill below the Legislative Assembly (Congress) known as Cuesta de Moras and goes a few miles and turns into Paseo Colon until it gets to La Sabana Park where the statue of Leon Cortes is located.
Directions in Costa Rica not just San José are given by landmarks, even though the streets and avenues have been numbered for many years, nobody uses them to give directions, the only exceptions are central avenue and second avenue.
Avenues south of central avenue are even numbers, north of central avenue are odd numers, the streets are also divided the same way with a central street, however not many people are sure of which street that actually is .
A common address in San José as well as anywhere else in the country is ¨Del Teatro Nacional 100 varas o metros al este y 25 varas o metros al norte, casa de verjas blancas ¨, translation is ¨From the National Theatre 100 meters(1 block) east and a quarter of a block north, house with white bars¨.
I sometimes hear comments from expats, other blogs and websites as well as visitors talking about San José, distorting or misinterpreting the city.
San José is a small city compared to cities in the USA or Canada, like most of those cities you will also see that the crime rate increases, it is not as clean, has smog from cars and factories and has a faster pace in lifestyle than most other places outside of the capital.
You will see some narrow streets, more cars and people than in Heredia, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Santa Cruz, Liberia or Golfito.
Costa Rica values tradition very much and although there is a lot of American and European influence, it still keeps some customs which are a mixture of the influence of it´s roots, it´s inhabitants and it´s traditions, which by the way are very unique and different than other latin american countries.
Their is a party attitude among the general population specially among people in San José, many young adults, older adults, university students are always going out dancing, drinking beer, whiskey or wine, singing karaoke, eating bocas /finger foods), this goes on all week long, mondays included.
Bull fights: Costarrican Bull fights are similar to the Mexican and Spanish bull fights where a bull is let loose inside a closed ring, the difference is that in Costa Rica the bull is not hurt or killed, approximately 50-100 improvised bull fighters run, jump and tease the bull, until the animal starts chasing someone and many times catches them and throws them in the air, some are seriously hurt but most are just seriously scared after a close call, on rare occasions the bulls kills someone.
Sometimes to make the bull fights more exciting and as an incentive for the bull fighters, they put a bill between the bulls horns.
San José has many very modern malls, theaters, bars, fancy restaurants, museums, live music, movie theatres, parks, stores, internet cafes, hotels, art shows etc.
One thing you will notice all over the country and not just in San José are the houses with bars on the windows, this is basically for two reasons, 1- decorative purposes and 2- security.
It has been a tradition for many years even before the security issues that have risen in the past 10- 15 years or so started, most people when buying a new house choose what type of iron decorations they will have made for their windows and gates, through the years these bars are now used for security also since in recent years there have been break ins to homes and in the last 5 - 10 years or so there have also been some home assaults in some areas.
Luckily this is not even close to being near as dangerous or as common as it is in most cities in the USA, Canada, Europe.
Friendliness is a trait that most costarricans have in San José as well as every other corner of the country, people are friendly and like to make foreigners feel at home, it is a place where you can make friends very easily, however also beware that there are also people who prey on innocent people, natives and foreigners who are cons or people of bad reputation, use common sense and precaution at all times no matter who you are with or where in the world you are located when meeting someone for the first time.
Avoid going to dark allies, streets, whore houses, bars with prostitutes and the red light zone, if you are looking for illegal activities you will most likely find trouble more soner than later, although prostitution among adults is not legal it isn´t illegal either, it´s more or less tolerated in certain areas.
Central avenue is the main street that runs from east to west and divides the downtown area, it begins at the bottome of the hill below the Legislative Assembly (Congress) known as Cuesta de Moras and goes a few miles and turns into Paseo Colon until it gets to La Sabana Park where the statue of Leon Cortes is located.
Directions in Costa Rica not just San José are given by landmarks, even though the streets and avenues have been numbered for many years, nobody uses them to give directions, the only exceptions are central avenue and second avenue.
Avenues south of central avenue are even numbers, north of central avenue are odd numers, the streets are also divided the same way with a central street, however not many people are sure of which street that actually is .
A common address in San José as well as anywhere else in the country is ¨Del Teatro Nacional 100 varas o metros al este y 25 varas o metros al norte, casa de verjas blancas ¨, translation is ¨From the National Theatre 100 meters(1 block) east and a quarter of a block north, house with white bars¨.
Friday, January 16, 2009
23 bodies found and many more injured, several still missing
The amount of bodies recovered after last weeks earthquake has risen to 23, over one hundred people were injured and recieved attention from the red cross, over 500 families are now homeless and awaiting for help while they spend the days and nights in shelters.
Over 20 people are missing and have not been found yet.
One of the most difficult rescues was the one done by the Colombian rescue squad who showed their repelling skills while recovering the body of a Dos Pinos (milk company) employee who was in his car trapped in the middle of a cliff completely buried except for a hand that was showeing outside of the vehicle.
Police, volunteers and rescue experts continue to search for missing residents, 26 kilometers of roads are completely destroyed and the government is analizing whether to reconstruct the roads or build a different road from Vara Blanca to San Miguel of Sarapiqui.
Food and clothing has been donated by several charity groups and private citizens such as the Lions Club of Costa Rica, Channel 7 news, Red Cross, the government of the USA donated $50,000 and the government of Colombia $100,000.
Loses from the earthquake amount to over US 100 million dollars.
9 counties hve been declared in a state of emergency, they are Alajuela, Grecia, Poas, Alfaro Ruiz, Valverde Vega, Heredia, Barva, Santa Barbara and Sarapiquí.
The area where the most disaster occured was in Cinchona a small town which virtually dissapeared, Vara Blanca, Poas, Poasito, Fraijanes as well as the waterfalls in that area.
The families in the shelters are needing medicine supplies, underwer, personal hygene items such as toothpste, soap, toothbrushes, tapons, diapers, shampoo, medicines, batteries, dogfood, and veterinary supplies etc
Many strong aftershocks are still being felt, the last aftershock was about 30 seconds ago, my guess is that it is a 4.8 on the richter scale.
Over 20 people are missing and have not been found yet.
One of the most difficult rescues was the one done by the Colombian rescue squad who showed their repelling skills while recovering the body of a Dos Pinos (milk company) employee who was in his car trapped in the middle of a cliff completely buried except for a hand that was showeing outside of the vehicle.
Police, volunteers and rescue experts continue to search for missing residents, 26 kilometers of roads are completely destroyed and the government is analizing whether to reconstruct the roads or build a different road from Vara Blanca to San Miguel of Sarapiqui.
Food and clothing has been donated by several charity groups and private citizens such as the Lions Club of Costa Rica, Channel 7 news, Red Cross, the government of the USA donated $50,000 and the government of Colombia $100,000.
Loses from the earthquake amount to over US 100 million dollars.
9 counties hve been declared in a state of emergency, they are Alajuela, Grecia, Poas, Alfaro Ruiz, Valverde Vega, Heredia, Barva, Santa Barbara and Sarapiquí.
The area where the most disaster occured was in Cinchona a small town which virtually dissapeared, Vara Blanca, Poas, Poasito, Fraijanes as well as the waterfalls in that area.
The families in the shelters are needing medicine supplies, underwer, personal hygene items such as toothpste, soap, toothbrushes, tapons, diapers, shampoo, medicines, batteries, dogfood, and veterinary supplies etc
Many strong aftershocks are still being felt, the last aftershock was about 30 seconds ago, my guess is that it is a 4.8 on the richter scale.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
6.2 Earthquake today at 1:20 pm. 2 children and 2 adults dead
Many people were shaken this afternoon in Costa Rica, two children died after a landslide buried them between the towns of San Isidro and Fraijanes in Heredia.
Two children and two adults have died so far from this eathquake.
Approximately 20 people injured in Cartago and 20 in Poas of Alajuela.
Several people who were driving are also still trapped in their cars and left uncommunicated.
At least 250 aftershocks so far have been felt in many parts of the central valley.
Houses in Cartago have also collapsed.
Poas of Alajuela, San Isidro of Heredia, San José, Vara Blanca and Fraijanes are the towns most affected.
The National Emergency Commission is recommending that people stock up on water and canned food as well as batteries and flashlight as a preventive measure.
Yesterday Costa Rica had a 4.0 earthquake and El Salvador also had a strong earthquake, minor damages were reported.
Costa Rica usually has earthquakes during Christmas and Easter week, but because of the absence of high rises, most of the time there are minimum damages.
Two children and two adults have died so far from this eathquake.
Approximately 20 people injured in Cartago and 20 in Poas of Alajuela.
Several people who were driving are also still trapped in their cars and left uncommunicated.
At least 250 aftershocks so far have been felt in many parts of the central valley.
Houses in Cartago have also collapsed.
Poas of Alajuela, San Isidro of Heredia, San José, Vara Blanca and Fraijanes are the towns most affected.
The National Emergency Commission is recommending that people stock up on water and canned food as well as batteries and flashlight as a preventive measure.
Yesterday Costa Rica had a 4.0 earthquake and El Salvador also had a strong earthquake, minor damages were reported.
Costa Rica usually has earthquakes during Christmas and Easter week, but because of the absence of high rises, most of the time there are minimum damages.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)