The styluses of the seismometers at the research departments of our national universities were busy on Tuesday, March 13th with reports of an earthquake that was slightly felt during lunchtime. The epicenter of the seismic event has not yet been pinpointed. The initial reports from the Seismic and Volcanology Observatory (OVSICORI in Spanish) indicate that the epicenter was three kilometers sou...

SANTA ANA – The most senior man in Costa Rica celebrated his 112th anniversary on this Earth with a birthday party at the TGIF restaurant in Escazu on Saturday, March 10. Jose Uriel Delegado Corrales is a resident of a senior living center located in Piedades, Santa Ana. Don Jose Uriel's birthday party also served to celebrate the noble work of the senior living center that is managed by pious...

Everyone knows that coffee is only second to crude oil in terms of trading commodities, and thus the coffee industry can be pretty lucrative. Billions of dollars in future contracts for coffee are traded daily in commodities exchanges around the world. The burgeoning coffee culture and high demand for the drink around the world puts money in the pockets of large-scale farmers, distributors, and gi...

In a news article aired by the National Radio Chamber of Costa Rica (CANARA in Spanish), renowned agricultural and ecosystems expert Alexander Bonilla Duran gave some interesting insight behind Kolbi, ICE's amphibian choice for branding of its popular wireless communications and data services. The powerful government-sponsored ICE consortium currently enjoys the lion's share of the lucrative Tico ...

Digital community newspaper La Fragua, along with various other news sources, recently reported on the planned donation of more than 19,000 computers by the government to students at public schools nationwide. This is part of a greater initiative that was first brought to light a few months ago by the Omar Dengo Foundation. The foundation's namesake was an intellectual who was one of the first to ...

JACO BEACH, March 9th, 2012 – Super Thinking + Spanish teacher John Sloan will be in Jaco Costa Rica from March 25th to the 28th for Learn Spanish in Four Days training for those who want to increase their Spanish language comprehension. Spanish is the second-fastest growing language in the world, according to the official language institute Royal Spanish Academy (known as RAE by its Spanish a...

Costa Rica is getting some free worldwide publicity thanks to the hottest tablet computers in the market. In Wednesday's video presentation of the long-awaited new Apple iPad, which is not called iPad 3, images of the Poas volcano and some of our beaches are clearly seen. The iPad promotional video, which can be seen here (QuickTime download and installation may be required), includes a section...

In a recent article titled "Is Wall Street Bullish on Costa Rica?", The Costa Rica Star mentioned that shares of the Ad Astra Rocket Company seem like a good investment due to the tenacity of NASA officials in allocating funds for Mars exploration, despite a sharply reduced budget. This move by NASA bodes well for commercial space exploration outfits like Ad Astra that can support NASA's missions ...

In a recent article that appeared on the online edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Professor David P. Barash of the University of Washington points out a correlation between our Ley 8101 de Paternidad Responsable (Responsible Fatherhood Law - PDF) and current enrollment figures in our public grade schools. Compared to last year, enrollment in our schools decreased by almost 13,000 stude...

The chart accompanying this article shows a graphical representation of historical data released by our Executive Branch in relation to the rate of traditional and non-traditional exports across a five-year period. This chart took a couple of minutes to make and did not involve downloading data. By using a powerful web application called Junar, charts like the one here can be easily created simply...

The latest viral video coming out of Costa Rica is beginning to make the rounds on the online social networks. At the former Aviarios del Caribe bird sanctuary near Cahuita, home to a new sloth rescue center, an orphan baby sloth comes down with a nasty case of mange. This condition necessitates a whole body shave and skin treatment, and the new viral video depicts just that. The tiny sloth is sha...

A dear reader named Sharon recently left a question on the Facebook profile of The Costa Rica Star about the questionable practice of private health facilities charging money upfront for ambulance transportation or even medical procedures. She also wanted to know about the insurance policies accepted by private hospitals like CIMA, Clinica Biblica and Hospital La Catolica. Sharon thinks that the I...

Author's Note: This is not medical advice. When it comes to matters of immunization and prophylaxis, readers are urged to consult with health care professionals. News about the status of certain vaccines in our country have dominated headlines in recent days. The most notorious headline has been that of the special vaccines against the seasonal influenza AH1N1 and AH3N2. According to a report i...

In the eleventh hour, hard rock station 91.5 FM "The Species" survived a fate worse than oblivion thanks to the hard work and dedication of Tico headbangers who simply refused to let their beloved missing link fade away. The radio station had been slated for closure or change in format by parent company Cadena Radial Costarricense (CRC), a modest media group that counts nine radio stations in Cost...

While Liberia and other parts of Guanacaste are developing fast and experiencing significant growth, the sustainable communities in the Osa Peninsula and our Southern Pacific seem to be taking a different approach to residential development. In the case of Finca Bellavista, sustainability is achieved by seeing the forest for the trees and showing deep respect for nature. Finca Bellavista is a t...

You have seen them proudly adorning many of our historical landmarks, such as the National Museum, our Judicial Complex, the National Assembly, the Children's Museum, and our Embassy in Washington DC. In the past, you may have also seen them unceremoniously used as lawn ornaments on the homes of powerful Tico families. Our solemn, gray petrospheres never fail to attract attention, and they will so...

Author's Note: The Costa Rica Star does not hold any interest in the financial instruments mentioned below, nor does it recommend anyone to take a position in any financial market without first consulting a qualified advisor. The lucrative and ultra-risky world of trading financial instruments based on equity securities and precious metals may seem far removed from a sleepy developing nation li...

Costa Rica is well-known around the world as a paradise for deep water fishing enthusiasts. Previous articles published by The Costa Rica Star touched on this subject, from planning a surfing-and-fishing vacation to Guanacaste for maximum enjoyment, to the joys of the Papagayo Peninsula. Other articles have revealed some hidden fishing spots like Manzanillo, and a lightly scientific discussion on ...

UPDATED: Click here to read more about the Tayni Red Bean in Costa Rica. James Marshall, PhD is an alert reader who recently pointed out the following: "A story in several news publications today is about the new red bean (tayni) that will be grown here in Costa Rica. Conspicuously enough, nothing was mentioned about the origins of this new seed. Upon researching the creator of this new seed...

A dear reader named Ruth recently sent us the following question: How does the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act affect other nations doing business in Costa Rica, if at all? Do Canadians and Europeans have to be concerned with understanding this at all? Hello Ruth, thanks for writing. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is a provision of an American law that was passed by the 11...

One of the most awaited presenters at the upcoming 2012 International Design Festival (Spanish acronym: FID) is Benjamin Garcia Saxe, a London-based Tico who was also a presenter at the recent TEDx Pura Vida conference. Benjamin is an acclaimed architect and visual designer who has worked in several world-class projects, including the design of Three World Trade Center, one of the new skyscrapers ...

For most people, describing a cup of coffee involves just a few adjectives. Aromatic, bold, good, smooth, strong, tasty, and maybe a few more. For coffee enthusiasts familiar with the practice of coffee cupping, those adjectives are far from sufficient. In coffee cupping terms, a cup of the acclaimed La Minita coffee from the Tarrazu region would probably be described as bright and mild with aroma...

The upcoming Envision Festival is in some ways reminiscent of an event that took place in Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa in 2009. Both events catered to audiences interested in nature, ecological conservation, yoga, and electronic dance music. The 2009 Breathe Foundation summit in Playa Hermosa, however, was unique because of two documentary films screened that year: Breathe – The Documentary and ...

The International Festival of the Arts (known as FIA by its Spanish acronym) is now just four days away from its 2012 opening. Once the FIA starts in earnest, residents of Costa Rica can look forward to ten days of arts and culture on the streets, in our theaters, and in open performance spaces around our capital city of San Jose.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the FIA, an event organize...

A dear reader named Brad recently left the following question in our Facebook profile: " about good, affordable day trips in and around the SJ. I get a lot of visitors and they are always interested in them." Hello Brad, thanks for your question. Most tourists come to Costa Rica looking for eco-adventures, surfing, fishing, or relaxing at any of our pristine beaches. Our capital city often g...

Centuries before the Wright brothers made their seminal engine-powered flight, humans were clearly obsessed with flight. From the Daedalus and Icarus tales of Greek mythology to Leonardo Da Vinci's ingenious sketches of flying machines, humanity has been set on defying gravity and soaring through the air in search of that ultimate freedom bestowed upon the bird species by Nature. Flying and to...

Author's Note: A lot of the information on this article comes from the Environmental section of the digital news daily El Pais and the National University. The alleged naming of Costa Rica by Christopher Columbus during one of his final voyages of discovery is often the subject of tongue-in-cheek jests by Ticos who know better. "He had no idea", goes the saying, particularly when making referen...

The current globalization trend is affecting many areas of business, particularly the legal profession. Law firms and solo attorneys used to follow a strict jurisdictional pattern, but in the last few years the practice of law has been increasingly crossing boundaries. A good example is the RITEVE v. MOPT case, which is currently being mediated in the United States by powerful legal teams. Legal p...

March is shaping up to be one of the busiest and most interesting months for lovers of the arts and entertainment in Costa Rica. At the same time the Festival Internacional de las Artes unfolds around San Jose, the Arts Festival in Jaco will be taking place, and the Envision Festival gets underway in Bahia Ballena, the second International Design Festival will begin exhibiting at the former custom...

Costa Rica keeps playing the role of gracious and comely host to the international community, and to that extent we have some of the most interesting fair and conferences coming up. From May 22nd to the 25th, the Institute for Business and Finance Research will be holding a Global Conference on Business and Finance in San Jose. Presenters at the conference will read from works related to different...

Some gatherings around the world have become emblematic of the activities they showcase, the lifestyles they support, and the people who choose to form a part of them. Such is the case with the initial iterations of the Lollapalooza festival in the early 1990s, as it heralded the coming together of a new wave of counterculture in the United States and later around the world. Then there's the Toron...

SAN JOSE - Among the many blessings Costa Rica is known for, excellence in gastronomy is not one of them. When it comes to the culinary arts, the vast majority of Tico offerings are limited to dishes that highlight freshness and simplicity, but not much else. For all the quality ingredients that our land produces, the rigors of French cuisine or the innovations of Peruvian chefs are mostly absent ...

Not too many years ago, public Wi-Fi hotspots were a rarity. As the market shifted to mobile devices, the demand for public Wi-Fi hotspots increased exponentially. Airports, hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, and bars quickly jumped on the band wagon to gain a competitive advantage. With our mobile devices, we look for public Wi-Fi hotspots. Mobile users rarely consider the dangers of a public Wi-...

A dear reader named Marianna recently sent us the following question via email: I worked for a Honduran wine company in Roatan, Honduras. Now the owner wants me to be the distributor here in Costa Rica. I tried to talk to the Health Ministry and they would not talk to me. How do we ship wine from Honduras and what is the process to get it here so I can begin selling it to stores and restaurants...

A-1 Auto Transport is your best choice for shipping a car to Costa Rica. Visit their website at www.A1AutoTransport.com or call 1-800-452-2880 to learn more. Car culture is becoming a widespread phenomenon in Costa Rica that shows no signs of abatement. Buying an automobile is expensive enough due to high import taxes; adding the price of fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance, tolls, downto...

A dear reader named Trisha recently left a question on our Facebook wall in reference to the article "Why Monsanto Left Costa Rica". Here's Trisha's question: "The date of the Monsanto pull-out in Costa Rica was 2004; this 60 page paper was written in 2005. Does this all hold true for 2012 post-CAFTA which theoretically could've opened the floodgates for GMOs? As you well know, I am very co...

Costa Rica is becoming an even greener country than it already is; sometimes at an ecological cost for other countries, and often to the gain of a few savvy investors. In the hills of Santa Ana, overlooking the city of Escazu and its ritzy suburbs, construction crews from the National Power and Electricity Company (CNFL in Spanish) have begun work on the future Planta Eólica Valle Central (the ...

A dear reader who wishes to remain anonymous recently sent us the following question: "I am an expat who has been living here for a few years, and I can't seem to figure out Ticas. I just got dumped because I came back home too late from a bar in Escazu after watching the Super Bowl with my friends (go Giants!). She said that she tried calling me, but she should know by now that my Kolbi cell p...

The idea for this article came from the Costa Rica Living Yahoo Group, where Monsanto was discussed in detail by members of the public at large around the world. We felt compelled to bring this discussion external from the closed forum on the Yahoo group to dispel any misconceptions. The Costa Rica Star does not have an opinion in this matter, we are neutral and non biased, the content below is th...

Costa Rica's vacation appeal is undeniable, particularly to visitors from North America, but that didn't stop the national tourism board (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, ICT) from launching one of the most ambitious -and successful- marketing campaigns ever created for stimulating visits to our country.  The Million Dollar Gift of Happiness Campaign has been one of the most clever ways to mark...