For a long time now there has been clash between taxi drivers and porteadores (the informal taxi drivers) with the government caught in the middle.
Porteadores have always provided the public’s alternative to transportation, particular in areas where the formal or legal taxis would not provide service, but more likely in smaller towns. The service as [...]
Written on October 28, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
This was my last day in Tortuguero and Vincent and I were getting up early to stroll the beach — we were hoping to see green turtle hatchlings and a beautiful sunrise. At 4:15, I turned off my alarm, hopped out of bed, and grabbed my camera.
The beach was dark and deserted when we walked out; to protect nesting turtles, Tortuguero’s beach is closed from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Our feet in the sand, we sat and waited for 5:00 to roll around — the sky stretched out before us, deep blue in the …
Written on October 27, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
When we met Elvin at 5:00 a.m. for this morning’s fishing excursion, he had good news and bad news. I asked for the bad first and he told me that the ocean was even rougher than it had been two days ago. A look of horror must have registered on my face — I had been worried about seasickness and capsizing in the “calmer” seas — because he laughed and told me the good news: we would be fishing the canals and not venturing into the ocean.
Good is relative, of course. Ocean fishing generally yields …
Written on October 26, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
The Costa Rica government announced on Saturday that it is allocating us$15 million for the reparation of 10 bridges, two days after a tragedy that took five lives and sparked a barrage of criticism against the ministra de Obras Pública y Transportes, Karla González.
Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, personally visited the site of Thursday’s tragedy, [...]
Written on October 26, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
After yesterday’s unseasonal rains — the Caribbean is usually dry during September and October — I was happy to awake to a sunny, beautiful morning. We ate a big breakfast, packed our bags and hopped across the canal to Mawamba Lodge, our final stop in Tortuguero.
As soon as I got off the boat, I felt a tug of nostalgia — more than ten years ago, I made my first visit to Tortuguero. I couldn’t remember where I had stayed, but the question was answered as I toured the lodge: I remembered Mawamba’s wooden decks, rustic …
Written on October 25, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
Safe Internet banking in Costa Rica has been an issue for some time. In December 2007, I wrote this post about how insecure it can be and giving suggestions on how to make it less so. It is clear that I have not been impressed with Costa Rica online banking at least from from [...]
At 6:00 a.m., Elvin picked us up for our grand Tortuguero fishing excursion. It was raining, but the cool raindrops were a welcome respite from the Caribbean humidity. I put on a heavy-duty poncho and hopped into the boat.
We maneuvered out to the river mouth and, to my chagrin, found choppy seas and below-optimal boating conditions. Compared to the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean doesn’t kick up huge waves, but for this area, the sea was unsafe for our small boat. Elvin motored around for awhile, trying to find a break in the waves, but finally …
Written on October 23, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
My alarm sounded at 4:45 — I don’t recommend Tortuguero as a destination for sleeping in — and I hopped out of bed, oddly alert for such an early hour. Sun rays were beginning to peek through the trees outside my room, and I could hear the roar of the surf and howler monkeys just past my window screen. Waking up in a tropical, Caribbean paradise — it’s a rough life, I tell you.
Cerro Tortuguero, or Mount Tortuguero, was closed to tourists just a few years ago; an influx of hikers had compromised the integrity …
Written on October 22, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
China continues to wine and dine Costa Rica, now the government of China will be contributing US$1 million dollars to help construct a Chinatown or Barrio Chino. Of course Costa Rica’s Government or municipalidad de San José will fork out about US$300,000 to help finance the project.
This announcement came in an official ceremony that included [...]
Written on October 21, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
After yesterday’s power nap and a solid night’s sleep, I woke up at dawn and walked along the beach. Turtle Beach is one of few Tortuguero lodges with its own beachfront, and I wanted to take advantage of every minute in this perfect location. The sun was a soft yellow and the volcanic sand was already warm beneath my feet. I’m an early riser, but rarely do I get a chance to walk along a deserted beach just after sunrise — I decided that this was the ideal beginning to the day.
Fifteen minutes and a …
Written on October 21, 2009 | Posted in
Costa Rica News |
Leave a comment
