As I take a break from throwing all of my family’s worldly belongings into totes with duct tape labels, I start to reflect on the fact that I’m moving, yet again, to a new house in Costa Rica. In the midst of preparing to leave house number 6 for house number 7, memories of my former homes come flooding back. Each home has earned a label that my wife and I use to describe them. In order, they are Yorleny’s house, the dust house, the Italian house, mudslide house, the old white house, and our house. Each one has a few core memories associated with it, and I’ll share them with you now. Yorleny’s ..read more

President Rodrigo Chaves insinuated that Norway was influenced by “lobbying” in rejecting Costa Rica’s request for cooperation to calculate the value of alleged natural gas and oil reserves in the country and move towards these non-existent extractive industries. During the press conference, a Costa Rican media outlet asked him about the Norwegian government’s refusal to help the country explore for oil and gas. “Norway didn’t say no,” the President clarified. However, the Norwegian government clearly turned down the proposal according to a letter delivered by Ambassador Ragnhild Imerslund. T ..read more

Since last Sunday, forest fire departments of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area have been dealing with a forest fire in the sector of Amparo in Caño Negro de los Chiles, within the Caño Negro National Mixed Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, it has expanded, affecting the State’s Natural Heritage land and the ecosystems present in the site. This emergency is currently declared as level 2 in terms of damage and is active. According to experts, to date, 110 hectares have been affected. Fifteen members of the fire department have responded to the emergency and are carrying out control and ex ..read more

From Anitta to Beyoncé, through exhibitions and artistic residencies, funk has left the favelas of Rio to become a global phenomenon. However, prejudices still persist in Brazil. With influences from hip hop, electronic music, and a good dose of Afro-Brazilian percussion, this music emerged in the late nineties in Rio, from where it expanded to Sao Paulo, Recife, Belo Horizonte, and other large cities in the country. “Funk feeds the self-esteem of the favela,” said writer Taisa Machado, creator of the Afrofunk Rio promotion platform. “Those of us who work with funk have always known about the ..read more

There is a certain intimacy felt when gazing into the eyes, the “windows of the soul” if you will, of a wild animal. To see a wild creature, in all its splendor, behaving naturally in its native habitat is an experience that can’t be replicated in any zoo or animal sanctuary. When it comes to wildlife tourism, people will pay big money for these experiences, and when done in a manner that doesn’t alter the animal’s natural behavior, they can provide opportunities to increase appreciation and awareness of the intrinsic value of these animals, which in turn promotes empathy for other living cre ..read more

Tensions between President Rodrigo Chaves and the Legislative Assembly continue to be high. This time, PLP Congressman Eli Feinzaig assured that the President of Costa Rica paid for his house in cash. During the afternoon, in his speech, Feinzaig brought up a news item from the newspaper Diario Extra, in which an article was written about it. The article was written in 2020, when Chaves served as Minister of Finance in the Alvarado administration. The journalist interviewed Chaves and asked how much he paid for the house where he and his family live in Curridabat. “It is a personal issue. I a ..read more

In a press conference the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), the government entity responsible for water supply in the country, announced that it cannot guarantee 100% of the water service due to the severe drought caused by the “El Niño” phenomenon and the scarcity of rainfall during the dry season, which lasts from November to May. Juan Manuel Quesada, the executive president of AyA, stated that “the flow rates of surface sources have been reduced by up to 85% in the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, making it impossible to guarantee water 24/7.” This alarming situati ..read more

According to Travel+Leisure’s most recent publication, the Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo and Silvestre Nosara Hotel & Residences, located in Guanacaste, are among the best 100 hotels in the world. These are the only ones in Central America and one of the few in Latin America featured on the list. Both ranked 9th and 19th, respectively, in the category “Best International Resorts of 2023.” About the Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Travel + Leisure details that this resort underwent heavy investment that concluded last year with the remodeling of its facilities. These impro ..read more

A question many of us are asking right now is: How is the colon appreciating so rapidly vs the dollar? Since June, 2022, the USD has lost over 25% of its value against the Costa Rican Colon. No other currency worldwide has appreciated so much against the dollar, not the Sterling Pound, not the Swiss Franc, nor the Japanese Yen. At this writing the official exchange rate is 501 colons to the dollar, the lowest it has been in a decade. Some banks have it pegged as low as 490 to the dollar. All sectors that deal in transactions involving the dollar– tourism, import/export, etc are feeling the bi ..read more

In a significant ruling on Tuesday, the Constitutional Court of Costa Rica struck down a controversial provision implemented by the Ministry of Health that mandated the concealment of warning nutritional labels on food products high in fat, sodium, and sugar. This decision comes as a victory for consumer rights advocates and aligns with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding clear and easily accessible nutritional information. The Court firmly stated that the Ministry’s decision to hide these important labels directly contradicts the fundamental right to health and ..read more