Costa Rica Porteadores car vandalized by protesters
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 “porteos” provided that personal “door-to-door” service, where a private individual or company is contracted to pick up a person from one point and/or transferred goods to another, for a set or agreed upon fee. In other words, an unlicensed service, where taxi drivers and commercial drivers have to supply documents, like insurance, business permits and under go a vehicle inspection.
Legal taxi drivers look at the Porteadores as scab labor, and Porteadores look at themselves as people trying to make a living. Obviously, Porteadores have angered license taxi operators, drivers and associations and have pressured the government into producing legislation against the porteo.
February, 2009 Costa Rica Protest - Porteadores and Licensed Taxis - photo by Nacion Read more...(590 words, 2 images, estimated 2:22 mins reading time)
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, reiterating his support of González, his transport minister during his term.
The money will come from a us$65 million World Bank loan approved this year for dealing with emergencies and which could be available to the ministerio de Obras Pública y Transportes (MOPT) in the coming weeks.
The country’s two leading Spanish language newspapers, La Nación and Diario Extra,strong criticism of Gonzalez, seconded by members of the opposition parties who demanded her resignation due to the bad state of the bridge that collapsed last Thursday as a bus went over it.
The bus fell from the bridge, which dates back to the 1920s, into the Tárcoles river in Turrubares, west of San Jose, leaving five dead and dozens injured. Read more...(499 words, 2 images, estimated 1:60 mins reading time)
Costa Rica and China have made another deal, now there is going to be a China Town in San Jose, like the one in Mexico as the photo shows
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 Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, Municipalidad de San José mayor, Johnny Araya and the mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong, to place the cornerstone for the project.
The area in the Catedral district between Avenidas 2 an 14, now known as Paseo de los Estudiantes will become Barrio Chino that will include a pedestrian boulevard. This new Chinatown development will include restaurants serving oriental food and retail stores selling oriental artifacts, medication and other products.
This is just another bonding that Costa Rica is doing to close it ties between China. China and Costa Rica started their diplomatic relations back in July 2007 after Costa Rica broke off relations with Taiwan a month earlier. Read more...(460 words, 2 images, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)
Exchanging money is simple, but do it at the Hotel, banks take time and never exchange money on the Black Market
When exchanging your money, you can either utilize the services at many of the Costa Rica banks, or what we like to suggest, is the services of your hotel – most will exchange your money providing that you are staying there.
The rate they offer usually is be a bit below that offered by banks, however, changing money at the local banks requires plenty of time due to bureaucratic handling procedures. At the hotel, it usually takes about 2-3 minutes once you get to the attendant.
The date of this post the bank’s exchange rate 588 colons to one US dollar and most hotels figure on around 550-560 colons to one US dollar
Beware: There are several money exchangers that offer their services around the downtown area of San Jose, as well as at the international airport. Several of these companies present themselves as legitimate business practices, however, as the majority are not and they will rip you off for the exchange rate. Generally speaking, I do not suggest you take advantage of these services. Read more...(401 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)
Prostitutes from different countries gather in the Del Rey, Costa Rica's most popular prostitution venue - photo by Keely Kernan/Freelancer
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — The slumping global economy is having a stimulus effect on Costa Rica’s famous sex-tourism industry, as a growing number of unemployed women — from Colombia to the Dominican Republic — flock to San José to seek a living in the world’s oldest profession.
In popular prostitution hot spots such as the Hotel & Casino Del Rey and Key Largo, local prostitutes compete with an influx of foreign women from Nicaragua, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and even Russia. The increase in numbers and variety of working women here has reaffirmed Costa Rica’s position as an international hub for prostitution, which is legal and regulated by the government since 1894.
But not everyone is happy about the increased competition, which, along with a contracting economy, has required some prostitutes to lower their prices by as much as 40 to 50 percent.
“Business is bad. The problem is competition. Sometimes I don’t even make enough to take a taxi home after work,” said Costa Rican prostitute Mayela, as she lingers by the bar at Key Largo in search of a client. Read more...(863 words, 2 images, estimated 3:27 mins reading time)
