I don't know what is going on with the government of Costa Rica and it seems like every day I/m feeling more sorry for the Ticos. Last January, the government hammered the people with higher traffic fines, tolls increases and corporation Tax and before that, the cigarette tax. We all know how importing luxury items like cars, boats, electronic products are already taxed to death ... … [Read more...]
One of the things that Gringo's have always been puzzled on is Costa Rica' very old "dry law” (Ley Seca); a liberal law that prohibits sales of liquor, wine and beer at Easter and Christmas, besides elections and such sectarian holidays as Sept. 15 (Independence Day). Bars are supposed to be closed … but as most know, it usually is the front door only! Establishments … [Read more...]
In 2011 National Geographic had a photo contest and ironically one of the winners in the nature category was a picture of a fruit fly resting on a green coffee bean in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Obviously unknown to the photographer, it implicated one of Costa Rica's worst nightmares is alive, well, and continues to threaten Costa Rica's multimillion dollar agriculture business. The … [Read more...]
One again, as the New Year gets started, Costa Rican's will find themselves paying more to the government. Ticos by nature are non-aggressive, but this time the government may experience what American's have seen, "country wide protests" and what some of the Bloggers are writing about, "WTF - The don't understand land!" Starting today (Jan 1, 2012) Costa Rica will see ( to name the few) … [Read more...]
In the past, tourist and nonresident anglers could pick whether or not they wanted a monthly ($13 USD) and/or yearly fishing license ($25 USD). Considering that most anglers come to fish once a year (about 98%) they’d pick the cheaper. Fishermen who don't know this in advance have been known to get a little upset at having to shell out cash at the dock to get one before they set forth on a … [Read more...]
I don't know if it is just me, but it seems like every time you turn around Costa Rica is having some sort of labor strike. Last Monday, about 2000 union workers of Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) (government monopoly on power and light company) went on strike, and snarled traffic on several major streets in and around San Jose. They were protesting a bill in the Legislative … [Read more...]
Coffee has always played a major role in Costa Rica's history and economy. Up until a few years ago it was Costa Rica's #1 exported and very commercialized product. The largest growing areas are in the provinces of San José, Alajuela, Heredia, Puntarenas, and Cartago. It is grown just about everywhere in Costa Rica. Even if I like all the commercial brands like Cafe Milagro and Britt, I … [Read more...]
In the last couple of weeks one of our accounts has been having a hard time logging into their server. So after they rebooted the router a few times and then cleaned the ends of the cables the problem still existed. For a while it was driving me a bit crazy why this was happening until suddenly that light bulb clicked on; I remembered the article I wrote back in April, 2010, Net Neutrality For … [Read more...]
I know that there are many questions about serving process here in Costa Rica. This blog is not intended to be legal advice nor is it a legal opinion. However, I think a review of the procedure for serving process in the States would shed light on the problems encountered here in Costa Rica serving process. In the United States we are accustomed to paying anywhere between $50 to $100 to have … [Read more...]
One of the biggest bummers in Costa Rica is their infamous import tax, a horrendous tax that is applied to so-called luxury items, such as boats, vehicles and electronics. A tax that makes these items VERY expensive. Anyone that has tried to import a vehicle knows how a $10,000 vehicle can quickly become a major investment and/or headache. However, this week may have changed that. It is no … [Read more...]
A tip (also called a gratuity) has always been a special thanks to a server for good service. Such payments and their size are a matter of social custom and etiquette and usually are around 10% plus of the total bill. Tipping varies among cultures and by service industry. In Costa Rica, those that provide services in restaurants and bars or unskilled labor make less than $2/hr (more like … [Read more...]
Beginning this week the new Apple, iPhone G4 will start selling in Costa Rica. Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) the state’s telephone, and Internet monopoly, officially became the NEW monopoly distributor and exclusive seller for Apple's new iPhone G4s. Retailers who have iPhones for sale in Costa Rica, unless it is an ICE authorized agent, are not authorized by Apple to sell … [Read more...]
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