It has always been the policy of Tico Times® Directory to be neutral, and only on rare occasions will we write something political and/or controversial, like what we did on the release of a pedophile, the poaching of Costa Rica sea turtle eggs, and real estate scams. However, this morning we received (not one, but many) of the same cookie-cutter emails: Dear Tico Times Directory, I just … [Read more...]
Is the U.S. Government Spying on Costa Ricans and Storing Their Personal Data?
06/15/2013 by 5 Comments
Costa Rica is no stranger to surveillance; it has always been Central/South America's hub of eavesdropping. Back in the early 1980s the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica was undergoing a remodeling and when finished, the roofs were covered with various sizes of satellite dishes and antennas. These CIA surveillance equipment targeted the conflict areas of Nicaragua, El Salvador, and … [Read more...]
Quepos Billfish Cup Controversy at Marina Pez Vela
02/17/2013 by 4 Comments
First, our congratulations to the 12 boats, captains, crew and anglers, they released 218 billfish overall (216 Sailfish and two Marlin) some very impressive numbers to for this small size of tournament in Quepos. Second, we give excellent credit to Costa Rica Sportfishing, (Americana Sportfishing) who, while, during this second annual Quepos Billfish Cup tournament kept … [Read more...]
Good or Bad Luck Fishing With Bananas in Costa Rica
01/15/2013 by Leave a Comment
Lets face it: anglers are a very superstitious lot, especially those seasoned anglers and captains in Costa Rica. Spend more than a few days on a fishing boat, and you start to understand the feelings of “Good and Bad Luck” … and everything in between. When it comes to bananas, they are considered the epitome of bad luck by many Costa Rica captains. Some will flat out … [Read more...]
Earthquake Hits Costa Rica – Sept 5th, 2012
09/05/2012 by 2 Comments
Images were downloaded via Twitter with their respected author accounts and added to the photo captions. NOSARA, Costa Rica – A powerful, magnitude-7.6 earthquake shook Costa Rica and a wide swath of Central America on Wednesday, collapsing some houses, blocking highways and causing panic, but officials said there were no reports of deaths. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Street Signs and Addresses. “ We don’t need no stinking street sign!”
07/03/2012 by 6 Comments
I had to laugh the other day when the Wall Street Journal wrote an article on how Costa Rican's find addresses - a country where street names or addresses are fictional. Any expat will tell you, "It is a challenge, hassle, and at most time’s pure frustration to find any home, residents, or business." Costa Ricans use the infamous Landmark System (based on distances). Wall … [Read more...]
Hacienda Matapalo – Legit or Scam?
06/09/2012 by 10 Comments
Those in the real estate business know that there are three items that sell homes, Location, Location, Location. In case of the "controversy" Hacienda Matapalo development, a "proposed" 665 acre resort style gated community, situated in a rainforest on a mountain overlooking the Pacific between two beach communities of Quepos and Dominica, location couldn’t … [Read more...]
Costa Rica’s New Luxury Tax – Meat, Fruit and Floors Mops
05/05/2012 by 4 Comments
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...]
Dogs In Costa Rica – Stray, Puppy Mills and Abuse
04/17/2012 by Leave a Comment
About 2 to four times a month we get these heartbreaking emails from animal lovers about stray dogs that wander the streets. And of course the story of the man who took a machete to a street dog, who only survived by a generous veterinary, pretty much had animals lovers in rage. Those loving and caring pet owner know that owning pets, especially dogs, is a big responsibility. … [Read more...]
Serving Legal Papers in Costa Rica Via Facebook
02/25/2012 by 6 Comments
Take The Poll The distance between Costa Rica, Social Media, Internet and technology is narrowing all the time. No, I'm not referring to iPhones and better Internet services, but to a judge in the United Kingdom's High Court, who ruled this week that legal claims can be served on Facebook. The big question, whether or not, Costa Rica's Judicial System will … [Read more...]
What Does SOPA and PIPA Have To Do With Costa Rica?
01/19/2012 by 1 Comment
Yesterday many websites were in a World-Wide Blackout against The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill, and it's sister bill, Protect IP Act (PIPA), that is currently working their way through the United States Congress and the Senate. These new bills threaten every facet of the internet by letting government regulate what can and can not be seen; a form of censorship - just like China and Iraq … [Read more...]
Higher Traffic Fines, Tolls, Corporation Tax in Costa Rica
01/01/2012 by 2 Comments
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...]
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