After successfully completing an unprecedented march in downtown San Jose, the Invisible Movement activists were able to meet with government representatives to advance issues related to the project of Societies of Coexistence, something Laura Chinchilla’s administration had ignored so far. The meeting took place yesterday at around 3 pm at the Presidential House with activists representing gro...

The Constitutional Court upheld the ban on selling junk food products in Costa Rican school cafeterias yesterday. Food products with high concentrations of sugar, oil or salt such as chips, cookies, candy and carbonated sodas have been banned from elementary schools and high schools since January of this year. The ban was appealed under claims of unconstitutionality manifesting that such reg...

Costa Rica Technology Insight, the most important Digital Technologies event in Central America and the Caribbean brought together more than 70 Costa Rican companies with at least 100 international enterprises from countries like US, India, France, China, Mexico, Spain, Panama and more this past June 19-20. International invitees to the Costa Rica Technology Insight event included businessmen w...

According to the Trafficking in Persons Report 2012, the US State Department has removed Costa Rica from its blacklist of countries for people trafficking along with its neighbor Panama, the Dominican Republic, Myanmar and Venezuela which has been in this list since 2009. The report was presented yesterday by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Some of the most notable improvement examp...

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) is launching a new campaign titled "Vamos a Turistear" or “Let’s go Touristing” aimed at the domestic tourism niche. While ICT has made great marketing efforts to stimulate international tourism in the past, this time the campaign is focused only on those who are already in the country and are looking to get to know it better at affordable rates. Their...

The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) closed last year with ¢22 billion in net losses. 63 years after its foundation, it is rumored that this state institution may be suffering the same financial problems that other institutions like the Social Security Fund (CCSS) are going through. These rumors arose from a report submitted to the Ministry of Finance indicating that the institution had a n...

After a tense week due to the strike in the Caribbean region of Costa Rica and a long day of negotiations, the Japdeva union and the government reached a resolution at 2 am yesterday, which allowed to reopen the docks of the Port of Limon which -so far- had remained closed and guarded by police. However, this solution was not entirely satisfactory, especially for the plaintiff. Union secretary ...

Okapee started off as an idea, we wanted to give the Costa Rican market a completely new option in fashion. The name comes from the animal (Okapi) which is one of the rarest breeds on earth. We opened our doors last October becoming Costa Rica's first streetwear (shop/boutique). Our brands are not your run of the mill brands, they are very exclusive and unique to our shop. We pride ourselves o...

After discarding he would run for Presidency in the 2014 elections back in December  of last year and after being heavily questioned by reporters about his intentions, it seems Ex-President Jose Maria Figueres Olsen has changed his mind and would be announcing his candidacy in the upcoming weeks. Sources inform that the announcement will be held on Tuesday June 26th, following the participation...

Finca Austria, Nosara Nicoya's team defeated Siquirrres 2-0 at the Chorotega Stadium in Guanacaste and ensured the LINAFA Championship and a free pass to the League of Ascent which could lead them to 2nd and then 1st division of Costa Rican Soccer. A parade with “cimarronas” and lots of Caribbean flavor to support both teams gave the match its starting tune in spite of the sweltering heat.  It ...

As of June 1st, a new set of regulations has come into effect based on the requirements established by Consejo de Seguridad Vial (COSEVI) which Riteve will have to adjust for by training their staff, calibrating their machines properly and opening up even more branches across the country.  After the recent renewal of their contract for another 10 years, Riteve is studying the possibility of openin...

As every year, Father’s Day is celebrated in Costa Rica on the third Sunday of June. This year, local companies and brands have taken advantage of this opportunity to offer promotions, contests, and discounts aimed towards those looking for the perfect gift for Dad. Telephone and Communications giant, ICE expects to provide Costa Rican fathers with phones and an unprecedented cashback offer wit...

In an effort to stop the illegal cattle meat trafficking, the MICIT’s Financing Incentive Fund will make it possible to resolve crimes by performing livestock paternity tests. Twenty eight million colones will be destined to this project during a twelve month period. Recently the instances of meat being sold from illegally butchered animals in unsanitary conditions has plunged farmers into a se...

La Marcha de los Invisibles (March of the Invisibles) will take place today in protest of a Secular State, the right to assisted reproduction, and a society with diverse sexual orientation without discrimination. Protesters have been summoned today, June 16th at the Central Park in San Jose at 9 a.m. and will march from there to the National Assembly of Costa Rica. Speakers for the movement ...

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) has provided new computer equipment to its Intelligent Community Center or CECI by its acronym in Spanish, for the community of Miramar, Puntarenas. The center is located in the local Library and members of the community will be able to use six new computers made available which include Windows 7, Office 2010, webcams, headphones, 4gb memories and ...

President Juan Manuel Santos from Colombia visited Costa Rica to meet with President Laura Chinchilla in order to launch the initial negotiations  for a Free Trade Agreement between these two nations. The meeting took place this past Friday in San Jose after Santos arrived at the Airport at approximately 10:15 a.m. local time. According to ElPais.cr, Chinchilla expressed that Colombian governme...

It's just going to be a short, two-hour commuter flight to your business meeting. But that will give you plenty of time in the air to polish up your presentation on your laptop, right? Sounds like a good idea until your seatmate arrives, armed with hundreds of pictures of the grandkids that will be unceremoniously shoved in your face despite your efforts to discourage it. So what to do? Try to ...

Grecia's Second Annual Independence Day Fiesta is planned for Sunday, July 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Organized by a group of expats and their Costa Rican neighbors, this is a day to celebrate US independence with American foods, live music and dance, and to give back to the community. Once again this event will be at the Quinta Real recreation center in San Francisco de San Isidro de Grec...

Miami, June 13, 2012: Tourists are in love with Costa Rica. This is indicated by the US$1.3 billion to spend this year in our country, 15% more than in 2011, according to the second annual Global Destinations Cities Index from MasterCard. The research reveals that San Jose, Costa Rica, ranks sixth in disbursement of money for tourists. The first place is Mexico, the second Buenos Aires, the third ...

The Global Peace Index (GPI) is the world`s leading measure of national peacefulness. Now in its sixth year, it ranks 158 nations around the globe. In the latest study (GPI) by The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), "Tiquicia" is located within the 40 most peaceful countries in the world today occupying 36th place, only surpassed in Latin America by Chile (30) and Uruguay (33). Althoug...

Art Exhibit: "Eyes of the Soul" Artist: Hernan Peréz Peréz Technique: Oils On Canvas Opening: June 16 Ending: August 3 Location: Hidden Garden Art Gallery *located 5 kms west of Liberia Airport (towards the beaches) Gallery hours Tuesday - Saturday 10 am to 4 pm Phone: 8386-6872 or 8386-6968 Meet Costa Rican artist Hernan Peréz at the opening of "Eyes of the Soul" Saturday, Ju...

June 29th will see the opening of Singapore's newest park - Gardens by the Bay - and is comprised of three separate areas - Bay East, Bay South and Bay Central. This massive, 101 hectare park came to fruition with a price tag of over $1 billion dollars. A most interesting feature about this particular project is that it is adding over 220,000 different species of plants from around the world. E...

This is an older article from last year (published on Feb 15th 2011) taken from the Miss Move Abroad website, however it is incredibly important to read about these first hand experiences with the CCSS Medical System in Costa Rica and that of the Private Hospitals, such as Clinica Biblica. With the new immigration reforms that go into effect in Costa Rica on March 1, expats who are legal reside...

Just to hear the title of the movie 'Scent of a Woman' makes one automatically think of the dance scene with Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar. Even blind, Pacino's character brought out the lusty qualities of the dance. Tango is to dancing what musk is to fragrances. It is earthy, sensual and has a most interesting history. Present day tango is inextricably connected to Buenos Aires, Argentina whe...

The National Center For Education Statistics released a report on numbers of foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities. Not surprisingly, 61% of those students were from Asia with the largest percentages enrolling from China and India. The number of Chinese undergraduate students in the U.S. has doubled in just the past couple of years, jumping from around 10,000 only five yea...

If you live in Costa Rica or are just here on vacation it is important to be aware of the international calling options you can available to you. If you have contacts in North America that you need to communicate with, you no longer have to use "regular" phone lines. Obviously everyone knows about Skype to Skype video calling, or that Skype allows you to call land lines, but for this service you h...

Initially it did not occur to Vaughn Spethmann and Dustin McBride that their 2004 university field trip to Zambia would become a generative event. But the two friends unwittingly embarked on the journey of a lifetime. As impressed as the two young men were with the kindness and hospitality of the Zambian people they met, their initial first impression was marred by the reality of the stark livi...

Honduras will be working on revamping their entire judicial system and national police force. No small task to be sure. But the need for such widespread measures is necessary according to many local people in the aftermath of recent U.S. backed Honduran raids against drug trafficking cartels along the Mosquito Coast. The raids, targeting drug cartel activity, instead were directed at innocent ...

No one fails to admire the beautiful and often times intricate embroidery designs on those soft 100% Indian cotton shirts. Frequently embellished with hand-sewn beading, these skirts, shirts and accessories are largely sought after by the back-to-nature crowd wanting clothing made of natural fiber fabrics. But just where they come from and at what cost are questions that many people are startin...

Fanm, (Creole for ‘Womens’ Rights’) is a fine art exhibition focusing on women and currently showing at Kaz Zanana Restaurant in the Seychelles capital of Victoria. The island country’s newly formed ARTerial Seychelles Network is the organizer of this show. The group is hoping that this will become the first of many such exhibitions to highlight local talent. The paintings of local artists Geo...

When Thomas Warth went to Africa in 1988, he was focusing on visiting a friend in Uganda and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. His goal was a bit higher, so to speak, than constantly thinking about books, even though books were his passion and life’s work. Warth noticed during that fateful trip which included a visit to a local Ugandan library, that books there were practically non-existen...

Many people have never heard of Chagas Disease. Unless they contract it. Also known as American Trypanosomiasis, the majority of people who have been infected live in Central and South America and currently number more than 8 million. There have been about 300,000 cases reported in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, report about 20,000 deaths annually. Because Chagas has some simila...

Long the bane of worldwide travelers, the problem of electrical plug adapters seems to be a thing of the past according to electrical product manufacturer, Wonpro in Xiamen, Fujian, China. Wonpro reports that it has obtained patents on a new type of plug socket from 50 other countries and that it will accept more than 20 different types of plugs from every corner of the globe. They are currentl...

Support groups, Chess Club, Tuesday bridge groups, addictions support groups along with a plethora of fraternal organizations – the list is endless. Throughout the ages people have gathered to share opinions, council, interests, hobbies and beliefs. The world of the internet is no exception. What used to require traveling to a meeting hall, church or someone’s living room is now accomplished w...

Aging and frail-looking, a group of South Korean women, along with a large number of supporters, held their weekly Wednesday gathering in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea. It was the 1000th such rally held since 1992 in protest of the Japanese government’s maltreatment of them during World War II. The embassy keeps its blinds shut during the protests and does not comment. The...

The Senator, a 3,500 year old pond cypress is gone; burned from the inside out by the carelessness of a couple of women who went to Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida to do meth. At the start of the subsequent arson investigation, authorities initially believed the fire to be the result of natural causes. However, Police became suspicious when they found that 26 year old Sara Barnes had taken ...

There is no shortage of opinions about how to go about relocating to another country. Just look on the internet under ‘expatriation’ and you’ll be met with over 5 million related sites. There are magazines, newsletters, personal blogs and electronic bulletin boards all dedicated to answering your questions and disseminating information. Official government web pages and real estate sites abound. ...

When someone invites you to their home and you know they are non-smokers, you don’t smoke in their house. What about traveling to another person’s country where they have deeply held beliefs about behavior and attire? When in Rome, right? That is exactly the point that 23 year old Asma Al Muhairi would like to make to tourists in her country. It’s not just about religion but what she and others...

Just this week, the Food and Drug Administration confirms it has received more than 900 complaints from owners of dogs who were either sickened or died after eating chicken jerky dog treats made in China. This latest report comes a mere six months after the FDA issued its latest warning about the tainted food and treats. ABC news reported this initially late last year and since then the number...

Eight years of fundraising, 64,000 hours of construction, and 19 months at sea enduring storms, cloudy days and threats of pirate attacks, enabled the MS Turanor to make history on May 6, when it pulled safely into Port Hercules, Monaco completing the first ever round-the-world journey by a solar-powered vessel. The Turanor is the brainchild of founder and expedition leader, Raphael Domjan, wh...