Living in Costa Rica

Great Business Opportunity

2012-11-16T11:39:00.003-06:00

Great Business Opportunity

This is a great business opportunity, become a reseller of GoDaddy products. The world is your market and you can provide to anyone who wants to build a website. You can resell GoDaddy products such domain names, hosting plans, and more. With this business opportunity you can set your own hours and price with an unlimited earning potential. This is a great business opportunity for expat's.

You can even open an online store with GoDaddy.

Starbucks in Escazú, Costa Rica at Avenida Escazú

2012-06-24T14:10:00.000-06:00

Starbucks in Escazú, Costa Rica

My wife and I paid a visit to Starbucks in Escazú, Costa Rica on Friday at about 11:00 in the morning. Being a gringo expat here in Costa Rica I had to go visit the new Starbucks, this is the first Starbucks in Costa Rica.......To read more

Spanish Classes

2012-06-18T09:42:00.003-06:00

Central Valley Spanish School has 2 new web sites My Personal Spanish Tutor, on this web site they focus on their online classes in their virtual classroom with a live tutor. These classes have a very reasonably priced package (5 hours of class $60.00 or 10 hours of class $120.00 usd). They also have some free lessons available online along with learning activities.

There other new web site is Learn Spanish and More, on this site they also focus on their online classes along with some other programs.

Spanish and Coffee which is geared toward those who live in Costa Rica. The classes are held in a local coffee shop, soda, library, or another quiet location. They also customize this program to meet the needs of the student. These classes are a minimum of 2 hours per class and you are able to have classes Monday thru Friday once or twice a week or more if you choose. These classes are also available to those visiting Costa Rica which is great as it gives you a flexible schedule. The cost is $14.00 usd per hour and these classes are for no more than 3 students per class but these generally are with individuals. This is a great value as you are paying for a small group class and are going to probably have a private class.

The are also offering customized group classes which are also geared to those who live in Costa Rica or visiting for an extended period. These group classes are usually held once a week and they customize these classes for people needs for everyday use.

Visit My New Web Site

2012-06-05T19:17:00.000-06:00

If you enjoy this web site be sure to visit Living in Costa Rica Today , it has information about Costa Rica and more. It includes a business directory and an added social aspect for social interaction. I will be adding material to this site on a regular basis.

So visit the site join the site and interact with others living in Costa Rica or those thinking of moving to Costa Rica. Share information such as a good mechanic, handyman, your favorite restaurant or soda, a good church, etc.

Over 50% of Costa Ricans Reuse Containers and Plastic Bags

2012-06-04T18:45:00.003-06:00

Packs that once contained rice and grains, containers from the pantry, and grocery bags that once covered the landfills are now being reused. Over 50% of Ticos reuse commercial packaging that comes from purchases.

This was released a Unimer survey, requested by La Nacion, whose objective was to measure some "green practices" of Costa Ricans.

In this sense, the survey highlighted that 64% of people reuse shopping bags and 53% do the same with the plastic containers.

Compared to 2010 this year and more people opt for reuse. People who reuse shopping bags went from 49% in 2010 to 64% in 2012, while those who re-use plastic containers went from 40% in 2010 to become 53% in 2012.

Reuse is the step prior to recycling the waste management process.

Find out more about this survey and other related topics tomorrow in a special issue of La Nacion on the occasion of Environment Day.

Visit our new web site

2012-05-31T18:14:00.001-06:00

Visit our new and improved web site. It will have lots of information about Costa Rica at your finger tips plus a social aspect to it to interact with others in the community. The social aspect will allow you to gain information from others about Costa Rica.

To fully enjoy all the benefits of the social part of the site please sign up and log in.

Living in Costa Rica Today

Meat Products Escape New 13% Food Tax

2012-05-24T12:15:00.000-06:00

Most cuts of beef, almost 95 percent, will not have the 13 percent sales tax levied upon them. This was agreed by the Finance Ministry after discussions with the livestock sector in the country.

Products such as ground beef, steaks, liver, beef, tongue, palette post, among other popular choices for consumers will remain free of this new tax making them still affordable for the poorer class of the country.
“This decision gives back to the middle class consumer and lowers the possibility of consuming less beef products” said Enaldo Miranda , executive director of the Livestock Development Corporation (CORFOGA).
The cuts that are going to pay taxes like the tenderloin steaks and beef tenderloin, along with their derivatives: T-Bone, Porter House, New York Steak, Delmonico, sirloin, sea meat (breaded or marinated) and tenderized meat .

Enaldo Miranda said, when it published the first decree (which provided the products to be paying the tax), consumption of meat had decreased by more than 40 percent, according to monitoring done in butcher shops and supermarkets.

We try to negotiate with the Ministry of Finance, showing the errors that the decree had produced and in this way facilitated the negotiations. They had a lot of disorder and now we are clear. Now only 4 or 5 percent of meat is taxed while the rest remains untaxed. ” he said.

Conversations between the Ministry of Finance and other sectors such as pigfarmers, beekeeping and fishing, also had positive results.

The natural bee honey and fish for public consumption like the baby shrimp and tilapia were exempt from the tax this week.

For these changes, others were made that allowed tax free products such as bread and milk.

Costa Rica Banks Buckle Down On Foreigners

2012-05-24T12:10:00.000-06:00

Foreigners who have a checking or savings account in the country will need to fill out an immigration identification document for foreigners (Dimex) to avoid problems in banks.

Since last January the General Regulation governing legislation against drug trafficking, related activities, money laundering, terrorist financing and organized crime, has placed these stipulations on banking and foreigners.
Foreigners are given a year of time limit for submission of Dimex by foreigners who have bank accounts in the country.

According to the Regulations, when the time limit expired, the bank may suspend the service or restrict the type or amount of services the bank offered, according to “the categorization of risk” customer.

According to Carlos Melegatti, director of Central Bank Financial Services – the use of a single document to identify foreigners permits a “traceability” or monitor any transactions conducted in the banking system. This happens with the Costa Rican, they have a universal identification that is the identification card.

Mario Zamora, Security Minister explained that this was the “link” that was pending to follow any irregular transactions.

The remarks came yesterday during the press conference which announced the mandatory use of Dimex for interbank transfers through the National Electronic Payments System (SINPE) from 1. July.

Now banks seek to apply the update mechanisms of identification for foreigners clients.

Anabelle Ortega, director of the Chamber Banking, explained that for the moment, there is no counting the number of accounts that are owned by foreigners.

The standardization process of the identities of migrants began in 2005 and since 2008 began with the issuance of Dimex.

Kattia Rodríguez, Director of Immigration, said that for the moment about 382,000 people have this document and they are still missing about 65,000 that have applied.

It appears to me that if you received a cedula for residency since 2008 you have the required ID. To be on the safe side those with bank accounts should ask the bank if their ID is correct for doing business at the bank.

Migration will give special attention to people who have expired identification, the Costa Rican foreign parents of children and individuals who provide domestic and agricultural work.

Spanish Classes For Those Living In Costa Rica

2012-05-23T21:44:00.001-06:00

This is a great opportunity for those living in the Central Valley close to Escazú. Central Vally Spanish School is going to have a class designed for those living in Costa Rica. They are going to offer "Beginning Conversational Spanish For Everyday Use" which is a 20 hour course for $199 USD. The classes will be held on Saturday mornings for 5 weeks starting June 9th.

For more information contact them at: 2294-5412 or email them at: info@centralvalleyspanishschool.com

Paypal Merchant Services in Costa Rica VIA Banco Nacional

2012-05-15T16:07:00.000-06:00

After years of wondering if the day would ever come, today Costa Rican e-commerce got the boost it was looking for.

Leading online payment processor, Paypal, today announced their alliance with Banco Nacional (BN).
What this means is that now, online sellers located in Costa Rica, can place a Paypal button on their online store and when the transaction is processed, it will done through Banco National.

In order to utilize this long overdue method of accepting payments online, all you need is a Paypal account and then later link it with their Banco Nacional account.

PayPal is a leading global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. They are owned by Ebay.

Originally, a PayPal account could be funded with an electronic debit from a bank account or by a credit card at the payer’s choice. But some time in 2010 or early 2011, PayPal began to require a verified bank account after the account holder exceeded a predetermined spending limit. After that point, PayPal will attempt to take funds for a purchase from funding sources according to a specified funding hierarchy, regardless of what funding source is listed as “primary” in the account-holder’s profile.

Gas Prices Set To Lower Next Month

2012-05-14T10:56:00.002-06:00

The Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) prepares a ¢47 decrease in the price of gasoline Plus next month.

The price of that fuel will go from ¢735 to ¢688. Meanwhile super will see a price drop from ¢746 to ¢700.
Another product that will decrease will be diesel, but only ¢15 per liter. Today the price is ¢667 and the reduction would pass to ¢652.

The reduction is produced by reducing prices in the international market.

This will be the first reduction in oil prices so far this year.

This is good news for consumers, but then again we will see an increase of 39¢ in petrol super, ¢27 in the plus and a reduction of 8¢ per liter on diesel again here shortly.

100% Tico-Made Social Network Language Tool

2012-05-14T10:53:00.002-06:00

This past March 30th, the MY BABILON social network started to create its own history, as it was brought to Costa Rica as a tool for communication in interaction between people.

This new social network was 3 years in development and allows people to have online conversations in different languages simultaneously.

According to its creator, Mr. Diego Garro, this Social Network is a pioneer in breaking the language barrier, as two people speaking different languages can be understood in the native language of each implemented by an attachment to each sentence is translated into the language that is configured in the profile of the person immediately.

MY BABILON is a social network 100% free and Costa Rican made with pure technology policy.
According to its creator, this new tool has received in the early hours of “life” more than 43 000 visits. Also can be linked with other tools like Facebook and Twitter.

If you want to be part of this new social network, you only need to register at www.mybabilon.com

It Has Been a While

2012-05-14T10:51:00.002-06:00

It has been a while since I made any post here. I have been busy working on a new web site for Central Valley Spanish School, it is not yet complete. The project moves on and it will bring Central Valley Spanish School into a new direction and focus on live online Spanish classes. These classes will be personalized for each student and be interactive with your live teacher in Costa Rica.

For those wishing to enroll now we are accepting students now at a savings. These prices are reflected in the web site.

An Afternoon at Playa Danta

2012-03-29T09:02:00.001-06:00

Playa Danta, Costa Rica

My wife and I recently spent an afternoon with some friends at Playa Danta near Playa Tamarindo. You need to head toward Brasilito and then follow the signs to Playa Danta. The roads to Brasilito are all paved roads but Brasilito to Playa Danta are all dirt roads.

Playa Danta is a very enjoyable way to spend a nice afternoon with friends. There are many activities available there some are free such as hiking on their trails and enjoying the beach. There is a concession on the beach “Pura Vida Ride” and they provide a variety of activities for a fee, including stand up paddle boards, ocean kayaking, mountain biking, snorkel equipment and more. There is also a restaurant and bar there, they offer a variety of sandwiches, pizzas, and more.

We went for a hike on the trails and were rewarded for our effort with a fantastic view of the beach below and a view to Flamingo Beach. On the beach there are plenty of shady areas to sit under the trees and enjoy your favorite cold drink.. If you want to get away from the activities where most people congregate a walk of 100 meters down the beach and you can have yourself a piece of private beach with the exception of some occasional people strolling down the beach.

If you want to go to the beach and want to get away from the crowds of the popular beaches this is a good option.

Playa Danta, Costa Rica

Starbucks Costa Rica is Looking for Baristas

2012-03-28T15:39:00.000-06:00

The grand opening of the world’s most recognizable brand of coffee shops will take place in May, and it is looking for 30 new employees to join its ranks.

As expected, the first Starbucks will open in Avenida Escazu, on the ground floor of the new complex of upscale shoppes next to the Residence Inn Hotel. This is the only location that has been confirmed thus far.

The Seattle-based coffee retailing giant is looking for baristas and store supervisors. Those who are interested are invited to submit their CVs (resumes) to the Starbucks Central American office in El Salvador.

Starbucks isn’t the only trendy cafe hoping to lure Ticos away from the traditional sodas for their lengthy morning and afternoon coffee breaks. Trendy coffee shops like Espresso America and Café Barista are beginning to emerge across the country, leading some experts to believe that the market is starting to become a little crowded.

The barista concept of a skilled and passionate person, who specializes in all gourmet aspects of the coffee experience, is widely accepted to have been established by Starbucks.

In the last few years, Costa Rica has seen a burgeoning interest in barista and cafe culture that goes beyond growing and exporting.

Kölbi Announces ADSL To 10 Megs

2012-03-27T16:57:00.001-06:00

Imaging surfing at 10 mbps? Today, this is a reality for everyone in Costa Rica with the launch of ICE's new Kölbi Hogar internet broadband connection.

The state telecom unveiled on Monday its new ADSL 2+ service for residential homes with connection speeds from 512kbps to 10 mbps.

The cost of the maximum speed is $98.90 per month, plus $1 for the rental of equipment.

What distinguishes the Kölbi Hogar from other internet connections is that the connection is not shared and the speed is guaranteed for up and down, in contrast to connections provided by cable providers who charge extra for dedicated connections.

In addition, Kölbi Hogar will offer three email accounts with up to 7gb of storage and to send SMS text messages to cellular phones free of charge.

Laid-Back in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

2012-03-23T12:03:00.005-06:00

Do you feel the need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city? Tamarindo, Costa Rica is a good place to go and relax and enjoy the laid-back lifestyle.

Downtown Tamarindo

Tamarindo is only 4 - 4.5 hour drive from San José when you take Autopista to Caldera. Once you arrive in Tamarindo you will notice a colorful mix of many shops and restaurants, which adds to the lazy laid-back feel you get in Tamarindo. There are also a number of hotels and cabinas in Tamarindo, with the largest being the Tamarindo Diria located in the middle of Tamarindo on the beach. For more hotels you can head to Playa Langosta just 1 - 2 kilometers down the road from Tamarindo.

Downtown Tamarindo

Most of the activities usually revolve around the beach and include surfing, swimming, sitting in a beachside restaurant or bar enjoying a meal and cold drink. There are other activities available in and around Tamarindo such as ATV tours, horseback riding, canopy tours, sunset cruises, and more.

Endless Summer Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Another activity people come to Tamarindo for is to learn Spanish at Coastal Spanish Institute which is located just 2 blocks from the beach. Those attending Spanish classes at Coastal Spanish Institute are able to take Spanish classes in the morning and take surfing lessons in the afternoon at their in-house surfing school Costa Rica Surf Institute. Coastal Spanish Institute has a very relaxing and peaceful feel to it with their lush tropical gardens, The staff at this school is highly professional and have been in the business of teaching Spanish for nearly 20 years.

Coastal Spanish Institute Tamarindo, Costa Rica

At the end of the day don't miss the sunset, 2 great places to view the sunset are either El Pescador Restaurant & Beach Club or Nogui's.

Nogui's Tamarindo, Costa Rica

The bottom line is Tamarindo can be enjoyed by residents (expats), nationals (Costa Rican), and tourists alike. Tamarindo is a great place to come relax and unwind.

Sunset at Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica

El Pescador Restaurant & Beach Club Tamarindo, Costa Rica

First World-Class Winery Opens in Costa Rica

2012-03-21T10:40:00.001-06:00

In late 2011, Napa Valley wine consultant Kerry Damskey planted 4 hectares of Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah grapes in Copey, a high altitude location in the San José province of Costa Rica, in the Dota canton.

The land is bordered by the cantons of Perez Zeledon, Tarrazu, and El Guarco. The altitude in this region is approximately 2000 meters. The canton was originally inhabited by the Huetar indigenous people. Copey is mostly known as coffee growing region that gets about 51,435 mm of rainfall each year.

Damskey has admitted that his Costa Rica wine project will face some challenges, but he is confident he will be able to adapt to local conditions and overcome these challenges as he has suceeded in Nashik, India in the past. He is confident that Copey is comparable to California's Napa Valley at a considerably higher altitude.

In the future, different types of grapes including Merlot and Zinfandel will be planted as well. The first vintage is expected in 2015. This is the first major step in building a viticultural heritage in Costa Rica. There is no doubt that "Ticos" are thirsty for quality wines and a domestic harvest bottled locally would be perfect to satisfy their curious palates.

Amnet Offers Virtual Button To Speed Up Your Internet Connection

2012-03-20T11:04:00.000-06:00

Amnet has announced the launch of a new system that allows customers to temporarily speed up Internet connection they have.

For example, you may have contracted a connection at a speed of 1 Mbps, but if you need to send or receive a large amount of information and want to do it in less time, you could then be connected temporarily to 5 Mbps.

"For the first time in the Costa Rican market, users of residential Internet service can increase their speeds and can manage their browsing time in different bandwidths. That will be possible through an innovative service called Speed Button, available starting today (yesterday for readers) for residential service customers with Amnet, "the company said in a statement.

Amnet customers interested can try the free tool for three hours to enter www.amnet.co.cr.

The cost of this temporary increase in the bandwidth is automatically charged the monthly bill.

“Barista” Coffee Shops Provide Added Value

2012-03-17T12:23:00.000-06:00

Café 1820 Downtown San José, Costa Rica

The barista, an expert in the preparation of beverages based on coffee, now guarantees the customer a wide variety of coffee options, which attracts more consumers. That added value means more and more businesses are interested in having an expert among their employees to please customers.

The courses for the training of baristas have been offered in Costa Rica since 2003. In general, it takes about 80 hours of training, but those who obtain a diploma certified by the Icafé complete 200 hours of training.

Currently, Costa Rica has about 250 certified Icafé baristas.

These experts not only know about the coffee-based drinks, but also are trained in all matters coffee: varieties, climate, coffee growing areas of the country, and types of roast. The idea is that they can provide explanations of the entire process to their customers.

Parking Meters In San José To Make Parking More Efficient

2012-03-16T18:10:00.000-06:00

Electronic Parking Meter

Electronic parking meters will soon replace the "boleta" system and move Costa Rica into the 21st century when it comes to parking on the streets of San José. The Municipalidad de San José plans to install 1500 electronic parking meters in different areas of the capital.

The electronic parking meters will be similar to those used throughout the world, where the user either uses coins, a debit or credit card, or scratch card that uses a telephone number dialed into the system to activate the time on the meter.

The Municipalidad de San José plans to install these electronic parking meters by the end of the year. The plan is to better organize street parking, avoid congestion, and disorder.

Currently drivers need to find a place that sells "boletas" which are not always marked or hope a the guachiman on the street at this location sells them. The big problem while trying to find a place that sells the "boletas" you can receive a penalty for not having a "boleta"

Pain at the Pump

2012-03-14T19:41:00.007-06:00

Get ready for higher gas prices, on Tuesday there was a gas hike approvedthat will increase the price of a litre of gasoline of more than ¢109 colones.

The hike will take effect on Thursday March 22, when the cost of a litre of super gasoline will go from the current ¢615 to ¢724, for regular from ¢600 to ¢706 and for diesel from ¢575 to ¢645.

According to the Areept, the increased is based on the application of the automatic formula for changes in price for January and February, in addition to the application of the " impuesto único".

The resolution approving the increase will be sent to the national printer, La Gaceta, today but will not be published until Wednesday next week, prices taking effect the day after.

This is the first that an increase exceeds more than ¢100 colones and breaks the record price of July 2011 when a litre of super cost ¢740, regular ¢726 and diesel ¢627.

And, brace yourself for even higher prices as the Aresep evaluates another increase request by the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope) that could raise prices another ¢22 for a litre of super and ¢29 for regular and diesel.

In gallons and dollars that is:

Super - $5.45 per gallon

Regular - $5.31 per gallon

Diesel - $4.85 per gallon

El Guachiman or The Watchman On The Street

2012-03-14T16:31:00.000-06:00

El Guachiman or The Watchman On The Street

Leaving your vehicle under the watchful eye of the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) while at the office, shoppning, or eating in your favorite restaurant is something that we all have done here in Costa Rica. Most "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) are honest but there are the few that give them a bad name.

We have all done it and will probably continue doing so, paying the man 100 - 200 colones for the service of watching our vehicle. The question many of us ask, is he doing his job? That depends on what we perceive his job is.

Some of the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) do more of a service for you than others. When parking where it is required to have a pre-paid parking ticket posted on your windshield some of the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) will provide these tickets and keep them up to date by putting a new ticket on your windshield every 30 minutes for a small fee. These "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) are truly doing a service for you and making sure you don't get a large parking penalty. Then you pay him when you are ready to leave, he will add a few colones per 30 minute ticket.

Remember the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) has no legal responsibility though. Your car may not be where you left it you may have parking penalties. If your car is missing or damaged the only thing you can do is question the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) if he saw anything and make a report to OIJ.

The best policy is to always park your car in a parking lot and if you have to park it on the street ask the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) his affiliation with the restaurant or whatever business he is working in front of. Some of the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) and you grow to know and trust them but if a problem arises can you really expect them to stop a thief? The answer is NO, the best you can hope for is the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) calls the police with the information about the thief and the stolen car.

If you decide to leave your vehicle under the watchful eye of the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) you should take the time to note the physical description of the man should you need to make a report. I am sure there are times that the "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) is the one responsible for the theft or breaking into your vehicle but this is not normally the case. The "guachiman" (the watchman on the street) is normally just trying to make some money so he can put some food on his family's table.

Typical Houses In Costa Rica

2012-03-12T17:52:00.000-06:00

Showerhead water heater

When either renting or buying a house especially a house in a typical Costa Rican neighborhood it might be without hot water throughout the house. Most typical houses have a water heater in the shower but no hot water elsewhere in the house. This may not be true in more upscale neighborhoods and newer homes as there are now water heaters that will heat the water for your entire house on demand. Most homes in Costa Rica do not use hot water tanks that we are use to using in North America. This really does make sense to heat water on demand rather than keeping water in the hot water tank hot whether it is being used or not.

If it is important that you have hot water throughout your house, example kitchen sink, washer, or bathroom sink you need will need to ask.

Showerhead water heater

Opportunity In Santa Barbara, Heredia

2012-03-10T12:46:00.000-06:00

Santa Barbara is about a 30 minute drive from San José.

This is a house with an independent apartment.

The house is 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 1 garage.

The apartment is 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.

The price in colones is: ¢ 37,500,000
The price in dollars approximently at today's exchange rate is: $72,799

Please visit La Nacion's Economicos for more information on this and other properties.