Tiquiciatag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-16026002008-09-29T16:31:40-07:00Living the Pura Vida LifeTypePadMedical Help Comes to Costa Rica's Extreme Southern Zonetag:typepad.com,2003:post-563031512008-09-29T16:31:40-07:002008-09-29T16:33:40-07:00Punta Burica is located in Costa Rica's extreme south and is a narrow strip of land that shares a border with Panama. It is one of the most remote and inaccessible regions of the country. Folks that live down there...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/medical-help-comes-to-costa-ricas-extreme-southern-zone.htmlAdenauer Foundation Rates Costa Rica First in Democracytag:typepad.com,2003:post-561859162008-09-26T13:45:37-07:002008-09-26T16:04:19-07:00Accolades for Costa Rica keep coming. Now the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in its 2008 annual report called the Index of Latin American Democratic Development (or, IDD-LAT) has ranked Costa Rica as the most democratically developed country in Latin America. This...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/adenauer-foundation-rates-costa-rica-first-in-democracy.htmlCosta Rica Ranks High in Latin America for Direct Foreign Investmenttag:typepad.com,2003:post-561439362008-09-25T14:52:00-07:002008-09-25T19:36:33-07:00As a percentage of direct foreign investment to its PBI (Spanish equivalent to GNP), Costa Rica ranked highest in Central America and second highest in all of Latin America (second only to Chile) for the year 2007. This according to...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/costa-rica-ranks-high-in-latin-america-for-direct-foreign-investment.htmlCosta Rica Rated One of the Least Corrupt of Latin Americatag:typepad.com,2003:post-560968222008-09-24T15:23:44-07:002008-09-24T15:28:13-07:00Each year the Organization for International Transparency rates 180 countries of the world for relative perceived corruption of their public sectors. This year topping the list of Latin American countries was Haití and Venezuela. Costa Rica, on the other hand,...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/costa-rica-rated-one-of-the-least-corrupt-of-latin-america.htmlTurtle "Trackers" Help Spawning Loras in Tortuguerotag:typepad.com,2003:post-559973602008-09-22T15:43:18-07:002008-09-23T17:19:34-07:00The national park of Tortuguero on the Northern Caribbean coast is one of the most famous in Costa Rica. There you can find some 400 species of birds, numerous reptiles and mammals and an incredible variety of flora and fauna....Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/turtle-trackers-help-tourists-see-spawning-loras-in-tortuguero.htmlDaughter of Franklin Chang Vying for Mass. Senate Posttag:typepad.com,2003:post-558635762008-09-19T11:39:04-07:002008-09-19T11:39:05-07:00For readers who don't know who Franklin Chang Díaz is, let me clear this important point for you. He is only a former space shuttle astronaut and now scientist and one of Costa Rica's proudest sons. Now his daughter is...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/daughter-of-franklin-chang-vying-for-mass-senate-post.htmlGuanacaste Mega-Project to Install Desalinization Planttag:typepad.com,2003:post-558154482008-09-18T13:47:21-07:002008-09-18T13:56:40-07:00It is no surprise that Guanacaste has water problems. It is the hottest and driest region of the country. However, it is also the area of the country that over the last decade, has had the highest concentration of development....Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/guanacaste-mega-project-to-install-desalinization-plant.htmlCosta Rica Prohibits Exploitation of Lapa Verde Habitattag:typepad.com,2003:post-557670122008-09-17T14:24:44-07:002008-09-17T14:27:51-07:00It is estimated that there are only 250 Lapas Verdes living in Costa Rica. Lapas Verdes are found in countries of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador and are on the endangered list. In English, the Lapa Verde is...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/costa-rica-prohibits-exploitation-of-lapa-verde-habitat.htmlThe Corn Islands: Paradise Foundtag:typepad.com,2003:post-557204462008-09-16T15:57:01-07:002008-09-17T05:33:34-07:00I recently made a trip to the Corn Islands off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. The experience was extraordinary. I had often heard talk about these islands with their crystal clear waters and sugar white sand beaches. I also heard...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/the-corn-islands-paradise-found.htmlOrteguismo: The New Revolution of Nicaraguatag:typepad.com,2003:post-553890182008-09-09T17:15:32-07:002008-09-09T17:36:06-07:00The namesake and inspiration of the Sandinista Revolution, Augusto Sandino, must be turning over in the tomb. The current head of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, Daniel Ortega, appears to have other interests in mind than the "pueblo. Ala Hugo Chavez in...Scott Bowershttp://tiquicia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/orteguismo-the-new-revolution-of-nicaragua.html