August 2 is the official day of La Romería in Costa Rica, a religious festival and a long-term tradition in this country. Every year, when this date approaches, about two and half million people start walking from their homes to reach the city of Cartago. Their goal is to get to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles  and visit a dark colored stone image of the Virgin Mary. Many of them would walk long miles, many days and over nights just to get to the cathedral and say their prayers.

Since my temporary home is located in the province of Cartago I just couldn't miss it. During these days, it is basically impossible to get to Cartago by car or bus so the decision if to walk or not was not very difficult. It doesn't matter what time you choose, a couple days before the mentioned date there are people walking all the time so you know you will not be walking alone.

Getting closer to the center of Cartago it is more and more difficult to pass. Together with my friends we decided to walk on Monday, August 1, probably the busiest day. The roads  change in a continuous flow of people and when you finally get closer to the basilica you feel more like at a big concert with famous foreign band. Thousands of people at one place, long lines, several music stages and various food stands. But these people are not here because of food or music, they came to get to the cathedral and it surely won't be that easy, the line is endless and lasts at least 2 hours. No patience to even try it today, I better try some of the delicious local food and observe the atmosphere, the excitement in eyes of people waiting in the line.

Nevertheless, I don't give up and I come the second day with new energy and determination. I am rewarded and I succeed to enter to the cathedral after just a few minutes of waiting. You first choose if you want to enter walking or crawling. I have to say the sight is quite spectacular. The basilica is beautiful and the whole act very memorable. People are then leaving with a sense of accomplishment and seem happy. Its time to go home, this time by bus, no more walking. At least until the next year.

(By David Kolesa - Marketing Intern)

A brief description of Puerto Limon

    If you have never heard of Limon before, it means that you have never been to Costa Rica.

Indeed, Puerto Limon is one of the oldest cities of the continent, and has been exporting fruits and other typical products for almost two centuries! Located on the Caribbean coast, Limon is the capital of Limon Province is around 160 kilometers away from San José.

We cannot really define Puerto Limon as a touristic place, this city got its importance because of the strategic location and because coffee and bananas exports used to be the first income of Costa Rica, which is tourism nowadays.

Anyway, Puerto Limon remains a very attractive place, first because of the architecture, but especially because this city has nothing to do with others cities of Costa Rica! Indeed, by its location and its history, Limon has become a typical Caribbean city, with a Jamaican lifestyle and population. The only place of Costa Rica where you expect to meet Bob Marley at each street corner, and it is even craziest during the Carnival! But this is the richness of Costa Rica, its diversity!a

What’s happening in Lemon?

    Today, Puerto Limon port really needs a relooking as it is old and not competitive compared to its potential. Costa Rica has not enough resources for this kind of renovation, so the government launched an invitation to tender for this project. We are talking about a $800 billion venture, and several international corporations are already interested in this opportunity, such as for example Dubai Ports, Marina Evergreen from Taiwan and Hutchison Whampoa from Hong Kong.

This renovation project is obviously a great opportunity for the economy and the activity in this part of Costa Rica. Still, there are different factors to consider in this project. First, even if it would be a substantial income for the country, this issue means a new private ownership from a foreigner company and involves questions. Can we be sure that it will also benefit to Costa Rican? Will they be respectful of the environment and the nature around which makes the beauty of the country?

Of course, this renovation will reduce the importations costs and will allow local producers to be more competitive on the international market.

This renovation will definitely be beneficial for the community of Puerto Limon, but we have to be careful of the possible consequences of such a project, especially on the long-term.

Tropical Adventures.

One sore subject in Costa Rica -- and around the world -- is the rising cost of basic food. Our basic food basket here in Costa Rica during the first quarter of 2008 rose 13.3%. This basket is made up of 10 items, such as rice, beans, vegetables and eggs.

Of course the subject is complicated and there are several factors leading to this constant rise. This includes the ever-increasing oil cost, the fact that

Also contributing to the problem is the fact that Costa Rica has had a long-term dependency on imports and holds a terrible score on supporting local production and farming. This is supposedly about to change. The Arias administration announced at the end of last month a plan to promote national production and to come up with solutions to help the poor cover food costs.

The average Costa Rican earns 259,722 colones -- or about $529 USD according to a recent study by the Spanish-language daily, Al Dia. And as a family of four needs about 447,788 ($911) to cover basic monthly expenses, such as transportation, mortgage, utilities, and food -- it's a struggle for the average family to just "get by."

Acknowledging that something has to be done is a great first step. But I'm afraid that putting measures into place could take a very long time. In the meantime, there are a great number of people who can't afford to eat. And they certainly can't afford to eat healthy, well-balanced meals. Long-term, we're talking about some potential health issues as well.

I'm willing to bet that the average tourist would be surprised to find out that over 500,000 children under the age of 17 are living in poverty in Costa Rica, according to the University of Costa Rica. Overall, it's estimated that 22% overall live in poverty here.1

More shocking is knowing how many people live on less than two dollars a day, which is almost 10% of the population.2 Living under $1 per day you'll find 3.3% of the population. That's approximately 140,000 people.3

These are exactly the people whom Tropical Adventures is targeting their efforts. We don't feel like we can "save the world," but a little at a time we strive to share tools by which families, groups and communities can find sustainable ways to live -- and the opportunity to share what they are learning with others. Pictured in this blog entry are children we have provided food to, as well as a picture of some of our volunteers handing out baby formula.

We only hope that together we can make a difference. Food is such a basic part of living. There aren't many more painful things than to see a family -- especially a child -- who has nothing to eat.

1 - 1990-2004. Human and income poverty: developing countries / Population living below the national poverty line (%), Human Development Report 2007/08, UNDP

2 - 1990-2005. Human and income poverty: developing countries / Population living below $2 a day (%), Human Development Report 2007/08, UNDP

3 - 1990-2005. Human and income poverty: developing countries / Population living below $1 a day (%), Human Development Report 2007/08, UNDP

Despite a US economy that seems to be headed downhill quite quickly, Costa Rica has managed to see an increase in tourism again so far this year. Tourist arrivals alone seem to be averaging between 13% and 15% between our two international airports, our main Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) outside of San Jose and the Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste.

Last year in 2007, Costa Rica saw an 11.5% increase in tourist arrivals over 2006, bringing in a total of 1.9 million international visitors.

As Costa Rica is so heavily dependent on tourism, all eyes have been on the United States and the economy there. So as we've been seeing our number of visitors increase, we've been sighing a breath of relief -- for now.

The Tropical Adventures Foundation isn't so worried about the big travel agencies as much as we worry about all the families and small communities who would suffer greatly at the loss of tourist traffic and the dollars they bring in with them. We're hoping things continue to go well.
 

I always thought my parents were exaggerating when they said that time goes by faster the older you get. But now that I'm nearing 40 I can tell you that it is certainly true.
And I have to admit, it's a bit frightening!

What time do I have left? What do I want to accomplish before I check out? It can be a lot to think about!

It's also mind boggling to think about the changes we've seen over the last 100 years. It leads me, of course, to wonder what the next few decades have in store for us.

Here is a copy of an email I received today. I haven't double-checked the facts, but it seems pretty accurate to me -- as well as fascinating. I hope you enjoy it. And know that I wish you and yours a healthy, prosperous and FUN new year!

                    *****************************************

                             The year is 1906.

                        One hundred years ago.

                  What a difference a century makes!

      Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906:

                    *****************************************

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. , and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California!

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union .

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year (huh?).

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

Arizona, Oklahoma , New Mexico , Hawaii , and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine  were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." ( Shocking, eh?)

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

Now....try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years!

When I was in the military in the US and had the opportunity to live in many other states, I was shocked to learn how different some of the alcohol laws were in "dry" cities, counties and states. Very naively I thought the laws were the same all over.

People drink a lot in Costa Rica. That's my experience anyhow. I'm not judging that (I participate of course), but am making an observation. And it doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that there are times of the year here when Ticos are prevented from drinking. This includes a portion of Easter Week and election time.

Today starts another "dry" weekend here because we're electing new mayors all around the country. From Friday night at Midnight until Noon on Monday, no alcohol will be sold in stores, restaurants or bars -- or anyplace.

It makes me wonder what happened many years ago to start this. I don't doubt the Catholic church had a hand in drying up Holy Week, but what about election time? Did someone lose the election and run around shooting people up?

In either case, if you haven't already stocked up on booze, you'll be out of luck for a few days!

The Costa Rican legislature has initiated an accelerated process with the objective of creating a law preventing gays and lesbians from adopting children in Costa Rica.

Gay adoption is nothing new. Gays and lesbians have been adopting for a long time, but only recently have gay adoptions been done openly. In the past, and perhaps in some areas of the country still today, gay couples have lied in order to adopt. Usually with one partner adopting and the other pretending to be a roommate or a friend.

When I look around at some heterosexual parents, I really have to question how they were "allowed" to care for innocent children. My heart really goes out to those kids who don't have a stable, loving home. And yet I know so many gay and lesbian individuals and couples who would make great parents. Some already do.

I hope Costa Rica doesn't fall into the same trap as the US, where hatred of gay and lesbian people gets in the way of allowing the creation of strong and loving families.

Please consider sending emails to the legislative representatives. Click here for instructions.

These are the instructions that follow from a blog entry I wrote about the Legislature of Costa Rica trying to create a law preventing gay and lesbian people from adopting children.

If you are interested in communicating to the legislative members your request for them to prevent this law from passing, please copy and paste the letter below and either email it or fax it to this list of legislators who are members of the  Commission of Children and Teens:

Dip. Andrea Morales Diaz: 
amorales@asamblea.go.cr;  fax: 243- 2951
Dip. José ManuelEchandi: 
jmechandi@asamblea.go.cr;  fax:  243- 2370
Dip. Oscar López Arias: 
olopez@asamblea.go.cr;  fax: 243-2597
Dip. Guyon Massey Mora: 
gmassey@asamblea.go.cr;  fax: 243-2855
Dip. Orlando Hernández Murillo:
ohernandezm@asamblea.go.cr;  fax: 243-2966
Dip.Mario Nuñez Arias:
mnuneza@asamblea.go.cr;  fax: 243- 2947
Dip.Francisco Antonio Pacheco, 
fpacheco@asamblea.go.cr;  fax: 243- 2725, 243-2137, or 243- 2955
CIPAC: cipacdh@racsa.co.cr;  280-7821

Letter to copy and paste begins below

San Jose 20 de noviembre de 2006

Sr. Sra.
Diputado(a).

Reciban un cordial saludo.

La presente es para manifestarles nuestra oposición a la aprobación del proyecto de ley expediente 16258 “ Reforma a el articulo  107 del Código de Familia, Impedimento para que personas de la misma orientación sexual adopten menores de edad”

Nuestra oposición radica en que el texto es discriminatorio tanto para las personas homosexuales como para los niños y niñas que podrían perder una oportunidad de ser adoptados y recibir el amor y la seguridad que se les puedan brindar.

Las argumentaciones presentadas por el proponente del proyecto distan de toda realidad social y científica.  Definiendo a las personas homosexuales como incapaces de poder ser padres y madres. Se sobrepone a la Declaración Universal de Derechos de los niños y niñas mal interpretando el bienestar superior del niño.  Pues al argumentar que “pro del interés superior del niño/a” se prohibe a personas homosexuales adoptar se presume que la homosexualidad como tal es enfermiza, perniciosa y mal per se. Argumentos lejos de toda realidad social y científica.

Las mismas mujeres y hombres homosexuales que ya son padres y madres han demostrado que tienen los valores morales y la cualidades para ser padres y madres de familia, pues ser padre/madre de familia no es un asunto de orientación sexual sino de responsabilidad y amor.

El proyecto como tal no pretende atender el interés superior del niño/a como se argumenta, muy por el contrario, lo que pretende es limitar los derechos de las personas homosexuales e imponer un antecedente jurídico en nuestra democracia, defensora de los derechos humanos, discriminatorio y contraproducente.

Decimos NO al proyecto 16258.

Firma:__________________________

Organización: _____________________________

País: ___________________________

Last month I renewed my residency here in Costa Rica. I'd been reading all about the experiences of other people. Even the Tico Times ran an article a few weeks ago talking about how messed up the Immigration folks are. They said the average wait time for an appointment was 10 months.

I decided to try a different approach. I'd read on an online forum that this guy hired a lawyer, only waited a couple of weeks and got everything taken care of smoothly -- and for only $60. It did sound too good to be true, I have to admit.

But I was willing to try anything out, as I couldn't imagine going several times, waiting in line all day and just frustrating myself. So I called the lawyer he referred me to and had the same experience he did. The whole thing was super easy. Other than a quick phone call to the lawyer's office, dropping off my documents and waiting about 1 hour the morning of my appointment, it was super easy.

In case you're looking for help with your renewal, I'd suggest calling these folks. The lawyer is Fabian Vilchez, and his mother (who coordinates everything leading up to the day) is Flora. You can reach them at 253-1786.

A friend of mine called me yesterday to tell me that his beach community here in Costa Rica is experiencing a big increase in crime. This, of course, if not unique to just his area. Crime is increasing at an alarming rate, but most especially in beach areas.

His community responded by holding a meeting. They have set up neighborhood teams. They all decided they would work together to fight the crime. They will do their best to work with the police and prosecutors. Experience has shown that neither the police nor the prosecutors are able to effectively deal with the crime. Most frustrating is that those on the receiving end of the crime usually know who the perpetrator was, yet still nothing happens.

The community further decided that they would take matters into their own hands should the authorities not control the problem. An example from this week is that a well-known criminal who has gone unpunished by the authorities was shot twice and is now in the ICU of the Limon hospital.

I like the fact that the community is pulling together, but I’m not sure how I feel about combating the crime in the area by committing more crime. Yet at the same time, I sure can’t blame them.