Author Archive for expatcostarica
Gigantic Christmas Tree Welcomes Christmas in Costa Rica
A 20 meter high Christmas tree with 3,200 lights has been setup in front of the national gymnasium to welcome to the start of the Christmas season in Costa Rica. The tree, fireworks and related events are sponsored by Coca Cola and the municipality of San Jose. The Cola Cola polar bear also made an [...]
Nicaragua to Reshape River and Costa Rican Border
The question of the northeastern border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, one which had been settled during the 19th century became the source of a conflict last month when Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega dispatched a military expedition to the Río San Juan. A dredging operation commenced at a point 30 kilometers upstream, and while this itself would not [...]
Brief History of Costa Rica and Nicaragua Border on San Juan River
Border disputes between Latin American countries are not uncommon, and the recent dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua over the Río San Jose and Isla Calero is an example of how past conflicts that shaped the political landscape can resurface in the 21st century. The eastern border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua is defined by [...]
Google Maps Alters Costa Rica-Nicaragua Boundary
The remark as posed by a Good Morning America host is, “a case of cutting edge technologies clashing with centuries old conflicts” with respect to Google Maps misrepresenting the northeastern border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua on the San Juan River. Nicaraguan military commander Eden Pastora made reference to Google Maps in justifying a recent [...]
Rainy Season Reluctant to End in Costa Rica
Costa Rica escapes the brunt of the Caribbean hurricane season due to the altitude of major population centers and location at the southern limit of the zone. When storms make landfall they have lost their intensity, however the amount of rain often brings problems to a nation with vulnerable infrastructure and homes perched atop mountain [...]
Setback for Costa Rica Cell Phone Network
Last week an accident at data center operated by the national telecommunications network disrupted services for prepaid cell phone and 3G Internet. Users of the more traditional GSM, 3G and TDMA lines are also seeing problems a week later. News reports of the accident and the subsequent fallout paint a bleak future for the growth of [...]
Police Car Doubles as Pirate Taxi
Anyone needing a ride late a night in the San Pedro party district can look for the Fuerza Publica patrol car with license plate PE 8-4274. The kind officers are willing to give drunk bar patrons either a lift home or to their next watering hole for a small fee expect when reporters for Diario [...]
Speculation About The Money
The exchange rate for buying Costa Rica currency dipped below 500 colones relative to the United States dollar over the weekend, and apart from a brief period last month is a level not seen since February of 2006. The situation is puzzling for many expatriates who live on a fixed income in dollars from Social [...]
Immigration Plan to Restrict Mexican Nationals
The Costa Rican government is considering a plan to restrict entry to tourists from Mexico and Guatemala following the crash of a cocaine laden plane on takeoff from Tobias Bolaños airport in Pavas last week. The Piper Cherokee was discovered to be carrying 177 kilos of cocaine in its fuel tanks, and the added weight [...]
Costa Rica is the Other American Dream
A recent article in the daily Al Dia reports that Costa Rica represents an alternative to the American Dream idealized by the United States in the twentieth century. The largest group of immigrants come from neighboring Nicaragua, followed by Colombia and over 14,000 United States citizens who are legal residents. The figure does not include [...]
