Horsing Around in Puerto Jimenez.....SOON in our Tour Site!!!

What better transportation could there be for goofing off in Pueblo 'Puerto Jimenez' than by horseback? Enjoy a half day of full day of exploring the town center, the outlaying rural roads and the beaches. Be on your own agenda instead of an organized tour.... For your safety and convenience, a mounted "Campo Cowboy" with local knowledge will chaperon you. The gang will have a blast!

(Priced for Groups of 4 or more. Discounts for children under 7 years riding 'double')

Half Day Ride:

$48 per horse
$10 per double rider (child only)
FREE guide with horse (Tips optional but recommended)

The tour starts in Puerto Jimenez. Clients will take "the ferry" from Golfito, price approx. $10 round trip pp.

http://www.golfitocostarica.com/
www.golfitocostarica.com/costarica_tours/index.htm

If you are a foreigner in Costa Rica......

Hi everyone, this is a "be aware" article.....

Tourist Overstay Fine Not Yet Being Applied, December Is The Deadline

Leaving Costa Rica for foreigners who have overstayed their "tourist" visa period could be costly and be barred from returning to Costa Rica for a period of up to three times they overstay. Although that is the law, immigration officials have yet to enforce it, which could be anytime between now and December 13.

Visitors from North America and Europe typically are given a stay of up to 90 days, while many other nationals are only given 30 days, when they must leave the country or their stay in Costa Rica becomes illegal and are subject to sanctions and expulsion.

Under the new immigration law that went into effect on March 1, 2010, tourists are required to pay a fine of us$100 for each month they over stay their visa period and must stay out of the country for a period of up three times their overstay before they are allowed to return.

Immigration officials can easily check the passport and their database to see when a person entered the country by land or air and can also determine if a person is not permitted re-entry. The rules are usually stricter at the country's airports than at land border crossings.

However, the immigration service has yet to enforce this overstay rule and according to immigration officials tourists who have overstayed their visa period will not be required to pay. Not yet anyways, but will be required to do so when the law is expected to be enforced before the middle of December.

Currently, Costa Rican authorities at the San José airport are checking the entry stamp at the security check point which occurs after paying the exit tax and given a boarding pass by the airline.

Article taken from http://www.insidecostarica.com/

Independence Day in Golfito, September 15

Photos taken by Pedro Bozza

OMG........Dollar is going down...

Good morning to all,

The dollar touched its lowest point in 2010 and approximately more than a year. The National Bank today, September 17, shows $498 and $507.50 purchase and sale.

Something that has been a constant this year is that the days near days of payment and where companies are withdrawing money from banks to pay employees, the dollar begins to drop, sometimes up to 25 colones. After that pay day passes, the dollar starts to rise again, a little weird right?

Anyway, I hope this game with the dollar and the people who control this changes, reach a point where it remains stable and without so many variants.

WE NEED A MORE STABLE ECONOMY
 
Information of all the country's banks and the dollar exchange rate for today below:
 
http://indicadoreseconomicos.bccr.fi.cr/IndicadoresEconomicos/Cuadros/frmConsultaTCVentanilla.aspx

Independence Month and Activities in Golfito

Hello everyone,

In this month of Independence and especially the 14 and 15, our town of Golfito will have several activities. The 14th, schools and colleges will have the parade of lanterns, the parade will be at approximately 6:00 pm. Each school will have a parade.

On the 15th, the most important day of the month, because it represents our independence, again, schools and colleges will have a parade with bands, flag bearers and cheerleaders. The parade starts at 8:00 am from the 3km to Central Park (Pueblo Civil), which will end with an event.

Attend and enjoy this beautiful celebration.

   

I will post some nice pics and videos of the activities next week.

History of the Lantern Parade

The Lantern Parade is the Scream of Independence

All September 14, students, parents and teachers take the streets with beautiful and colorful lanterns to commemorate the scream of Independence.

But although this is one of the busiest national celebrations, there are few Costa Ricans who really know the real story.

Do you know why the Costa Ricans and other Central Americans walk the streets of their country with lanterns? The response….from the nineteenth century in Guatemala.

Overview

It was Dolores Bedoya that ran through all the streets of Guatemala, Antigua now, the night of 14 September 1821 with a lantern in his hands and looking for citizens to gather at the square opposite the town hall, where they were together the county councils of Guatemala, including Chiapas, Honduras and El Salvador.

Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, which belonged to the deputation of Nicaragua León, was unaware of the events that occurred in the neighboring country.

The objective of the Guatemalan population, was yelling at one throat "Viva la Patria", "Viva la Libertad", a few hours to declare independence of that nation, on September 15.

The whole town gathered at City Hall with their lamps and lanterns, there was no electricity at that time. Everybody with their calls and pressures, ensured that the patricians stamped the desired signature.

Since then, year after year, people began to decorate free humble homes with lights to commemorate the patriotic holidays and the exploits of Dolores Bedoya.

The lanterns lit at 6 pm and by the singing of National Anthem of Costa Rica, give faithful testimony of such a worthy celebration in search of the freedom of nations and thousands of villagers tired of the oppression under Spanish rule.

Decorations with lights were kept for years as a tradition, but it would be until the end of last century, that the parades took popularity. Walks with lanterns were feeling in each town to celebrate the eve of Independence Day.

In the Second Republic

The twentieth century set the tone. Heretofore the listed courses, lighted by candlelight and filled with patriotic colors were just a habit, there was nothing to makee the Ticos to take the streets and celebrate the proclamation of independence.

As the story goes, were the same neighbors who gathered to organize the parade and once again give the appropriate credit to Dolores Bedoya, a revolutionary.

Until mid-century and after the 1948 revolution, during which there were important changes, the Founders of the second Republic paid special attention to the rescue of patriotic values, especially the Parade of Lanterns.

The reformers have encouraged communities to come out each year through neighborhoods with lanterns to celebrate another year of freedom and love of country, awarding prizes for the best creations.

Those responsible for promoting the activities were the teachers of schools and colleges across the country.

By 1953 there was the appointment of Manuel Ureña as Director General of Schools of San Jose, who gave special attention to the celebrations and officially to all schools on 14 September as a special day for the Parade of Lanterns, at 6 afternoon.

The tradition continues today and this year is no exception.

"On 15 September in our country have not yet heard the news of independence, so that the custom of the lamps was copied without any basis in Guatemala," said Frank Fernandez, a historian.

City Counsil

Independence news came to Costa Rican the first half of October, after a long journey from the neighboring country of Nicaragua. It was not to tell the story, but to make knowledge of the Ticos, the decision of the other Central American nations.

After that day, the people, and the Spanish authorities were summoned to attend a town meeting to understand the implications of independence.

Delegates of San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Barva, Aserrí, Espiritu Santo de Esparza, Bagaces, Cartago and Ujarrás gathered at City Hall, in Cartago.

The Spanish authorities came to that meeting without weapons, because the Costa Rican youth took the barracks and took off all weapons, in order to settle the issue by dialogue, not force.

José Francisco Osejo was who led the group and managed disarmament.

Absolute independence from Spain was the October 29, 1821. In just one month, Costa Rica had a constitutional government and the first Constitution, called Pacto Fundamental Interino of Costa Rica or Pacto de Concordia.

For 1824 in Guatemala, met the Central American Federation and forced the independence celebrations take place on 15 of the current month.

   VIVA COSTA RICA!!!!!