Author: Health Check Costa Rica

AM Costa Rica biting the hands that feeds them

I find it hard to fathom how a high volume readership publication like AM Costa Rica could be so irresponsible reporting on the world terrorism situation and its possible effect on Costa Rica; See “World terrorism Fears Likely to Reverberate here” What are you guys trying to do anyway? Needlessly scare everybody? Create reasons to keep people away from Costa Rica? Put a further hurt on Costa Rican tourism. How in your view is a high alert in Europe a reason for people to stay away from Costa Rica? Have you heard of the Atlantic Ocean? Just how high do you think Costa Rica is on the terrorism hit list? I am guessing right up there with Antarctica. God save us from these simpering alarmist types willing to print anything for a little play.

AM Costa Rica asserts “Although the message concerns just Europe, the warning is likely to cause U.S. and Canadian tourists to think twice before leaving home.” Exactly how do you make that counter intuitive leap of logic? OK Europe is bad so we certainly won’t consider the most peaceful country in the world with the Atlantic Ocean between us and the threat as an alternative. We will just sit home and tremble in our boots. This does not sound like any American or Canadian I know. Sure they might reconsider their destinations but they aren’t cowards. This story should be about what a great alternative Costa Rica is to Europe right now. Whose side are you on anyway?

Another thing, unlike the AM Costa Rica Staff most people are aware that Costa Rica is not in Mexico or even close to Mexico. Mexican bandits would have to pass through four countries to get here. Even though its people are considered Latin Americans, they don’t all look or act alike. There are four countries separating us from Mexico for goodness sakes. Our amateurish friends at AM Costa Rica have managed to lump Mexican drug cartel criminals and Costa Ricans together with a casual and racist dash of the pencil. As far as those 212 tourists they are looking for, well they are not in Costa Rica you morons.

As far as the dollar, Colon exchange rate is concerned will someone over there please get an internet connection or watch an actual newscast? The US dollar has taken a beating everywhere in the world going on two years now. How in the heck does this distinguish Costa Rica as a less desirable travel destination? In fact the dollar has held out longer and higher here than practically anywhere in the world meaning that over time and on the average it remains one of the staunchest defenders of the exchange rate in the world. Read a book for goodness sakes.

OK now the tourist tax. Have you ever heard of balanced reporting? Don’t you think that it is in everyone’s interest to know that the tourist tax was a replacement for the 3% hotel tax and actually turns out to be a progressive rather than regressive tax move in that the burden is not only on hotel goers but now everyone who enjoys Costa Rica pays a small share? And just so everyone knows it is 15 bucks and is being billed to the airlines. Last I Checked spirit Air was still serving up tickets from Fort Lauderdale for a little over 200 bucks. Get my drift? It’s still a third world country and you wish people to make other plans, perhaps to France or Mexico over 15 bucks.

Lastly let’s explore the rainy season in Costa Rica. Is this something new? Is this actually news? Yes every year we get torrential rains in Costa Rica but somehow this is something new to the AM Costa Rica staff of doomsayers. Every year we have torrential rains every year THE ROADS TAKE A BEATING. The only thing different now is that after the rainy season the Government picks up and repairs the damaged roads, whereas in administrations past they were left to rot for several years, deeply affecting the tourism industries. As far as Guanacaste is concerned the roads are greatly improved, the best they have been in my 7 years in the country having in the last year undergone major upgrades, line painting and reflector installation. Obviously this information does not fit in with the gloomy picture painted by some cub reporter looking for a headline but woefully short of facts or insight. Here’s another newsflash for you Einstein’s. The rainy season always ends. In fact it regularly ends like clockwork for as long as recorded history. In case you have not been following it this is one of the reasons why the Gold Coast beaches enjoy such a robust tourism season.

This article is written for the worst reason, to grab attention through fear mongering. It highlights several troubling issues in the world far away from Costa Rica and tries to make it a Costa Rica story. It hurts tourism, Costa Rica’s number one industry. AM Costa Rica has great power because of a large readership but they lack the responsibility required of such power. Their journalistic integrity takes a backseat to the worst form of sensationalism and of course ad sales. You are biting the hands that feed you with such shoddy journalism. Shame on you AM Costa Rica!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/journalism-articles/managing-terror-alarmists-am-costa-rica-biting-the-hands-that-feed-them-3453644.html

About the Author

Health Check Costa Rica is a medical tourism facilitator site helping patients find the right doctors and hospitals for their procedure. Health Check only works with accredited institutions and offers door to door concierge style services with custom itinerararies in Costa Rica. It is our pleasure to serve.

The Pura Vida No Pro, what can I say?  As always, it left me feeling happy and sad, knowing that this is the best day these kids may well have had in quite a while.  Happy because it is an uplifting experience, and sad, as always, when the bus has to leave at the end of the day.  This was my third year participating in the event.

For those who are not yet familiar with the PVNP, basically it is a day of fun for a group of orphans from San Jose Costa Rica.  These kids live in several orphanages around the San Jose area, and the event is paid for and staffed completely by donations and volunteers.  The idea is to teach surfing to these kids, many of whom may have never even been to the ocean before.  The day features breakfast and lunch, arts and crafts, horseback riding, games and fun stuff to participate in as well as surfing.  The surfing is taught by many local surfers, lifeguards, and even some Costa Rican pro surfers who take the time to help out.  The day culminates with a surf contest that the children are encouraged to participate in.

This year was another huge success, both for me personally, and for the entire group of folks who participated.  I volunteered to work with a girl who had never surfed before, and after just one try she stood right up on her surfboard.  After a few more minutes, she had caught at least five waves, riding for more than 50-100 feet each time, not bad for a first timer who is just 9 years old.  She ended up being the only girl to participate in the surf contest, and our team took second place overall.  I was later told she had never even been to the ocean before this day.  Wow!

The day is always a great way to help improve the lives of these kids who have more than likely lost everything in their lives at some point.  It fills them with courage to overcome fear of the ocean, and gives them the confidence to learn how to surf.  It is quite a feeling to see the expressions of happiness and confidence on those faces, mixed in with the shyness and fear as well, of course.  I know that it is a huge achievement to learn how to surf, and it may not have an immediate impact on some of the kids’ lives, but it will certainly manifest over time, possibly in ways such as patience, overall learning, and confidence to try to achieve other things they may not have otherwise had the courage for.

I am sure many others have had similar experiences at the no pro event, and I would love to hear from you all.  Feel free to email me or post directly if you like, whatever is easiest.  I would love to post up some other people’s experiences as well to share.

After being canceled due to rain, no one seemed to know when the release was to be scheduled for.  Dave T. showed up at my house beeping the horn.  I asked what’s up?  He said, “MINAE is at the beach, and they are releasing the baby turtles in ten minutes!!”  Dressed in work clothes and boots, I grabbed my camera and flew down to the beach.  I had always thought that the turtles were released at night, but once they were placed on the beach (around 8 am?), those little guys knew right where to go.  Everyone was thrilled at this little wonder of nature.  Kids were laughing, and coaching the tiny turtles toward the ocean.  Row after row of baby sea turtles marched along bravely until the next wave would pick them up and swirl them around until they would just kind of disappear into the water.  All in all I believe MINAE (with the help of the kids of Esterillos) released 2000 baby turtles, so small they would fit in the palm of your hand.  Despite any advance notice, quite a few locals turned out and were able to experience a unique joy of doing something you know is beneficial to our planet.  In a time when many Costa Rican’s have been smeared on the internet for consuming the turtle eggs (Ostional area), this was the best way to show what is really going on.  Besides, in Ostional, they do not take all the turtle eggs.  They have a specific number, and they are not just for consumption.  The focus needs to be more on the positive, and this release shows the true nature of what MINAE (the national environmental agency of Costa Rica) and the Costa Rican people are all about.

Farewell little sea turtles.  Hopefully, many will make their journey back to nest in about 35 years.

As far as the numbers of adult sea turtles goes, this author sees many turtles out in the water when surfing, and has seen the nests on the beach.  Overall it is hard to say, but sightings are very common, and as long as we continue to do our part, protecting and hiding the new nests  (camouflage, and sweep away the tracks), as well as promoting and participating in these release programs,  we should see the population of these amazing species remain intact.  The most important part is the education of the kids who will ultimately be responsible for the destiny of the sea turtles in the future.