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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Cafe Britt: 25 Years of Success Sharing Costa Rica's Finest Gourmet Products


Heredia, Costa Rica (PRWEB) November 26, 2010
This year, Café Britt is celebrating its 25th anniversary, which further emphasizes the success that has been built on three core beliefs: superb quality, tremendous creativity, and a unique business model. In the beginning, Café Britt was just a small roastery that sold artisan coffee to locals and tourists. Now, it is a very diverse company with stores and operations in more than 10 countries employing over 900 people. The company's arsenal is packed with a wide range of gourmet products focusing on coffee but also including a vast array of chocolates and various candies. Its production and coffee distribution model became a case of study in Harvard University and gave the company the recognition of their costumers and stakeholders in different locations.

There was a time when all of Costa Rica's best coffee was exported as a commodity, leaving only the poorest quality of beans for local consumption. For New York coffee broker Steve Aronson, this situation was unacceptable. He recognized the potential opportunity for investing in Costa Rican gourmet coffee consumption and jumped on it. In 1985 when Café Britt was founded, not only did the company provide gourmet coffee to the local citizens, but it also expanded to export and share Costa Rica's gourmet coffees with the rest of the world directly from point of origin.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/27/prweb4831094.DTL#ixzz16VCs8jga

Friday, November 12, 2010

Living in San Isidro de General, Costa Rica - After the 2010 storm

Costa Rica Realtor Victor Guerrero

Costa Rica doesn't get hurricanes but we do feel their effects... San Isidro and the general valley area are recovering from the secondary effects of hurricane Tomas.

It started raining throughout the San Isidro area on Sunday morning October 31st and literally did not stop until the next Saturday the 6th of November. With periods of very heavy down pours to light showers, this was the most intense storm to hit Perez Zeledon since the effects of Hurricane Cesar back in '95.

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Monday, November 8, 2010

What Makes the Osa Peninsula So Special?

Infrastructure Improvements make one area of Costa Rica in high demand for expats

The southern Pacific region of Costa Rica is often regarded as the nicest part of the country but has also been the hardest part of the country to get to. Until now…

Background: The region around the Osa Peninsula is often compared to the Galapagos Islands. This area is home to more lowland forest than anywhere else on the entire Pacific coast. The largest mangrove wetlands can be found here as well as the largest native colony of Macaws. There are towering trees, scenic waterfalls and sweeping sandy beaches. A dizzying amount of the world’s biodiversity can be found in this area of Costa Rica. In fact Costa Rica contains twice the number of species than the entire United States while the US contains over 200 times more land. Though only 3% of the land area of Costa Rica, the Osa region in the southern Pacific contains over 50% of animal and plant species of the entire country.

History: Over 20 years ago, a small enclave of expats formed a community just north of the Osa Peninsula in the towns of Ojochal and Tres Rios de Coronado. The development grew primarily by word of mouth attracting North Americans to this spectacular part of the country. But getting there was not an easy task. The inland route, the Cerro de la Muerte (translation is “passage of death”) traversed a mountain ridge high in the clouds, topping 11,000 feet in certain places. The coastal route required numerous river crossings as well as a trek over 20 miles of unpaved road. These challenges made the area largely unvisited. There was the option of taking a small commuter flight from San Jose but upon arrival to the region rental cars were hard to find and taxi service was not readily available.

Recent Changes: In January of 2009 two new highways were finally completed, the Caldera highway stretchin from San Jose to the Pacific coast and the Costanera connecting Quepos to Dominical. These improvements made the drive from San Jose to the southern region an attractive three hour drive through some of the most scenic parts of the country. This area is home to Pacific Lots, the largest and oldest residential development for expats in the region

Hold the Presses: (Oct. 15, 2010, Costa Rica) President Laura Chinchilla announced this week high priority on the 35 million dollar southern regional international airport construction project. Chinchilla said construction will start in 2012 to put in the international airport. Environmental studies and other preliminary work has been done on the site located between Palmar Sur and Sierpe and the administration said money for this project will come from the Dirección General de Aviación Civil, the national budget and an allocation the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes received from the International Civil Aviation Organization. This location is about a 30 minute drive from Pacific Lots!

About the development: Pacific Lots development stands alone as a haven for expats. Now in its 21st year, this project consists of 19 phases set in a mountain backdrop with expansive ocean views. Each phase features home sites with artesian spring water to each lot as well as extensive roads (gravel) and electricity throughout. Internet service, phone service and satellite TV is readily available. The North Americans and Europeans living here are blessed with abundant water, being sculpted into prior rain forest that had been cut away years ago as cattle farming was introduced to the area. Now many of these farms have been developed into residential properties. The area is greener now than before as farmers have come to realize that cattle doesn’t do well in the terrain and weren’t very good for the environment.

Read more Escape From America Magazine
What Makes the Osa Peninsula So Special?

Friday, October 29, 2010

Pura Vida de Osa Mountain Village, Costa Rica



As your flight pulls into the terminal in San Jose, Costa Rica, you are immediately greeted by the lush rolling hills that surround you. An updated airport, clean and nice, welcomes you to a land of adventure. You will exchange a little cash for Colones at the airport bank, enough for tips and gas, though many places take US dollars and the exchange rate at a real bank is much better. You grab your bags and snag your rental car (In August 2010 was $392 at Budget for 7 days, 4×4 Automatic, includes supplement liability insurance and the must have GPS navigation system as many roads are in good condition but poorly marked) and then venture on your way.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Sexiest Tree House Project in the World


Rumors have been circulating in the real estate circles for months now that a new development showcasing one of the world’s only residential architectural parks featuring today’s top designers, unique residences built above the treetops on elevated stilts, and a floating beach club anchored in the waters of the Gulf of Nicoya is coming to the Central Valley and Central Pacific coast. Years in the making and now set to break ground, the two projects promise to literally raise the bar on residential lifestyle to new heights.

Read Escape From America full article

All an eagle would really like, is a teapot

All an eagle would really like, is a teapot

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Pacific Lots Oceanview Costa Rica homesites


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Sunday, October 3, 2010

World Phones

GSM cell phone, GSM wireless phone

Even though this article talks about Nigeria, most of it is applicable to other 2nd and 3rd world nations.

GSM cell phone business in Nigeria has led to the creation of wide variety
of mobile and GSM business involving gsm phone rental, prepaid, gsm wireless phone, prepay solutions, 3g and gps.

Also thriving is the sale of gsm mobile phone and gsm cell phone. Unlike a few years ago, portable and mobile handsets are no longer the exclusive preserve of the rich,and are commonplace everywhere.

Hugely popular in the mobile market are:
motorola gsm phone, ericsson gsm phone, nokia gsm phone, motorola gsm cell phones,
gsm tri band phone, samsung gsm phone and sony ericsson gsm.


There is also a large used gsm phone market.
Nokia gsm phones are the most popular for in used gsm phone as they are regarded
as being very rugged and reliable. Nokia also does a lot of promotion and publicity.

Another activity involving mobiles that is quite common is that of unlocking. It is not uncommon to see vendors and telecom outfits advertising services for portables and handsets that have to with gsm unlocked cell phones, gsm unlocked phone and unlocked gsm phones.

The GSM cell phone and the GSM wireless phone business is big and growing one. All the major telecom manufacturers such as:

Alcatel, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung are involved with a wide range of handsets, brands, grades, types and models.
Fast Moving Gsm cell phone

In the market for the brand new GSM cell phone and GSM wireless phone, these are the market leaders:

Nokia gsm phone 3310, 1100, 3210, 3510, 3510I, 5210, 6210, ETC
Samsung gsm phone 1100 & OTHER CAMERA TYPE
Sony Ericsson gsm phone
Gsm phone BIRD -FLIP TYPE
LG gsm phone
Siemens gsm phone C35, C35I (Blue face)
NEC gsm phone

In the market for fairly used GSM cell phone and GSM wireless phone,
the Nokia gsm phone is the clear leader.

Popular models are:

Nokia gsm phone 3310, 3510I, 3210, 6210, (Radio phone)/camera type

In the fairly used market, Nokia is popular because of its perceived reliability
and ruggedness. Furthermore, the availability of Nokia parts and the fact that
different Nokia models often use the same parts are some the reasons that make
the Nokia gsm phone quite popular in the fairly used market.

See the websites below for more specific Cell Phone information in Costa Rica.

Cell Phones Costa Rica

Cell Phone Service in Costa Rica

Cell Phone Rentals Costa Rica

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Top 10 Reasons for Living in Costa Rica


Costa Rica has some of the best weather in the world, and a much less expensive cost of living than most countries. Adventure tourism is it's claim to fame and it has a democratic political process and stable government that attracts 100's of new foreign retirees and multi-national companies every year.

As a permanent resident of Costa Rica for 15 years, I'm frequently asked why I moved here. I've assembled my top 10 list of reasons to share with everyone who may be considering moving to paradise.

1. Climate. My metabolism thrives in the consistent warm temperatures here. No Heater or A/C required, therefore my old bones are always comfortable.

2. Nature. Every morning I enjoy the views of the mountains from my dinette table while I'm waking up to the sounds of exotic birds and a flowing river.

3. Affordable Medical Care. I had a procedure done in CIMA hospital here that cost $350 for a first class operating room, anesthesiologist and my internal specialist. The same procedure in Florida costs $2500. This private hospital has 86 private rooms, 14 private suites and is equipped to handle medical, surgical and maternity cases. It has a 24-hour emergency room as well as laboratory, X-ray services, and pharmacy. They accept several U.S. health insurance plans. Affordable dentistry is abundant here as well. A friend from Florida came here specifically to have 6 implants installed and this was his 2nd trip to have this work completed by the same dentist. During his 1st trip he had 2 implants and crowns installed and the total procedure took 3 days. The dentist arranged for hotel and transport from the airport and daily for the office visits. The cost he paid is $500 per tooth for titanium steel covered with bone material implants. The actual procedure takes less than 30 minutes per tooth. The impressions and the porcelain crowns cost $250 each. The dentist makes the crowns right in his office so he had the impressions made on Monday and the crowns installed on Tuesday. This dentist was educated at the U of Missouri. He does the implants and his son takes the impressions and installs the crowns.

4. My Tico Neighbors. Here in my pueblo, I live vicariously through the Tico families that live nearby with their close family unit and laid back ways of entertaining themselves and their kids. No video games or HDTV movies down here. The kids always have plenty of soccer in the center of town and then it's home with the folks to study and watch a little local TV with an old fashioned antenna on the roof.

5. Safety. Whenever I see a sensationalized report about a crime committed here, I wonder what the reports on the 11 o clock news are in New York or Miami. There is more violent crime in most North American cities in one month than we experience here in a year, yet the media loves to highlight crimes against U.S citizens that occur outside of US borders. No country is immune to the increasing crime rates that you find almost everywhere in the world. In most Costa Rican pueblos, crime tends to petty theft rather than violent. Unless you frequent areas targeted by criminals, you should not come face to face with crime. Costa Rica is a peace-loving democracy with no military and is frequently referred to as the Switzerland of the Americas.

6. Cost of Living. The financial benefits of being a U.S. citizen living abroad is attractive because we enjoy the tax-free foreign earned income benefit of more than $80,000 per year. Property tax for a cozy two bedroom condo including all municipal services such as garbage pickup twice per week and street and sidewalk maintenance is only $60.00 per year and the monthly condo maintenance fee is only $10.00. Monthly potable water costs $9.00. The electric bill is just $7.00 because ceiling fans are all that's needed to stay comfortable. In 2008, we had a 5.1% increase in the minimum wages. Below are the MONTHLY minimum wages for the following services as of 2008: Housemaid = $186. Messenger = $316. Security Guard = $343. Retail Salesperson = $252. Bus driver = $263. Secretary = $334. Membership to the local private recreational club is only $35 a month. There are a variety of local restaurants, offering some of the healthiest and best fire roasted chicken and broiled fish, plus Chinese, pizza and typical Tico food. I eat out almost everyday and spend an average of 2000 colones or $3.50 at lunch for fresh cooked meals. A beer in the local bar at happy hour is 550 colones or $.98 and a Johnnie Walker is 900 colones or $1.60. The local roasted chicken restaurant charges $4.64 for a 1/4 chicken with salad and tortillas including tip. Dinner or lunch at the El Dorado seafood restaurant of fresh Dorado or Corvina, salad and potatoes is $5.00 including tip. And their fabulous, take-out Ceviche, I keep in my frig for a healthy snack.

7. Fresh Food and Produce. My eggs are fresh every morning. The fish and chicken I eat for lunch were swimming and clacking at breakfast. And the hydroponic vegetables I make my salads with are picked fresh as I need them. If you want to eat North American style, the local Price Smart is stocked with imported foodstuffs and Outback and Hooters are close by.

8. High Technology. Intel and Hewlet Packard are just a few of the multi-national companies that have set up shop here. Many large international companies have moved here and they are creating 100's of new jobs for the local kids every year. I'm writing this article on my wireless laptop sitting in my easy chair while keeping my eye on CBS and ABC news programs that are beamed into the high-speed cable in my condo. And I can keep in touch with my family and friends in the USA for 9 cents a minute with my local long distance company.

9. Location. I can jump on a 2.5 hour flight to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale if something comes up with my family in Florida. I'm closer to my parents from here than my brother is in Illinois.

10. Adventure Tourism. Whenever I feel the urge or have friends come to visit there are a variety of exciting options to experience here. Volcanoes are within an hour and the Caribbean or Pacific Beaches are only a few hours away. The Forest Canopy tour is a great half day adventure and many of my friends enjoy rolling down the rivers on White Water Rafting trips.

Top 10 Reasons for Living in Costa Rica was written and reposted with permission by Tom Rosenberger, a U.S. native that has lived in Costa Rica for more than 15 years and is the owner of Costa Rica Home Builder (www.CostaRicaHomeBuilder.com).

Doing Business in Costa Rica video

Unspoiled and pristine Costa Rica


Costa Rica is one of the few safe countries to visit in the Central America region. It is a must see for it’s natural beauty with much of the country protected as a national park providing a rare opportunity to see an unspoiled and pristine environment.

Most tours begin in San Jose, the largest city in Costa Rica. From there, you can enjoy several guided tours of your own choosing. Costa Rica is Spanish-speaking but many tourist areas have those who understand English and the accommodations are generally first-rate.

Some guided tours will take you to the Heredia Highlands, the perfect spot to view the huge Poas Volcano and its nearly one mile wide steaming crater the largest volcanic crater in the world. Then you’ll spend some time on a naturalist-guided tour of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens with five waterfalls, an aviary and a butterfly garden.

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Costa Rica Wikipedia



Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈkosta ˈrika]) is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949.[2][3][4] It is the only Latin American country included in the list of the world’s 22 older democracies.[5] Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in terms of the Human Development Index, and ranked 54th in the world in 2007.[6] The country is ranked 3rd in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index.[7]
In 2007 the Costa Rican government announced plans for Costa Rica to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021.[8][9][10] According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the "greenest" country in the world.[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica