Dec
27
Flooding hits Sixaola hard
December 27, 2007 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters | Leave a Comment
Evacuated residents were heading home Wednesday to clean up mud and debris left by flood waters. In hard-hit Sixaola, many residents remained in shelters as flood waters of as much as 2 meters hadn’t completely receded. Hundreds of evacuees went to the community hall in Cahuita.
Sixaola is on the border with Panama, just over an hour from Puerto Viejo (view on map).
Read more: A.M. Costa Rica: Sixaola area is the hardest hit Caribbean coast community.
More rain is forecast for Friday.
Dec
22
Winter solstice arrives with nary a squeek
December 22, 2007 | Tags: Environment | Leave a Comment
 Lanterns from the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, Vancouver, BC. Photos by Steena. |
I’m currently celebrating the holidays in Vancouver, Canada. Dec 21st is celebrated here not as the official beginning of winter but as the Winter Solstice, the shortest day/longest night of the year which means the days just get longer and the sun starts to return from here on out!
Costa Ricans don’t pay much attention to the solstice, nor to the official start of winter as we learned it in school up north; not surprising really as the difference between the longest and shortest day in Costa Rica is minimal, although actually more than I expected:
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Length of day |
| Dec 21, 2007 | 5:48 AM | 5:21 PM | 11h 32m 35s |
| Jun 21, 2008 | 5:17 AM | 5:59 PM | 12h 42m 30s |
A difference of over an hour (these times are for San Jose) but compare that to Vancouver where the shortest day is 8h 11m long and the longest 16h 14m, almost double.
Costa Ricans instead of celebrating the seasonal changes on Apr 21st, June 21st, Sept 21st and Dec 21st, have only two seasons: Winter (known in tourist brochure venacular as the “Green season”) from May to November when it’s wetter and Summer from December to April when it’s dryer. Of course, as those of us in the Caribbean know well, even this distinction is rather moot in our area, where the rain and dry pretty much alternate year round. Although if you check the Puerto Viejo Weather page, you’ll note that September and October are actually our dryest months.
I look for my personal summer to return Jan 8 when I return to Puerto Viejo.
Happy Holidays all from Puerto Viejo Satellite and The Talamanca News!
Dec
20
One vibrant iguana!
December 20, 2007 | Tags: Critter of the week, Photo of the week | Leave a Comment
This amazingly vibrant iguana photo is one of a very lovely collection of photos taken by photographer Roy Kaltschmidt while he was in Puerto Viejo. And so we here at The Talamanca News would like to call this guy our “Critter of the Week” as well as award the photo the “Photo of the Week”.
You can learn more about our local iguanas and what you can do to save them by visiting the website of the Iguana Verde Foundation. They are working in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve to protect this animal.
You can see Roy’s photos of Puerto Viejo at his portfolio. Or you can search for other photo albums of Puerto Viejo on the Puerto Viejo Satellite Photos, Blogs and Videos page.
Dec
17
Now we’re a phone book too!
December 17, 2007 | Tags: Site news | Leave a Comment
Announcing a new feature on Puerto Viejo Satellite – we’re now a local phone book too! Yep, there are sometimes when the internet isn’t the most efficient and a phone call is still called for. We’ve added phone numbers to our database and for all listings we were able to get them you’ll now see a little phone icon 
right below their name. Just click on over to the home/map page and open the listing you’re interested in, either by clicking its pin on the map or by clicking its name from the list to the left of and below the map.
Please let us know if you know the phone number for a listing for which we don’t show the number or if there are any corrections. And, as always, if your favorite places aren’t already listed on Puerto Viejo Satellite, it’s time to add them to the map – it just takes 5 minutes to input the info needed for the form.
Dec
15
Want to “Explore Costa Rica”?
December 15, 2007 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | Leave a Comment
There’s so many guidebooks about Costa Rica – it’s difficult to pick one so we at The Talamanca News thought we’d share our insights with you. For the most part, the big titles, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Fodor’s, etc have pretty much taken over the market. But there are a couple of independents hanging on. One of them is Harry S. Pariser’s Explore Costa Rica, now in it’s 5th edition (copyrighted 2007 but with research done probably about a year ago).
Harry kindly sent me a copy of the book to review. One thing I’ll give this book is that it sure is comprehensive! While other guidebooks have, for example, covered Puerto Viejo by listing a dozen or so hotels in the area and a handful of restaurants, this book includes 26 hotels and 23 restaurants in Puerto Viejo alone, as well as listings in sections for Cahuita, Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo.
This comprehensiveness could hopefully prevent “Lonely Planet Syndrome” where you arrive at what Lonely Planet describes as an “undiscovered treasure” only to discover that everyone is there already, the prices have gone up, the service has suffered and they’re still full! (Not that anyone in PV would boost their rates just because of a favorable mention in a guidebook!). Of course, if you’re looking for strong opinions on where to stay or eat, this might not be your book, it mostly lays out what’s offered and let’s you make up your mind.
Unfortunately though the weak point of this book is that both the photos and maps are rather lacking as compared to the big fish in the guidebook pond. Rather than finding places on a map, you’ll mostly have to rely on descriptions of how to get there. Of course as anyone who’s every showed a map to a Tico and asked for directions based on the map knows, you might get better results with directions than with a map. (Tico directions are always given relative to other places which are well-known in the locale; the spatial sense of a map doesn’t seem to come across well).
If you want to grab a copy of the book for yourself, you can buy it direct from the publisher Manatee Press at what they promise is the best price on the ‘net, $20 including shipping (to the US, other destinations are more).
Dec
13
Puerto Viejo Satellite and Talamanca News Readership hits new record!
December 13, 2007 | Tags: Site news | Leave a Comment
 The Jacuzzi at the Totem Hotel Resort |
Yesterday was the busiest day ever on the sites, with 325 unique visitors* just in the one 24 hour period visiting the sites to read the news, get transport information, find businesses on the map, check out photo albums, video and blogs, book tours or chat in the forum. It tells you how much our community is growing and how much interest is out there as well as how the sites are growing rapidly.
Finding accomodations for their stay is one of the most important uses for visitors of the site, so we are happy to welcome a new listing to the site as one of Puerto Viejo’s Top Picks! Totem Hotel Resort and Restaurant. Check out their map listing and their website. Thanks for supporting the site and the work we do!
*This is not the same as hits which are an inflated and fairly meaningless statistic (we got 1000’s of hits yesterday) that some people will try and tell you about on their sites. Numbers audited by StatCounter.
Dec
12
Most Attendees at Marina Meeting Oppose Plans; Experts Highlight Risks
December 12, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Environment | 24 Comments
 A poster produced by one resident showing what Puerto Viejo could look like with increased development. Photo by Anne Clark, courtesy A.M. Costa Rica |
Saturday’s meeting at the Casa Cultural about the proposed marina at Playa Negra brought out about 60 people, mostly from the expat community. They came to hear several experts who had looked at the plans and came to give information on the risks that the marina could bring to the environment. The people attending the meeting were generally opposed to the project – a similar results to online comments on The Talamanca News where comments have run 14 to 1 against the project.
Several expert witnesses spoke on the possible environmental damage that this project could cause. Puerto Viejo lies between two protected areas, Parque Nacional Cahuita to the north and Refugio Gandoca Manzanillo to the south. Both contain important living reefs. Engineer Jose Alvarado highlighted in his speech that toxic products such as paint and oil used in the maintenance of the boats, along with an increase in sewage and pollution, could damage marine life in these two areas. Oceanographer Guillermo Quiros then questioned a report produced for the developers by Watermark S.A., and said that the firm’s study of the currents does not correspond with reality. He raised concerns that the breakwaters detailed by the plans, some of which will be 6 meters in height, could destroy the Salsa Brava, Costa Rica’s biggest and most powerful surf wave.
Other speakers were concerned about the economic impacts of the marina; that the high-brow marina customers would neither patronize existing Puerto Viejo businesses nor fit into the feel of the community. “The marina is going to be its own community,” said Jose Bizet Delgado, the meeting’s organizer. “It will include a commercial area with supermarkets, five-star hotels, restaurants and casinos. The people who come here on their yachts will not come into the town to use the services of local businesses.”
 Dana Gibson at the local Heladeria. Photo by Helen Thompson, courtesy A.M. Costa Rica |
“Rich people aren’t going to eat in little stores,” said language teacher Dana Gibson, a Californian who has been living in Puerto Viejo for four years. Everyone here will get bought out, and it will become Miami. We’re right on the edge – either we’ll be taken like everywhere else, or we’ll do it right.”
But not everyone in the community opposes the project. The developer claims that the local (i.e. Tico and Afro-Caribbean not expat) community overwhelmingly supports the project: “People up in Escazú live like they’re in the First World, but people in Talamanca live like they are in Uganda. 90 percent of the community in Puerto Viejo want this to happen. This is a community project with Costa Rican investors and it will be an ecological project that takes care of its environment,” said Walter Coto Molina, the developers’ lawyer and a former government minister.
“The marina is a necessity for Talamanca, Talamanca is the poorest zone of Costa Rica and this project is essential for its development.”
Coto did not attend the meeting.
Local residents look forward to the jobs that would be provided by the marina and to the more well-heeled tourists who they feel might spread their money around more liberally. The problem is that this experience has not been borne out in other developments – generally mega-developments for wealthy tourists leave little positive impact on the local community and import most of their workers as well. The kind of development that has taken place to date in Puerto Viejo is one that locals have the most opportunity to participate in as entrepreneurs and business owners, not just as maids and security guards.
Neither is everyone in the expat community against the project. Tina Stavest, owner of Jammin Juice and Jerk Joint, a restaurant situated near the development site, said: “I come from the coast of Canada, and we have hundreds of marinas there. They can fit in wonderfully if they are done right. There’s no reef here — the run-off from the banana plantations killed it long ago. Puerto Viejo was a harbor a long time ago when it was settled, and now it will be one again,” she said.
Opponents of the project face an uphill battle. While the marina plans have not yet been approved, as the developers have not completed an environmental impact study, the Municipalidad de Talamanca has declared its “marked interest in the execution of the marina plans” as a benefit to the economic and touristic development of the area. The opposition must now try to prove that the reef nearest to Playa Negra is still alive, and to continue pushing for Puerto Viejo to be declared a city, as this will give it an increased ability to influence the proceedings.
With contributions from: A.M. Costa Rica: Some Puerto Viejo expats feel threatened by marina.
Dec
11
Spanish tourist drowns at Volio Waterfall
December 11, 2007 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters | Leave a Comment
 The Volio Waterfall near Bri-Bri, accessible by hiking trail with local guides |
A group of 4 tourists from Spain were taken to the Volio Waterfall up past BriBri by a local guide from Puerto Viejo. One the men was in the waterfall when all of a sudden a large volume of water (called a head water) surged over the waterfall and knocked the man into the pool. It appears he drowned instantly.
Rains have been very heavy this November and December. It is surprising that a local guide would not be aware of the dangers of this type of excursion with these weather conditions.
Dec
11
Surfing News
December 11, 2007 | Tags: Sports | Leave a Comment
 On the podium at the Copa Mango, Jaco. Photo Shifi Surf Shots courtesy of Global Surf News. |
PV Surfers Take First and Third
Puerto Viejo natives hit the big time in the Copa Mango in Jaco on the weekend with Puerto Viejo’s Nino Myrie taking first place in the open competition and Puerto Viejo’s Gilbert Brown taking third place. Jason Torres of Jaco took second place. Brown recently won a bronze metal at the Pan American Surfing Games.
The Copa Mango is the debut event of the season for Costa Rica’s Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS).
Read more: Global Surf News: Germaine Myrie nabs Copa Mango crown in Costa Rica.
 Unfortunately the Puerto Viejo event was not photographed so we bring you this photo of a nude surfing competition in Cornwall, England. Courtesy of Life’s a Beach. |
Naked Surfers Spotted on Playa Negra
Three young guys sporting nothing but a surfboard were spotted in Playa Negra today just in front entrance to Pan Dulce by local residents. That was until the local police came by and got them to put their shorts back on. Not too long after all 3 were spotted on bikes with their boards looking for more private waves further down Playa Negra.
Dec
11
Christmas Gifting Program
December 11, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Helping Out | Leave a Comment
 Gifts from last year’s program being transfered to a canoe for the journey |
It’s December and ATEC thought they’d give you the opportunity to be generous to your neighbors again.
Last year they had a very successful impromptu gift drive. The community came through and they had THREE carloads of gifts that went up to some friends in remote areas in Alta-Talamanca by Coroma.
This year they will send gifts up to that community again but also hope to expand to other communities. ATEC’s Vice President was Talamanca’s Diputado (senator) and therefore had the opportunity to get to know the communities in our canton that often get little attention; they hope to get materials into some of those communities.
They have had a good start, some friends of Talamanca have gotten together a whole container-load of good condition kids clothing that’s on the way!
So, while good-condition, clean, used products are appreciated, they are also suggesting practical items such as:
- School supplies—see official list of required school supplies from the Ministry of Education
- Non-perishable food
- Soccer, baseball, biking or sports equipment
- First aid supplies–band aides and Neosporin even.
- Tools
- Art supplies
If you have a vehicle and want to help transport the materials in late December, please let ATEC know.
ATEC promises a complete and transparent report after the drive. If you want to donate cash, you can be assured you’ll get a receipt and a full report of what the money was spend on. To donate by credit card, you can donate on the Puerto Viejo Satellite donation page. Puerto Viejo Satellite and The Talamanca News will cover all credit card processing fees and pass 100% of your donation on to ATEC for the drive.
Materials can be dropped off at ATEC (view on map) or at El Puente-The Bridge (view on map).
Dec
6
Jim Vick Combo Performing Next 2 Sundays
December 6, 2007 | Tags: Community Calendar, Entertainment | Leave a Comment
| December 9, 2007 | ||
| 7:30 pm | ||
| December 16, 2007 | ||
| 7:00 pm |
The next two Sundays give you an opportunity to hear Jim Vick perform with his vocalist daughter Elisa who is here in Puerto Viejo for a couple of weeks. They’ll be performing at Jungle Love in Playa Chiquita this Sunday December 9, starting at 7:30pm.
She will also be joining Carter and Jim for a night at the beautiful new Loco Natural on the following Sunday, December 16, where they’ll get started at around 7:00.
If you haven’t heard Elisa sing before, you’ll be in for a treat. She’s been singing in public since she was a child and toured with the jazz vocal group Celebration and later with Jim’s band for 6 years back in the States. They’ve been singing together most of her life, so the blend is pretty remarkable, and Jim says that getting the chance to harmonize with her again is always a joy for him.
You can get a preview of Jim’s music at:
Dec
5
Hi Speed Internet Coming South of Puerto Viejo?
December 5, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
Local sources tell me that ICE is stringing new cable from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo. As locals well know, hi speed ADSL Internet arrived in Cahiuta and Puerto Viejo almost a year ago (previously available only with very expensive satellite connections) but communities to the southeast of Puerto Viejo such as Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo, were out of luck, still stuck on dial-up. But this new cable may be what they’ve been waiting for. These same sources tell me that ADSL may be available as early as February. Of course, deadlines always seem to slip in Costa Rica so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Dec
2
Meeting to discuss Marina set for Saturday
December 2, 2007 | Tags: Community Calendar, Community News | 1 Comment
| December 8, 2007 | ||
| 2:00 pm | to | 5:00 pm |
On Saturday, 8 December, at the Community Center at 2 pm there will be a meeting on the proposed Playa Negra marina.
Biologists will be on hand to discuss impacts, etc.
Please spread the word and come show an interest.
| Update 06Dec07: There has been some confusion over what this meeting is and is not. It is NOT the hoped-for meeting with the municipality that residents have been asking for. We are still asking for that. So municipality representatives are not expected to be on hand. Unfortunately, representatives of the developer are not expected to come either. This is simply a forum for residents to discuss what is known of the plans with some experts who have been brought in. |
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