Mar

28

New Jazz Band Debuts Tonight

March 28, 2009 | Tags: Community Calendar, Entertainment | 1 Comment

March 28, 2009
6:30 pmto8:30 pm

Tonight, a new band makes its mark on Puerto Viejo.

The new configuration of Belladonna and the Shamans debuts this evening at EZ Times from 6:30 till 8:30. The band plays a variety of cool jazz leaning on the Latin side, including samba, basa nova and swing. You will fall in love with Cristiana’s beautiful voice, Marco’s magical sax and Maestro Jim’s inspirational keyboards. Add Martha and John’s experimental rhythm section and EZ Times relaxing atmosphere, and you have the formula for a Jazzy cool, cocktail-sipping evening.

EZ Times is located here.

Mar

9

Turtle Nesting Season in Gandoca

March 9, 2009 | Tags: Tourism | 6 Comments

It’s the prime time of year to see turtles come ashore for nesting near Gandoca.    There are a few things though to keep in mind if you want to see these incredible wonders of nature, some weighing in at over 600 pounds (the leatherbacks)!

  1. You will need to go at night and you must be properly equipped – for example flashlights will confuse the turtles and they may abort the nesting.. Only special red lights can be used.
  2. You must go with a guide. Not only is this the law and is needed for safety given that you are out at night on a remote beach but you are much more likely to see the turtles.
  3. You should work with a guide who is supporting conservation efforts.

Beyond that, this is an unforgetable experience, not to be missed!

We recommend the tours with Gecko Trail Adventures.  They hire the guides through ANAI, the local turtle conservation organization, so you are supporting their conservation work.  They also hire reliable local drivers and vehicles who can get you to the Gandoca beach without mishap.  Because much of the cost of this tour is the transportation to the remote starting point, the more people who do this tour, the cheaper it is per person!

You can get more information on this tour and make a booking here.

Mar

1

Constitutional Court Declares Puerto Viejo and Cahuita Are Not Cities

March 1, 2009 | Tags: Economic Development, Government and Politics | 9 Comments


At stake are the unspoiled beachfront properties of the area and who gets to make the decision to of how to develop them

In a long awaited decision released on Feb 25, the Sala Constitucional declared that the law making Cahuita and Puerto Viejo cities was unconstitutional.

Law 8464 passed in October 2005 had declared that these communities were municipalities. This would have allowed people who have lived in these areas for many years to obtain title to land as the city designation would have exempted these areas from some of the provisions of the maritime zone law which states that the first 200 meters of property from the high tide line is public property. Under this law, in effect since 1977, the first 50 meters can not be developed at all and the next 150 meters can only be leased from the government as a “concession”.

But law 8464 was challenged from the very beginning and it also did not specify the boundaries of the proposed cities. So local property owners and governments were left in limbo as to who would ultimately be responsible for making rules and determining development planning.

Real estate agent Manuel Pinto told the Talamanca News that this decision is unfortunate for those long time residents who would’ve obtained more valuable legal title to their land.  But much of this land had also been bought from those long term residents by speculators in the hopes that title would come through.  Those residents and those to whom they have sold will now have to abide by the maritime zone rules.

While giving title to those currently holding such land would’ve been a boon to them financially it would have also opened up that land to development which didn’t necessarily respect the natural environment or character of the area.

Local property developer Christer Ericsson stated that “longtime residents have no reason to fear eviction if they truly have been living on their lands before the law took effect and obtained it in a lawful manner. They will simply get the right to the concession inheriting the rights and obligations that come with it. Concessions will be granted by the local government (Municipality) and ICT only. The arrival of a plan regulator is setting the stage for proper planning and zoning that will protect our community in the future from indiscriminate development.”

Ericsson said his impression is that overall “the community is welcoming this decision and are happy to see all institutions unified working together for the sake of all residents and the future of the community.”

More:

Mar

1

Bus Fares Going Down 5%

March 1, 2009 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off

The regulator of public services (Aresep) has declared a 5.13% rollback in fares affecting some 3,600 routes.

The fare from San Jose to Puerto Viejo will be reduced from 4,535 colones to 4,290 colones (about US$ 7.65 at current exchange rates).

The new rates take effect on Friday.

Source: Diario Extra: Pasajes Bajan Entre ¢10 Y ¢360