Calendar of Events and Posts
« Dec 
Feb » January 2009 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Jul
19
Fish Market Opens in Puerto Viejo
July 19, 2008 | Tags: Local Business News | Leave a Comment
There is finally a place to buy fresh fish in Puerto Viejo. Ricardo Corrales who has been selling fish to the local hotels and out of the back of his white pick up for some time recently opened Mariscos Mopri #2 - Mariscos Mopri #1 is located in Limon.
Mariscos Mopri is located in front of Cutback Camping just across the street from Patagonia Argentinian Steakhouse.
You can call them at 8346-2663 or 2798-4017
Apr
10
Environmental Court Inspects Area
April 10, 2008 | Tags: Environment, Local Business News | 1 Comment
The Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo (Environmental Administrative Court) began on Apr 7 their program “Barrida Environmental Limon”, with 14 experts inspecting the developments and projects in Limon Province. According to La Nación, the inspections are to take place in the mountains, in farms, in the centre of the province and in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge.
One local hotel owner reported “1 van load and 2 SUVs of MINAE inspectors” arriving unannounced at his hotel yesterday to ask questions.
This is the second of its kind. The first campaign was conducted on the Pacific coast.
The Talamanca News welcomes this effort to root out the few bad apples who are not treating our tropical paradise with the respect it deserves.
Apr
4
CATCAS announces board executive for 2008-2010
April 4, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
CATCAS, the South Caribbean Tourism and Business Board would like to present its new board that was elected in the assembly of members this past January 28th:
Presidente: Lic Rolando Soto Jiménez
Primer Vice Presidente: Sr. Edward Joseph Ryan ,
Segunda Vice Presidente: Sra. Leda Villa Porras,
Tesorero: Sr Frank León Chang,
Secretario: Sr. José Guido Bizet Delgado ,
Pro Secretario. Sr. Dennis Clark Bell,
Vocal Primero: Sra. Jacqueline Lewis Burker
Vocal Segundo: Sra. Marta Castro Bolaños,
Vocal Tercero: Sr. Junio Ortiz Navas,
Vocal Cuarto: Sr. Jason T. Ficociello.
Vocal Quinto: Sra. Silvia Rivera Guevara
Fiscal Primero: Sra. Gloria Gavioli
Fiscal Segundo: Sr. Mario Torres Madrigal.
CATCAS is involved in a huge variety of projects to promote and improve our area. They have done projects and continue to work in the areas of:
- Cultural and Educational Projects
- Security
- Promotion of the Area
- Health and Infrastructure
- Environment and Sustainability
The list of projects they have initiated or supported is huge! (See the document - in Spanish). If you’d like more information or to get involved with this organization contact turismocaribesur@yahoo.com.
And if anyone involved in those projects or in upcoming ones would like to write about them for the Talamanca News, we’d love to publish it!
Mar
7
MEPE Considering Hourly Bus Service Between Hone Creek and Manzanillo
March 7, 2008 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | 2 Comments
Our sources tell us that MEPE, the bus company servicing the Puerto Viejo area, is considering greatly expanding bus service between Hone Creek and Manzanillo and implementing hourly local service. Right now service between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo is limited to 4 buses daily which travel between Limon and Manzanillo (see the schedule on the transport page).
This would be a huge boon for everyone in the Caribe Sur. No only would it make it much easier for visitors to get around, it would provide a vital link for locals to and from get to jobs in Puerto Viejo, Cocles and Punta Uva. Right now hotel and restaurant owners have trouble getting staff because of the lack of affordable housing in Puerto Viejo and the limited transport options to get people to and from Hone Creek and beyond where most locals can afford to live.
Make your opinions known with MEPE that you’d appreciate and support this service. You can find their Puerto Viejo office here.
Mar
7
Reminder: Telephone Numbers Scheduled to Change to 8 Digits March 20
March 7, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
| March 20, 2008 |
As we warned you about back in July, all telephone numbers in Costa Rica are due to switch to 8 digits on March 20. All fixed-line numbers will now have a 2 added in front and all mobile numbers have a 8 added to the front. So our local 750-and 759- numbers will become 2750- and 2759- numbers.
The change is to make more numbers available. The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) will then start offering numbers with the “5″ prefix.
It is not clear whether a grace period will be in effect or whether the old numbers will suddenly stop working and the new ones working on March 20 but one can hope it will go smoothly.
Of course, if you’re looking for the number for a local business, you can find the number of any business listed on the Puerto Viejo site at their map listing. Just look for the little telephone symbol 
under their name when you click the business’ name to open their ”bubble” on the map. These numbers will be changed once the change takes effect.
Mar
7
Taxi Rates Now Available on the Transport Page
March 7, 2008 | Tags: Local Business News, Site news | Leave a Comment
Check out the taxi section on the Puerto Viejo Satellite Transport page — there’s a new feature there which is a list of point to point taxi rates from Puerto Viejo to just about anywhere! For example, Puerto Viejo to Rocking J’s 1,000 colones, Puerto Viejo to Cariblue in Cocles, 2000 colones or Puerto Viejo to Sixaola 20,000 colones.
Now these are the rates that the drivers belonging to the taxi collective are supposed to charge. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t confirm the price in advance (especially now that you’re armed with what the price should be). Nor is every driver in town a member of this collective. But there it is, put it to good use!
Feb
14
Marina Meeting Ends in Acrimony
February 14, 2008 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | 1 Comment
The meeting Tuesday at the Casa de Cultura on the proposed marina between community members, the developer and the local municipality erupted into high emotion and ended early with the mayor threatening foreigners wouldn’t be allowed into any future such meetings.
 The Casa de la Cultura in Puerto Viejo on a calmer day |
Around 300 people came to hear the debate about the controversial “Marina Ecologica New World” planned for Playa Negra, a beach that extends north from the center of Puerto Viejo. The crowd spilled out onto the streets as Walter Coto, lawyer for the developers Grupo Caribeño Internacional S.A., opened the meeting at 10 a.m.
Community members had sent two letters to Rugelis Morales Rodríguez, mayor of Talamanca, requesting a meeting with municipality members. They hoped that the municipality would be able to answer questions, mainly surrounding concerns that the marina project would have adverse effects on the marine life and coral in two national parks near to the chosen development site.
Coto explained that the company he represents is still in the stage of compiling the pre-project report, and therefore no technical details for the “Marina Ecologica New World” are confirmed. “Mayor Rodríguez and Paola Mora also gave speeches after Coto,” said Jose Guido Bizet, the opposition’s general coordinator. “They were very vague and did not tell us what we wanted to hear.”
After the official speeches, the audience was informed that only three people from the community would be allowed to speak. Chosen to speak were Guido, Mauricio Salazar, a representative of the Alta Talamanca region who works in ecotourism, and Guillermo Quirós, an oceanographer.
“The municipal lawyer replied to our questions, asking how the area could develop without investments like the marina,” said Guido. “She cited the drug problem here, and also said that the community had no right to express concern about
the coral reefs off the shore while the hotels and restaurants are contaminating the waters with their waste and sewage.
“I replied that the prospective 400 extra boats that could dock here would most likely increase the problem of drug trafficking rather than decrease it, and that it is the job of the municipality to organize programs for recycling and cleaning up the town.”
The municipal lawyer, Ms. Mora, then said that the organizers of the meeting were lying to the community by inflating the number of boats proposed for the marina. She said that the number of yachts the project proposes is closer to 100 than 400. But the third speaker, Quirós, referred to pre-project plans secured from the Comision de Marinas y Atracaderos Turisticos, which show that the pre-project plans do indeed state that the marina would hold 398 boats.
“Quirós said that it was actually the municipality that was lying to the people. Then George Brown, the municipal president, started shouting that they would have to close the meeting early,” said Guido. The meeting was brought to an end amid disapproving chants.
“The mayor was escorted out of the Casa by police,” said Alaine Berg, who works for Asociación Talamanqueña de Ecoturismo y Conservación and attended Tuesday’s meeting. “I don’t know why. I didn’t see anyone making threats to him. It was very emotional. There were people crying in the streets.”
Guido added that Brown made a demand that in future no foreigners would be allowed into similar meetings. Guido said that the community would fight against this decision, as there are many foreigners who legally own businesses in the area who should be able to have a say in developments.
With reporting from: A.M. Costa Rica: Marina meeting in Puerto Viejo upsets residents
Jan
26
What’s Being Built on Main St?
January 26, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
 Construction site on Calle Principal |
Anyone who’s been down Calle Principal in Puerto Viejo over the last few months has seen the large construction site where Chili Rojo used to be located. Perhaps you’ve been wondering what this large new space will be and how it will fit into our community?
Sources tell us it’s a “mini-mall” type of project planned by owner Chris Whitman. Of course, this being Puerto Viejo it won’t be a 7-11 and a gas station but small local businesses who want to expand and get new modern spaces to work in. The project is also said to be planning a large inner courtyard with many plants and perhaps some sort of water feature.
The biggest tenant will be Chili Rojo who will move back into the space when it was done with a huge new 300+ square meter restaurant on the 2nd floor. On the ground floor, plans are for 8 stores around the courtyard. We’ve heard that Chili Rojo owner Andrew is also planning a premium style coffee shop on the main floor with espresso machine and no doubt lots of tasty treats. Exploradores is also planning to move into the space with a new booking office for their rafting and other trips. So is Luna de Febrero which will sell souvenirs out of the site. An art gallery, another souvenir shop, a spa with massage and perhaps a bodega may round out the offerings that will be in place.
The site also has a parking area over by Cabinas Grant for customers of the merchants.
The site is being built by local contractor Tony, who also built Hotel Banana Azul as well as 37 houses at last count!
Best guesses for opening? Well estimates we’ve heard have ranged from May to September.
Jan
21
Fun Tours Launched to Bring Affordable Group Tours to Puerto Viejo
January 21, 2008 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | Leave a Comment
Several local businesses have banded together to create a new association to offer group tours that highlight some of our areas best features! The new association is called Puerto Viejo Fun Tours and has a mission to:
• Provide affordable group tour options on a regular scheduled basis which include transport. Right now, the only option for visitors who want to visits sights such as the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve with a guide (the way to make sure you see the most animals and features!) is to arrange their own private transportation and guide which can be both expensive and difficult. With Puerto Viejo Fun Tours, it will be easy: there will be a calendar of events and an easy sign up procedure and multiple pick up points.
• Support local businesses, guides, transport providers by providing a regular reliable source of income.
• Support ATEC with their goal of promoting sustainable tourism in the area. With every tour sold, a donation will be made to ATEC.
The goal is to have a complete weekly schedule so that there will be something fun to do every day of the week! For right now, they are starting with a Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge Hike every Saturday. The cost is $39 per person and includes van transportation to and from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo, a four hour hike with a trained naturist guide who will make sure you have the most opportunities to spot wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, iguanas, snakes, toucans, hummingbirds, owls and much more. The guide will also give information and show off our exotic flora such as bromeliads and orchids. The tour includes the opportunity to learn about local Afro-Caribbean customs too.
Each Saturday morning this tour will depart from one of our pickup points:
- Hotel Banana Azul, Playa Negra, 7:30 am
- ATEC, Puerto Viejo Center, 7:45 am
- La Costa de Papito, 8am
- Maxi’s in Manzanillo, 8:15am.
Advance booking is required and only a limited amount of spaces are available so that the group doesn’t get too big for everyone to have a great experience. You can find out more or book your space at www.puertoviejofuntours.com or by asking at Banana Azul, ATEC or La Costa de Papito.
Local businesses who are interested in finding out more about selling this tour to their clients, can contact tours@puertoviejosatellite.com.
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
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.
Jul
10
Costa Rica telephone numbers to change to 8 digits
July 10, 2007 | Tags: Local Business News | 1 Comment
According to an article in La Nacion yesterday, telephone numbers in Costa Rica are changing to 8 digits effective March 20, 2008. Existing telephone numbers will have an extra 2 at the beginning of the number so our local 750 numbers will become 2750 numbers. ICE then will begin offering new numbers starting with a 5. This applies to Cellulars as well as land lines.
You can read the full article here (in Spanish): ICE invertirá $15 millones en cambio a 8 dígitos en teléfonos
Jun
18
The Ice Cream Shop Sold
June 18, 2007 | Tags: Local Business News | Leave a Comment
Susan and Gary have just sold the Ice Cream Shop. It was taken over the owners of the Sunset Bar next door.
So it will remain to be seen if it continues to be as popular. Susan is priceless and not replaceable. Hopefully they will continue to supply the ice cream and yogurt we all love from their dairy farm in Turrialba.
|
|
| |
Use promo code 50_BUCKS_OFF to get $50 off Carbon Neutral Hosting |
|
