Learn to play djembe and dunduns African drums at the workshop by M’Bembe Percusion y Danza.

The workshop will be held at the Centro Cultural Ecológico Gaia in Playa Chiquita from March 24 to 26.

Cost is 25,000 colones.

Reserve your space by contacting 2750 0385 or ololiuki.cr@gmail.com

A comedy show is coming to Puerto Viejo!

Like to Laugh Productions is presenting NYC Comedians Mike Ennis (Law and Order & Discovery Channel), Josh Filipowski (Beatz106 & The Idiot’s Guide to Jokes), and Gabe Pacheco (NY Underground Comedy Fest).

Comics Gabe Pacheco and Josh Filipowski

They will venture to both coasts and in-between, exploring and performing, bringing stand-up to Costa Rica!

Mostly in English, with a little Spanish and Spanglish! Featuring gringo/tico collaborations with local artist Guillermo Ramos (Gringo Pinto), Alex Costa (Canal 7) and more!

The Puerto Viejo show is Thursday, March 4th, 9PM at Chile Rojo, Puerto Viejo.

Other Costa Rica show are:
Monday, March 1st, 8AM – Beatz106 Morning Show, San Jose
Tuesday, March 2nd, 9PM – Cafe Club, San Pedro
Friday, March 5th, 8PM – Lemon Zest Restaurant, Jaco Beach
Saturday, March 6th, 8PM – La Playa, Manuel Antonio
Sunday, March 7th, 7PM – Flutterby House, Uvita
Monday, March 8th, 8PM – Teatro Variedades, San Jose

The tourism association of the South Caribbean (CATCAS) will hold their annual general assembly on Sunday Mar 14 at the Casa de la Cultura in Puerto Viejo starting at 2:30 pm.

The agenda will include reports from the president and treasurer and election of officers for the coming year.

CATCAS is involved in many community projects and lobbying for the community. The participation of the community is important so CATCAS can move forward with their plans and initiatives that are of benefit to the whole canton.

Local hotel and tourism operators are invited to the launch of this program presented by our local business association CATCAS and UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund).

The “Guest of the Heart” strategy is aimed at helping children with problems or abandoned children.

The meeting for hoteliers from Puerto Viejo, Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo is Saturday Feb 13 at 11 am at the Hotel Punta Cocles.

The meeting for hoteliers from Cahuita is Sunday Feb 14 at Restaurante Relax in Cahuita.

This is a great opportunity for Caribe Sur tourism operators to help and join to be part of this program, the first time that UNICEF has partnered with a chamber of tourism in Central America.

More information on the “Guest of the Heart” program can be found on the UNICEF Costa Rica website.

For more information on the local meetings or the involvement of CATCAS, contact Rolando Soto at turismocaribesur@yahoo.com.

Thirty-one runners from as far away as Canada, France and Australia arrived in Costa Rica this week to participate in the second running of the cross-country Transtica.

The race begins on Saturday in the central Pacific town of Manuel Antonio and crosses 250 kilometers of terrain to arrive in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side on Nov. 26. Runners travel either 20 or 40 km (equivalent to a half or a full marathon) each day, depending on the group they’ve chosen to compete with.

What makes the competition unique is not necessarily the distances or the difficulty of the race, but the fact that runners stop in select locations to participate in social projects.

More/Source: Tico Times: Coast-to-coast humanitarian run launches on Saturday

World renowned Costa Rican artists Fabio Herrera & Mario Maffioli will present their exhibit “Nautica” at KOKi Beach Restaurant from Nov 21 to Nov 29.

Both painters are well known in Costa Rica and abroad for their abstract painting. Fabio Herrera has been called the “the most important abstract painter in Costa Rica”.

The exhibit opens at 6pm on Nov 21.

A high court ruling on Monday afternoon was what led to the suspension of the eviction and demolition proceedings on Hotels Suerre and Las Palmas. More than 120 officials from the police, fire and coast guard who had arrived along with work crews went home on Tuesday to await the court’s final decision.

But the ruling was a temporary injunction only while the court studies the issue more. The next step will be a public hearing for all involved parties set for November 27.

The high court originally ordered the demolition of the two hotels in 2001. But action on this has been suspended by 11 injunctions, two lawsuits, one habeas corpus writ and now Monday afternoon’s ruling.

More: Tico Times: Caribbean hotels saved by high court halt on demolition

The Artists’ Collective group has been making useful art out of reused stuff for a while now and some of it has appeared for sale at the Saturday morning farmers’ market.

Starting this Saturday they’ll be appearing at the Puerto Viejo Farmers’ Market on the Second Saturday of each Month. They’ll be sponsoring art workshops and garage sales.  Bring stuff you no longer need to the Puerto Viejo farmers’ market this Saturday and the second Saturday of every month. You can donate the items or sell them yourself and keep the proceeds. And bring your kids for the reused art workshop.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the Artists’ Collective group and making and selling useful art out of recycled materials then contact Karla at 8884 0093 or ATEC (Alaine, Tirza, or Erica) at 2750 0398 or 2750 0191.

Soon they’ll also be selling their products in more local shops (already many items for sale at ATEC) and they’ll take orders for specific items.

They are also collecting your used items for to make art. Bring them to the Second Saturday’s at the market or to ATEC:

Tetrabrik (Clean and squished only)
Old pants (not nice enough to wear)
Used hammocks and towels
La Nación newspaper
The material from broken umbrellas
Broken ceramics (plates, coffee cups even)
Fabric
Small tuna cans
Etc.–other unusable things you think could be made into art.

ICT in conjunction with our local tourism association (CATCAS) and with the tourism association of the North Plains are presenting a workshop on rural tourism.

Subjects will include:
- Rural tourism and rural community tourism concepts
- Scope of the rural tourism law
- Successful experiences in rural tourism and rural community tourism in the area.

The workshop will be a good opportunity to network with other rural tourism operators and share experiences.

The workshop will be held Oct 2 from 8am to 5pm at La Tirimbina Rainforest Center in Sarapiqui. Lunch and refreshments will be served.

Preregistration is required with Sr. Luis Lopez at 2299-5800 ext 426, email llopeza@ict.go.cr or Sra. Geanina Chaves at ext 427 or email gchaves@ict.go.cr.

A group of community members gets together every Tuesday at the recycling center to help them get on the mountain of recyclables!

This is an opportunity to be a active member of your community.

So bring music, get to know some neighbors, feel rewarded, make a difference…and to top it off some local masseuses are offering an incentive.

The work is dirty and gross but rewarding. After this we have no question on what is recyclable here on the Caribbean coast:
- Plastics #1 and #2–beverage bottles mostly
- Glass: separated to clear and color
- Aluminum

Material should be sent in clean, smash the plastic and aluminum, take the top off of the glass.

Things not recyclable at this time by ReciCaribe: tin cans, tetrabrik (those cardboard boxes for milk and wine), cardboard, light bulbs, dirty diapers, organic food stuffs, sand, batteries.

Thanks to:
Rolo and Denis of ReciCaribe
Frank of Cabinas Los Almendros
Pamela of Loco Natural Jungle Houses
Ashley of the Finca La Isla Botanical Garden
Bill of Pachamama (the first to volunteer)
Michael Cook–a good neighbor
Glenda of Soda Miss Sam’s
Alaine of ATEC
and thanks to Tom at Bread and Chocolate for donating treats to keep us going.

And thanks to ReciCaribe for doing what you do and the Biological Corridor too.

We’re getting the next group together. It’s hard work and my muscles hurt for days after, but an important experience for people who care about their community. So far going on Tuesday the 29th of September they have:
Robert of Banana Azul Lodge
Christina of Medicinal Bush Body oils
Walter the masseuse from Black Beach
Pamela of Loco Natural Jungle Houses
Alaine and Sheran from ATEC

Three different groups of masseuses have offered to give either a half price hour long massage or a free 20 minute massage if you come help volunteer!
Thanks: Walter in Manzanillo, Tup and Ro in Playa Negra and Dan and Julie and crew at Bliss Spa!

Please write or call and come get involved.

Contact Alaine at ATEC 2750 0191 or home 2750 0052 or cell 8320 4821.

Or the folks at the Corridor 2756 8033 or 2750 8136.

You don’t have to come on the 29th, you could go volunteer any weekday from 7:30 to 3.