Arnaldo Bonilla has his own show? Business 720 º

Saw this on his site:

Business 720 º:

Nice HD Video of Costa Rica

Go full screen and select HD!

Agenda Sent for Annual Meeting of HOA

If you've not received the agenda, I've put it in the Files library on the owner's forum:


http://costaesterillos.org


I'd rather be here...

Costa Developers New Campaign

Here is a new advertising campaign I've seen:


http://www.costadevelopers.com/977/?gclid=CMC--7HP6KsCFY1S7AodGTnPJg

..

Costa Rica: Rains To Continue Into Long Weekend

If you were expecting a break in the rains this weekend, forget it, the national weather service says the intense rains of the past days will continue for a few days more.


Gabrieal Chinchilla, meteriologist for the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), says the low pressure system that dumped on Costa Rica this week, causing more than 100 people to be moved to shelters, landslides in many areas and the closure of important roads, will continue into the weekend.


The average rainfall since last Sunday to Thursday is 550 litres per square metre, which is the average rain fall for the entire month of October.


Chinchilla recommends caution, especially in the Pacific coastal areas, as many will head out for the beaches and mountains for the long weekend.


As for the Caribbean coast, rain is expected only in the mountainous areas. The city of Limón, which is hosting the annual festival, will be dry, though experts warn of rising water levels in the rivers and to extremely cautious in remote areas. 


I wonder how our communities are holding up?

Costa Rica Tourism Board's New Campaign

In 2010, an estimated 2,099,829 tourists came to Costa Rica, the highest recorded number so far!  That is a good sign for property owners.

Low Pressure System Wreaks Havoc On Costa Rica's Pacific Coast

From InsideCostaRica.com

Main road around Playa Jacó closed this morning due to landslides


A low pressure system hanging over Costa Rica is the cause for the continuing rain since Sunday night and the cause of a number of emergencies in some areas, especially the Pacific coast.

In La Gloria de Puriscal the Gamalolito river overflowed its banks causing a number of landslides, trapping a school bus carrying some 40 students. All the youths were rescued and moved to a shelter.

A landslide between Playa Herradura and Chiquero has blocked traffic on the main road to Jacó, which is also suffering from flooding in various points.

Further south to Parrita flooding has affected at least 30 homes.

In Paquera, Puntarenas, the road that leads to Playa Naranjo is with serious damage in various areas and flooding in he area of Rio Grande, where 25 people have been moved to shelters.The road between Paquera and Cobano is also affected by landslides, damaged sewers and serious damage to the asphalt.The Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) is maintaining a GREEN ALERT (low level alert) for the Central Valley, Northern Zone and the entire Pacific coastIf you live in low lying areas keep an eye on the rivers, ravines and creeks. If you live in areas known for problems with landslides take precautionary action, even evacuating the area until the rainy season is over, if possible.

Del Monte Fresh Produce Greenhouses Take Root in Costa Rica

A hydroponic greenhouse project in Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, is the latest step in Del Monte Fresh Produce’s quest to deliver premium quality produce and to implement sustainable agricultural practices at its operations worldwide.

Scheduled for completion this December, the project’s 17 greenhouses, packing house and supporting facilities expand Del Monte’s greenhouse product line, which includes recently completed, state-of-the-art greenhouses in Guatemala. The first harvest of Del Monte greenhouse bell peppers is projected for February 2011.

The Costa Rican greenhouses boast sophisticated food safety and quality assurance systems, an integrated pest management system, an automatic irrigation system to capture and recycle residual water, and internal drainage to help protect surrounding water reservoirs and prevent greenhouse run-off.

The project is good not only for the environment, but for the local economy, too. It will create 120 permanent jobs in the Buenos Aires area.

For more information about Del Monte and the company’s sustainability efforts, visit www.freshdelmonte.com.

Annual Meeting in Escazu on Oct. 27th

The annual meeting for Costa Esterillos Estates will be on Oct. 27th in Escazu.

If you won't be attending make sure and send in your Power of Attorney so you will be represented!

Contact Rebeca at Naret if you need this form...

www.naret.cr

Costa Rica hosts World Rafting Championship

From the Tico Times:


Hundreds of athletes from all over the world are set to descend on the white water of Costa Rica’s famous Río Pacuare this week for the 2011 World Rafting Championship. More than 50 teams from as far away as Chile, South Africa, the United States, Europe, Japan and New Zealand will challenge team Costa Rica on its home waters Oct. 4-10.

The biannual tournament represents the pinnacle of the rafting competition calendar. This will be the largest tournament in the 20-year history of the event – a reflection of the growing popularity of the sport worldwide. The four-race schedule is designed to test athletes’ rafting endurance and technical abilities. Previous world champions Brazil, Slovenia and Australia will be regarded as favorites, with serious contenders like Japan and Costa Rica out to challenge them for the trophy.

Costa Rica hosted the first World Rafting Championship in 1991, and played host again in 1998. Since then, host countries have included the U.S. in 2001, the Czech Republic in 2003, Ecuador in 2005, South Korea in 2007 and Bosnia in 2009. The International Rafting Federation, the world governing body for the sport of white-water rafting, chose the Río Pacuare on Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope for this year’s tournament in commemoration of the inaugural championship in 1991, and to promote sustainable ecotourism worthy of a world-class competition in a country noted for its green credentials. 

Rafael Gallo, president of the International Rafting Federation, said he hopes this event in his native Costa Rica will set the standard for future rafting competitions.

“To me it’s a pleasure to adapt what I’ve learned in adventure tourism and sustainability, and as event director it gives me great pride to incorporate these methods into the World Rafting Championship,” he said. “The pristine nature of the site allows me to promote a carbon-neutral event that will be a first in world championship races.”

Costa Rica is known for being the paddling mecca of Central America. The country boasts one of the highest ratios of rivers per square kilometer in the world, and the rafting industry supports a vast number of river professionals and commercial rafting operations. More than 60 competitors participated recently in the Costa Rican National Rafting Series to select the teams that would represent the country in the world championship.

“You learn a lot in other places, but we have world-class rivers here in Costa Rica that made for a very challenging series,” Manuel Segura, captain of the national men’s team, said of the national championship series. “We hope to continue to develop our training resources into the future.”

It has been a long road for Segura, who has represented Costa Rica in six world championships over 13 years. He is familiar with the course and the standard required for success. 

“This team has been preparing for more than 12 months now. We have the home-ground advantage and the support of family and friends here. This gives us the platform to be at our best,” Segura said. 

The white water of the Río Pacuare will play host to the World Rafting Championship Oct. 4-10. More than 50 teams from all over the world are expected to compete in the equivalent of the rafting Olympics. The Costa Rican men’s national team, pictured here, will have the home-river advantage. Courtesy of Eve Morton

Among the teams to beat will be the Japanese men’s team, one of the few professional rafting teams in the world. Team captain Takuya Ikeda told The Tico Times from his home near Tokyo, Japan, “These championships represent an opportunity to help restore Japanese confidence that was shattered by the earthquake. We are very focused on achieving the best result.”

Team Australia captain Graham Maifredi expressed a similar sentiment when summing up the significance of the event for his team during a phone interview from Queensland, Australia: “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. The cyclone destroyed our homes in February, and the support we have received from the community helps to boost our morale at a time when we need it most. We are going to make sure we give them something in return.”

In the women’s event, competition is expected to be fierce, but team Costa Rica remains undaunted. 

“Right now we are just focused on training,” said team member Catalina Elizondo. “We know we will need to be consistent over all the races in order to achieve our goal of a podium place.” 

Elizondo hopes success will provide a foundation of awareness for the team in Costa Rica that will inspire people to get involved. 

“If we can show the nation the rewards of participating in the wonderful sport of rafting, then Costa Rica will only become stronger at the international level,” she said. 

The stage is set. The eyes of the adventure rafting industry will be on Costa Rica this month to see if the country can produce a memorable competition and define the direction of rafting championships into the future. For those involved, the anticipation is building and expectations are high. 

“With so many strong teams, I see it as one of the closest competitions in the history of the championships,” Gallo said. “It will depend on who adapts better to the terrain.”

For team Costa Rica, the chances of success have never be better, as the 20-year anniversary of the inaugural World Rafting Championship affords them the opportunity to perform their best against the world, at home on the mighty Río Pacuare. 

For information on the 2011 World Rafting Championship, visit the event’s official website at www.costarica2011wrc.com.

Awesome video diary of 10 day trip - Dec. 2010

Awesome video diary of 10 day trip - Dec. 2010

Newsworthy items from the Costa Rica Tourist Board

There are several new flight options to get to Costa Rica:

Newsworthy items from the Costa Rica Tourist Board