Vacation Travelers Group Blog

I’m floating in a natural hot spring under a black velvet sky sparkling with a million sundry stars. I’m savoring the luxurious feeling of the rich revitalizing minerals as they wash over me, relaxing and invigorating my mind, body and soul.

I can feel the occasional deep earthly vibration from Arenal Volcano’s rumbly tummy. I think to myself, “Is this real? This is perfect. This is living.”

The next morning I step outside onto the terrace to enjoy my morning cup of Costa Rican coffee while wild blue morpho butterflies float and flutter about the garden. Iridescent hummingbirds buzz around an array of exquisite flowers.

As I enjoy a delicious plate of fresh cut papaya, pineapple, and mango, I can hear monkeys playing in the nearby trees. I look up to see baby howler monkeys swinging from branch to branch in a lively game of chase while their parents watch from close by.

It’s time for me to return to my home in the city. As I drive back to the Central Valley, I promise to return to Arenal’s hot springs soon…but not too soon. First, I need to continue my goal of visiting new places in Costa Rica every other weekend.

Costa Rica is the land of biodiversity and microclimates and it’s possible to drive 15 minutes in any direction and experience completely different climates and landscapes. White-sand beaches, black-sand beaches, deserts, volcanoes, national parks, rivers, waterfalls, jungles…it has everything.

Even in the Central Valley, the most populated part of the country, you are never too far away from secluded nature. It’s easy to find yourself surrounded by lush green jungle, a kaleidoscope of flowers, and a menagerie of animals. You can have this in your backyard if you wish. For me, this is a huge part of the magic of Costa Rica and the main reason I chose to live and work here.

A second factor in choosing Costa Rica as my international home was the proximity to the United States, my previous home. Trips back to the southeast to see friends and family are easy, short, and relatively inexpensive.

In order to live in Costa Rica and afford this type of lifestyle, I teach English at a local university, 30 hours per week. I have no prior experience teaching English, but had no problems finding a job here in Costa Rica. I even found a company here who were willing to sponsor my English-teaching certification.

Most companies require certification to teach English in Costa Rica and some will even offer a work visa.

The average monthly salary for an English teacher in Costa Rica is $1,000. This doesn’t sound like much compared to a normal wage in the States, but it is 2.5 times the normal Costa Rican salary of $400 per month. For $1,000 a month, I get a nice place to live, groceries, transportation money, and a budget for frequent trips to the beach, hot springs, or other areas of the country.

For my next trip, I’m planning on going to the Osa Peninsula to explore Corcovado National Park and to swim with the dolphins.

Costa Rica is fulfilling its commitment to be friendly to the environment!  Anyone who has visited the Central Valley knows how strong the wind can be and now Costa Rica has decided to harness that wind and turn it into energy.

Workers are constructing the first wind farm in the country’s Central Valley near Santa Ana, just south of San Jose. The project is expected to become operational in August 2012, according to CNFL, a subsidiary of ICE, and will produce enough electricity to power about 6,000 residences.

Meanwhile, Blue Power & Energy has signed a US$80 million financing agreement with Banco Internacional de Costa Rica (Bicsa) for completion of a wind energy project in Nicaragua. The farm will be able to generate 39.6 MW of clean energy, providing annual savings of $22 million, said Energy Minister Emilio Rapaccioli.

For more information about clean enery initiatives throughout Central America, please see: http://thecostaricanews.com/wind-energy-catches-on-throughout-central-america/8642

The builder La Laguna working hand in hand with the Teran family in May of 2004, gave shape to what is now the only golf course to the east of San Jose, the Monteran Golf Course. The Club House opened in June 2007, the Driving Range in February 2008 and in May of 2008 was the opening of the cafeteria with food service.

This beautiful course was built on a coffee plantation, under the direction of the American architect Douglas Beach who gave shape to the 9 hole par 3 course and driving range inside the Condominium Monteran development. It is a semi-private course.

Different companies have held tournaments and golf events on this course, with different prizes for winners ranging from golf carts to cars.. Companies also hold business seminars and meetings as well as social gatherings in the beautifully designed club house.

The course and its outreach to the community continues to expand in Costa Rica.  The Saint Gregory School is currently promoting the fact that it is the first school with a golf academy.  The Monteran Golf Course wants to continue tom be innovative and be involved in the Costa Rican community.

This course is designed for the business man that wants to get a quick round in the couple of hours before work, during lunch, or after work.  It can be enjoyed by anyone that wants to enjoy the Costa Rican scenery and an excellently designed Par 3 Executive Course.

Next Tournament

The Monterán Open, Don “Fernando Felipe Terán Alvarado” Cup

Entry Fee 30,000 colones (about $60)

PAR FOR THE COURSE Y DISTANCES
Par 54 – 18 holes
Blue Tees: 2.243 Yards
White Tees: 1.878 Yards
Red Tees: 1634 Yards

TYPES OF GRASSES
Greens: Teaf-Eagle
Fairways: Bermuda 419
Roughs: Bermuda 419 y Jengibrillo

GOLF SHOP
Has a selection of golf equipment that you need to play the game, as well as an assortment of clothing to help you look stylish on the course.

RESERVACIONES
Reservations are made directly with the course director and must be made before coming to the course.

GOLF CLASSES
Monterán offers classes for every age and skill level.  These are offered in group sessions on individual.  Cancellations must be made 24 hours ahead of time.

GOLF CARTS
Golf cart use is not mandatory on the course.  Maximum of 2 people per cart..

DRESS CODE
Being appropriately dressed is necessary in order to play. Jeans, shirts without collars, and metal spikes are not allowed.

EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Clubs are available to rent, women’s, men’s, children’s, left and right handed,

PRICES
Monthly Memebership – 52,800 Colones per month (about $105) – play as many times as you want each monthCart Cart - 10,000 colones (about $20)
Greens Fees – 18,500 colones (about $37)

Contact Information

For questions or more information please contact Sebastian Benech, Commercial Director

Sebastian Benech is originally from Uruguay and has been helping develop lost lasting relationship with businesses, clients, members and guests since the inception of the Monteran Golf Course.  He has knowledge of the course, and can help answer any questions you might have, help schedule any business promoted tournaments and meetings, and get you going with your membership to the only golf course on the east side of San Jose and only Par 3 executive course in Costa Rica.

Phone Number – 2273-6440

Email – sbenech@naret.cr

Website – http://www.golfmonteran.com

Passengers on American Airlines flight to Miami, Florida were the first to open the brand new Daniel Oduber airport facilities, at 6:50 am on Thursday, a new gate to access the country and enjoy your travel vacations.

The tourists were quite surprised because they did enter the country by the old terminal and exited via the new one.

The shops at the airport are operating regularly, as well as immigration services. “Coriport S.A. is working with government organizations to ensure that the new terminal meets all technical and contractual requirements” according to Francisco Cordero, general manager of Coriport S.A.

The first airplane that landed at the terminal was a Nature Air local plane at 07:00 coming from Pavas Airport in San Jose.

The new terminal investment was around $ 35 million. The terminal is managed by Coriport consortium, in concession for 25 years. It is a new way to get to this beautiful country, ready to be included in your vacation package deals.

According to Costa Rican Tourism Board 225,224 passengers arrived at Liberia’s airport on 2010. Back in November 2011, only eight international and two domestic airlines operated out of the previous terminal, which accommodated only about 900 passengers at the same time.

Guanacaste and especially Liberia have become the most visited places in Costa Rica for celebrities and millionaires. The beaches and the costa rica vacation house rental are amazing to have a great time in this piece of paradise.

Madam President, Laura Chinchilla was the main public character at this historical launch event this Thursday, next to many government and tourism representatives.

The stunning Sea Cloud II, the last windjammer ever built on which guests can experience the sails actually being set and marvel at sailing manoeuvres performed by hand without any buttons being pushed will sail the Panama Canal for the first time in January 2012. Often referred to as the “Switzerland of South America” Costa Rica will be a special feature in two separate Sea Cloud II sailings as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Granada in Nicaragua.

There are two round trip sailings departing from Puerto Caldera (San José) in Costa Rica on either the 16th or 23rd January 2012. Each cruise combines the experience of sailing along the Pacific coast with a variety of shore visits to the most beautiful National Parks of Costa Rica. Biologists, local guides and lecturers on board will unveil the wonder of Costa Rica’s countryside to guests whilst they also enjoy the highest level of comfort that a luxury sailing ship has to offer.

Rates for each seven night/eight day cruise commence from €2,995 per person for a guaranteed outside double cabin and include all excursions, six meals a day and personally selected wines and soft drinks.

Beyond the idealized capsule of the resorts, there lies a whole other side of Costa Rica as filmmaker Todd Bieber discovered when he and his girlfriend visited the Nosara Wildlife Rescue, a side not dressed up by the tourist industry but where those devoted to wildlife do their part to rescue animal victims of modernity.

Many of the monkeys in Bieber’s short film, Encounters with Orphan Monkeys, are left to fend for themselves when their mothers mistake the many uninsulated power lines in the country for natural features and die. Though many of the babies can’t be saved, they do what they can for those who survive.

“Kimbo Slice the Bulldog goes on an impossible mission to enter a treehouse at Finca Bellavista… and accomplishes his mission by going ziplining! No bulldogs were harmed in the filming of Kimbo’s Quest… in fact, Kimbo LOVES soaring through the canopy! He’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie…”

Tourists traveling to Costa Rica urgently need the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the country’s embassies to take the lead in prominently disclosing up-to-date information about how a tourist can enter the country on a one-way ticket.

At A Safe Passage, we regularly receive calls and emails from travelers stuck at the airport because the airlines refuse to let them board their plane without the necessary documents. It’s not that they didn’t research Costa Rica’s entry requirements. They couldn’t find them!

Although the law changed over a year and a half ago, Costa Rica does not have a single official site that includes accurate, comprehensive information about the country’s new requirements for entering the country on a one-way ticket. Without clear information, travelers have no way of knowing that a one-way ticket is not just a one-way ticket into Costa Rica. It also includes: 1) a ticket into Costa Rica and out of another country, and 2) a return ticket scheduled more than 90 days after entry. To my knowledge, this information is not published in English on any official site.

Ironically, airlines hold travelers accountable for complying with entry requirements whether they’re published or not. They actually profit by playing “it’s not my job” to disclose entry requirements and then “gotcha” when an unprepared traveler checks in at the counter. The cost of buying a last-minute return ticket can be $300 to $500 or more. Unsuspecting tourists are forced to either pay up or go home. Those who go home forfeit their non-refundable ticket and the airline wins again.

My hat is off to Frontier Airlines. After I met with them in January, they had the integrity to do what is right by changing their site. While the U.S. Embassy states that some airlines may not let you board without a round-trip ticket, Frontier is up front in stating that “travelers to Costa Rica can have an onward bus ticket as proof of onward travel.”

As “the leading … institution for the country’s tourism activity,” the ICT is the logical choice to bring about needed clarity by prominently disclosing all of the country’s current entry requirements and forwarding that information to embassies, airlines, guidebooks, and travel sites. Common sense suggests that if the ICT is spending millions getting tourists to come here, they should tell them what they will need to enter the country. It is not a quantum leap to conclude that what is good for tourists is good for tourism.

We solicit your involvement by signing our petition at Change.org. Look for  “Tourists Traveling to Costa Rica Need Your Help.” You can also call, email or fax the ICT. We are simply asking them to do their job. By adding your voice, we can make it happen.

Women at the UConn have an excellent opportunity to be a part of a cultural immersion that is coming to campus – the “Women’s Empowerment Exchange Program.” The program is hosted by the campus’s Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI) in conjunction with the University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica.

The program’s main goal is to develop and facilitate a two-way educational program that will last throughout multiple years between young leaders of both the United States and Costa Rica. As stated in the program’s press release, “20 young professionals from Costa Rica and 20 young professionals from the U.S. will receive fellowships to increase their knowledge about how to become effective social change agents using a social change entrepreneurship model.”

The program is funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through its Professional Fellows Program.

“The grant funding also supports ten follow-up social change projects in local indigenous and Afro-descendant communities throughout Costa Rica, and allows for ongoing networking and collaboration between the foreign exchange participants and their counterparts in the U.S. These educational and cultural exchanges are designed to advance UConn’s ongoing commitment to global citizenship,” said the Associate Director of UConn’s Center for Continuing Studies and the Principal Investigator for the exchange program, Roy Pietro.

Through a competitive selection process, the program seeks to find emerging female leaders in Costa Rica who may be employed through the government or healthcare agencies, civil society organizations, educational institutions or women-owned businesses. These women will, in turn, spend four weeks in the United States, beginning on April 9, 2012.

Similarly, the 20 American Professional Fellows will be selected for the program on the basis of strong leadership and a commitment to producing good work. As the press release states, “Fellows from both countries will work in teams in a dynamic online environment to plan for the implementation of 10 team-based social change projects located in indigenous and Afro-descendent communities in Costa Rica. These small projects, supported by mini-grants, will empower women to address a variety of health, environmental sustainability and economic development issues.”

Another exciting opportunity that UPEACE provides for the women is the opportunity to attend a six-week workshop on social entrepreneurship, where participants are given the opportunity to enhance their own leadership skills and put them to use, by facilitating an orientation session for the U.S. participants upon their arrival to Costa Rica.

“Empowering Women through Social Entrepreneurship” is one of many programs funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in an attempt to bring cultural opportunities to both Americans and people of varying backgrounds.

The La Ruta is one of the toughest race if you ever want to try, known as one of the most physically demanding off road bike race in the world. Also known as the La Ruta de los Conquistadores, bikers rave over four days through Costa Rica’s mud pits, jungle, river crossings, etc.
Racers cycles from the Pacific ocean to the Caribbean sea. This “Coast to Coast” is billed as the toughest mountain bike race on the planet!

The race began on Wednesday in stage one as riders raced for 100 kilometres from Playa Jacó on the Pacific coast to Cuidad Colón through the Carara national park.

Stage Two: A shorter stage over 75km through sub tropical rain forest from Cuidad Colón to Tres Rios – the west side of San José to the east. Extremely steep climbing, in some cases over 20% gradients, on part paved roads. Long technical descents through coffee plantations.

Stage Three: The highpoint of the race is reached on this 67km stage from Tres Rios to Turrialba. With an ascent to the top of the Irazú volcano there is less mud and humidity but riders have to contend with rain, cold and mist followed by a heart stopping technical descent off the mountain.

Stage Four: The race finishes on the Caribbean coast at Bonita Beach; the longest section at 125km but probably the easiest terrain. Except that is for the dreaded train tracks, a bone jarring section of the ride that saps every last ounce of energy. Every finisher truly feels like one of the Conquistadors as they tumble onto the sand at the end of the ride.

The winner gets us$15,000.

Is it worth it? Most would say that it’s just an accomplishment to finish it.