Vacation Travelers Group Blog

Lets face it, dental work can be painful on your mouth and sometimes even more painful on your wallet.

If you need crowns, or root canals it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. It’s something most of us will face sooner or later. But some people are finding alternatives to those high prices in a tropical land in South America.

“Don’t get me wrong. I was, definitely had apprehension at first and that’s the reason it’s taken me so long to go,” said Denise Rutherford.

But Denise Rutherford says she realized she couldn’t pass up the price.  CBS 12 met her as she was packing her bags for a dental vacation. An 18 day trip to Costa Rica.

“I know six people who have been through this now. I have researched it for over a month and a half. And I am very excited to be going to where I am,” said Rutherford.

Denise tells us she needs work on five of her teeth. She says she has shopped around South Florida for a deal. But her jaw dropped at the estimates.

“All five teeth would have cost me $18,200 here in the United States,” said Rutherford.

That’s when she says she first started considering Costa Rica as an alternative. She says her friends recommended a specific dentist and some of her fears were calmed by videos on the internet. She even contacted one dentist over the phone.

“The dentist assured me, “Denise, you come back over anytime. If there’s something not right, we will make it right. I promise you, at our expense,” said Rutherford.

So she boarded a plane from Fort Lauderdale to San Jose. When she arrived what she saw exceeded her expectations.

“They were very happy to see me. The clinic was spotlessly clean,” said Rutherford.

“There are some good dentists in Costa Rica. But there are a lot of dentists who are not well trained,” said Jim Quick.

Jim Quick is a Jupiter-based board certified dentist, who is also an attorney specializing in dental malpractice.

He says if you are going abroad for dental work, Costa Rica is one of the best options. But buyer beware: The dentist may be competent, but unlike in the United States patients don’t always know what materials are being used.

“There’s been studies that have shown that some of the materials that have been put in patients mouths contain lead and that’s very dangerous,” said Quick.

And if there is a problem, he says patients have no recourse.

“I had a crown, root canal, two crowns, and another crown,” said Rutherford.

Plus four more, the total came to just over $2,200. That’s $16,000 less than it would have cost in the U.S., Denise says the recovery was a still pretty rough.

“That’s a lot of work to get done on your teeth,” said Rutherford.

Even so, she made the most of her vacation, zip-lining through the rainforest, white water rafting, and hitting the Costa Rican coast. Now that she’s home, she says she’s thrilled with the results.

“They are nice, I’m very pleased,” said Rutherford.

Jim Quick says if you are going to follow in Denise’s foot steps – do what she did and make sure you research every aspect of your dental vacation. Or it could cost you more than you ever imagined.

“You are taking a chance that the work is not going to be done correctly and it will have to be redone in the United States and you’ll be out whatever money you paid for the dentistry in the foreign country,” said Quick.

We asked around to see if these people traveling to South America and other places would have an effect on the cost of dental work. In effect, are local dentists willing to lower their prices to keep people here? In most cases the answer is no. But the cost of dental work is coming down a little. The economy is having an effect, and there’s more competition.

Just how are these dentists able to offer these much lower prices? The patients often pay cash and it goes directly to the dentists. So you cut out the insurance companies, and there is far less regulation. But the materials may not be the same quality.

There hasn’t been a serious eruption from Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano since 1998, although a steady emission of steam is a constant reminder of its potential to erupt again.

For scientists from the University of Costa Rica, those emissions and other atmospheric markers can now be studied in detail, thanks to a low-cost unmanned aircraft.

The quadro-copter is programed to fly over volcano craters looking for signs of increased volcanic activity.

Researcher Javier Bonatti and electrical engineer Leandro Garcia developed the UAV.

Bonetti says it’s ideally suited to the needs and budget of developing nations like Costa Rica.

[Dr. Javier Bonatti, Cicanum Researcher]:
“Firstly, these investigations can be carried out using satellite images or photographs taken from aerial transported platforms but the costs are very high. This allows us to take a more detailed look of the phenomenon at a very low cost, which only includes the cost of the helicopter.”

The UAV’s four rotors provide stability as it gathers data with on board cameras, and equipment designed to detect the presence of gases such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

Any increase in gas levels detected after long-term monitoring, could indicate an imminent eruption, and give authorities more time than ever before, to warn nearby communities.

Leandro Garcia says the UAV has yet more potential.

[Leandro Garcia, Electrical Engineer]:
“We would also like to adapt temperature, acidity and humidity sensors to the helicopter because it has USB ports which allow us to connect these devices.”

Unmanned drones are becoming indespensible tools in many branches of environmental science.

Bonatti and Garcia say that in their particular branch, the UAV could be the difference between life and death for those living in the danger zone.

San Jose, Costa Rica. The Tourist Police Force of the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is preparing its  operations plan to increase tourist safety in all their locations during the coming high season, which will run from late November through late April next year.

The plan aims at ensuring greater safety for the large number of tourists that are expected to visit the different touristic regions of the country during the following months.

Operations will focus not only on preventing and fighting crimes in public areas, but also on providing tourists with information about safety measurements and offering them assistance during their visit.

Jorge Rodríguez, sub-director at the Tourist Police Department, indicates that during high season, operations reach up to a 100%, which requires strengthening efforts in all regions of the country, especially in Puntarenas, Guanacaste, and San José, which are the most visited zones. Surveillance will also be increased in Costa Rican harbors, since a large number of cruise ships will be arriving in the next months.

“Officers are being trained to cover bus terminals and provide preventive safety measures to tourists so they can avoid getting their belongings stolen during transportation. Also, officers will be in charge of distributing guidelines and recommendations on how to avoid document loss and theft,” Rodriguez said.

The most common complaints reported to the Tourist Police include theft of personal items and documents, as a result of tourists’ negligence and scams set up by thieves.

According to Rodriguez, “Informing tourists about the safety measurements they must follow during their visit is a key factor in keeping them from being exposed to risky situations”.

As of now, the Tourist Police has a total of 314 officers located in several towns and cities in all provinces of the country.

The number of officers is expected to increase in the following months, as the Tourist Police is currently recruiting new candidates.

Other Efforts

This year, the Tourist Police Force has worked together with national and international institutions and organizations in order to improve touristic security in different parts of the country.

As part of the efforts to improve its service to tourists, last June, the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) and the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) signed a 4-year agreement to strengthen the Tourist Police Department.

According to Mario Zamora, Minister of Public Security, through the agreement, the ICT decided to donate ¢300 million, which will help increase the number of police officers, provide supplies such as uniforms and implements (hats, belts, handcuffs, vests), and acquire more transportation units.

“We are committed to the improvement of the Tourist Police of our country and to double our efforts in ensuring a safe and secure environment for national and international tourists,” Zamora said.

In addition, both institutions have been working together to provide tourist police officers with training in a variety of topics such as in criminal analysis, fake ID detection, customer service, Costa Rican geography, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and others. In addition, a lot of officers have taken English and French courses.

The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) also informed through a press release that last month, members of the Tourist Police met with representatives from the embassies of the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Israel, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, as well as the Consulate of Austria, in order to create alliances with diplomatic organizations to improve the safety of tourists.

During the meeting, authorities discussed general guidelines on how to proceed in the case of passport theft, assault, or the disappearance of foreign citizens, according to MSP.

Xinia Velasquez, Director of the Tourist Police Department, said that “The idea was to work together on strategies that will improve the quality of foreigners’ visits to the country”.

Vásquez also traveled to the Dominican Republic in February to represent the Tourist Police of Costa Rica in the First International Conference of Touristic Security, where attendees discussed several topics regarding touristic security in Latin America, according to MSP.

Crimes reduced by 40%

According to reports by the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), the Tourist Police Force has managed to reduce crime rates in about 40% since its creation in 2006.

From 2007 to 2009, crime reports decreased in 1108 cases. For example, in 2007 the police reported 4834 crimes. In 2008, only 4139 crimes were reported. Meanwhile, in 2009, crimes were reduced to 3726 cases.

Sources of the MSP revealed that between January and May this year, they received more than 1,300 complaints from tourists for offenses such as property robbery, assault and auto theft.

Velasquez indicated that most robberies are committed at bus stations, especially in San José down town. Puntarenas and Guanacaste are also among the most affected zones.

However, for the ICT the number of crimes seems to be low if one takes into account the number of tourists that enter the country every year.

Data provided by the ICT in collaboration with the General Directorate of Immigration show that between January and March, there was an increase of 7,8 in the number of tourists that entered the country, in comparison with last year.

The ICT also expects an increase in the number of tourists during the coming high season months.

by David Gómez for TheCostaRicaNews.com

San José Costa Rica.The Experimental Station “Los Diamantes”, in Limon, will soon be declared to be the first Government owned farm to reach a net zero carbon footprint. Its main objective is to reproduce the model in other farmlands throughout the country.

“Los Diamantes is the best experimental station owned by the agricultural public sector, not only because of its extension, but also because of its own richness and biodiversity. That is why we are certain that it will be the first experimental station in the country to become and get certified as carbon neutral”, said Tania López, Vice-minister of Agriculture.

The centre has an extension of 890 hectares and is located in a transition area between the tropical wet forest, the tropical moist forest, and the tropical rainforest.

The farm also constitutes a valuable biodiversity reservoir, contributing to the region’s sustainability. Its resources include a wide variety of plants and animals (vertebrates and invertebrates); and germplasm banks, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

To declare Los Diamantes as carbon neutral, scientists will measure Greenhouse Gas (GHG), nitrous oxide, methane and carbon emissions per year.

“The station is a benchmark for environmental investigation, and education, as well as for scientific tourism, and other eco-systematic services in the country and around the world,” said José Rafael Corrales, Executive Director of the National Institute for Agricultural Technology Exchange (INTA).

Corrales also confirmed that the station’s environmental benefits will be promoted, through a communication strategy, in the surrounding areas, to raise awareness among people, organizations and institutions.

Scientists at Los Diamantes develop genetic improvement programs in papaya, guava, pejibaye and cas plantations. They also evaluate promising materials extracted from tropical roots, fruits, and banana; and study management practices in palmetto, fruits, and other tropical crops.

Other experimental stations, such as Los Diamantes, can be found in Cañas, Potrero Cerrado, Oreamuno, Cartago and in Quepos.

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) pointed out that these types of developments reduce emissions and GHG, which damage the environment.

The University of Costa Rica (UCR) is currently promoting their own Institutional Program of Integrated Environmental Management (ProGAI) to be declared carbon neutral.

“It is an effort to prevent the consequences of the greenhouse effect,” said Jose Francisco Diestefan, biologist at UCR. “The University is aiming to have net zero carbon footprint very soon,” he added.

By Paola Rodriguez for TheCostaRicaNews.com

 

The 50-year-old naturalized Costa Rican citizen, who lives in Puerto Viejo, recently won his adopted country its first gold medal in surfing.

Surfers are constantly in pursuit of the perfect wave. Last month, Costa Rican surfer Craig “Tequila” Schieber rode a near perfect one at Punta Roca, El Salvador, to win a world title at the 2011 International Surfing Association World Masters Surfing Championship, Oct. 16-23 (TT, Oct. 24).

Schieber spotted the wave he wanted to ride during the competition finals.

“I had to practically rip off my arms and use them like oars to catch that wave,” he said.

Schieber’s gold medal win in the Grand Kahuna division, for surfers age 50 and up, not only was a personal triumph, but also gave Costa Rica its first gold medal in surfing.

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.

You’ll be following in Richard’s footsteps as you visit the Nectandra Institute, Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, Arenal Volcano National Park, and Tortuguero National Park. And you’ll do so with Costa Rica Expedition’s legendary master naturalist-guide, Carlos Gómez, and with Felipe Arias, the uncanny wildlife trackers featured in Richard’s PBS special.

Fourteen departures are scheduled for the coming year, beginning with Dec 17-25, 2011.

“Odissey 2050″, an animated film made in Costa Rica was released to the public last Friday. The movie was produced in collaboration with the British Embassy, and its purpose is to teach about climate change and the destructive actions of humans on Earth.

“We are very happy to have this great opening here in Costa Rica; in this country there is a lot of talent among youths, and thanks to this initiative, a lot of kids are going to be able to learn about the importance of taking care of the planet,” said Bruce Callow, from the Communications Office of the British Embassy.

“Odyssey 2050″ was declared of Public and Cultural Interest by President Laura Chinchilla in May this year. According to the movie’s website, the project wants to present in a fun and enthusiastic way, the consequences of climate change.

The film also represents a big leap in the Costa Rican movie industry.

“Costa Rica has a lot of potential in the field of animation, because there is not only talent, but also a lot of creativity,” said Alejandro Hernández, Director of Science and Technology Promotion of the MICIT.

“This is just small sample of what could be done. It is the first animated movie produced in Costa Rica and directed by a Costa Rican,” he added.

Synchro Studio started developing the project two years ago. The movie was directed by the tico Thelvin Cabezas. The first of 10 modules of “Odyssey 2050″ was presented during the visit of Jeremy Browne, Foreign Affairs Minister and member of the British Parliament, last week.

Browne said that the British Government wants to closely collaborate with Costa Rica in the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change.

Luis Liberman, second vice-president; Enrique Castillo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sharon Campbell, British Ambassador in Costa Rica, also attended the activity and presented recognition certificates to a group of students who participated in a workshop destined to reflect on the importance of preserving the planet.