“Small but perfectly formed, discover Costa Rica’s breathtaking natural beauty. Stunning beaches, vibrantly coloured wildlife, lush natural parks and incredible cloud forests contrast with mighty volcanoes, bubbling mud pits and cascading waterfalls. Discover the laid-back vibe and unforgettable charm of this adventure-filled tropical playground.”

First Choice Airways, a British ariline service, will begin it’s Gatwick London to Guanacaste direct flight this coming May.  The airline will be offering the direct flights during the British vacation season which runs from May to October.  The flight will carry a maximum passenger load of 258.

The company is marketing Costa Rica as a tourist hot spot highlighting Arenal Volcano and our beaches.  They are offering a special air fare for 471 Euros ($362).  That’s cheaper than what it cost me to fly home from Minnesota.

The company is also considering flight from Glasgow starting in 2009.

Latest Exchange rate:

1.00 GBP
United Kingdom Pounds     =     1,010.25 CRC
Costa Rica Colones
1 GBP = 1,010.25 CRC         1 CRC = 0.000989851 GBP

US Dollar:
Buy: ¢517.23
Sell: ¢521.26
As of 9/Feb/2007
Source: B.C.C.R.

More than a ton of cocaine was found floating in the Pacific ocean near Golfito.

The Costa Rican government awards Dole Food Company it’s Social Accountability International SA 8000 certification for all its company-owned banana farms located in Costa Rica.

The Latest dollar exchange rate and weekly forecast.
The Costa Rican government has asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to dismiss a complaint from Nicaragua against Costa Rica for death of two illegal immigrants from Nicaragua.
The two men were killed in seperate incidents but in both occasions the Nicaraguan government claims Costa Rican authorities didn’t do enough to prevent the deaths. One man was killed as he burgalrized a shop and the other was murdered in homophobic attack. Costa Rica denies it could have prevented the deaths and that they haven’t persued the cases because the victims were Nicaraguan. This highlights the tensions between the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan governments. It’s estimated there are over 600,000 illegal Nicaraguan immigrants in Costa Rica. The economy and high poverty rates are causing an influx of Nicaraguans to cross the border into Costa Rica illegally. Costa Rica is now trying to get a handle on this problem just as the United States is struggling with it’s illegal immigrant problems.
More than a ton of cocaine was found floating in the Pacific ocean

The Costa Rica Coastguard found over a ton of cocaine floating in the ocean near the Costa Rica – Panama border. The assumption is that drug runners dumped their cargo from Colombia. The coastguard doesn’t know why they spooked and dumped their expensive cargo nor have the smugglers been caught.
The Costa Rican government awards Dole Food Company it’s Social Accountability International SA 8000 certification for all its company-owned banana farms located in Costa Rica.
Dole Food Company, Inc. today announced that all its company-owned banana farms located in Costa Rica have been certified to the Social Accountability International SA 8000 work place and human rights standard. The company-owned El Bosque pineapple plantation also received its SA 8000 certification. The certification covers the cultivation, harvesting and packing of bananas and pineapples for exportation to the United States and Europe. SA 8000, an internationally recognized standard based on the ILO conventions, the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Rights of the Child, focuses on child labor, forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, compensation and the implementation of an efficient management system.
Exchange rate as of 07 Feb:
To buy: 517.17 colones / $1.00
To sell: 521.19 colones / $1.00
San Jose, Costa Rica 10-day forecast high temps between 77-81 all week. Few partly cloud days but sunny every for most of the week. You gotta love the Costa Rica weather!