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>>Costa Rica News Digest<<
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TODAY'S CONTENTS
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*Feature Article:
Project will help restore Costa Rica's cattleyas


*News Digest

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FEATURE ARTICLE
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*Project will help restore Costa Rica's cattleyas
ORCHIDS
ARTHUR CHADWICK
Saturday, November 27, 2004

On a visit to Costa Rica in Central America last spring, we saw firsthand the

fate that has befallen native orchid species around the world.

We found both Cattleya skinneri (the national flower) and Cattleya dowiana in

full bloom as we traveled the countryside, and it was nothing short of a

religious experience. It is one thing to grow these wonderful plants in

captivity using clay pots in climate-controlled greenhouses but quite another

to see them hanging from trees and subjected to the elements.

Much to our surprise, however, the orchids were not growing in the cloud

forests along with the other impressive and diverse biological varieties as

we were expecting. Instead, the cattleyas had been removed from the jungle

trees and were now blooming in local residents' yards. It seems orchid

growing is a popular hobby even in the developing world.

In Costa Rica, laws have been passed recently that make it illegal to collect

wild cattleyas. This action, though well-intentioned, is too late, because

the plants are almost extinct in the forests. We were quite moved by this

shocking realization and motivated to somehow improve the situation.

We approached a major conservation group in Costa Rica, the Monteverde

Conservation League (MCL), and asked what we, as U.S. commercial orchid

growers, could do to help bring back the cattleya species.

We looked at a number of options, including donating hundreds of our mature

plants as well as raising a new crop of seedlings just for MCL to reintroduce

into its 54,000-acre protected forest, which about 70 kilometers northwest of

San Jose. There was local concern, though, that the commercially grown

species were not from the exact gene pool as the remaining jungle plants and

would display artificially improved flower characteristics of shape, color

and size. The reintroduced seedlings had to be created using local plants.

It was decided that a new orchid production facility in Costa Rica was needed

and would be partly funded through donations and the sale of plants. The

money would be used to build a small seed-sowing laboratory and several

greenhouses near Monteverde where seedlings would be grown to maturity. When

close to blooming size, the plants would be taken to the forests and tied to

the trees by the MCL volunteers. The seedpods themselves would be made using

the few plants remaining in the wild.


Cattleya skinneri, which has been Costa Rica's national flower for 65 years,

will be reintroduced first, with Cattleya dowiana to follow.

It will be of great importance to keep the problem of overcollecting from

happening again once the new plants are introduced. To address this issue,

local people will have to be involved in the project from the beginning so

that they will have a stake in a successful outcome. Many employment

opportunities will develop, including construction of the lab and

greenhouses, growing the plants in all stages, and guarding the forests.

One possible source of revenue could be selling a portion of the young

seedlings to tourists, an action that is especially attractive since it also

lowers the demand for plants collected from the wild. Since there are a

million seeds in a single pod, there should be plenty to go around.

Overcollecting of orchid species is a threat all over the world. It is our

hope that this cattleya recovery project also will serve as a model for other

such endeavors.

. . .

The Monteverde Conservation League is a nonprofit organization dedicated to

the conservation of the tropical forest. Its mission is to conserve, preserve

and rehabilitate tropical ecosystems and biodiversity. Founded in 1986 in

Monteverde, Costa Rica, the group has purchased through donations 54,000

acres of primary and secondary forest. The Children's Eternal Rain Forest is

the largest private reserve in Costa Rica. For more information, visit

www.acmonteverde.com.

Consider spending your next vacation in Costa Rica, a nation that has 12

distinct ecological zones that are home to about 5 percent of known species

on Earth, including 1,400 orchid species. The country has one of the world's

best conservation records; nearly 25 percent of its land is protected.

Arthur Chadwick is president of Chadwick & Son Orchids Inc. Reach him at 1240

Dorset Road, Powhatan, VA 23139; 804-598-7560 or by e-mail

info@chadwickorchids.com.


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WHAT'S NEW AT THE COSTA RICA PAGE!
=========================================
Our real estate section has just been totally updated with lots of
new listings, mostly in the residential real estate section, but also
we have a new rental on the rental page and some new additions to the
land for sale section.

http://www.destiny-worldwide.net/costa-rica/real.htm

We are adding new things every day, and when our merger comes with
COSTARICACENTER.COM, we will have a fully operational Mercado Central
for you to buy Costa Rican products over the internet from local merchants
[if you have a reputable business here, and want to sell through the
Mercado, just let us know. We can help you to accept credit cards and
all the major e-currencies on the net! We break through the Great Barrier
that many Costa Rican merchants face getting their products on the net!].

Hotels and tourist businesses will be able to add their own links, and you
will be able to place your own online classifieds and MUCH MUCH MORE!

Watch this newsletter for our official launch, coming soon!

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NEWS DIGEST
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*Government threatens to kick out airport firm

The government of Costa Rica will take control of the Juan Santamaría

International Airport Jan. 15 if negotiations with the airport operator fail.

That was the threat issued Friday by Randall Quiros, minister of Obras

Públicas y Transportes.

The government and the airport operator, Alterra Partners Costa Rica, are in

a long-running dispute over who should pay what.

"We are looking to make an offer to Alterra," said Quiros. "We hope for the

good of this country and all Costa Ricans that we can resolve our

differences." He was speaking at a press conference called specifically to

outline the government’s case.

The issue is important because the airport is the major entry for tourists

and business travel.

Quiros said that government representatives and those from Alterra will meet

Wednesday to put together the agenda of negotiations between the two parties.

Alterra claims the government owes it $79 million in lost income and damages.

The government stopped renovations and modernization at the airport when

officials realized that the project costs were be much higher than expected.

There also were technical problems with some questions raised whether the

original agreement provided for spending the amount of money Alterra had

planned.
Alterra lost a Sala IV constitutional court case Nov. 13. That voided

its $79 million suit against the Consejo Tecnico de Aviación Civil.

Meanwhile, the Contraloría General de la Republica, the nation’s financial

watchdog, ordered a review of airport tariffs after the agency said it found

inconsistencies. Tariffs are the fees airline companies pay to land aircraft.

The Association of International Airlines released a statement at mid-month

outlining its main concerns with the Juan Santamaría International Airport.

In the statement the association said that Alterra Partners, the airport’s

operator, must improve the service that it is providing and continue with its

contract. The association wants the Costa Rican authorities to demand that

Alterra complete the service contract that required them to finish renovation

work.

Alterra took control of the airport in 2001 with a concession contract that

was expected to last 20 years. The deal is a public-private one with the

government receiving 50 percent of the income.

Alterra Partners was to invest $240 million during the 20 years. About $160

million of this was to be invested during the first three years of the

agreement.

The business community repeatedly has expressed concerns that the Alterra

case represents another example of the government trying to dodge its

obligations under contracts with international companies.

Alterra Partners Costa Rica is part of the London, England-based, Alterra

Partners Ltd.


*Mel Gibson in shorts wows foreign ministry

The foreign ministry is crediting its promotion division for generating

interest among top actors and directors.

The ministry said that a visit last Tuesday by U.S. actor and director Mel

Gibson was one such success by its Dirección de Promoción.

Actress Cameron Díaz is supposed to visit in February, said the ministry.

The Ministrio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto is a center for diplomats, but

Gibson did not wear diplomatic garb when he arrived with his son and

technical team to meet with Roberto Tovar Faja, the minister.

Instead, Gibson wore white shorts, a pink shirt, what appeared to be a

fishing vest and a baseball cap. The ministry diplomatically declined to

mention this lapse of protocol.

There was little specific reported about the meeting except that Gibson is

interested in developing some movie projects on the pacific coast.

Ministry employee Gina Guillén heads the promotion division.



*Wednesday marks end of Costa Rica’s army

Wednesday Costa Rica will celebrate the 56th anniversary of the abolition of

its army. The Centro de Amigos para la Paz will hold a special ceremony at

the Museo Nacional at 11 a.m.

Several Costa Rican political figures will speak at the ceremony, including

Dr. Pedro León, representative of the Centro de los Amigos para la Paz, Guido

Sáenz, the minister of Cultura, Juventud y Deportes, and President Abel

Pacheco.

Costa Rica’s army was dissolved in 1948 under the leadership of José Figueres

Ferrer. Figueres had seized power from the government of Rafael Ángel

Calderón Guardia earlier in the year. He introduced several social reforms

during his first year in power. Disbanding the army was one of those reforms.

The act had "great symbolic importance and closed off avenues for future

militarization," according to "The History of Costa Rica," by Iván Molina and

Steven Palmer.

Many Costa Ricans are proud that their country is one of the few in the world

to live without an army. Many Ticos feel that it sends a world message of

peace. They also feel that it has played a central role in the country’s

ability to advance without the violent civil conflicts that plague many other

Central American countries.


*Eight Crewmembers Rescued After Fishing Boat Explosion

Eight crewmembers from the Taiwanese fishing boat “Shin Jyi Wanq,” who had

been missing since the boat's explosion in Costa Rican waters off the Pacific

Coast on Friday, were rescued Saturday.

The fishing boat “Hsin Chi Wang 8,” with a Belizean flag, rescued the crew,

composed of one Taiwanese and seven Chinese citizens, at 9:30 a.m. ,

according to Juan Carlos Vargas, biologist in charge of operations for the

Costa Rican Coast Guard in the province of Puntarenas , on the Pacific coast.

Vargas, who said the crewmembers “are doing very well,” said the reason for

the explosion was probably a fire in the ship's machine room, although this

information has not yet been confirmed.

Coast Guard director Claudio Pacheco said the eight fishermen arrived alive

in Puerto Caldera, Puntarenas, after being rescued by the fishing boat that

picked them up Saturday in open sea, according to the wire service AFP.

Nevertheless, Pacheco complained the rescue was not reported promptly to the

Coast Guard, so the search was extended unnecessarily.

The fishing boat that suffered the accident was under the command of

32-year-old Captain Tang Wen Sheng, and machinist 20-year-old Chi Xing Chin,

of Chinese nationality, AFP reported.

According to Vargas, the boat had set sail from the Puntarenas harbor after

unloading fish and had Charco Azul Bay in Panama as its destination.

Immigration Police director Marco Badilla told AFP the group of fishermen

were not allowed to disembark yesterday, but today, an immigration permit

will be extended so they can travel to Juan Santamaría International Airport,

19 km (approximately 12 miles) north of the capital.



*Students enjoy Costa Rica trip
Brandywine group learns about economy, survives earthquake.

Brandywine Middle-High School senior Emily Whitney prepares to glide down a

zip line in the Costa Rican rain forest.

Photos provided
Brandywine Middle-High School students tour a Costa Rican coffee plant last

week.

Some Brandywine Middle-High School students had a rude awakening on the last

day of their Costa Rican field trip when a strong earthquake roused them from

slumber about 2 a.m.

The 6.2 magnitude quake that struck early Saturday was an unexpected end to

the school's economics field trip that had its share of shake-ups along the

way.

"The beds were shaking up and down," senior Nicole Cooper, 17, recalled.

Fortunately no one in the group of 22 was hurt in the quake. However,

according to the Associated Press, eight people died in the Central American

country and more than 500 homes were damaged or destroyed as a result of the

earthquake and a national emergency has been declared in the country.

"It was definitely not part of the curriculum," said economics teacher Ron

Bishop, a former missionary to Haiti who has led two Brandywine economics

field trips out of the country since 2000.

Both those trips were to one of the poorest countries in the Western

Hemisphere, Haiti. However, its political situation prompted Bishop to scrap

plans to take students there about two weeks before their departure.

Still, he wanted his upper-level economics students to have exposure to an

economy outside the United States. So he contacted his brother-in-law who is

a missionary in Costa Rica and put together a similar economics-oriented

itinerary that included visits to local businesses and factories.

"It conceptually had the same economic purpose, except for the kids having

exposure to extreme poverty," Bishop said. "Economically and developmentally,

(Costa Rica) is head and shoulders above Haiti. However, to our standards

it's still a poor country."

"It was a lot similar to living in a lower class area, in the projects

almost," senior Zach Bennett, 18, said of the experience.

During their trip students stayed in a suburb of the capital city San Jose

called San Francisco, Bishop said. They toured the second-largest butterfly

farm in the world, met with the marketing manager of an electric company and

learned about Costa Rica's sales tax, inflation rate and U.S.-based currency

at a small bank with armed guards stationed outside.

Other visits included a coffee factory that decaffeinates its beans by

shipping them to Germany where the extracted caffeine is sold to Coca-Cola

and Pepsi; a chayote squash producer that sends 80 percent of its produce to

major U.S. supermarket chains; a potato chip factory; the country's Kraft

snack food distributor; a 1,600-student private school; and the Gold Museum,

which contains the second-largest display of gold artifacts in the world.

Costa Rica's main industry is tourism and its second is coffee, Bishop said.

The country's tourist opportunities, which students sampled at the end of

their trip, impressed them. They glided down a zip line and went horseback

riding through the rain forest where they saw monkeys, toucans and other

wildlife, and went white-water rafting and jumped off a 20-foot cliff into

the water.

"It's very pretty," junior Chanelle Santana, 17, said.

Bennett said tourism industry workers were "really friendly and eager to

help." He theorized that if for some reason tourism fell off in the country

"the economy would really plummet."



*Eighty Nicaraguans Apprehended At Border Region Farm

Immigration officials in Los Chiles, in the Nicaraguan border region of Costa

Rica , apprehended a group of eighty Nicaraguans on Friday who had entered

the country illegally to work during the orange and coffee harvests.

The group, which consisted primarily of workers between 20 and 30 years old,

was found at an area farm.

On Friday afternoon, the workers were transported back across the border and

handed over to immigration officials in San Carlos , Nicaragua .

“Business owners who wish to hire foreign workers for the harvest should

apply to the Labor Ministry, so that the Ministry can coordinate with its

Nicaraguan counterpart to recruit interested workers,” Immigration Police

director Marco Badilla said in a statement.

“Once that has been done, the workers can ask the Immigration Police for the

necessary permits,” he added. “This allows foreign workers interested in the

harvest to enter the country legally and return to their own country without

any problems.”


*President Pacheco Visits Quake Damaged Area

Saturday, government officials, accompanied by president Abel Pacheco, took a

tour of the areas of Parrita and Damas to see first hand the damage caused by

the early morning 6.2 eartquake the Saturday earlier.

The government is committed to helping the residents of the area, starting

with the construction of a new health centre for the area.

The Ministerio de Educación (Ministry of Education) - MEP - is giving the

area school boards ¢272.000.000 colones (almost us$600.000 dollars) to

rebuild educational centres and strengthen those not damaged.

The Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT) has also made a

¢500.000.000 colones (about $1.1 million dollars) for reconstruction and

repair of roads and bridges in the area.

The hardest hit areas were buildings and roads near or around Parritta, only

about 25 kilometers from Quepos and Manuel Antonio, a major tourist area.

President Pacheco spoke to residents of the area, lending his support to help

them in their hour of need. He assured that the government will not abandon

them.

Damage caused by the earthquake can be seen all around the areas of Parritta

as several buildings were damaged beyond repair and people have to pitch

tents in the nearby parks for temporary shelter.

The main highway that connects Parrita and Quepos evidences the damage by

earthquake with major cracks in the asphalt and uneven levels between the

road and the newly built bridges. Some sections of the road have had to be

blocked from vehicular traffic as road engineers continue to assess the

damage. Interestingly enough, the two remaining rickety bridges were not

affected whatsoever.

Government officials hope to have all the infrastructure repairs completed no

later than February of next year.


*Thieves Make Off With Heard of Cattle

The northern zone, specifically the area of Pital de San Carlos has been hit

with a rash of livestock robberies that has left farmers and the Organismo de

Investigation Judicial frustrated as they try to apprehend the band of

thieves that have stolen more than ¢5.000.000 colones (us$11.000) in cattle.

Thieves made off with 33 heads of cattle in the first robbery and then 24

hours later, another 15 young bulls from another nearby farm in Aguas Claras

de Upala. And another 7 cattle went missing in Cutris.

Police believe they are dealing with an organized group of thieves though are

left with no clues.

"Moving a heard of cows is no simple task and someone had to have seen or

heard something", one police official was quoted as saying, hoping that

someone will come forward with information that will lead them to an arrest.
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*Focus on Faith

More than 7,000 children in Costa Rica will be receiving gifts this year

thanks to those who participated in the Operation Christmas Child program

through Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in Fargo, North Dakota.

Youth director Jason Rogness, 21, left, Kory Kowalski, 17, centre, and Matt

Scheid, 16, placed shoe boxes into larger boxes for transport at the

Moorhead, Fargo church.

A week later, the church had collected 7,130 individual shoe boxes full of

gifts for needy children around the world as part of the Samaritan's Purse

mission project which aims to bring joy to all who receive a box.

Kowalski and Scheid were among 21 American students selected to help deliver

the goods to children in Costa Rica in December.

"They are merely representing an army of young people who have Christian

character and demonstrate a heart to serve," said the Rev. Kirk Militzer. He

asked the boys to apply for what he described as the "Super Bowl" of all

mission trips.

The trip is a chance for the boys to grow in their walk with Christ by

reaching out to children and showing them God's love, Kowalski said. "Many of

them have never received a gift on top of the gift of Jesus Christ," he said.

Scheid views the trip as a chance to serve God. "Whatever God has planned, I

want to follow," he said.


*Father Minor Compares Himself to Dracula

The Spanish Language daily newspaper, Diario Extra has published a partial

transcript of the telephone conversation between Father Minor Calvo, who is

in preventive detention, accused of being the principal author of the murder

of journalist Parmenio Medina in July of 2001.

The newspaper has printed the graphic details of Father Minor's conversation

with a young woman, identified only as Kayla, both talking of their previous

night together and discussing their intimate sexual relations, including

comparing himself to Dracula, who waited for his lover to commence her

menstrual period so that he could suck her blood.

The transcript is part of the telephone wiretaps police used in their

investigations against the priest.


*PartyPoker.com Joins Poker Tour International for the Costa Rica Classic

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 26, 2004--This month kicks off

in the Poker industry with a cutting edge promotion and high energy.

PartyPoker.com, the world's largest online Poker Room, joins the Poker Tour

International for the Costa Rica Classic. The new venture came together as a

result of the successful Royal Oasis Grand Bahama Poker Tournament held in

late August. Comments Pro Player Ted Lawson, winner of this year's Las Vegas

Omaha World Poker Series ($500,000) and CEO of Federated National Insurance

Company: "The tournament was the best value for the money with most of it

going into the pot. The best man won, he played beautifully."

Recent addition and poker favorite Lee Watkinson also joined PTI to promote

and participate in the bimonthly series alongside Lawson, Producer Steve

Kates of Driftwood Ventures and the Royal Oasis Casino, Tournament Director

Burt Kravette, and Pro Player and Latin America Director Humberto Brenes.

This year alone, Watkinson has played five final tables with winnings

totaling $1,453,573 in No Limit WPT Legends of Poker Texas Hold'em

Championships, Mirage Poker Showdown, 35th Annual Omaha World Series of

Poker, No Limit Texas Hold'em Championship World Series of Poker, and the

Grand American Poker Classic No Limit Texas Hold'em. Lawson adds, "Watkinson

is probably the best in the world." Both Lawson and Watkinson will promote

PTI at upcoming events.

The second tournament of the PTI bimonthly series, the Costa Rica Classic is

scheduled for December 1, 2004. Local satellite tournaments will run

throughout the month of November at the Aurola Holiday Inn San Jose.

PartyPoker.com will also run satellite tournaments for buy-ins and

accommodations for as low as $6+ 1 a play beginning November 12.

Comments Kates, "It won't be a tournament, it will be an adventure." Prices

for the Costa Rica Classic start at $2,599 and include Texas Hold'em buy-in,

airfare from Fort Lauderdale, accommodations at Holiday Inn Aurola in San

Jose, opening/closing receptions, and refreshments. One re-buy will be

available for $400. Winnings include seats in upcoming tournaments and

$500,000 based on entries. Events will include pro players and will be

televised.

Upcoming tournaments in the Poker Tour International are scheduled for Puerto

Rico and St. Kitts. For more information, contact 1-800-432-2294 ext. 127 or

visit PartyPoker.com.

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