Broken News
(All the News That's Fit to Reprint)
U.S. to Costa Rica - $25 million To Improve Cyber Security
In May of 2022, in the middle of the Covid epidemic, the Ministry of Health System Computer was hacked by a Russian ransom-ware organization called Conti. The hackers demanded a ransom of $20 million to which the Costa Rican government responded they should put there demand where the hammer and sickle don´t shine. Nevertheless, the disruption caused serious delays in health delivery for several months until the government got the system back under control.
The U.S. and Costa Rica recently announced a U.S. grant of $25 million to Costa Rica to "...establish and equip a centralized Security Operations Center to monitor, prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats and the grant will also provide immediate support for cybersecurity training operations, including hardware, software, and other cybersecurity tools, as well as longer-term capacity building."
The project still requires U.S. Congressional approval which is expected.
Surge in Drug Related Homicides
The government is concerned about a recent spike in murders in Costa Rica. For the first quarter of 2023 the number of murders totaled 203 which is almost a 32% increase over the same period in 2022. That translates to a murder rate of 15.9 per 100,000 versus last year´s 12.1.
The number of police is actually somewhat down from 10 years ago due to fiscal deficit and budget cuts. At the same time drug related offenses are up sharply with increased warring between gangs.
(See also the article on pandering to criminals below)
Immigration Admits Delay in Delivery of Cédulas
The Director of the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME or Immigration Service) recently acknowledged that the department had fallen behind in issuance of DIMEX cards (Dimex = Documento de Identidad Migratorio para Extranjeros), also known as Cédulas.
The reason given was shortages of the special plastic required to produce the cards resulting from the slowdown created during the pandemic and which have currently increased requests for the card from 4,000 to 28,000 monthly. As a result, current estimated time to receive your Cédula is six weeks after approval.
The department has plans to change the card system to include a QR connection (right) to verify to anyone that the Cédula is valid and even to allow a PDF version to be printed that can be temporarily used in place of the card.
Celebrating Freedom from Filibusters
Tuesday, April 11 was the 167th anniversary of the Battle of Rivas (1856) that helped determine how much of Central America looks today. It was in this battle that Costa Rica forces under one General Mora, along was aided by a young hero name Juan Santamaria who gave his life to help route the "filibusters". By setting their barracks ablaze, the filibusters were subsequently chased out of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
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| Prez Chaves Celebrating Juan Santamaria Day |
This year´s anniversary saw our President, Rodrigo Chaves giving speeches in praise of the battle´s heroes. Not mentioned was a lady hero named Natalicio Francisca Carrasco Jiménez (also affectionately as Pancha Carrasco) and who not only provided cooking for the troops but also reportedly picked up a rifle and joined the fight.
Chaves did summarize the fight well when he said:
“A country that is once again flourishing in peace, that due to the heroic feats of these Alajuelense people and many more, of those brothers, we have inherited a free Homeland which I am sure many of us would give our lives to defend as they did.” Right on, Señor.
Butter Shortage in Costa Rica
A press report put it this way: "Many consumers are scratching their heads at the lack of butter in the supermarkets and pulperias (corner stores) over the last couple of weeks." GG happened to buy two sticks of butter (about a month´s supply for me) the day before the report. I had no problem finding it (Dos Pinos brand) in my local supermercado dairy case but the amount in the case had been reduced from the usual two to three rows to one.
Reasons given for the butter shortage? 1. This is the dry season, "which affects the amount of milk produced by the cows." and 2. Importing butter is very expensive as: “Butter pays 65% import duties, plus 1% of Law 6,946 and 13% Value Added Tax (VAT), calculated in a cascade, so that the at the end it comes to an 87.58% tax burden.” Margerine is not considered an alternative for many downstream products (like bake goods) because it gives a different flavor and consistency.
A temporary reduction and/or elimination of the duties is being considered.
Measures to Lessen Pandering to Criminals Proposed
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| President Rodrigo Chaves |
Spurred on by an increasing level of violence credited to drug gangs and their wares, President Rodrigo Chaves personally delivered a proposal to the Legislature on April 19 that intends to stop pandering of serious criminals. In Costa Rica, releasing serious criminals is likened to “las golondrinas vuelen libres” (swallows that fly free) and has occurred "for drug trafficking or even homicides".
The President offered these changes to be codified:
Greater police presence. A change in the shift scheme will allow 9,500 police officers on the job every day. The measure is only for six months. Police will work in 6×4 shifts, that is, six days of work, four days off,. instead of the 4×3, four days work, three days off.
Update: Three days after announcing the change in shifts, and because of demonstrations against the new policy, Chaves relinquished and delayed the implementation of the shift change indefinitely.
More police officials (meaning officers).
Increased Budget. The government will present a plan to increase the police budget.
State-of-the-art technology. Implementation of a $5 million loan to set up the region’s first command and control center against crime.
Legal policy. The government will assume the legal defense in any fact through a policy (not sure what this means - Ed.)
Purchase and repair of patrol cars. Money seized from drug traffickers will be used for more patrol cars and to repair units.
Ammunition. Through a decree, the sale of large caliber ammunition will be prohibited. Only people with legal weapons will be able to access the purchase.
Extradition. A legal reform is proposed so that any Costa Rican involved in acts of terrorism or drug trafficking can be extradited to any country.
Stronger judges. Legal reform so judges have the tools to send people who commit violent crimes to jail.
Arms control. Greater State controls to have access to arms through a change in the law.
Wiretaps. Telephone intervention will be enabled for homicides and crimes of rape. Today, it is only used for drug trafficking and organized crime.
Minors. Offenders under the age of majority (18) related to organized crime will be tried as adults.
Chaves, even though his party controls only 10 of the 57 votes necessary to yield a passing majority of 29, is expected to have a good chance of passing this program. Vamos a ver amigos (we´ll see), more to be revealed.
Infamous Murder Trial in Manuel Antonio Ends
In what was probably the most infamous murder trial in the south central coast of Costa Rica. Three men, one an owner of a major hotel (then known as La Mansion), were accused by state prosecutors of raping and murdering one Dr. María Luisa Cedeño, an anesthesiologist from San José who was staying at the hotel.
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| Dr. Maria Luisa Cedeño |
One of the men, a Nicaraguan national named Herrera, was convicted as a rapist and murderer and sentenced to 50 years in prison. The three judge panel based their decision on Herrera on "a lot of technical-scientific evidence linking Herrera, not only with the specific place where the events occurred, but also with the victim in this case.”
The prosecutors based their case on the other two men on evidence related to bite marks on the body and suggesting that the brutality of the murder required more than one person to commit. Under Costa Rican law bite marks are not considered to be foolproof evidence. Instead, the judges ordered the other two defendants to pay compensation to Dr. Cedeño´s family of ₡795 million for material damages, ₡80 million for moral damages, and another ₡53 million for moral damages to the victim, a total of ₡928 million (about $1.75 million).
Registration Stickers Going Digital
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| New Marchamo System |
President Rodrigo Chaves recently announced ("with great pleasure") the beginning of the implementation of an electronic vehicle registration system that will take the place of the current paper system (Marchamo)
Nothing in the announcement described the possible tracking and policing aspects of vehicles under such a system: Vamos a ver - we´re going to see.
The electronic sticker registration number, captured in a chip and registered in a government computer is expected to provide a number of benefits:
- Elimination of the paper renewals currently required annually.
- It will improve traffic systems, controllers, and traffic lights, giving expeditious passage to ambulances, firefighters, and the police, thus moving the country towards "smart city" status.
- Could automate toll booth payments.
This project, known as the development of the “ the “Digital Circulation Right” is expected to commence and be completed by November 2023.
¡Pura Vida!
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Economic Drumbeat
(Costa Rica Business Happenings)
Top Industries for Career Seekers
A recent press article pointed out that unemployment, which during the pandemic got as high as 24%, has now retreated to single figures as the country´s economy is re-invigorated. Also pointed out were the top industries for career seekers:
Entertainment Industry. This includes being a game operator for such as slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker.
Tourism. There are plenty of job opportunities in hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies especially if you have excellent communication skills, fluency in Spanish and English, and a passion for customer service.
Information Technology. Costa Rica has implemented policies and incentives to attract technology companies to the country, including tax breaks, grants, and streamlined processes and, as a result, Costa Rica has become a hot spot in Latin America for technological development and entrepreneurship.
The Costa Rican penchant for good education and bilingualism compliment the need well.
Health Care. An aging population as well as medical tourism require a high demand for health care professionals. There has been continuous improvement in facilities, equipment, and staff training in recent years. Working in improving and saving lives is a great option for job seekers who are interested in helping others and saving lives.
Real Estate (Including Property Management). Costa Rica population was 1.89 million in 1970; 50 years later it was 5.1 million, a 275% population growth. The real estate market has exploded here not only for permanent residents but also for those looking for a second home in the lush landscape and abundant wildlife of a tropical paradise. Requirements to become a real estate agent and even a broker are also less restrictive than in other major countries.
Manufacturing. The manufacturing base and technical capabilities in areas such as medical devices, electronic components, and textiles continue to expand here with major companies like Boston Scientific and Proctor & Gamble setting down strong operational roots within Costa Rica as a Latin American base.
Costa Rica offers a broad range of opportunities for those seeking careers and it just happens to be located in one of the best natural environments in the world.
Loss of Tuber Could Effect 30,000 Drivers
A Costa Rican Labor Court recently ruled that Uber must pay one of its former drivers (a certain Señor Morales), vacations, bonuses and social security from before his departure from Uber in 2018 (Uber has been operating here since 2015). That amount for Señor Morales alone is estimated to be ¢802,000 colones ($1,485) for vacations, ¢1.7 million for Aguinaldo (Christmas Bonus - $3,150), as well as corresponding distributions to the State Old Age Pension as well as the National Health System (thousands more dollars).
The basic disagreement is between Uber´s designation of the arrangement with a driver as a "collaborative mobility platform" versus the labor court finding that a real labor contract did exist between Uber and Señor Morales, the latter position of course is favored by the traditional taxi driver´s union.
Uber is planning to appeal the ruling and the government is planning to introduce a compromise plan into the legislature to mitigate or mediate Uber´s position. The downside of this is that it is estimated that there are 30,000 Uber drivers in Costa Rica whose livelihood is at stake if Uber should pull out.
More to be revealed on this one.
¡Solo Bueno!
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Latin America Updates
(Major Events In Neighboring Countries)
Argentina
Price Caps to Fight High Inflation. From the Internet comes this report: "Inflation for 2023 is expected to hit 90.5%, above the previous estimate of 84.1%. Argentina's government stated in its budget draft that inflation will stand at 60% this year. Argentina's deep economic slump drew thousands to the streets last week, with protesters demanding action to counter sky-high inflation and help the country's poor." The December 2022 inflation increase came in at 95.2% on a year to year comparison.
So the government´s answer was to impose price caps on a large number of everyday goods at 3.2% per month. Most independent economists doubt this will work but supermarkets and other stores began posting "Precios Justos" (fair price) signs on their goods, meaning the prices were meeting the government guidelines. But it´s more likely that trying to force prices down at the retail level will create shortages. And wages are not even close to keeping up with the inflation.
The high inflation rate has been driven by lower exports, rising state spending, and a weakening peso currency (GG remembers being in Buenos Aires in 2018 and getting about 32 Pesos to the dollar; I just looked up the current exchange rate and found it to be 204 P/$). The central bank has responded to the inflation by hiking the interest rate to 75%, another strong sign of the economy being out of control.
Economic times are not good in Argentina.
El Salvador
Government Inaugurates New Prison for Terrorist Gangs. The government of President Nayib Bukele, as part of his plan to control gangs in El Salvador, has begun operating what is described as "the largest prison in the Americas".
The prison is officially known as the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (Cecot) – Center for the Confinement of Terrorism. Cecot is currently handling 4,000 prisoners with the possibility of expanding to as many as 40,000(!) over its 23 hectares (57.5 acres) of construction.
The government and its Minister of Public Works have told the public that security measures at Cecot assure that the place is "inviolable - it would be impossible for a prisoner to leave". (Where have we heard that before? - oh yeah, Alcatraz). In the meantime, Bukele enjoys a 91% approval by the Salvadoran people on his terrorist policies. More to be revealed.
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| That´s President Bukele on the Right |
El Faro Newspaper Moves Admin and Legal Ops to San José. El Faro, founded in 1998 and which claims to be “El primer periódico digital latinoamericano” i.e., the first exclusively digital newspaper in Latin America, has moved its admin an legal structure from El Salvador to San José, Costa Rica effective April 1, 2023.
El Faro cited delegitimization and defamation campaigns by the government against them including harassment of advertisers and defamation of officials and legislators.
El Faro now sees its mission as Central America wide but will retain a newsroom in San Salvador and also continue to do journalism in El Salvador.
Mexico
Border Disaster. On March 29 a fire at the immigration detention facilities in the town of Ciudad Juarez across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, which happened in the middle of the night, took 38 lives and injured 29 others. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated the cause of the fire was detainees who were protesting their detention by setting mattresses on fire.
In October Tijuana experienced rioting in the detention facility there by people mostly from Venezuela. And in at the country’s largest detention center in Tapachula close to the border with Guatemala there was more rioting.
The U.N. based International Organization for Migration stated that: "...7,661 people have died or disappeared while trying to migrate to the US. Another 988 have been killed in accidents or due to subhuman conditions."
Nicaragua
Family Remittances Peak in Early 2023. Remittances (money sent home from abroad) to Nicaraguans reached a record $648 million in the January/February period this year, a 63.2% increase over the same period last year. Just to get an idea of how important remittances can be to a small country, the Nicaraguan remittances are equivalent to almost 21% of the country´s entire Gross Domestic Product.
Of the total remittances, 81% came from the U.S., 8% from Costa Rica and almost 7% from Spain, the three together totaling almost 96%.
No Processions Allowed During Semana Santa. A recent foreign press report stated that a long-term Catholic, who would only allow himself to be identified by the surreptitious name of "BBC Mundo Jaime", requested "Don’t mention my name or my religious community.” and he also said: “Being a Catholic in Nicaragua, in this time of persecution, is a risk.”
Reports say that policemen are showing up at church gatherings to "inform their superiors about any act considered subversive." Also, many have been warned to keep traditional religious processions such as Stations of the Cross internal to the churches rather than as public displays. This occurred after a large turnout on Ash Wednesday to support the concern for Bishop Monsignor Rolando Álvarez who was sentenced to 26 years in prison for not accepting the order to leave the country after the government nullified his citizenship along with 221 others whose citizenship was revoked and who were flown to the U.S.
¡No Bueno!
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Profiles in Quepos Series
(Christopher Ayales Aden - Second Home Solutions)
The Profiles in Quepos Series brings you information about some of the movers and shakers in our Quepos/Manuel Antonio area, especially successful business and professional people
who are making or have made their mark on the area. |
Anyone who has ever been to this area knows that Quepos-Manuel Antonio is a prime area for tourism and that´s true whether you prefer seashore or mountains and maybe especially if you have a liking for both. The attraction is often accompanied by a desire to own a property that one can retreat to for at least part of the year. For many, their second home becomes special even though it may never be a permanent home or perhaps it will have to wait until the retirement years to be used permanently.
For many owners, that experience gives rise to a need for property management services. This is particularly true when the property is rented, or for safety when it´s not being used, or for managing improvements or for rental income to offset expenses, which many smart owners revert to in order to reduce costs during idle periods or planned vacations.
Enter SHS, Second Home Solutions, a property management company run by its owner, Christopher Ayales Aden. Chris is what GG calls a Tico-Gringo, i.e., the result of a Tico father and Gringo mother as opposed to being a Gringo-Tico like GG who was produced by Gringo Parents but acquired the Tico modification because he became a naturalized citizen of Costa Rica (aren´t you glad I finished that analogy?).
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| Chris Ayales |
Chris is a young man of just over 40 years of age who was born in San José on the Ides of March in 1983. He studied hotel management at InterAmerican University in San José followed by graduate work at Ecole Hoteliére in Lyon, France (ah Lyon, the heart of Burgundy in France; GG remembers a visit there in 1975 and a particularly good bottle of Chateaux Margeux ´55... er, sorry, I digress).
After returning to Costa Rica, Chris moved from his family´s home in the Central Valley to Quepos in 2008. Along the way Chris managed his own extended family´s holdings in both places. He eventually came to start his own business, naming it SHS or Second Home Solutions, in 2018.
Chris now lives in Manuel Antonio with his wife Maria Laura and three kids: Damien (10), Ivan (8) and Alessia (3). (The photo of the family right is a couple of years old, just before the youngest, Alessia, was born (note the bulge on mommy).
Chris enjoys nothing more than an outing at the beach, or at the many attractions elsewhere in the area, with all the family. Chris himself is a avid surfer and he confirmed that in an unfortunate way recently when he wrenched a shoulder; but he is now recovering well with the help of a good Manuel Antonio chiropractor.
Chris also loves fishing (like that nice Mahi-Mahi catch to the right.) So what better place to raise a family and enjoy nature and these outdoor pastimes than in our beautiful Central Pacific Coast?
But now, more about business. Property Management is a relatively new business discipline and career path for someone to take. Practically speaking, it is the business of managing and overseeing the rental and maintenance of residential, commercial, industrial, land or farm real estate that is owned by another party – whether private owners or companies. Typically property managers oversee property types such as condos, apartments, townhouses, single unit dwellings, multifamily units, commercial space such as stores, office spaces, storage units, industrial real estate, and rural real estate such as raw land, development lots and farms.
So what does Property Management involve? It can be as simple as paying utilities for the property owner on time, arranging for cleaning services, rentals and concierge services and repair services. It can also involve arranging adventures for guests and rental people such as waterfall and mountain tours. As one might expect, performing these kinds of services gets you well known in the community and leads the way to trust becoming a key factor in performance. From what GG has heard, Chris has earned both.
In a generalized format there are six important things that property owners can be provided by good Property Management, to wit:
- Marketing in a world of highly competitive vacation rental management.
- Assuring that the rentals maintain a permanent positive cash flow to the owner.
- Attentive tenant management: a. finding and screening tenants, b. collecting and depositing rent, c. orderly move-outs, d. handling emergencies and repairs and e. handling evictions if and when necessary.
- Periodic supervision of property when either occupied or vacant.
- Repairs and supervision of general service contracts such as for gardening, landscaping, pool maintenance, fencing and arborist services.
- Maintaining detailed accounts of all spending and income to forward monthly reports to the property owners.
When I asked Chris what his business philosophy is and what difference he tries to bring to his work, he answered that providing hassle-free, responsive service is important. He also prides himself in offering a high degree of transparency to the client as to pricing and costs. Also, in trying to be a better property manager, he has developed the SHS strategy to offer a customized client services package reflecting whatever combination of the services mentioned above might be needed and thereby satisfying the individual property management needs of his clients. No one-size-fits-all package here.
So, Mr. Reader, be aware that if you find yourself with the pleasure of owning a property in the Quepos-Manuel Antonio area and realize that good property management is one of your needs, be assured we have that capability and service here, of which Chris Ayales is a good example.
¡Solo Bueno!
____ ____ ____
To see other Profiles in Quepos, go HERE:
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Rumble and Weather Talk
(Shaky Happenings & Weather Observations About the Pacific Rim)
Rumbling
A quake on March 29 at about 4:18 in the afternoon, registering 6.3 on the USGS scale and was felt in much of Costa Rica. It was epicentered about 70 km southwest of the Pacific border with Panama (red arrow right). More unusual was the fact that it lasted a full 142.7 seconds or almost 2.5 minutes, a long time for any single earthquake.
By the end of the night, some 31 aftershocks were recorded with intensities ranging between 2 and 4.
The first reaction by someone at the National Siesmological Network (RSN) was Siempre tiembla Semana Santa or "It always trembles at Easter time".
Check Out Recent Earthquakes All Around the World Posted by the U.S.G.S. Recent Quakes |
Weather
GG was ruminating over the approaching rainy season recently when I came across the chart left which depicts the average annual rainfall in various parts of Costa Rica. The South Central Pacific area (Quepos-Manuel Antonio) comes in at a moderately severe level of 120-160 inches per year while the Central Valley registers 80-120 inches. Some areas, particularly towards the Caribbean coast register the more extreme levels of 240+ inches.
Just for comparison, GG once looked up rainfall and temperature variances from where he grew up (Boston area), where he last lived in the States (Sarasota, Fl) and Costa Rica and noted that in the Boston area they register 40-45 inches of rain per year, Sarasota was 80-85 inches and Costa Rica was 200-240 inches (C´mon man, we have a jungle to maintain). To see that comparison go HERE.
¡Pura Vida!
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Search the Golden Gringo Chronicles Archives for Topics That Interest You
You can use our Archives to search for anything that has been written in more than 320 feature articles of the Golden Gringo Chronicles plus find Broken News items and ROMEO restaurant reviews. Enter your topic or item to search in the Google Search Routine below and follow the links offered from the search results.
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editorial staff (that's GG) thinks is inappropriate for this format. Send proposals, comments, suggestions, ideas, meaningless statements and jocular observations concerning the Chronicles to GG here: gg@goldengringo.com.
¿Que es Eso? Department (¿What is That?)
A Mayan Ruin in Costa Rica?
An abandoned Spanish Fort?
Is it still used or just a relic?
Why would anyone build this in the middle of nowhere in Costa Rica.
Answer in
What´s-in-a-Word
Section Below.
¡Pura Vida!
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Health Stuff
| Note: The information given in this section is offered as news information only and does not indicate GGC confirmation or denial of the accuracy of the treatment or a recommendation to pursue it, nor can we or do we guarantee the efficacy of the results nor validity of the conclusions proffered.
(How's that for a disclaimer amigos?) |
a. Malaria is Back
Tis the season for malaria and some 60 infections have been recorded, mainly in the Limon province and in areas east of the central mountain range.
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| One of Them Thar Malaria Skeeters |
Malaria is caused by a a plasmodium parasite (i.e., a genus of parasitic protozoans of the sporozoan subclass Coccidia that are the causative organisms of malaria - is everybody now clear on that?) and carried by infected female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles (of course, I knew that). Symptoms of malaria include: Fever, Chills, General feeling of discomfort, Headache, Nausea and vomiting, Diarrhea and Abdominal pain.
Well the good news so far (April 5) is that the number of infections (60) hasn´t reached last year´s level when in 2022 some 450 cases were diagnosed.
UPDATE 28 April: U.S. issued a travel alert as of this date: Level Two, Practice Enhanced Precautions; details can be found on the State Department website. Total cases have now reached 139.
¡Pura Vida!
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Travel Quote of the Month
¡A Cachete!
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GGC Bookshelf
GGC Publications Group is the parent organization that publishes the Golden Gringo Chronicles as well as a number of books and paraphernalia related to the Chronicles and Costa Rica. The GGC Bookshelf also includes works from a number of other authors that belong to the Quepos-Manuel Antonio Writers Group in which GGC has been a founding member.
Here are the books currently on our bookshelf:
All of the above books are available on Amazon.com and the "Read More" links above will lead you to them. You can find more detail on all of them on our GGC Publications Page.
GGC Products Store
GGC Publications also offers some accessories and paraphernalia related to the Chronicles and with Costa Rican themes, to wit:
T-Shirts:
a. Golden Gringo Chronicles with Logo
b. Official Golden Gringo with Monkey on Banana Hammock
c. ¡Quepo en Quepos! ("I Fit In Quepos!") with Photo of Quepos
d. Wanna Monkey Around? - Come on Down! (shown) with Photo of White Faced Monkey, e. It's OK to be Slothful with photo of Three-Toed Sloth.
The t-shirts are available in several themes, colors, styles and sizes. See them all
HERE.
Coffee Mugs:
a. Golden Gringo, b. Wanna Monkey Around?, c. It's OK to be Slothful
See them all HERE:
What's life without a great cup of Costa Rican coffee? And it tastes even better in a Golden Gringo Chronicles mug!
To see ALL the products available in the Golden Gringo Store go here: GGC Store.
¡Solo Bueno!
"Tell me and I forget; teach me and I remember;
involve me and I learn"
– Benjamin Franklin
Answer to Que Es Eso
No this is not a Mayan ruin but actually a Christian Church named Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepción or Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It is widely believed to be the oldest Christian church in Costa Rica having been constructed in the late 1500´s (Columbus first set foot in Costa Rica in 1502) and was rededicated to the virgin in the 1600´s.
The church was moved once because of flooding problems. It is currently located, as the only part left, of the town of Ujarras in the Orosi Valley, southeast of Cartago in a vibrant garden full of shady trees.
Legend has it that an indigenous farmer found an image of the Virgin Mary in a box there, which he was unable to remove from the location, and so the church was built at its current location as a shrine. The facades and altar of the church, originally constructed from limestone, have been restored several times, lastly in 2010.
Definitely worth a visit.
¡Pura Vida!
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ROMEO Corner
(Retired Old Men Eating Out)
Mountain Top Park Cafe, Manuel Antonio
Unfortunately, 10 ROMEOs with a reservation showed up to this relatively new cafe only to find it locked and then, after persistently pursuing attention, that the electricity in the cafe was off and they couldn´t prepare lunch for us. This was only the second time in about 175 ROMEO Reviews that being tuned away has occurred. After a quick consultation among the ROMEOs we opted to change our venue to the Anaconda Restaurant at the Costa Verde Hotel, farther down the Manuel Antonio road toward the beach. As luck would have it, we had planned to review this restaurant again about a year and a half ago but it had not been fully re-opened after the Pandemic and was still recovering from a reduced schedule. So here´s what we found at the Anaconda this time:
Anaconda Restaurant at Costa Verde Hotel
Location: 20-30 Meters west (down the hill) from Costa Verde Reception.
Hours: High Season - Breakfast & Lunch; Green Season - Breakfast only.
Parking: Adequate at the Restaurant
Contacts: Tel: 2777-1973
Reviewing ROMEOS: Bob N., Glen N., Harry R., Jorge M., Kaysi S., Lawrence L., Mark P., Phyllis; Ruth R., Steve K.
To Review Our Rating System Go Here: R.O.M.E.O. Rating System
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| View from Restaurant Anaconda |
This restaurant was last reviewed in September 2017; you can see that review HERE.
The restaurant still provides one of the most engaging views into the Pacific near the peninsula that terminates the western end of the National Park. The restaurant is simply decorated with "tipico" wooden chairs and tables common in this area.
Open to the atmosphere except for the roof, the place is airy and quiet, being a good distance from the main road. We were seated at a table near the rear of the restaurant as they tried to accommodate 10 of us at one table.
The composite score for ambiance by the ROMEOs came in at 4.8 of 5.0 sloths max.
Not much has changed since 2017 with the offering being limited to breakfast and lunch. Yet the selection of items included wraps, sandwiches, burgers, pastas and seafood on the lunch side of the offering. Breakfast options ran from a howler monkey breakfast, gallo pinto and eggs "tipico" to a chocolate and banana waffle.
GG opted for a grilled chicken breast wrap loaded with Asian greens, guacamole, caramelized onion, cream cheese, lettuce & tomato. I found it very tasty. It was served with thin crisp French fries.
Other ROMEOs opted for burgers, wraps, fish tacos, fish wraps and even a couple of breakfasts like French toast. |
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.jpg) .3 |
| $$$$.1 |
Value Index= 105 |
The composite score for food quality came in at 4.3/5.0.
We were served by a young man named Brandon who was courteous, friendly and helpful. The composite service rating came in at 3.9/5.0 making the average for ambiance, food quality and service 4.3/5.0.
GG´s wrap and a Ginger ale Michelada came in at 8,195 colones or about $15.40 including tax and required service charge. That made the Value Index = 4.3/3.9x100 = 105 or slightly above average for the restaurants we´ve evaluated in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area.
The ROMEOs can attest that the Anaconda Restaurant at Costa Verde presents another good option for breakfast and lunch in the Quepos/MA area.
¡Solo Bueno!
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