(en Español)
Carlos López Alvarado is perhaps best known by expatriates as the man who owns a chunk of prime land in the Manuel Antonio area. His holdings include 70 hectares of hilly land overlooking serene beaches, seven houses in Manuel Antonio, the Costa Rica Spanish Institute, the building beside the bus station where he now has his office, and more. But López was not always a rich man and even now, is humble and unpretentious.

Born in Limon on July 10, 1922, Don Carlos moved to Quepos when he was 18. He remembers the date exactly – it was March 19, 1940.  He says that his father was a foreman of the Compañía Bananera de Costa Rica, a subsidiary of the United Fruit Company.  In the mid-1930’s the company, based in Limon, began amassing large landholdings in the Central Pacific and by 1940, its production exceeded that of the Atlantic region.

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Filed under: Carol Vlassoff, Personalities in Our Midst on December 28th, 2009
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During this holiday season and as the year comes to a close; it is only natural to begin looking back and truly appreciating those things for which we are thankful.

At Titi Conservation Alliance, we are thankful to live in one of the only places on Earth where one can watch the playful titi (squirrel) monkeys bounding through the trees.  What a treat!

We are also endlessly thankful that this community, in which the titis call home, is also home to many caring citizens and businesses.  We give our thanks to our fantastic Member businesses that support us each and every month.

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Filed under: Ingrid Kuegeman, Titi Conservation Alliance on December 27th, 2009
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When Alice stepped through the looking glass, one of her first observations was that “things are not what they seem to be”. Lewis Carroll’s fairytale was written as a double-edged sword: a bright and cheery surface story, with an underlying cynical twin meaning. The rock duo who call themselves Amigosintimos have taken this theme and extrapolated on it with their debut CD, “En el Pais de las Maravillas”. There are direct references to Carroll’s work, including a song titled “Alicia” and a quote from Edgar Allen Poe in the lyric book which is included in the CD package.

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Filed under: Jim Parisi, Music Review on December 25th, 2009
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There are just a few problems with raccoons living so close: they often trash houses, crawl spaces and gardens in their search for easy food and nesting sites. They can spread disease. They can get aggressive if they don’t get the food they expect or if they run into a pet. Avoid run-ins by keeping them away from your home.

First, meet the neighbors!
Raccoons are medium size mammals weighing about 13 to 18 lbs (6-8kgs). They are nocturnal and very intelligent. They are very agile, fast, and have five dexterous toes on each front foot. They are excellent runners, climbers, and swimmers making them formidable opponents.

However, they aren’t dangerous as long as they’re kept out of homes, not fed and not cornered.

Raccoons also can carry diseases that are dangerous to humans, as well as distemper which is infectious to dogs. Raccoon feces also contain parasites which are transmissible to pets and people, some are fatal.
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Filed under: Kids Saving the Rainforest, María Pía Martín on December 25th, 2009
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Sin duda alguna la Navidad es una época de reunión familiar, tiempo de unión y celebración en la que los ticos aprovechamos para preparar diferentes platillos típicos de la época, uno de esos platillos es el famoso tamal de cerdo que no puede faltar en la mesa de los costarricenses durante Navidad.
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Filed under: Academia D'Amore, Tico Talk on December 18th, 2009
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For many residents living in Aguirre County, the year 2009 will be the saddest in the annals of Matapalo Beach history.  Due to the complicated laws and regulations which govern the Maritime Zone, many hard working residents on the beach lost their homes and businesses as well as their personal belongings during the parade of destruction which reigned down some months ago.

This months Making a Difference, is dedicated to the collective efforts of these same Matapalo community members who joined together and made an effort to restore what could be salvaged of our precious gem community on the ocean.
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Filed under: Charlie Berghammer, Making a Difference on December 18th, 2009
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by Jim Parisi

Armando is a young Tico boy who has lived his entire nine years with his family, just a stones-throw from Playa Real on the Pacific Ocean in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. He’s a smart kid with an active curiosity and Playa Real has continually offered him an abundance of different ways to explore and learn. Upon his request, Armando’s father allows him to spend the night alone on the beach on the evening of his ninth birthday because Armando wants to witness the phenomena of the Baula turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. What transpires on that night has a huge impact on Armando: he does, indeed, see a Baula lay her eggs. In fact, the turtle introduces herself (Yes! She speaks!) as “Annabella”, or Bella for short, and has quite a story to tell the impressionable Armando.

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Filed under: Book Review, Jim Parisi on December 12th, 2009
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