Aid Starts Arriving
The Red Cross and other public
organizations started to
distribute water and basic food
items among the victims of the
floods.
Meanwhile, throughout Costa
Rica, many groups are collecting
food, clothes, money, among
other things, to at least soothe
the pain of their fellow
countrymen who lost everything
to the waters.
Thousands have started to return
to what is left of their homes
and belongings. From a high of
8.500 people in 80 shelters, the
number has greatly decreased to
a few thousand being still
housed in 26 temporary shelters.
Aid is arriving from all over.
Costa Ricans have united to help
their brothers and sisters.
The Cruz Roja (Red Cross), the
Comisión Nacional de Emergencias
(CNE) and doctors from the Caja
Costarricenses de Seguro Social
(CCSS) were able to access
remote communities that had been
without water and food for day
one.
Rescue and emergency work is
being frustrated by those
refusing to abandon their homes
and continue to live without the
basic necessities. The spread of
disease from contaminated water
is a major concern.
Many have been left homeless as
they begin the task of
rebuilding their lives.
Valuables have been lost, lives
shattered. Many are preferring
to live in what little remains
of their homes, fearing more
rain will wash it away
completely, which is a major
concern as the Instituto
Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) -
the weatherman - is predicting
rain this weekend for the
Northern zone.
Telethons To Collect Donations
Without a home, shelter or
nutrition... the rain left
thousands of resident of the
provinces of Limón and Heredia
adrift. However, they are not
alone, as Costa Ricans come
together, regardless of
political color and preference
and join force to help those
affected. Both, channels 7 and 6
have both planned telethons to
collect donations.
Teletica that operates channel 7
programming and Telenoticias
will start off the aid drive
today (Friday) at 11:30am with a
call to all Costa Ricans to
bring a ˘1.000 Colones or canned
food, milk, clothing and
anything else they can spare.
Channel 7 will hold their event
across the street from their
offices and studios in La Sabana
Meanwhile, Repretel, that
operates Channel 6, 4 and 11,
will hold their event tomorrow
(Saturday) starting at 11am in
front of the Mas x Menos, across
the street from the Tryp
Corobicí hotel, also in La
Sabana.
Both television stations have
provided great support to those
affected by the rain and floods,
providing Costa Ricans a first
look at what the Caribbean
residents have been living
through since last Saturday. In
some cases, the television
station helicopters were the
first on the scene of the areas
affected and to some communities
were road access was complete
cut off.
Everyone is urged to attend and
donate. If they can't attend,
they can contribute by making a
cash deposit at the national
banks or their neared Red Cross
location.
“Un rojo para un hermano
de Limón" is the slogan
that will be used to move people
to donate. Un rojo is in
reference to a ˘1.000 Colones
note.
Thieves Walk In to Bank and Walk
Out With ˘26.000.000 Colones
Three men never
thought it could be so easy to
become millionaires.
The three men devised a scheme
to dress up like employees of
the Proval, a company dedicated
to transporting valuables, and
entered the Banco de Costa Rica
in barrio González Lama and
walked away with ˘26.000.000
colones (us$56.500 dollars).
The slap in the face is that the
bank is located diagonally to
the offices of the Organismo de
Investigación Judicial (OIJ).
Sources say the three men were
heavily armed, dressed in proper
uniform, walked in, collected
the money as the real guards
would and then made away in a
waiting vehicle that was
disguised to look like the real
one used by the security
company.
Witnesses say the vehicle was
the same colour, has the same
symbols to identify it - the
company logo, etc. - it looked
real. Police say that thieves
knew the routine well, which
enabled them to pull off the
heist without any problem,
threats or violence.
Authorities believe that one or
more of the men had to be former
employees of the company.
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Ticos Love Surfing the Net
In Costa Rica, 1,931 people
in every 10,000 habitually
surf the Internet, thus
placing it second in Latin
America. Chile leads with
2,375 users per every
10,000.
The use of the Internet is
growing fast in Latin
America, where an estimated
44 million to 60 million
people habitually link to
the Internet, according to a
report from the United
Nations Conference on Trade
and Development.
In the region, Argentines
place third, with 1,120,
followed by Peru, 1,039,
Mexico, 985, and Brazil,
822.
High Hotel Occupation
The rate of occupation in
Costa Rican hotels for the
first quarter this year will
be 85 percent to 95 percent,
an average 15 percent more
than in the same period last
year.
Tourism sector
representatives expect this
high season to be the
strongest in history.
A survey of hotels at major
destinations, such as
Guanacaste and La Fortuna -
the Arenal Volcano area -,
show that reservations
through March are already 80
percent of the available
rooms.
At this time of year -mostly
the dry season, there is a
coincidence in the numbers
of Ticos who take a vacation
and the largest arrival of
foreign visitors. The latter
are expected to be 10
percent more than in 2004.
Another trend found in the
hotel sector is that a
growing number of Costa
Ricans are choosing to
vacation in their own
country, as compared to the
preceding years, when they
preferred traveling abroad..
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