The Cold Weather Continues
Tired
of the cold, the wind and rain?
Well, according to the Instituto
Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) -
the national weatherman - the
current climatic conditions in
the Central Valley will carry
through to the early part of
February.
This is supposed to be summer,
the season where we wake up in
the morning with sunshine and
have to refuge the strong rays
of the sun in the afternoons,
waiting for that cool breeze of
the night.
However, Josefinos have been
living with constant clouds,
strong winds that have caused
damage to some roofs and power
lines. The Compañia Nacional de
Fuerza y Luz - power and light
company - has hundreds of
reports of damage to their
network of cables and lines.
Worst is an evening walk
requires a jacket or coat
depends on where one is located.
In areas like Alajuela, though
the winds are strong, the
temperature remains warm, but in
places like Moravia or the
mountains of Escazú, the
temperature dropped to 11
degrees Celsius last night (51
Fahrenheit).
However, the Northern Pacific
region of Guanacaste, as well as
the Central Pacific of Jacó and
Quepos/Manuel Antonio, the
climate is dry and hot. The
climatic conditions that are
bringing cold air to the Central
Valley are not reaching the
Pacific coast.
According to the IMN, February
will see lots of sunshine and
hot days all over the country,
though the strong winds may stay
with us for a little longer.
Typically, following the first
week in January, the Central
valley is hot, with a little
breeze and no rain or clouds.
This is the summer break for
children and their parents who
take the time to visit the parks
and recreational centres, before
the kids heading back to school,
which this year is set for
February 7.
The forecast for today,
Wednesday, is a high of 16.6
Celsius (62 Fahrenheit) by noon.
Typically the day temperature
should hover the 28 Celsius / 82
Fahrenheit.
The current temperature in San
José at 7am this morning is
15.2C (59 Fahrenheit) with winds
at 32.6 Kmh and no rain
expected.
Click
here for actual conditions for
the metereological experimental
weather station in Barrio
Aranjuez, San José
Piercing and Tattoo Regulation
in Force
With lightning speed, a
regulation governing piercing
and tattooing was issued by the
Ministerio de Salud (Health
Ministry) and publish in the
official newspaper La Gaceta to
come into force, following
several complaints of health
problems, including last weeks
replacement of a heart valve of
a youth who suffered
complication after he had had
his tongue pierced.
The new regulation covers
sanitary conditions as well as
regulating the person who
performs the procedures. The
main concern of Health officials
is that piercings are not
performed on the beach and other
places like the walkways of
malls, beauty salons and barber
shops.
Also, the regulation covers the
equipment and the ink used in
applying tattoos, which
according to the Health
officials, must be registered
with them.
Health officials will, starting
today, be visiting most of the
piercing and tattoo shops and
will now have the power to issue
fines or outright close the
business if they don't meet with
the new regulations.
Vice-Minister of Health, Delia
Villalobos, said that the
government is not trying to
regulate fashion or stop someone
who wants their body pierced or
a tattooed. "We want the young
people to take care of their
bodies", she said.
Young Man Recuperates After
Living the Nightmare of Having
His Tongue Pierced
The young man, Jason Saborío,
who for the Health Ministry was
the last straw in the piercing
arena, is back home in San
Sebastián after a heart surgery
resulting from complications
from having his tongue pierced
14 months ago.
The young man, who admits to
having done a crazy thing, had
to have two heart valves
replaced when his piercing
infected and caused a partial
paralysis of his left part of
his body. The operation cost the
Caja Costarricense del Seguro
Social (CCSS) and the Health
Ministery ¢27 million colones
(us$59.000 dollars).
Jason paid ¢10.000 colones
(us$21.75) to have the tongue
piercing.
Jason will have to take 2 pill
every day for the rest of his
life and doctors have warned him
about partaking in physical
activities, like soccer, running
or swimming if he wants to avoid
any further complications.
Having lived the nightmare, at
20 years of age, says he will
stay home for the next few
months and resume his college
studies in March. He expresses
no ill will against the person
or place that performed the
piercing.
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Tourism to Reach 1.6 Million
This Year
The
natural beauty and bio-diversity
of Costa Rica is the reason for
an increase in tourism of
between 10% and 12% this year,
according to the Instituto
Costarricense de Turismo (ICT).
Roger Castro, head of the ICT,
says that 1.6 million tourists
are expected this year to enjoy
Costa Rica's national parks,
mountains, and Pacific and
Atlantic beaches.
In 1999 the number of tourists
reached the 1 million mark and
has been steadily growing,
reaching 1.4 million last year.
2005 will the best ever on
record, according to the Castro.
Notwithstanding the good news,
Castro took the opportunity to
remind government and business
leaders that new tourism
projects are required to keep
the momentum and to keep Costa
Rica in the eyes of potential
vacationers.
Central America Plans Tsunami
Warning System
Central American countries on
Wednesday decided to build a
tsunami warning system and
assigned scientists to prepare a
common project for the entire
region.
According to Eduardo Camacho,
Director of the Panamanian
geographical institute, regional
scientists will convene in
Costa Rica early next month
to discuss the scheme.
The Hawaii-based US tsunami
warning centre and the US
oceanic and atmospheric research
agency have confirmed they will
attend and sponsor the meeting.
In Latin America, only Chile has
so far set up a tsunami early
warning centre. |
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