Blog category

Fighting terrorism selectively?

By Eric Robinson

Cubans are angry that a terrorist who bombed a Cuban flight in 1976 is being released by US authorities. The Cuban daily propaganda newspaper, 'Granma' took swings at a US judge's decision to release accused terrorist Luis Posada on a $350,000 bond. Posada is accused of his involvement in a 1976 Cuban airline bombing over Barbados killing 76 persons. He is also accused of bombing Havana hotels in 1990 killing one Italian tourist, and mounting a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro in 2000.

The judge, Kathleen Cardone, apparently yeilded to anti-Cuban terroris...

Some people's selfish logic

By Eric Robinson

Officials are investigating the cause of a massive forest fire on the uninhabited Isla Bejuco in the Gulf of Nicoya. A fire is believed to be intensionally set on Isla Bejuco, and island in the Gulf of Nicoya that divides Nicoya and Guanacaste from the 'mainland'.

The reason for the suspected arson is that development is prohibited on any coastal forested areas. Burn down the forest and development is no longer prohibited, great idea!

20% of the island's forest was burnt to the ground, and another 20% of the island was affected. It took 30 volunteers from neighbouri...

A Whale of a Donation

By Eric Robinson

Do you remember seeing the sadistic fishing methods the Japanese notoriously used to rape the world's oceans to feed their picky citizens? The Japanese use five mile long and very wide drift nets that wipe out and drown all sea animals, turtles, dolphins, sharks, anything in the water within it's mammoth reach, then discarding these undesireable dead animals back into the ocean, only to keep their prized tuna. Perhaps you saw scenes on documentaries of Japanese hauling huge beautiful sharks onto the decks of their massive fishing boats, and ripping off th...

Biting the biggest hand that feeds them

By Eric Robinson

Nicaragua has decided to shoot itself in the foot again.Nicaragua is still licking its wounds and trying to forget several horrific experiences, including two massive earthquakes, a US trade embargo, and a brutal civil war, all in order to finally build a reputation as a tourist destination.

During his first week back in office since 1990, President Daniel Ortega has forgotten his center left campaign promises, and is cozying up to such charmers are Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the Castro regime in Cuba. Leaders of his private ...

Hike Through Rainforest to Barva Volcano Crater

By Eric Robinson

Your closest volcano from San Jose (and Adventure Inn Hotel) is Barva, inside Braulio Carillo National Park. To get to Barva Volcano, drive uphill from Heredia to Sacramento, where the dirt road begins and follow the signs. Without a 4WD, you'll want to leave your vehicle outside the park entrance and walk along the picturesque mountain road. The entrance fee of 600 colones for residents, and $7 for tourists is used to maintain the park.

Rated a moderate hike (which left me a bit breathless), it will take four or five hours to reach the crater and return. The trail ...

Renting a Vehicle Through the Mega Travel Sites

By Eric Robinson

Don't say you haven't been warned about reserving a vehicle on-line.Booking a car through the mega-travel sites, you know the big ones, Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Orbitz, etc. can result in some very high unexpected costs. They work on-line in conjunction with the major car rental companies to rent vehicles.

For some reason these sites have continued for years to close their eyes, allowing the car rental companies to deceive trusting tourists, and forcing tourists to pay at times nearly double what they bargained for. Many Costa Rica car rental companies must...

Ticos Are Happy!

By Eric Robinson

Two recent studies out of Britain rate Costa Rica as one of the happiest nations on the planet. The Happy Planet Index calculated by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) places Costa Rica third. The calculation is based upon the efficiency with which countries convert the earth’s finite resources into well-being, experienced by their citizens based on life expectancy, life satisfaction, and the ecological footprint, or impact on the earth.

Top of the list was Vanuatu, an archipelogo in the south Pacific, and Columbia ranked second. Several other Central American count...

Controversy Over Oil Exploration in the Caribbean

By Eric Robinson

As oil reaches $70 per barrel, Costa Rica's Caribbean Sea is being considered for oil exploration and drilling. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias seems to be at least warming to the idea, and forgetting about the national oil exploration moratorium enacted by former President Abel Pacheco. Arias recently met with the heads of the Brasilian oil exploration company Petrolio Brasiliero to discuss the possibility.

But opposition forces are starting to amass in the Talamanca region over fears the pristine waters, coral reefs and coastline in the Cahuita area m...

Colombian Paramilitary Leaders Ask Arias for Help

By Eric Robinson

Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias is putting Colombia on his agenda. Trying to repeat his successful peace efforts from two decades ago brokering the end of the Central American war, Arias has received visits by ultra-right paramilitary leaders Carlos Mario Jimenez and Antonio Lopez. There have also been visits by Arias to Colombia last week to attend the inauguratrion of incumbent President Alvaro Uribe, Arias announced his interest in promoting peace on the drug and war-torn nation.

Against outcries of forgetting the prob...

Costa Rica Rated Third Safest Women's Destination

By Eric Robinson

Ladies, consider the safety issues and book your vacation in Costa Rica, it could save your life. Behind Amsterdam and Ireland, Jessica Labrencis, staff writer for the travel website SmarterTravel.com has named Costa Rica as the third safest destination in the world for female travelers, as reported in the daily USA Today. She states that much of Latin America has a bad reputation for being unsafe for women, pickpocketing, forward men and unrelentless harassment. However, Costa Rica is increasing in popularity among Americans as these problems are more ra...