Windmills in Costa Rica. Photo by Donald Farris.

The 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced by a team of environmental experts at Yale University and Columbia University ranks 163 countries biannually on their Environmental Performance.   This is the third edition of the EPI, which has been revisited biannually since 2006.

They measure 25 metrics aggregated into ten categories including: environmental health, air quality, water resource management, biodiversity and habitat, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and climate change.

Iceland ranks 1st overall, followed by Switzerland.  In third place is Costa Rica which makes it first in the Americas.  Norway rounds out the group of top performers in 4th place.  The top performers were defined as countries that scored over 85%.

Costa Rica scores very well on most metrics earning it an overall score of 86.4 in 2010.  Often people ask me if the water in Costa Rica is safe to drink. This study shows Costa Rica as doing very well in providing safe drinking water giving it a score of 96.03.  One of the places that it needed improvement was in Air Pollution with a score of only 59.94, which I suspect is primarily due to the amount of traffic in the Central Valley.  The average score in the Americas was a rather dismal 64%.

In the 2008 study, Costa Rica ranked 5th but had a score of 90.5. In 2006 Costa Rica ranked 15th with a score of 81.6.

The United States places 61st in the 2010 EPI, with an overall score of 63.5. They had with strong results on some issues, such as safe drinking water with a score of 99.14%.  They also need work in Air Pollution with a score of 31.59%.   The U.S. ranked 31st in 2008 with a score of 81% and  in 2006 they ranked 28th with a score of 78.5.  This is a significant drop for the United States, however the study was completed before some of President Obama’s environmental initiatives had time to take effect.

Over 20 members of the European Union outranked the United States as did several other industrialized nations such as United Kingdom (14th), Germany (17th), and Japan (20th). The U.S. neighbors Canada ranked 46th  and Mexico ranked 43rd.

Costa Rica is known world wide for their commitment to the environment.  Laura Chinchilla, president of Costa Rica states,  “Our country has a world-renowned leadership in environmental issues. This challenge remains to move from a policy of conservation of natural resources and environmental protection to a focus on sustainability, where prosperity is built on the talent of people and environmental wealth.”

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.

Costa Rica does not have the standard four seasons that we have in North America.  Instead they have two seasons which are defined primarily by the amount of rain fall.   The dry season or Summer occurs from December to April.  We euphemistically call the rainy season the “green season” because the rain makes every thing so green.  This green season is also the Winter season and occurs from May to November.   Winter corresponds roughly to the hurricane season in the Atlantic.

While the dry season is more popular and often more expensive, some people prefer to visit Costa Rica in the green season as it is even more lush.  Plus it rarely rains all day.  Most days it rains for a few hours in the morning, or afternoon or even during the night.  Bargains are often available during the green season.

Many people that I talk to in the United States assume that it is very hot in Costa Rica because it is located between 8 to 12 degrees north of the equator.  However their assumption is incorrect.

Costa Rica has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography and the geography of a particular region.

Where I live in Nuevo Arenal, our temperature is in the mid 70s  year round.  Nuevo Arenal is 1,700 feet above sea level. This elevation gives us year round comfortable spring like temperatures.  During the entire year our temperatures reach a high in the low to mid 80′s and a low in the 60′s.  In the summer there is  limited rainfall and in the winter we often have rain in the late afternoon to early evening.  Although it can occur at any time.

The majority of the population is located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica near the capital of San Jose.  San Jose has an altitude of 3,809 ft.  The temperature in San Jose ranges between 59 to  86 °F.  

The beaches are warmer.  They range from an average high of 91 °F in April and May to a low of 85 °F in November.   The province of Guanacaste in the Northwest region of the country is the driest area and the Caribbean is the rainiest.

In 1993, a National Geographic study declared Atenas, a city in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, to have the best climate in the world.  The average temperature is 74 °F and ranges from 65 °F at night to 80 °F  during the day most of the time, with spikes occasionally up to 85 °F.

Many people come to Costa Rica and even move to Costa Rica because of the fantastic weather year round.

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.

One thousand colones bill.

Costa Rica is not only well known for being a popular beach and eco-adventure vacation destination; currency collectors, also known as ‘notaphiles’, have long held Costa Rica’s bank note design in high esteem. The latest editions will not disappoint them. 

On Monday, June 20^th 2011, the Central Bank of Costa Rica put the new  ₡​ 1.000 and  ₡​ 2.000 bank notes into circulation.  The introduction of these new notes coincided with the 60^th anniversary of the Central Bank of Costa Rica.  Costa Rica is in the process of issuing a whole new series of beautiful colored notes.  On one side will be a famous Costa Rican and on the opposite side there will be representations of different ecosystems and fauna.

For those of you unfamiliar with the money in Costa Rica, it is termed the Colon or plural Colones after Christopher Columbus, known in Spanish as Cristóbal Colón.  The colon is represented by a ₡​ (a cent sign with two slashes).

The exchange rate varies daily but a general rule of thumb that I use is to divide the colones by 500 to get the rate in dollars.  The exact exchange rate appears daily in La Nacion, the largest Costa Rican newspaper, in the economía section.  As of Friday, August 12, 2011, the exchange rate at which the dollar was being bought was ₡​ 498.88 and the rate at which the dollar was being sold was ₡​ 509.73.

So the ₡​1,000 note is approximately worth $2.00. In the older currency this was a red bank note and was give the nickname “rojo” because of the red color. They kept the primary color of the ₡​ 1,000 red.  However, the new currency features the Costa Rican Head of State, Braulio Carrillo on the front.  Braullio Carrillo was Costa Rica’s president twice during the 1830s. He helped promote the country’s agricultural economy and built the highway linking San José to the Caribbean coast.  That highway now intersects the Braullio Carrillo National Park, which is one of the most visited National Parks in the country.

On the back of the note the eco system depicted is of the dry forest.  A Guanacaste tree, a national symbol of Costa Rica appears.  A deer grazes next to a pitaya (the plant that produces dragon fruit), more cactus flowers and four scorpions appear.  Among several security features is a translucent leaf-shaped watermark that changes from red to gold.

The new notes were printed by the French company, Oberthur Technologies and the 1,000 colones is made of polypropylene, a plastic that is three times as durable as the current cotton fiber paper.  They are also considered more secure.

To assist the visually impaired, all of the notes are different in size.  Another feature is the notes are designed to include embossed dots around the number and face so that they are easily distinguishable by touch.

On the ₡​1,000 note is a circle with the words “Estado de Costa Rica”.  This has raised a great deal of concern among the citizens of Costa Rica and may require the bill to be reprinted.  Costa Rica does not have states, they are a republic.  They speculate that someone is selling them out and perhaps making them a state of Mexico or the U.S.   Certainly if the bills are reprinted, the current ₡​1,000 note will become a collector’s item.

Two thousand colones bill.

The ₡​2,000 note, worth approximately $4.00 was also printed by Oberthur Technologies using their Motion windowed security thread. The ₡​2,000 note is blue and features Mauro Fernández Acuña, a Costa Rican politician in the late 1800s who played major roles in the judiciary and the Legislative Assembly.  He is largely credited with reforming the country’s educational system.  With him on the front is the Colegio Superior de Señoritas building in San Jose. This prestigious girl’s school was founded in 1888, and was one of the first in a series of institutions implemented by the government to help make higher education more available.  This building completed in 1892 and the neighboring Vitalia Madrigal School were declared a national heritage site on July 11, 1988.

On the reverse side of the ₡​2,000 note Costa Rica’s coral reef ecosystem appears.  This features a bull shark, star fish, sea turtles and slimy sea plumes.

On Sept. 1, the old ₡1,000 bill and ₡2,000 bill will no longer have a value.  They will still be able to be redeemed at branches and agencies of local banks.  By Nov. 1, the old notes can solely be exchanged at the Central Bank headquarters in downtown San José.

For more information on Costa Rican money, visit the El Museo de Numismática.

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.

Sculpture Gallery and Cafe. Photo by Donald Farris

The other day my husband and I were on our way to the beach in Guanacaste and we happened upon the Hidden Garden Art Gallery. It was located just 5 km west of the Liberia airport between the Payless Car Rental and the German Bakery.  There is a sign on the road, but the actual gallery is set back behind a few trees. This is the largest art gallery in the Guanacaste province.

When you enter you are greeted by a beautiful building reminiscent of a villa built with what looks like travertine granite. We found out later the material was faux, and developed by a local artisan. The building itself is enough reason to visit.  There is a duck pond, beautiful flowers and a café where you can enjoy bocas, fruit smoothies, coffees and pastries.

An assortment of artist' work. Photo by Donald Farris

While the building is amazing, the best part of the Hidden Garden Art Gallery is the incredible art. Hidden Garden boasts 13 rooms and 3,000 square feet displaying the work of over 50 artists. They feature the work of the top artists in Costa Rica.  Currently Otto Apuy, one of the artists whose work is on sale here, is having a retrospective of 40 years of his work including paintings, drawings, installations, video art and lithographs on display at the Costa Rican Art Museum in San José.

Indeed, I felt like I was in a mix between a top art gallery and an art museum. The staff, who spoke English fluently, were incredibly knowledgeable about the artists and answered all my questions. I learned quite a lot about modern Costa Rican art.  The art here includes paintings, engravings, photography and sculptures. Works range from abstract to realistic.

More artists' work. Photo by Donald Farris

Not all of the artists in the gallery are Costa Rican, but some are foreigners who have moved to this beautiful country and decided to stay.  One of those artists is Carlos Hiller, the resident artist here and one of the founders. Hiller’s specialty is his incredible underwater landscapes. Carlos came here from Argentina twenty years ago and fell in love with the ocean and the rainforest and stayed. He is now a naturalized Costa Rica citizen.

Gallery owners have big plans for the Hidden Art Gallery to become more than just a fantastic place for fine art. They see it as a cultural and social center where the all the arts, including live music and dance interact.

Work by Carlos Hiller, resident artist. Photo by Donald Farris.

Currently they have a Guanacaste show which will continue until August 17.  Artists submitted works that reminded them of the Guanacaste Province.  Artists involved in this exhibit include: Oscar Lios, Christian Porras, Cristina Lios, Juan Carlos Ruiz, Marco Tulio Brenes, Rebeca Alvarado Soto, Hernán Pérez- Pérez, Sara Larkin, Barbara Odio Yglesias, Ron Brocco and Doug Schutza.

Hours are from Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm.  Saturday also features a vendor fair where you can purchase organic low-impact products such as cheese, yogurt, honey, peanut butter, homemade pies and green cleaning products.

I strongly recommend visiting the Hidden Garden Art Gallery if you are anywhere near the Guanacaste area. It is the perfect place to come anytime, but makes a terrific location for those morning or afternoon rainstorms. Additionally, this is where you will want to purchase a lasting work of art and a reminder of your visit to Costa Rica.

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.

Costa Rican Folk Dancers.

The three most popular dances from the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica known as bailes típicos include: the Cabillito Nicoyano (Little Horse from Nicoya ), El Torito (The Little Bull), and the Punto Guanacasteco (Guanacaste dance step).  Guanacaste is known traditionally for their cattle ranches.  Many of the dances act out a farming story.

Caballito Nicoyano

In the Cabillito Nicoyano, the dancers are often barefoot and dressed in farmer’s clothing (campesino style). The man normally wears work pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a campesino hat and a bandanna.  The woman wears a white, off the shoulder blouse accented with lace and a long flowing, tiered skirt of bright colors.

The dance essentially is between a male cattle rancher and the colt (played by the woman) he is trying to capture.  The music mimics the sound of horses’ hooves. The man follows the woman around in a circle attempting to lasso the colt (the woman). The dance ends with an intensifying chase as she twirls toward him, and is finally caught.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mmhmoO4MSI&feature=related]

El torito

El Torito is a dance between a man portraying the bull and a woman who is the bullfighter.  The bull or man is portrayed as a spirited rogue, attempting to kiss her. She dances quite gracefully and is oblivious to the danger the bull presents.  In the end, she dominates him.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QHnhMNRZA]

Punto Guanacasteco

The Punto Guanacasteco, is the Guanacaste dance step.  It actually contains three steps.  Every now and then the dancers pause in mid-dance.  And a male dancer or DJ shouts out a witty and sometimes racy rhymed verse that comments on some aspect of the interaction depicted in the dance scene.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKGtgS7U3L0&feature=related]

Some information contained in this article is from the book from Helmuth, Chalene  2000 Culture and Customs of Latin America and the Caribbean : Culture and Customs of Costa Rica London: Greenwood Press.

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.

Flag of the Province of Guanacaste.

On July 25^th Costa Ricans will celebrate the 187^th anniversary of the annexation of Guanacaste by democratic means.  This celebration of democracy in Costa Rica is fittingly called Guanacaste Day.

Where is Guanacaste?

Guanacaste is the northwest province of Costa Rica.  It is the most sparsely populated of all the provinces of Costa Rica and in 2000 had a population of 264,238.  It covers an area of 3,915 square miles. The capital of the province is Liberia which has the distinction of being the only capital that does not bear the same name as the province. The name Guanacaste comes from the Guanacaste tree, a huge tree prized for its shade.  It is also the national tree of Costa Rica.

The Guanacaste Tree for which the province was named. Photo by Avancari.

A Little History

Large parts of Central America termed the Kingdom of Guatemala were originally part of Spain.  In 1812, Spain broke the Kingdom into territories.  One of the territories was Nicoya.  In 1821 when Central America declared its independence from Spain, the territories were divided into 5 Provinces: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.  They banded together as the Federation of Central America.  Nicoya was considered part of Nicaragua.

However, Nicaragua was involved in many civil wars at the time and was somewhat hostile to the Nicoyans.  Residents of Nicoya because of their location were closer with the Costa Rican cities of Puntarenas, Esparza, Bagaces and Cañas. Costa Rica was also stable politically and already had developed a trading relationship with Nicoya.  Because of this close relationship, the Costa Rica government invited Nicoya to join their country.  The Nicoyans agreed.  As Costa Rica was not officially a republic at the time, legislatures presented a formal petition to the Federation of Central America.  July 25^th 1824, Nicoya officially became part of Costa Rica.

‘Guanacastecos’ as the residents of this part of the country are known, take pride in being part of Costa Rica.  Their motto is ‘de la patria por nuestra voluntad’, which translates to ‘part of this country by our own choice’.  This annexation by choice illustrates one of Costa Rica’s core values – democracy.

How is it celebrated?

Guanacaste Day is celebrated as a nationwide public holiday throughout the country and especially in the province of Guanacaste.  The celebration features parades, folk dances (see next week’s article), music, and of course bull fighting.  Bull fights in Costa Rica are different than in other parts of the world as they do not kill the bulls here.  (In fact the bull is normally the victor. See my article on bull fighting.)  Fireworks and traditional food will also be present.

Banks, schools and all government offices will be closed.

Thanks to Roy Arguedas Arias and Michelle Cloutier for the history information.

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.

Farmacia in Costa Rica.

If you forget to bring your medicine on vacation, don’t worry, help may be as close as the local pharmacy.

Pharmacies called Farmacias in Costa Rica are located throughout the country.  Pharmacies have two levels of professionals, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.

Pharmacy technicians have little training and call the pharmacist for permissions to give drugs when the pharmacist is not present. A pharmacy can be open with no pharmacist present. Pharmacists are well trained and can help you with the medicine that you need.

I met with the pharmacist when I first came to Costa Rica.  The pharmacist in our little town Doctora Diana spoke English well.  She researched each drug and found the Costa Rica equivalent. The drugs were the same, but much less expensive than in the United States.   She had a doctor’s degree and many pharmacists in Costa Rica do.

You do not need a prescription for many medications in Costa Rica. In general only antibiotics, narcotics, or psychotropic drugs need a prescription.

If you are ill, you can go to a pharmacist and get the medication that you need.  The pharmacists will advise you.  It is normally best if you go yourself if you want advice.  I remember standing behind a man who came in for medicine for his wife’s yeast infection.  He was turning bright red answering the many questions about the infection that the pharmacist was posing.

Another interesting aspect of purchasing drugs in Costa Rica is you don’t have to buy an entire package.  For example if you go into a pharmacy to purchase Tylenol, they will ask you how many pills you want.  You can purchase quantities of one or two.  They use blister packs and the pharmacists will pull the desired number of pills out of the box, count them and put them into a bag for you.  While this may seem like an extreme example, you don’t end up with extra medicine that you don’t need this way that goes out of date.

Also pharmacists can take your blood pressure and give injections.

Additionally you can find essentials like shampoo, diapers, deodorant and other items that you may have forgotten either at a grocery store or at a pharmacy.  Be aware that unless the grocery store contains a pharmacy (as they sometimes do in the central valley) you cannot purchase medication, even Tylenol there.

Going to a pharmacist and purchasing drugs assumes that you know what drugs you are currently taking and any allergies and conditions that you may have.  The burden is on you, not the doctor or pharmacist.  However, to be safe or if someone has severe symptoms you may wish to consult a doctor.  Doctors are priced quite reasonably as well in Costa Rica.

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Brought to you by Costa Rica Bedfinder, a unique online marketer of holiday accommodations representing six lodging categories including hotels and vacation rentals; we connect visitors from all over the world with lodging providers throughout Costa Rica.