In This Issue: New Matapalo Business, Where’s the Beef?
A lot of news as usual. On the local level Matapalo has two new businesses both of which are heartily welcome plus another established business reinvented itself. On the national level the Keystone Cop comedies of the new traffic law and immigration law continues plus it looks like the snake head of the luxury home tax is raising its head.
Matapalo New Businesses
Ferreteria Ventanas de Osa – Located at the site of the old ferreteria it is certainly nice to have another in town. It’s small but very well stocked plus they are more than happy to special order something for you. Their main store is located at Ojochal de Osa.
Matapalo Internet, Copia & Heladeria – Located in the spot where the carneceria use to be they offer high speed internet along with high speed color copying and fax service plus a variety of ice creams, soft drinks, snacks, office supplies and various nick-knacks. With the elementary school and the high school being right there they do a land slide business in ice cream, sodas and snacks.
Iguana Verde – La Chasa Restaurant is no more. It is now the Iguana Verde internet café.
Other Local News
Matapalo’s Major Drug Bust – The first part of last week early in the morning a major drug bust took place. Around 60 law enforcement officers from various agencies raided a drug boat refueling and drug transfer site. Several individuals were arrested as they were unloading approximately 2,000 lbs. of cocaine from a boat to be transported somewhere to be stored for eventual onward shipment to Mexico .
ATM – It looks like Banco National has closed their ATM in Matapalo. The machine was constantly down for repairs. When going in to use the machine I frequently encounterd kids from the school pounding on the keys to see what would happen plus trying to put different objects in the card slot. I’m sure the local ladrons were also doing things to try and get money out of it to support their drug habits. The walls in the room were also becoming covered with gang graffiti. It was certainly a convenience while it was operational.
Costanera Sur – Haven’t been down south for a couple of weeks but when I was paving had been completed from Hatillo all the way down to the gasolinera with work continuing on the road bed on down to Dominical. Work was also well underway replacing the last remaining one lane Bailey bridge.
Where’s the Beef??? The beef is in SuperMas in Quepos in Freddy’s meat counter. Several months ago in San Isidro Karen and I saw some pre-cut steaks at the Agricoop from a producer named Tres Jotas. Freddy at SuperMas now carries that brand of beef – it IS from San Isidro – but cuts it himself. I would rate it equal to if not a little better than USDA Select. Freddy cuts U.S. style. The T-Bones, Rib Eyes and New York Strips we’ve bought from him have all been well marbled and very flavorful plus pretty tender. For St. Patrick’s Day I had him order me a brisket so I could corn it. When I went to pick it up I thought I’d died and gone to Texas heaven. This was an actual brisket – a good 10-12 lbs. and well fatted. I didn’t need that much so only took the upper half which is the prime portion of a brisket.
National News
New Preseident – Laura Chinchilla won the presidency as she was expected to. She will take office in May. She is a close protégée of Oscar Arias so no one really expects things to change much along government lines. This is basically being born out by her appointment of cabinet ministers and other high level positions. Pretty much all she has done is shuffle present office holders from one post to another or reappoint someone to a position they previously held.
New Ley de Transito and Immigration Laws – These would make a good Keystone Cop comedy with Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello playing the lead roles. After the rest of the new transit law went into affect on 1 March the legislature the very next day rescinded the point system. Since then they have passed various other modifications to lesson the severity of the drunken driving portion of the law which took immediate affect back in 2008 when the law was first passed and to drastically reduce a lot of the fines.
One fine they didn’t touch though was the slightly over US$400.00 fine for talking on a cell phone or watching TV when driving. Here is where the comedy starts. All these modifications have to be read and passed for a second time by the legislature before being signed into law. This isn’t going to happen anytime soon as another department of the government has found many of the modifications to be unconstitutional or are misleading in the rewording.
The legislature is now arguing over modifications to the modifications with it appearing everything is going to be left up in the air until after Chinchilla’s inauguration so her administration can handle it. Also delaying things is this week is Semana Santa (Holy Week). The entire government is closed for the entire week. No one really knows what the traffic laws are now. The Transitos are pretty much ignoring anything other than drunk driving, reckless driving and excessive speeding.
For those all ready ticketed they ain’t paying and those that have are primed to file action with the Sala IV, the constitutional court, should the high fines they have already paid be eventually reduced. Many are saying the new law as it pertains to all the safety equipment (first aid kit, jumper cables, tool kit, etc.) is actually a stimulus package for China because everything that is required and which is on the market is made in China .
The new immigration law is pretty much the same. The Tico Times interviewed Mario Zamora, the Director General of the immigration department, for their 5 March edition. Zamora staunchly maintained that a gringo could stay in the country for up to a year by simply going to any immigration office and paying US$100.00 every 90 days.
For that same article the immigration department’s long time spokeswomen, Heidy Bonilla, was also interviewed. She knew nothing of this stating that everyone had to leave the country every 90 days for at least 72 hours. She went on to say she supposed someone could file application to do pay the $100.00 but a review of the application would involve their staying beyond the 90 day limit which would subject them to fines for each month they were beyond that limit, then the application would be denied because they had exceed the limit for a legal stay and were in the country illegally.
For the same article The Tico Times sent two individuals to the main immigration offices in San Jose to pay their US$100.00 to extend their visas. Each talked to different clerks. Each immigration department employee they talked to had never heard of this and told the two individuals they had to leave the country for a least 72 hours every 90 days.
Something to think about!!!!! which RETIVE, that’s the government department that issues driver licenses, is also thinking about. A gringo can legally drive on that person’s foreign license for a period of 90 days after which they must obtain a Costa Rican driver’s license. If in fact someone will eventually be able to extend their 90 day visa by simply paying US$100..00 and not having to leave the country are they then going to be required to obtain a Costa Rican license in order to drive legally? Dum-de-dum-dum. Dum-de-dum-dum-DUMMMMMM!!!! (If anyone can identify what that is a theme song to they will be exempt from having to obtain a Costa Rican driver’s license as long as they do not exceed the statutory 90 day limit.)
Alcohol Sales (wine, beer, liquor, etc.) – Just a reminder that it is Semana Santa (Holy Week). Starting at midnight Wednesday through midnight Saturday liquor sales are forbidden. Bars and liquor stores will be barred and officially sealed, restaurants and other stores selling liquor or having liquor on display will have everything roped off and officially sealed. Also, most banks will be on limited hours and from experience many ATMs will run out of money.
Luxury Home Tax – About three weeks ago an article in insidecostarica indicated that the Hacienda is dismayed that so few people have paid this tax and will institute additional steps to get people to pay it. The first step is to have the municipalities send them information. What this information is was not identified. The next step after they review the information is have the municipalities take action. What this action will be was not specified. In this weeks The Tico Times an article said that out of the estimated 10,000 homes that would fall under this tax only an estimated 3,100 have paid it. No mention about any additional action by the Hacienda.
Cost of Living
Exchange Rate. The exchange rate was down to 520 Colones to the dollar. Two days ago it was at 518 to the dollar. It just keeps dropping and dropping. It’s affecting all of us but especially those who are on a limited, fixed income, such as only having social security. Here’s a couple of examples based on the 581 exchange rate back in December and what it is now.
581 - Dec 520 - Present
Gal. of regular US$3.70 US$4.13
10 oz Cottage Cheese US$3.95 US$4.41
When you apply differences like those to everything you buy you are spending one hell of a lot more to live.
Gas – Gas dropped this month but an increase has already been approved for April. Super is 593 per liter (US$4.33 per gallon), Regular is 566 (US$4.13) and Diesel is 393 (US$2.87). Propane gas for cooking when up 25.17%.
Electricity – ICE has just been granted authority to increase their fees anywhere from 11-14% depending on usage.
That’s it for this edition. At the El Castillo gathering a request was made to every now then add a recipe. I was going to do that but this newsletter is rather long so will hold off until next month. In next month’s look for Karen’s Bar-b-Que Sauce recipe.
Everyone stay well, stay happy and keep your beer cold.
Frank and Karen Walker
Lot 12, Finca Zacatona
011-506-8887-1933
