In its July special report called Women’s Travel, www.smarter… SmarterTrav… named Amsterdam, Ireland, Costa Rica, India and Vietnam as the safest places for women to travel. According to the report, “Women are the leading consumers in the travel market. Now women, young and old alike, are forging their independence, trying out new activities, and gaining a stronger sense of self through travel. Not coincidently, women-only tours and travel experiences are on the rise.” According to the web site, women-only tours are popular for several reasons:

• It’s a great way try out challenging activities in a non-competitive environment
• It’s a safe and affordable choice for women traveling by themselves:
• It’s a way to celebrate milestones and rejuvenate after major life events
• There’s a special type of bonding that takes place in women-only groups
• You get to focus on yourself, not your family or work.

In the report was a an article entitled: ” The best (and worst) destinations for women worldwide”   The article started with a disclaimer that “as avid travelers, it’s hard for either of us to say which countries are *good* or *bad* for women to visit… since so much of traveling is what you put into it. For every horror story, there’s one of jubilation and acceptance”In the first part of the article, staffer Jessica Labrencis outlines five places that have a reputation for being women-friendly, while in the second, RaeJean Stokes looks at five regions where women should use extra caution. This is by no means a finite list, as terrible things can happen in safe places all over the world, and vice versa.

Jessica Labrencis stated that ” In every part of the world, there are cities and countries that are safe for women to visit. In compiling a list of destinations, I spoke with several women’s travel experts about their favorite places, and spotlight some of their recommendations here. Although the destinations I detail are generally considered safe, remember that there are risks wherever you go. Even when you’re in a *safe* place, it’s important not to let your guard down and always use common sense as you’re sightseeing, shopping, and dining.   Following is the Cost Rica portion of the article.

Costa Rica

Much of Latin America has a bad reputation as being unsafe for women, with tales of “forward” men, pick-pocketing, and harassment prevalent. However, Costa Rica has been increasingly popular with Americans, and it’s considered one of the safest Latin American destinations, particularly outside of San Jose, the capital.

Editor-in-Chief of travelgirl magazine, Stephanie Oswald, recommends Costa Rica based on two visits to the country. Before she and a girlfriend left for Costa Rica on one of her trips, other friends were concerned about the two women traveling without other companions. But the trip went smoothly, with Oswald and her friend driving both the city streets of Quepos and unpaved, mountainous roads to Monteverde, without incident.

Oswald says that she found the locals to be friendly, and had a particularly positive experience that might have turned out differently in another country. At a restroom stop, Oswald left her wallet behind, complete with at least $100 and her passport. When she contacted the U.S. Embassy, the wallet had already been returned and the person who returned it also included a small handcrafted wall hanging. “I have it hanging in my kitchen to remind me of how nice the people are,” Oswald says.

Costa Ricans have adopted the motto “pura vida” or “pure life,” which has various meanings, but roughly translates to “living the good life.” Many locals with this attitude seem very laid-back, and go out of their way to help visitors. In April 2005, I had several positive experiences with locals, and one in particular has stayed in my memory. In La Fortuna, as my friend and I descended a steep hill on a hot day, a man in a pick-up truck pulled over and offered us a ride. In the U.S., I never would have accepted the ride, but I felt so safe in Costa Rica that I hopped in. The man dropped us off a few blocks from our hotel with a wave.

Costa Rica is also a good destination for women on a budget. Comfortable, safe accommodations are available for less than $40 per night, and Costa Rica has plenty of ecotourism and luxury accommodations as well. Shared vans shuttle small groups of tourists around the country so you don’t have to rely on public buses or a rental car.

Costa Rica’s world class women’s volleyball team will be seeking the Copa Centroamericana in a tournament here that starts today.

The matches are being played in the Gimnasio Nacional in La Sabana. Costa Rica meets Honduras at 7:30 p.m. Other matches are between Panamá and El  Salvador at 3 p.m. and Guatemala and Nicaragua at 5 p.m. The matches go through Saturday.

Costa Rica is preparing for the world volleyball championship in Japan in October. The Tica squad has won the last 10 Central American cup championships. The team qualified for the world championship last August.

Costa Rica is aided by sisters Verania and Angela Willis, who played university-level volleyball in the United States for California Baptist.

The minister of culture announced a plan Monday night to build a new Casa Presidencial just east of Parque Nacional.

The plan came from a commission and will be integrated with an overall plan for the redevelopment of San José.

If adopted, the plan will leave the Centro Nacional de la Cultura as the headquarters of the Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes and spare its galleries and theaters.  President Óscar Arias Sánchez said he would like to move the seat of the executive branch from the current location in Zapote to the downtown.

The commission asked in its report that the Proyecto de Planificación Regional y Urbana del Gran Área Metropolitana expropriate the city block east of Parque Nacional. There might be some problems.

Christiane Soto Harrison, who operates the Hotel la Casa del Parque in the former Zeledón Mansion on the northwest corner of the block, said the structure has been designated an historic building.  There also is a theater on the southeast corner as well as several commercial buildings and other homes.

The block is between avenidas 1 and 3 and between calles 19 and 21. The section is called El Carmen.

The commission also said that three ministries that have day-to-day contact with the president should be located in new structures north of Parque Nacional on vacant property that is near the Estación al Atlántico rail terminal.

The idea is to construct a Parque de los Cuatro Poderes. The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones already is to the west of Parque Nacional. The culture ministry is to the northwest. The Asamblea Legislativa is south of the park.

There was no discussion of budget in the commission report that was released by  María Elena Carballo, the culture minister, about 6 p.m. The executive branch is seeking

X marks the spot designated for a new Casa Presidencial.

new taxes from the legislature and says the country is broke. The previous legislature itself said it needed new quarters because of the disrepair of existing buildings, but the Contraloria General de la República rejected the idea.

The urban development program itself is being supported by a grant of some 11 million euros ($14 million) from the European Union and the equivalent of  7.5 million euros ($9.6 million) from the Costa Rican government.

Eduardo Brenes, who is directing the urban development was credited with creating the concept of the park of the four powers. The ministries that would be located to the north of the park are the Ministerio de la Presidencia, the Ministerio de Planificación, and the Ministerio de Hacienda, the budget and tax-collecting ministry.

The proposal for the president to take over the culture ministry as his offices was controversial and generated protests and demonstrations from those connected with the arts. To solve the controversy, the commission was formed.

The proposal may not be of benefit to Arias. The culture minister said the project might take four years. A contest for design was suggested for architects associated with the Colegio de Arquitectos de Costa Rica.

There has been no comment from Casa Presidencial. Ms. Soto said she had not been contacted about the project, but she said she thought in principle the idea was a good one as long as her family is properly reimbursed for the money they have put into the hotel.

Despite what lawmakers say, today is Mother’s Day for most Costa Ricans. Unlike other holidays that the previous legislature moved to the following Monday, this day is linked to the Roman Catholic Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is a day for Costa Ricans to honor their mother with gifts, flowers and dinners. Monday will be more of a civil holiday as the country takes advantage of yet another day off.

Costa Rica and Panama will kick off the fourth round of negotiations for a free-trade agreement in San José today.

During the negotiations, which will last until the end of next week, the two countries will try to reach agreements on access to markets.

Foreign Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz called Panama a “very important market for Costa Rica, where our exports have grown in recent years and we maintain a positive trade balance.”

Ruiz said it is Costa Rica’s goal to wrap up the negotiations by the end of this year.

Gabriela Castro, Panamanian Foreign Trade director who is negotiating the free-trade agreement, said this round will have four tables of negotiation: market access, rules of origin, services and investment and public contracts.

Negotiators will debate issues related to the finance sector and international trade, as well as the Costa Rican state telecommunications monopoly.

Costa Rica will come to the table seeking access to public contracts in Panama with its sights on Panama Canal projects.

In 2005, Costa Rica exported $207 million to Panamá, 12.7% more than in 2004. Costa Rica’s main exports to Panama include medicines, electric conductors, food preparation and fungicides.

Panama exported $121.3 million to Costa Rica in 2005, 9.4% less than in 2004. The top imports were medicine, oil and tuna.

-ACAN-EFE

By Amanda Roberson, Tico Times Staff

During a recent operation to combat illegal fishing in Isla del Coco National Park, fish and sharks were discovered trapped in illegal longline hooks around the Isla del Coco area off the Pacific coast, according to the nonprofit marine protection organization MarViva.

MarViva, together with the Costa Rican Coast Guard and the Isla del Coco Marine Conservation patrollers, navigated the area July 24-31 searching for illegal lines. They discovered discovered 50 miles of longline with 1,000 fishhooks and 500 buoys attached where eight sharks and 85 tuna were trapped. Many of the fish died.

A 2002 decree by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) prohibits boats from entering the Isla del Coco National Park area, which extends for 12 nautical miles from the island, explained MarViva spokeswoman Michelle Soto. Additionally, Costa Rican law prohibits any type of fishing in national parks.

However, fishermen entering the national park area is “nothing new,” Soto said.

“We’ve seen this in years past, but usually in October and November,” Soto said. “This year we’re starting to see it in July and August.”

Areas near the coast this year have seen less fish, leading fishermen to head outward into the national park area, she said.

The Isla del Coco national park is an “important” area biologically because of its unique plants, habitat for the breeding of marine species and ocean current.

Soto said MarViva will continue working with the Costa Rican Coast Guard and Isla del Coco Marine Conservation patrollers to combat illegal fishing, which harms this unique ecosystem.