by Rod Hughes
Thursday is the day of Our Lady of Angels (or, La Negrita, in Costa Rica), one of the biggest holidays in this predominantly Catholic country where Roman Catholicism is the official religion. What makes it special for foreign tourists is the annual tradition of the pilgrimage in foot to the Basilica in Cartago, the seat of the patron saint of Costa Rica.
No fewer than two million prilgrims come from all over the country under the watchful eyes of Red Cross paramedics and traffic police. Most make the trek from San Jose to Cartago along the edge of a tollway, a mere 22 kilometers through rolling, green hills, but a group of seven are walking from Guanacaste province–barefoot– to show their devotion.
Many are aspiring to the intervention of the Virgin (to whom many miracles are accredited) but others, especially teenagers, come in a spirit of adventure, tradition or companionship with chums who are more devout.
One other aspect of this Virgin sets this celebration apart—she is black. In fact, the black statue is a symbol of the inclusive nature of modern Costa Rican culture.
The origins of the statue are shrouded in legend. She was found near Cartago by a young girl, tradition has it, in 1635. Attempts by meddlers to move her to other locations were fruitless, legend continues, and she continued to reappear at exactly the same place, the site of the Basilica.
The trek often begins the week before the Saint’s Day. If the reader intends to participate, some words of advice, starting with appropriate footwear. Usually, the sun is hot in the morning, so do not spare the sunscreen. Take along bottled water or drinkables such as Gatoraide. (Beer, although often consumed, is not recommended.) Do not burdon yourself with unnecessary weight unless you are in superb physical condition. Sunglasses are important, as is an umbrella (it usually rains in the afteroon here.) Bright-colored clothes are adviseable, since traffic whizzes by unheeding.
One will arrive hot, dusty, footsore, sweat-soaked or even wet, if one starts too late, but probably as cheerful as most of the the walkers are. As The Tico Times staffwriter Mike Faulk wittily observed about the uncomplaining, “…Who ever heard of a high-maintenance pilgrim?”

by Rod Hughes
Want to see rural Costa Rica as it was until electricity, TV and the auto caught up with it?
The July 25 celebration of Guanacaste province’s annexation to Costa Rica (as this is written, 183 years ago) is the place to do it. Everyone gets into the mood, including Housing Minister Fernando Zumbado who kicked off this year’s festivities, not with a long-winded speech, but by whipping out his accordion and dancing, according to the newspaper, Al Dia.
Folk dance is very much a part of this colorful festival,.which lasts all week. So is the food, with delicacies that, in this day of packaged food, has all but disappeared from daily fare—it isn’t all rice and beans, by a long shot.
In San Jose the Ministry of Culture has organized not only song and dance but exhibits of the typical trappings of the old life in the northwestern province when the oxcart was the favorite mode of transportation—and the only one.
In the old provincial capital of Nicoya, (Liberia is, today, although Nicoyanos still begrudge the honor) the celebration is taken seriously, indeed, with fireworks and a concert Wednesday, plus plus a corn festival where you’ll taste corn in a variety of dishes and forms difficult to imagine.
Traditionally, the unicamera congress, the Legislative Assembly, abandons its San Jose headquarters to meet in sessions there during annexation week. (It is hoped that they will get more work done in this fresh environment than they did last week, when absences caused the body from reaching a quorum three of the five days.)
Guanacaste province was part of Nicaragua up until the 19th century when the residents opted to hold a plebesite and voted to voluntarily become a part of Costa Rica.

by Rod Hughes
When tourists want to visit Costa Rica, by Jove! they’re determined to do so at all costs!
When Air Plus Comet flight A7981 with 200 passengers aboard, bound for Costa Rica, was forced to return to Barajas, Spain, Monday, due to a problem with the flaps, the crew thought their problems were over when they touched down on the runway. But they were just beginning, reports the Associated Press.
Even though the crew explained that, after the mechanics finished mending the technical problem, they would be off again in several hours, 60 of the passengers refused to leave the plane until they were guaranteed that they would leave soon and be given hotel accommodations to wait. One passenger complained to AP that some of the tourists had been booked on a San Jose-bound flight for Saturday but this had been postponed.
(And you thought it was only a crew that was supposed to mutiny, didn’t you?)
Further, their tempers had not been sweetened by the four-hour delay at the new Barajas airport before takeoff.
Finally, they trooped off to an airport hotel. The Air Comet flight finallly took off again at 4 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time.
Welcome to Costa Rica and have a good time, folks.

by Rod Hughes
A local private dance school dominated competition in Chicago recently, earning 11 gold medals and thre silvers, reports the daily paper Al Dia. Danz Studio took a group of child dancers aged seven on up so the U.S. could see what Costa Rican kids can do under the guidance of professionals.
All 20 of the choreographies the kids performed passed a rigorous screening to allow the children to compete with U.S. schools.
This country has a world-class modern dance scene with its own National Dance Company, Danza Universitaria at University of Costa Rica and several other well-known private companies and schools. Performances are mounted nearly year-around.

by Rod Hughes
In one of the most under-promoted events in this country, 50 boats ranging from oar-powered parangasto fishing boats and even a ferry participated in the annual honoring of the Virgen del Carmen, or Virgin of the Sea yesterday in the Gulf of Nicoya off the Pacific port of Puntarenas.
Although this Roman Catholic celebration is heavily touted for international tourists in the Mediterranean islands, here it passes nearly unnoticed to all but a few locals and, of course, to residents of or near Puntarenas.
A different vessel is chosen each year for the honor of carrying the image of the Virgin Mary on its prow during the procession. The boats are decorated with colored balloons and other adornments and most often are crammed to the gunwales with family and friends.
The event has had special significance for Puntarenas since 1913 when legend has it that the Virgin saved the lives of the crew of the foundering fishing boat El Galileo based in that port during a storm off Punta Guiones. In the early afternoon, a priest blessed the assembled vessels.

by Rod Hughes
In a measure long overdue, the Cabinet Council has ordered the Tourism Institute (ICT) to install 138 signs warning of dangerous currents at 30 of the country’s most hazardous beaches on both coasts. The signs are coated with salt-resistant reflective aluminum on sturdy bases to foil vandals and are in both English and Spanish.
Despite efforts by private individuals, most beaches have no life guards even in the high season and the Red Cross does not have the budget to provide them. But worse is that the only warning for the tourist swimmer is an occasional sign in a hotel.
Off some Costa Rican beaches, inviting, lukewarm waters conceal undertows or rip currents (once called rip tides) that can carry unwary swimmers out into the ocean. If one is a strong swimmer, one can survive them by not fighting the current, but by swimming parallel to the beach until reaching quiet water or even a current that is circling toward the beach.
Panic is the swimmer’s worst enemy and has accounted for taking the lives of many tourists and residents alike over the years. Floating is easier in tropical warm waters than it is in colder Northern Hemisphere seas, since a relaxed human body will float for hours.
An important rule is never to swim alone. Even though this country boasts oceans off both coasts, an amazing percentage of Costa Ricans do not know how to swim, so rescue is unlikely. Even at that, the only thing a rescuer can do is to help the distressed swimmer remain afloat and calm—no one, no matter how strong, can fight a rip current.
Not all resort areas are hazardous. For example, the waters off Samara Beach are protected by a reef. One can find out by asking at a tourism installation, resort or hotel. (Many locals do not venture out beyond ankle depth, so asking them is useless. Also, some are alarmists who may keep you from enjoying a safe swim.)
But not everyone was encouraged with the signs in lieu of lifeguards. The weekly Tico Times ran an acerbic Arcadio editorial cartoon showing an idyllic beach scene marred by a derelict lifeguard station and a huge sign that read, “Please Don’t Drown Here. (It looks bad for tourism.)”

by Rod Hughes
Every souvenir bought by a tourist at an airport duty-free store means more support for social welfare by the government agency IMAS. And sales set a new high last year, 21% more than in 2006, reports the daily La Nacion.
The sales go to support orphanages, senior citizen homes, indigent shelters, development programs such as those for small businesses run by single mothers as well as to provide basic needs for poor families.
This has been the case for the past decades but a new law means that less goes into the general government coffers and more to IMAS. The welfare agency still must share 20% of the overall profit with the Civil Aviation agency that oversees the airports.
Two new stores at the international airport near Liberia are accounting for a boost in sales. That airport brings in newly-established routes of Air Comet (Spain), Best Choice (Britain), Spirit and Frontier (both U.S.) carrying tourists directly to the beaches and resorts on the north Pacific coast.
A novel plan has boosted sales of restricted goods (liquor and perfimes) which are delivered to the door of the plane. (New security restrictions prohibit carry-on items such as shampoo, perfume and liquor. This rule has existed ever since British police foiled a terrorist attempt in 2006 to bring down aircraft by hiding explosives in these items. IMAS noted a sharp drop in income from the stores immediately after the measure went into effect.)
But new marketing plans are in place, leading IMAS to look forward to a bright 2007. One is to buy a bottle of liquor and get a 1/4 bottle free. Another is buy three and get four units in other products. For a government heavily influenced by a socialist bent in the past, this amounts to a revolutionary idea. In the past, not only with the government, the commercial philosophy has been (except in specialized fields such as construction materials), if one unit costs such and such, then three will be three times the price.