Recently, I was walking back to my rented house here in Jaco and as usual was being harrassed by drug dealers on the street. For the most part, if you can handle the repeated questioning “You need anything, I got what you need,” they will leave you alone. But on this particular night, passing in front of Le Loft in Jaco, a group of college students were askingthe drug dealers what drugs they could get and for how much. I stopped to observe how they drew attention to themselves and were being sized up by street thieves.
Coming to a foreign country for vacation and then buying illegal drugs is insanity. People need to think before they do something that can have extreme consequences. The consequences extend to your friends and family too, not just you. While Costa Rica, is much safer than Mexico for vacation, there still is drug violence. So why invite that violence by conducting yourself in illegal activity? Chuck Herwig has five simple tips for Costa Rica vacation travelers. Take a look at number three.
My Travel Tips for a PURA VIDA Vacation By Chuck Herwig
Please slow down, don’t be in a hurry. You are on vacation
Prepare for a new and exciting/challenging experience. After all, you could have stayed home if you didn’t want something different.
Don’t buy or trade drugs, you just do damage to the local people
Don’t leave anything, anywhere, anytime unattended. Whether its in your car, in the lobby, next to you or the park bench, etc. It will grow legs and walk away
Learn a couple of good words and practice them daily ex Por Favor, Gracias, Pura Vida. Its amazing how fast you will be speaking Spanish.
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Just after everyone was getting back to normal after this mornings earthquake, and a little aftershock another big earthquake this afternoon got those nerves jumping again. This time it is the same region but slightly inland, so I am not sure if this is an aftershock or a separate plate displaced by the this mornings event. So far they have given this one a 5.9 magnitude.
Again, this quake had the un-nerving lateral movement like you are walking on a hanging bridge. These two big quakes have been smooth in the sense of the lateral movement would slow down when it reached the edge of the wave and then return in a smooth way. The earthquake on Jan. 8th was lateral but very short and rapid lateral movements which is very damaging. Any surfer who has had a big wave close on them and put them through the “rinse cycle” knows what the fast lateral movements feel like.
We were finally able to get our hands on a compilation video from Maluca Videos. Thanks to Romy for this video! We have all of the top surfers here and I apologize in advance if anyone was left out. This is the top people from the 2008-2009 surf competition season. There are many surf contests in Costa Rica but it is the CNS DayStar COPA contest that determines the national champion. So lets give it a go:
Gilbert Brown, Jason Torres, Andres Montes, Mauricio Umana, Diego Naranjo, Carlos Munoz, Jair Perez, Nataly Bernold, Lisbeth Vindas, Luis Vindas, Nino Myrie, Rodrigo Froilano, Jefferson Tascon, Jose Angel Mantarrita, Anderson Tascon, Yosimar Fuentes, Juan Carlos Naranjo are all in this video. This list is not in any particular order of point standings or when they are shown in the video. Congrats to all of these excellent Costa Rican surfers!!
UPDATE: New reports indicate that the magnitude was 5.7 but USGS said it was 5.9
Around 11:25 Central America time, a long and powerful earthquake rocked the surfing beach town of Jaco, Costa Rica. This quake was a very powerful lateral slide that moved near 6 inches back and forth. When the earthquake hits, I ran outside to see all of the electrical poles swaying back and forth along with people running out of their homes.
Costa Rica was hit by a powerful quake on Jan. 8th which was a 6.1, this one felt much more powerful than that and was of much longer duration. This quake was definitely in the making because for the past week there was small lateral movements each day. Currently the news is stating this is the same magnitude that hits us in January.
Check back for more details, you can see the location of the quake epicenter below. View Larger Map
Recently, I was walking back to my rented house here in Jaco and as usual was being harrassed by drug dealers on the street. For the most part, if you can handle the repeated questioning “You need anything, I got what you need,” they will leave you alone. But on this particular night, passing in front of Le Loft in Jaco, a group of college students were askingthe drug dealers what drugs they could get and for how much. I stopped to observe how they drew attention to themselves and were being sized up by street thieves.