You have seen the displays around San José, mainly in the tourist stores. Row after row of 4-inch (10-cms.) sealed bottles with a tiny plant waiting to be adopted.

The muscle behind this product are two young men, Mauricio Lemus, 28, production manager. and Alfredo Valerín, 26, general manager of Orquideas del Bosque.

The two partners never imagined that what began as a hobby would become an environmental conservation project for the orchids.  The company does everything legal with goverment permission and even includes a little export permit with each tiny bottle.
 

Photos and text by Saray Ramírez Vindas of the A.M. Costa Rica staff

In addition to the displays of their product and sales in 115 Costa Rican stores, the company experiences a steady, increasing presence on the Internet, mostly to foreign buyers.

The key aspect of the orchids is that the plant stays in the sealed bottle during the early part of its life when it is most vulnerable to fatal plant diseases. Six months to a year later, they can be transplanted to normal orchid life.

Orquideas del Bosque partners say that in comparison to its competitors, it offers 76 different types of orchids, rotated by season, many more than the four or five offered by others.

In their compact but complex nursery in Rorhmoser west of San José, the firm maintains between 450 and 500 species of mother orchids, the great majority of them being donations, gifts or rescued plants, said Lemus.

American orchids live suspended in trees, and 

hardly any are able to live in the soil. Suspended they obtain the humidity, temperature and the ideal conditions for their survival.

The partners call their orchid-raising technique "in-vitro," because the controlled space is created with the temperature and environment that the plant needs away from contaminants or conditions that would risk the life of these exotic plants.

The young men combine scientific experiment and investigation with their work.

The process is simple but has taken the partners more than five years to perfect. They are producing now about 500 vials, each with a tiny orchid, every month. Part of the process is sterilization of the glassware to eliminate possible plant diseases.

The company does its own pollination of the orchids, then harvests the seeds from the mature bulbs that are created.

The seeds are germinated within clean bottles in a special nutrient gel. Transplanting takes place in a clean room and the tiny shoots each get their own tiny bottles. The little bottles have all the nutrients the plant will need for six months to a year. A big mistake by some buyers is to remove the plant from the tiny bottle before it is able to fight airborn diseases.

At the end of six months or a year, the maturing shoot is transplanted into coco fibers or other material to be suspended in a permanent location. Then it takes from four to seven years for the plant to bloom.

In nature, only 4 percent of orchid plants live to maturity. With the in-vitro technique, this percentage is raised to 50, according to the firm.

Each plant costs between 3,000 to 4,000 colons ($8.25 to $11) retail in Costa Rica. Mail shipments to the United States are higher.

The firm maintains a Web site at:

GONAIVES, Haiti — Authorities say they are re-establishing order here after several days of riots and anti-government demonstrations. 

Police officials say security forces are back patrolling this city north of Port-au-Prince, one day after tear gas failed to break up a violent mob, and riot police were forced to retreat. 

Haiti's most recent bout of unrest began Friday, when a tractor was used to crash through a prison wall. More than 150 inmates escaped, including several street thugs convicted of committing violence against leaders of Haiti's opposition coalition. 

The escapees, including many formerly loyal to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, declared the president a traitor and called for a nationwide uprising against him. For three days, anti-Aristide demonstrators took to the streets of Gonaives, torching buildings, blocking roads with burning tires and firing guns into the air. 

Both the United States and officials of the Organization of American States called on Haiti's government to restore order and apprehend the escaped inmates. Haitian officials described the protesters as nothing more than gangsters. 

A political stalemate has existed in Haiti since May of 2000, when President Aristide's Lavalas Party swept legislative elections that both the opposition and international observers said were beset with irregularities. Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, has been cut off from most forms of foreign aid for more than three years. 

President Aristide returned to office last year after an election that was boycotted by the opposition. But public opinion polls show he is less popular today than he was during his first administration, which ended in a coup in 1991.
 

Separated twins
under close watch

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — One of the formerly conjoined Guatemalan twins has undergone more surgery at a hospital here to remove a buildup of blood from the top of her brain. 

Maria Teresa Quiej-Alvarez, 1, is now back in intensive care with her twin sister Maria de Jesus. Both are in critical but stable condition. 

Doctors at the University of California at Los Angeles medical center say the twins are doing "extremely well" given the ordeal they've been through. 

They were successfully separated early Tuesday after a more than 20-hour long procedure involving over 50 medical personnel. The twins were born in rural Guatemala with separate brains, but partially shared skulls. 

The Guatemalan government has sent a letter of thanks to the UCLA hospital, which is donating its services. The hospital has also set up a fund to recover expenses. 

The girls were born July 25, 2001, after their mother underwent an eight-day labor near their home in rural Guatemala. Among conjoined twins, only about 2 percent are joined at the head. 

Mexican bus crash
kills 32, injures others

MÉXICO CITY, México — Police say at least 32 people have been killed and at least 16 more injured when a bus carrying Christian pilgrims crashed into a toll booth in the west central state of Michoacan.

Officials say the bus brakes apparently failed near the town of Zinapecuaro early Tuesday, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of México City. 

The injured are being treated at nearby hospitals. Police are investigating the accident. 

The passengers, all members of the "Light of the World" Christian organization, were traveling between the Pacific Coast state of Guerrero and the city of Guadalajara.

U.S. supports Brazil's
economic policies

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil is following the "right economic policies" said Paul O'Neill, U.S. Treasury secretary, following his meetings here with Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and other senior government officials.

In a press conference Monday, O'Neill said that he reiterated the Bush administration's support for Brazil and its economic initiatives during the meetings with Cardoso, his chief of staff Pedro Parente and leaders of the nation's economic team.

He stressed that Brazil's continued implementation of sound economic policy is important not only for the nation, but "the economic vitality of the entire hemisphere."

O'Neill also said Brazilian officials confirmed reports from the International Monetary Fund that Brazil's talks with the IMF were going "very well." He added that the Bush administration wants "to be supportive through the IMF of providing a response to Brazil that's consistent with the needs of Brazil."

In an announcement Sunday, O'Neill indicated that the $1.5 billion bridge loan the United States extended to Uruguay followed a conclusion by international financial institutions that action needed to be taken. 

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank say they will quickly boost their lending to Uruguay which faced a run on its currency last week. The $1.5 billion U.S. loan to Uruguay will be repaid once the IMF disburses its additional aid to the country. 
 

Good grief, Sharon! Has it been 37 years?

BOGOTA, Colombia — President-elect Alvaro Uribe is set to be inaugurated today amid unprecedented security and leftist rebel threats to kill him. 

Twenty thousand soldiers and police will be deployed throughout Bogota, while Colombian Air Force jets and a U.S. surveillance plane patrol the skies. 

Bogota's international airport will be closed during the inauguration ceremony at the parliament building. Authorities fear rebels may try to crash a plane into the building in a Sept. 11-style suicide attack. 

President-elect Uribe has survived several attempts on his life and is openly despised by the rebels fighting in the country's 38-year civil war. On Tuesday, Uribe attended a special mass in his hometown of Medellin, telling Colombians not to expect him to perform miracles. 

Uribe has pledged to get tough with rebels and right-wing paramilitary forces, which have been designated as terrorist groups by the United States. The president-elect has also pledged to crack down on corruption. 

Bolivian president
promises more jobs 

LA PAZ, Bolivia — The new president, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, is promising, in his words, "jobs, jobs and more jobs." That's a welcome promise to one of South America's poorest countries.

The wealthy businessman has held the presidency before, from 1993 to 1997. Then, he helped Bolivia take steps to improve its economy but incurred criticism for privatizing much of the nation's industry.

This time, the 72-year-old mining millionaire wants to market Bolivia's energy-producing natural resources, such as natural gas. By doing so, he hopes to create jobs and fund projects such as road-building and outfitting rural homes with gas, electricity and running water.

But President De Lozada's path may not be easy. The U.S.-educated businessman faces a fragmented Congress with an opposition led by the indigenous Evo Morales, his presidential rival and champion of coca farmers.

De Lozada campaigned on a promise to work with the United States to eradicate Bolivia's coca crops, which form the raw ingredient in the drug cocaine. 

Bush signs bill
for fast track

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President George W. Bush has signed into law the legislation giving him powerful authority to negotiate trade agreements and extending the Andean Trade Preference Act.

In a White House ceremony Tuesday, Bush signed the bill as Vice President Cheney, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and the secretaries of state, agriculture and labor and leading members of Congress from both parties looked on.

Trade promotion authority, otherwise known as fast track, was given final passage by Congress just the previous week, more than a year after Bush requested it. Under the trade promotion authority Congress restricts itself only to approve or reject a negotiated trade agreement, within strict time limits and without amendments.

Since the previous grant expired early in 1994, other attempts to reauthorize trade promotion authority failed over labor and environmental issues. 
 

Professional Directory A.M. Costa Rica debuts its professional and service directory where business people who wish to reach the English-speaking community may provide a description of what they do. If you are interested in being represented here, please contact the editor. Dentists United States Dentist in Costa Rica: Dr. Peter S Aborn, Prosthodontics and general dentistry private practice. 25 years in New York City. 5 years in Costa Rica. Professor and director of postgraduate prosthodontics Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. Former chief of prosthodontics Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City. Education: N.Y.U College of Dentistry; Westchester County Medical Center; Eastman Dental Center; University of Rochester Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry. Location: 300 meters from the U.S. Embassy. Telephone: 232-9225. Cellular 379-2963. E-mail: jopetar@amnet.co.cr.  7/15/02  Lawyers American/Costa Rican attorney located in Costa Rica. Specializing in business law, commercial law, real estate sales, immigration law. Lic. Gregory Kearney Lawson. KEARNEY LAWSON & Asoc. Tel/Fax: (506) 221-9462 gkearney_lawson@hotmail.com 7/15/02 Legal and Consulting Specialists for Foreign Residents and Business Owners • Reliable and Responsive •  Excellent References Stafford, Obregón y Valle • Consultants • Lawyers • Notaries Apdo. 11846-1000, San Jose, Costa Rica Tel: (506) 253-9655   Fax: (506) 280-4576  Cel: (506) 386-9324 Email: ulimar@costarica.net 7/16/02 Real estate agents Coldwell Banker Coastal Properties Escazu www.coldwellbankercostarica.com Manager Nancy Bruno nbrdsing@racsa.co.cr 289-5790 office 387-6820 cell Located in the new Plaza Itskazu, next to the Court Yard Marriott Escazu #203 7/16/02 Web design Professional Web site design and development in English, Spanish and Italian. Our services include: design and layout of Web site, search engine optimization and submission, Web  site hosting, e-commerce solutions (sell your products on your website by accepting credit cards online), registration of domain names and professional Internet consulting. We have complete 'one price' Web site packages that include design, marketing and hosting at low prices and includes a listing on our Web sites.  Visit www.istarmedia.net or e-mail us at webmaster@istarmedia.net or call at 399-9642 7/16/02