San José tourism guide
to be unveiled Friday


The capital, San José, is coming out with a tourism guide sponsored by the municipality.

The city's Junta de Turismo said Wednesday that the guide will be presented to the public Friday at the municipal building. It is called "Recorriendo San José" and is written by Rita Bornemisza. The title means to travel around San José.

The junta said that such a book was necessary because about 80 percent of the country's tourists visit the capital during their visit, and the number is slowly increasing, the junta said.

At one time nearly every non-cruise ship tourist visited San José because Juan Santamaría airport was the principal access. Now visitors, mainly from the north, can travel to Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia, visit the Pacific beaches and never set foot in the capital. The shift in patterns has had a negative effect on the city's economy.

The municipality has as a goal to prolong the stay of visitors by one day, from 2.4 days to 3.4 days. By achieving such a goal, the junta said it would be able to increase tourist spending in the city by 42 percent to about $125 million a year. This also would help the hotel industry here that employs 2,300 persons, the municipality said.

Would-be victim, 19, kills
one of two assailants


A 19-year-old robbery victim pulled his legal gun late Tuesday and shot fatally his assailant, said the Judicial Investigating Organization.

The shooting happened in San Felipe de Alajuelita about 11:30 p.m. The would-be victim was approached by two men on a motorcycle who threatened him and ordered him to turnover his belongings.

The robber suffered two 9-mm. bullet wounds to the chest and fell to the pavement. His companion, the driver of the motorcycle dumped the machine and fled on foot. For most of the day, agents were unable to identify the dead man. In the late afternoon they identified him by the last name of Mejia, also 19.

Agents said that the would-be victim had all the paperwork needed to carry a weapon legally.

In Orotina Tuesday afternoon two men approached another young man who was waiting in line to board a bus and relieved him of a cell phone and other personal articles.

Police officers nearby managed to snag two suspects, identified by the last names of Sánchez Gutiérrez and Ramos Lara. They are 18 and 24 and residents of Tibás. Sánchez was identified as an illegal Nicaraguan immigrant.

A prosecutor was asking a judge to hold the pair for investigation.

Fuel prices will revert
to level in January


The monthly price adjustment for fuel came Wednesday and super is going up 16 colons per liter and plus gasoline is going up 14 colons. Diesel will increase 21 colons per liter.

The price adjustment covers the rate of exchange with the dollar and the world price of petroleum from Sept. 23 to Oct. 7, said the Authoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos.

Other petroleum products also are going up when the pricing order is publisheded in the La Gaceta official newspaper. Super will be 589 colons a liter or about $1.15. Plus will be 562 colons or about $1.09, and diesel will be 508, about 99 U.S. cents.

The prices are about the same as were in effect in January, the pricing agency said.

Costa Rica has only one petroleum fuel supplier, the government Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo, S.A. All the petroleum is imported.

Marchamo insurance bite
will be lower for 2011


The cost of the annual obligatory vehicle liability insurance is going down an average of 13.8 percent, according to the Superintendencia General de Seguros, the regulating agency.

This is the insurance that is part of the annual marchamo payment. Owners of passenger vehicles will pay 11,677 colons ($22.72), an amount that is 3,994 colons less than last year. For this class of vehicles, the reduction for the 2011 coverage of 6 million colons (about $11,675) is 25.5 percent. Light trucks, on the other hand, will pay 9,621, an amount 35 percent higher than the previous year.

Taxis also are going up about 6.7 percent. Taxi owners will pay 36,966 colons ($71.92) for 2011. The rates reflect the driving experiences of each class of vehicles, which is why motorcycle owners will pay 43,515 colons ($84.66) for 2011.

The insurance is a component in the macharmo, which also contains a road tax based on the estimated value of the vehicle and other fees. Most expats purchase addition liability and comprehensive insurance.

Find out what the papers said today in Spanish By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Here is the section where you can scan short summaries from the Spanish-language press. If you want to know more, just click on a link and you will see and longer summary and have the opportunity to read the entire news story on the page of the Spanish-language newspaper but translated into English. Translations may be a bit rough, but software is improving every day. When you see the Summary in English of news stories not covered today by A.M. Costa Rica, you will have a chance to comment. This is a new service of A.M. Costa Rica called Costa Rica Report. Editor is Daniel Woodall, and you can contact him HERE!

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