Pavones Festival Hits Political Mark
Tuna Farm or Beachfront High Rises ?
Hidden Map of the Tuna Agenda
RECIPE: Shrimp in Salsa de Cloro
Emergency Phone Numbers
More Insider Travel Tips
plus Daily Surf Report
Pavones Fiesta Makes Political Points
The festival to Save the Golfo Dulce, to fight against tuna farming and drag net shrimping, was a success by every measure:
- Delivered 704 signatures to President Oscar Arias.
- Guaymi Indians showed strong support.
- Opposition candidate for Mayor of Golfito voiced support.
- The Tico Times wrote a full-page article.
- Mothers, fathers and children learned about the threats to the Golfo Dulce.
700 signatures of support proved that there are sufficient votes to force the municipality to publicly fund a referendum.
After the event, Eric Mora, who will challenge mayor Jimmy Cubillo in September's election, visited with event organizers. Mr. Mora emphasized that the 700 signatures is more than the 500 signatures that would be needed on a formal petition to the Municipality of Golfito to initiate a referendum. This would obligate the Municipality to put the question of the Tuna Farm directly to the people.
The current Mayor, Jimmy Cubillo, did not attend the weekend Fiesta. However, it should be noted that conference organizers could not invite government officials until they had their permits in place, which did not occur until 4 days before the Fiesta.
Victor Rocha (pictured right), President of the National Artesenal Fishing Federation of Costa Rica, was an active part of the Festival. "We have to travel out far enough as it is to fish, and gas isn't cheap," he told the Times.
Representatives from Pretoma said, "The project is slated to have a life span of 8 years, during which time the company, Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A., plans to earn $ 20 million per year, only to skip town when natural tuna stocks become depleted.
If you missed the fun, or want to relive it, visit the Flickr photo show below or click here.
The photos have been reduced in size for faster viewing over slow connections. All photos by Barry. Slideshow hosted by Encanto. Special thanks to Jonnie Haas.
Secret Map Reveals Evil Plan to Dominate Tuna Stocks
Can you find Pavones on this map?
Now, see that dark blue area that starts south of Punta Banco? Those are the fishing grounds that the Panamanian government is granting to -- you guessed it -- Granjas Atuneras for their Panamanian tuna farm project. So, if they are successful in Costa Rica, Granjas Atuneras will control a contiguous fishing area spanning two countries. (More information click here).
And no one knows who these people are? Who is Granjas Atuneras?
Tuna Farm or Beachfront High rises?
What if you had to pick between a tuna farm or beachfront high rises? Is there a lesser of these 2 evils?
The next mayoral election in Golfito is 3 months away.
In the previous election, Eric Mora campaigned on the promise to make the zona maritima private titled land that families could then sell (if they chose) to enrich themselves and pull themselves out of poverty.
The beachfront around the Golfo Dulce would then become private titled land, open to development, as is the case in Tamarindo and Jaco.
There was significant controversy when this idea was proposed in the previous mayoral elections in Golfito. Today, Tamarindo and Jaco are now recognized as bastions of overdevelopment combined with poor infrastructure in Tamarindo, and a vibrant sex trade (legal) and drug trade (illegal) in Jaco.
In Tamarindo, there is a community group who care as deeply and passionately about overdevelopment as we care about the Golfo Dulce. They are www.SaveTamarindo.com, and they have their own petition to stop overdevelopment in Tamarindo. They put together an artists' mock-up of how Tamarindo will look after all the developments now in progress are completed (below).
Eric Mora believes in private ownership of the beachfront, in development of the beachfront. Interestingly, after he lost the last election, he immediately started a real estate brokerage company with other partners in Golfito. We do want to be clear: at this time it is unknown whether or not Mr. Mora will continue to endorse beachfront ownership of land in the coming September, 2009 election.
Eric Mora is also interested in fighting against the tuna farm.
And where is our mayor Jimmy Cubillo? Our community now has a boulevard that leads straight past the Cantina (a privately operated bar) to the beach front. There is also a new community soda that many people feel very positive about. Yet there are many people who believe this boulevard is a waste of precious monetary resources at a time when the town's aqueduct is burdened to the breaking point.
The next mayoral election in Golfito is 3 months away.
In the previous election, Eric Mora campaigned on the promise to make the zona maritima private titled land that families could then sell (if they chose) to enrich themselves and pull themselves out of poverty.
The beachfront around the Golfo Dulce would then become private titled land, open to development, as is the case in Tamarindo and Jaco.
There was significant controversy when this idea was proposed in the previous mayoral elections in Golfito. Today, Tamarindo and Jaco are now recognized as bastions of overdevelopment combined with poor infrastructure in Tamarindo, and a vibrant sex trade (legal) and drug trade (illegal) in Jaco.
In Tamarindo, there is a community group who care as deeply and passionately about overdevelopment as we care about the Golfo Dulce. They are www.SaveTamarindo.com, and they have their own petition to stop overdevelopment in Tamarindo. They put together an artists' mock-up of how Tamarindo will look after all the developments now in progress are completed (below).
Eric Mora believes in private ownership of the beachfront, in development of the beachfront. Interestingly, after he lost the last election, he immediately started a real estate brokerage company with other partners in Golfito. We do want to be clear: at this time it is unknown whether or not Mr. Mora will continue to endorse beachfront ownership of land in the coming September, 2009 election.
Eric Mora is also interested in fighting against the tuna farm.
And where is our mayor Jimmy Cubillo? Our community now has a boulevard that leads straight past the Cantina (a privately operated bar) to the beach front. There is also a new community soda that many people feel very positive about. Yet there are many people who believe this boulevard is a waste of precious monetary resources at a time when the town's aqueduct is burdened to the breaking point.
Shrimp in Salsa de Clorox
Have you had this dish? Chances are, you've tried it.
There's a little-discussed tactic for capturing river shrimp employed by a few unscrupulous people: throw a little clorox in the water and then skim the dead shrimp off the surface (and as a byproduct, kill all the remaining shrimp larvae and poison the water for fish in the gulf).
This recipe is not popular, but it has its adherents.
In other areas of Pacific Costa Rica, a method for "harvesting" shrimp has been to pour permethrin into the water at river mouths to kill and catch shrimp. This insecticide is a toxic chemical. Humans, especially human children, can not easily eliminate permethrin from their bodies. In April, the Costa Rican government banned veterinarians from selling permethrin, which kills fleas and ticks on dogs, specifically because this chemical has been used to capture shrimp.
Yes, there are honest people who shrimp the old fashioned way, donning a mask and picking them by hand from rocky river beds and low tide pools. But when someone shows up at your door selling shrimp, or you pick shrimp off the menu, how do you know if it's been poisoned?
1 lb. shrimp = 20 pounds dead throwback.
The excellent restaurant at Banana Bay Marina (Golfito) is not serving shrimp due to the destruction wrought by commercial shrimpers dragging the bottom of the Golfo Dulce. The shrimpers nets drag the sea bottom, then pick out the shrimp and dump the rest of the now-dead fish back. Unless you are eating farmed shrimp, which are not available in Costa Rica, every pound of shrimp caught in the wild generates 20 pounds of dead throwback including turtles, sharks and dolphin.
In the past 10 years the US government has banned Costa Rican shrimp 4 times. The latest embargo began May 1, 2009 and will continue for 1 year.
Then, the shrimpers will have to show that their drag nets have been modified to stop catching sea turtles as by-product.
In Costa Rica there is a proposal to ban the shrimpers' drag nets. This will occur over the next two and a half years. No importa! Today, there are fewer shrimp boats in the Golfo Dulce because there's no shrimp left. In two and a half years, when the plan goes into effect, the shrimpers will be long gone.
Fishermen and surfers should be custodians of the oceans that nourish our bodies and souls. We make deliberate choices, from our attitude in the water to our food choices. Choose wisely, and caveat emptor.
There's a little-discussed tactic for capturing river shrimp employed by a few unscrupulous people: throw a little clorox in the water and then skim the dead shrimp off the surface (and as a byproduct, kill all the remaining shrimp larvae and poison the water for fish in the gulf).
This recipe is not popular, but it has its adherents. In other areas of Pacific Costa Rica, a method for "harvesting" shrimp has been to pour permethrin into the water at river mouths to kill and catch shrimp. This insecticide is a toxic chemical. Humans, especially human children, can not easily eliminate permethrin from their bodies. In April, the Costa Rican government banned veterinarians from selling permethrin, which kills fleas and ticks on dogs, specifically because this chemical has been used to capture shrimp.
Yes, there are honest people who shrimp the old fashioned way, donning a mask and picking them by hand from rocky river beds and low tide pools. But when someone shows up at your door selling shrimp, or you pick shrimp off the menu, how do you know if it's been poisoned?
1 lb. shrimp = 20 pounds dead throwback.
The excellent restaurant at Banana Bay Marina (Golfito) is not serving shrimp due to the destruction wrought by commercial shrimpers dragging the bottom of the Golfo Dulce. The shrimpers nets drag the sea bottom, then pick out the shrimp and dump the rest of the now-dead fish back. Unless you are eating farmed shrimp, which are not available in Costa Rica, every pound of shrimp caught in the wild generates 20 pounds of dead throwback including turtles, sharks and dolphin.
In the past 10 years the US government has banned Costa Rican shrimp 4 times. The latest embargo began May 1, 2009 and will continue for 1 year.
Then, the shrimpers will have to show that their drag nets have been modified to stop catching sea turtles as by-product.
In Costa Rica there is a proposal to ban the shrimpers' drag nets. This will occur over the next two and a half years. No importa! Today, there are fewer shrimp boats in the Golfo Dulce because there's no shrimp left. In two and a half years, when the plan goes into effect, the shrimpers will be long gone.
Fishermen and surfers should be custodians of the oceans that nourish our bodies and souls. We make deliberate choices, from our attitude in the water to our food choices. Choose wisely, and caveat emptor.
Emergency Phone Numbers You Need : UPDATED
What to do when trouble strikes.You're in paradise, but things happen. And when you're in a place like this, it's important to be prepared. You can't call 911 and have an ambulance at your doorstep five minutes later. However, if you know who to call, and what to do, you can get excellent care.
If you determine that someone in your party needs to see a doctor, you can visit the clinic in Comte, the clinic in Laurel, or the hospitals in Ciudad Neilly or Golfito.
If it's an emergency, and serious trauma care is required, a little preparation will go a long way.
Here is a list of phone numbers that will help you respond to an emergency:
2735-5178 & 2733-5353: Emergency air charter from Puerto Jimenez
2775-1515: Emergency air charter from Golfito
2286-1818: Clinica Biblica, San Jose, Emergency response
2286-4848: Clinica Bilbica, San Jose, Emergency response
2276-2194: Tiskita, Punta Banco, to coordinate airstrip (UPDATED)
2296-8125: Alt. number for Tiskita, in San Jose, to coordinate airstrip (UPDATED)
Do not be shy. Ask for help from locals.
Tip: if you have a rental car, always keep gas in it. You can drive to the clinic in Comte, or Laurel, or the hospital in Ciudad Nelly, faster than an ambulance will come for you. If you require an ambulance, call Hospital Ciudad Neilly at 2783-3221 or 2783-3075.
Ambulances are equipped with stretchers and oxygen, nothing more, no medicine, no tranquilizers, no defibrillators. These are only in health clinics and hospitals.
If you've requested an ambulance, ask friends to stand in the road at an appropriate juncture or intersection to intercept the ambulance and tell them exactly where to turn, which house to visit.
In a severe emergency, you may need an airplane to take the victim to the hospital in Golfito, or a trauma center in San Jose (the better choice). Call the air charter in Puerto Jimenez (2735-5178 & 2733-5353) or Golfito (2775-1515) to arrange air transport to Golfito or San Jose. These are private planes that are not medically equipped.
If a medical plane is required, call Clinica Biblica emergency response at 2286-1818 or 2286-4848. They have a plane equipped with oxygen, medicine and a doctor.
The plane needs a place to land. You must coordinate with Tiskita by calling the numbers above OR SEND SOMEONE TO THE TISKITA LODGE, as phones there are often picked up by an answering machine. Tiskita's owners or managers will arrange for you to use the landing strip at Tiskita. If it is night, you will need to get 5 cars to shine their headlights on the runway.
You need to have your credit card or cash handy to pay for these evacuations. If you have private or travel insurance, you will need a proper receipt.
Insider Travel Tips
From Golfito to Pavones in Taxi or Bus
Taxi from Golfito airport to Pavones:
You will pay $75 or $80 from the Golfito airport to Pavones. Don't take the first driver you see. Pick from one of the several taxistas with the big, fat 4x4. This will make a big difference in your life for the next hour and a half. Two days later, your back and molars will thank you.
Residents may comment,
"The road to Pavones is as good as it's ever been."
Well, it's only as good as your car's suspension.
Pavones is blessed with a group of taxi drivers that can not only whisk us to San Jose in 6 to 8 hours, but also bring us medicine from Golfito in a pinch.
The bus from Golfito to Pavones
There are 2 bus stops in Golfito for the bus to Pavones. The originating bus stop is across the street from Golfito Hospital, in front of a storefront that looks like a warehouse. Insiders get on the bus here to get a seat. The other bus stop is at the gas station in the middle of town, next to the newstand.
Bus schedule:
To Golfito: Departs Pavones Supermarket 5:30 a.m., arrives Golfito 8:30 a.m.
To Pavones: Departs across from Golfito Hospital 10:00 a.m., arrives at Pavones Cantina at 12:00 noon or 12:30 p.m. Turns around and heads back to Golfito and does not go to Punta Banco (Rancho Burica, Yoga Farm, plaza at Punta Banco).
To Golfito: Departs Pavones Cantina 12:30 p.m. (has been known to leave early) and arrives in Golfito at 2:30 p.m.
To Pavones: Departs across from Golfito Hospital at 3:00 p.m., arrives at Pavones Supermarket at 5:30 p.m., continues south to Punta Banco's Rancho Burica at 6:00 p.m.
All buses stop at the Rio Coto ferry. Passengers carry their luggage, walk through varying degrees of mud up a wooden plank onto the ferry. Pay c50 (fifty colones) to cross the river, then carry your luggage down a plank on the other side and if you are lucky or pushy (everyone else will be pushy) you can get a seat on the bus.
Next month: Renting a car in Golfito and driving to Pavones.
Please send your tips, comments or questions to us at blogger@goodmorningpavones.com.
Taxi from Golfito airport to Pavones:
You will pay $75 or $80 from the Golfito airport to Pavones. Don't take the first driver you see. Pick from one of the several taxistas with the big, fat 4x4. This will make a big difference in your life for the next hour and a half. Two days later, your back and molars will thank you.
Residents may comment,
"The road to Pavones is as good as it's ever been."
Well, it's only as good as your car's suspension.
Pavones is blessed with a group of taxi drivers that can not only whisk us to San Jose in 6 to 8 hours, but also bring us medicine from Golfito in a pinch.
- On Sansa and Nature Air, ask your fellow passengers to share a ride. Tiskita guests: The lodge will pay Alex the $80 to pick you up, so why not offer to share the ride with fellow passengers on the airplane and reduce everyone's carbon footprint?
- Ask your driver to stop at the "Caja Automatic
a" at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica or Alianza. This is your last chance to get colones.
- Also stop at the supermarket for provisions and save 30% to 50% off what you'll pay at Pavones' markets.
- The "tip" is already included in the price of your cab. In Costa Rica, the tip is always built into the price you are quoted or billed.
- If you ask your taxista to recommend cabinas, he will never recommend a cabina that's not owned by a Costa Rican national.
- There is no local taxi service once you arrive in Pavones.
The bus from Golfito to Pavones
There are 2 bus stops in Golfito for the bus to Pavones. The originating bus stop is across the street from Golfito Hospital, in front of a storefront that looks like a warehouse. Insiders get on the bus here to get a seat. The other bus stop is at the gas station in the middle of town, next to the newstand.
Bus schedule:
To Golfito: Departs Pavones Supermarket 5:30 a.m., arrives Golfito 8:30 a.m.
To Pavones: Departs across from Golfito Hospital 10:00 a.m., arrives at Pavones Cantina at 12:00 noon or 12:30 p.m. Turns around and heads back to Golfito and does not go to Punta Banco (Rancho Burica, Yoga Farm, plaza at Punta Banco).
To Golfito: Departs Pavones Cantina 12:30 p.m. (has been known to leave early) and arrives in Golfito at 2:30 p.m.
To Pavones: Departs across from Golfito Hospital at 3:00 p.m., arrives at Pavones Supermarket at 5:30 p.m., continues south to Punta Banco's Rancho Burica at 6:00 p.m.
All buses stop at the Rio Coto ferry. Passengers carry their luggage, walk through varying degrees of mud up a wooden plank onto the ferry. Pay c50 (fifty colones) to cross the river, then carry your luggage down a plank on the other side and if you are lucky or pushy (everyone else will be pushy) you can get a seat on the bus.
Next month: Renting a car in Golfito and driving to Pavones.
Please send your tips, comments or questions to us at blogger@goodmorningpavones.com.
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