Posts tagged San Jose Costa Rica
Sights and Attractions of San Jose, Costa Rica
Oct 30th
San Jose is the seat of the Costa Rican political government. It is also the center of the country’s commercial and cultural life. It is located at the heart of the Gran Area Metropolitana (or GAM) in the highland of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Around it are magnificent green mountains and valleys.
The city has a relatively warm climate with temperatures that usually stay from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, at certain times of the year, some tourists appreciate the respite it offers from the cold climate of the temperate countries. The southern parts of San Jose extend into rural areas and rain forests that Costa Rica is well-known for. These are the Talamanca Mountain Ranges.
You can find the airport, embassies of other countries, museums, hotels, restaurants, big and small business establishments and the Universidad de Costa Rica in the City of San Jose.
San Jose has some of the more scenic and magnificent sties and attractions around. For one, the very interesting Museo Oro Precolombino (Gold Museum) holds more than 1,600 parts of gold artifacts that date back from around 500 AD to 1500 AD.
The Poas Volcano and the Botos Lagoon, part of the National Park, is very near San Jose. It is an active volcano with dense forests around the crater, making the area one of the most visited places in the country.
The Insect Museum inside the Universidad de Costa Rica contains an extensive collection of exotic bugs and insects. The guided tour here will prove to be a short but fruitful learning trip.
Theater lovers would find the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (National Theater of Costa Rica), the Cathedral and the Melico Salazar Theatre very interesting. These are the regular venues of cultural presentations, depicting both the old and modern cultures of Costa Rica. Various presentations such as concerts, operas, cultural presentations and the like are being held here all year round.
Nature lovers can look forward to going to Lankester Botanical Gardens which can be found at the outskirts of San José. Bring your family to Pueblo Antigo, the famous theme park in town. There are also other museums modeled after 19th century San José and the ones located inside a massive complex called Parque de Diversiones de Costa Rica. Likewise, in the north of the city is a community called Barrio Amon which is the location of old and historic buildings having architectural importance to the country.
Tourists who love the night life will also enjoy the numerous bars, clubs and restaurants that line El Pueblo’s picturesque cobblestone streets. These are also within walking distances from hotels and resorts. Nightlife can last from 9 o’clock in the evening until the wee hours of dawn.
Foreigners should never miss the local coffee which is served in a typical Costa Rican way. This can be bought in some coffee shops along the downtown area.
There are several hotels in San Jose which can serve the needs of tourists very well. We enlist a few options here. First is the Inca Real Hotel located along the Amon neighborhood, just inside the city’s tourist center. It is very near shopping districts, museums, bars, bus stations, and restaurants. Rooms are provided with TVs, Internet access, coffee makers, telephones and private baths.
The Ramada Plaza Herradura Hotel offers shuttle services to and from the International airport. It has 3 restaurants manned by award-winning chefs, a golf course that is open to guests, providing free transportation and daily breakfast as well. Rooms have Internet access, coffeemakers, cable TVs, hairdryers and so much more, depending on the preferred services.
The Casa Conde Apartotel is a four-star hotel located near Park La Pax and the popular Mall San Pedro. It is 30 minutes away from the airport. It is designed like a private island; hence, visitors can feel secure and safe in the hotel. It has a swimming pool, restaurant, bar, Jacuzzi and sauna. Free transportation to and from the airport is provided for the guests. The rooms are completely furnished and provided with TVs, kitchens, laundry machines, microwave ovens and many more.
Panama Has International Credibility
Oct 25th
Panama has international credibility. It’s easy to make a statement like that and then talk about all the qualities of a place in glowing terms and not really make any specific quantitative claims that can be pinned down. But the proof is on the pudding, or rather in the evidence. In the case of the Republic of Panama, it is easy to make the claim and easy to back it up.
One of the things that I think speaks volumes to this idea is the consistent inflow of foreign investment capital. In another of my articles, I discuss the details of how and why foreign capital flows into Panama. I think an investment of $6.2B (US) by U.S. companies alone in 2007 is strong proof of credibility.
Mercer Multinational Consultants reported on quality of life and personal safety in 215 cities worldwide. Panama City, the national capital, was ranked 96th, which places it above all other Central American cities. Mercer created these ranking by analyzing social, political and economic environment, health, education and transportation factors for each city.
A major consideration in making the choice to do business in Panama is quality of life. Panama City is cosmopolitan and offers excellent living conditions. Office, commercial, industrial and housing spaces are available, as are skilled, multilingual employees. Panama City is 5th in Latin America behind San Juan, Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. Panama City is first in Central America, 12 places above San Jose, Costa Rica.
With an index of 91.4, Panama City is the third safest city in Latin America, only behind San Juan, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic according to a report by International Scope.
With an 8% increase in GDP, Panama was the leader in economic growth in Latin America during 2008. Much of this due to the fact that Panama has a US dollar-based economy, low inflation and little foreign exchange risk, an absence of exchange controls, favorable and equal tax treatment of foreign and local citizens.
Panama has a stable Constitutional government with a keen understanding of its reliance on international trade. The Economic Freedom Index for 2009, a joint publication of The Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, ranked Panama 55th of 157 countries. Citizens and expatriates alike have freedom to make their own decisions for their benefit and for the benefit of their families.
You may argue that some of these are not indications of ‘credibility’ per se, but they are certainly evidence that something special is going on here in Panama; something worthy of international attention. Something worthy of your attention.
