Blogging Fusion

Paradise on Earth: Costa Rica Ranked Happiest Nation

Costa Rica is very nearly paradise, not just for holiday-makers lounging on its beaches, but for its citizens who are extremely satisfied with their lot and also have a tiny carbon footprint.

The combination has earned the central American country first place in a new Happy Planet Index (HPI) published on Monday.

While leaders of the developed world attending G8 talks in Italy worry away at economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), deflation and their implications for economic recovery, the second edition of the HPI lauds alternative standards that provide a new twist on the old adage that wealth does not buy happiness.

Costa Rica stands out for the highest levels of reported life satisfaction, a long life expectancy of 78.5 years and because 99 percent of its energy comes from renewable sources.

Playa Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
... one of 2009 "World's Sexiest Beaches" per Concierge.com

Latin American nations generally fare well, bagging nine out of 10 of the top spots and Sub-Saharan Africa performs very badly, with Zimbabwe taking bottom place. It scores 16.6 out of 100, compared with Costa Rica's HPI total of 76.1, according to an advance copy of the report.

Somewhere in between are the world's wealthiest economies.

The United States is placed 114th out of the 143 nations surveyed, with an HPI result of 30.7 and was found to be "greener and happier" 10 years ago than today--as were China and India, ranked respectively 20th and 35th, with scores of 57.1 and 53.

Economic Growth
"Following the siren's song of economic growth has delivered only marginal benefits to the world's poorest while undermining the basis of their livelihoods," said Nic Marks of the New Economic Foundation, a London-based "think and do tank" that pursues "real economic well-being" and is the brains behind the HPI.

"What's more it hasn't notably improved the well-being of those who were already rich, or even provided economic stability."

The aim, Marks said, was "to break the spell" and work towards "a high well-being, low-carbon economy before our high-consuming lifestyles plunge us into the chaos of irreversible climate change.

"To measure the efficiency with which countries convert the earth's finite resources into their citizens' well-being, the HPI takes three separate indicators--ecological footprint, life-satisfaction and life-expectancy--and then carries out complex calculations.

First published in 2006 as "a radical departure from our current obsession with GDP", the HPI's sums have been criticised for not taking sufficient account of issues such as political freedom, but the index has also found followers.Within two days of the launch of the first HPI, it was downloaded and read in 185 countries worldwide.

Among those who have taken up the idea are David Cameron, leader of Britain's opposition Conservative political party, and the European Commission has launched a programme "Beyond GDP" in pursuit of ways to measure progress better adapted to our age.

Anyone can calculate their own HPI though the Happy Planet Index website. www.HappyPlanetIndex.org

Costa Rica Crime Report

This morning I discovered my wallet missing from my previous days? pants pocket here in Costa Rica.

A search of the house, car, etc. turned-up nothing. Gone was all my Costa Rica identification, local debit cards, U.S. credit cards ? most everything important except for my passport (which remains at home).

In between canceling local bank cards and going to my local Banco Costa Rica to obtain a new Costa Rica Cedula (National Identification) and C.R. drivers license I called a friend to see if they could visit the Moravia, Costa Rica café I had sat in the previous night ? just in case my wallet had fell out of my pocket at the restaurant and an honest customer or employee had turned it in. A stretch on many different levels.

Within 15 minutes my friend called back and said the café had my wallet, but they would not release it to my friend ? that I had to retrieve it myself, matching the identification in the wallet.

About 45 minutes later I had my wallet with everything intact. The waitress that found my wallet seemed genuinely happy to return it to me.

That?s all for this Costa Rica crime report (or lack there of )

Travel IN Costa Rica on the Cheap - Kids Fly Free Summer Airfare Program

NatureAir Announces Costa Rica Kids Fly Free Summer Program

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, June 16 -- Today NatureAir, the world's first voluntary carbon neutral airline, announced that families in pursuit of a great summer deal are getting their wish with the airline's kids fly free summer savings program.

From June 15 through August 30, 2009 NatureAir is opening up its skies for children up to 11 years old to all destinations NatureAir flies IN Costa Rica with the purchase of two adult round trip tickets (all travel is within Costa Rica).

"With the struggling economy we felt it was time to help our loyal customers keep some cash in their pockets," said Alexi Huntley Khajavi, NatureAir Commercial Director. "At NatureAir we want to bring families closer together and understand that vacationing in Costa Rica is an unforgettable experience."

Road travel in Costa Rica can be very dangerous and time consuming due to unpaved and unmarked roads. However by utilizing air travel families can reach many destinations in under an hour.

For a complete list of flight schedules and prices visit www.natureair.com or call 800-235-9272. For vacation information contact NatureAir's eco-friendly travel agency NatureVacations (http://www.naturevacations.com).


¡Pura Cielos Amigables!

Kids Can Write About Costa Rica and Get Published

The Luckiest Man (still) ALIVE in Costa Rica

Driving in Costa Rica is dangerous.  Plain and simple. 

Otherwise sane and courteous people become self-absorbed road-rage maniacs once behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle here in the land of un-enforced traffic laws. 

Drivers stop and block whole lanes of traffic to step inside a store for a loaf of bread.  Traffic control is a joke with drivers ignoring posted speed limits, disobeying traffic lights, stop signs, school zones, etc. etc.

Probably the single largest Costa Rica traffic problem is when drivers completely ignore marked roadways reducing navigation to a free-for-all.  Motorcycles weave through traffic passing cars on both the left and right sides while using oncoming lanes as their own personal drag strips. 

Cars along with motorcycles routinely pull U-turns in the middle of heavy traffic:

An illegal and DANGEROUS u-turn on the four-lane divided highway "Autopista Prospero Fernandez" or
'road to Caldera'. This driver was but one of six drivers to complete this same maneuver within a half-hour
time period as observed and photographed by InsideCostaRica.com

Drivers also systematically ignore one-way streets;  driving into oncoming traffic in order to avoid going around the block:

Despite the obvious right-turn only street sign, a Costa Rica driver makes an illegal left-turn for an approximate
100 foot drive against one-way oncoming traffic on San Jose's Calle 7 in order to avoid going around
the block. During rush hour there is a procession of cars completing this same dangerous maneuver
as reported and pictured by A.M. Costa Rica

These driving practices are in a word; Deadly.

And when Costa Rica drivers need to turn, many feel there is no need to wait for a turn lane when they can simply drive around other vehicles and cut-off all other traffic as they force their way in.

The following video is of a May, 2009 car crash in the Costa Rica town of Zapote, a suburb of the San Jose capital.  The footage was captured by a traffic-cam at the Zapote rotunda:

What you saw in this video is classic Costa Rica driving with a really bad ending.  Automobiles are lined up in a left-turn lane when a car driving in the outside lane attempts to beat another car while crossing two-lanes of traffic to make a left turn in-front of the waiting vehicles.  As detailed in the video, the resulting crash was horrific.  The car that was hit head-on was driven by a man and his new wife, both were killed instantly leaving one young child without a mother.

As you could see in the video, this type of driving behavior is not limited to a few bad drivers.  The video also shows a city bus pulling the same illegal turning maneuver presumably with a bus load of passengers.  As the bus makes its move, another driver tries to make a U-turn behind the bus and is almost hit by an oncoming car that just cleared the bus.

And the madness doesn't stop with public bus drivers.  Almost daily while taking my son to school I witness Costa Rica school bus drivers weaving through traffic, making U-turns and cutting-off other cars while packed with uniformed private school students.  It's absolutely nutz and the main reason my son's life is no longer entrusted with the friendly neighborhood bus driver - a wave, a smile & and then let the reckless driving begin with my son in his van - No Thanks!  Parents if you love your kids, anonymously follow their school bus once in a while to check the drivers habits!!!

New Costa Rica traffic laws have been written, passed through legislation and will soon take effect in efforts to curtail this crazyness ... but without real enforcement, the desired reforms will more than likely have little effect on the culture of chaos that is currently Costa Rica's roadways.

Then again, Costa Rica police have their own traffic issues:

For all the wonderful things that are Costa Rica, this little traffic problem is not going to fix itself.  Especially as more and more cars crowd the roadways and newer generations of drivers learn these same bad behaviors.

Meanwhile, the guy in the video sitting on his motorcycle waiting to make a left turn is this month's "Luckiest man [still] ALIVE in Costa Rica".  Hopefully he'll slow down and not weave through traffic for a day or so after catching such a lucky break ... wishful thinking I'm sure.

Still not convinced driving in Costa Rica is dangerous?!  Check out this video from Micheal Allen and D'Angelo of www.TravelCostaRicaNow.com

Be sure to see our other Costa Rica traffic related content:

• Driving in Costa Rica makes NASCAR look like a gentleman's sport.
• Costa Rica Traffic Sign Suggestions (humor to help offset the frustration & sadness)

Costa Rica Ranks 7th in Most Politically Stable Countries - Worldwide

Those considering international locations to expand business, invest, buy vacation property, relocate or retire must always take into account the stability of the country.  As a United States citizen that has relocated to Costa Rica, I am arguably biased as to why I think this beautiful country is a great choice for business and relocation ... however, my opinions are admittedly based more on personal feelings than hard facts.

The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited is a research and advisory company providing country, industry and management analysis worldwide.  Known for its country profiles, monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports and industry reports; the Economist also specializes in tailored research for companies that require analysis for particular markets or business sectors.  Its regular reports include the 'liveability' of the world's major cities and the quality-of-life index which receive wide coverage in international news sources.

In a March 2009 special report titled "Manning the Barricades", The Economist issued a detailed forecast outlining the current world economic crisis and its possible effects on political stability.  Within the report individual countries where ranked for vulnerability of political instability. 

According to the report Costa Rica is rated one of the world's most stable countries ... with only 6 countries ranked higher out of 165.  Of all the countries in the Americas (North America, Central America, The Caribbean and South America); only Costa Rica and Canada made the top 20 - the U.S.A. ranked 55 overall.

Costa Rica is not utopia.  It is not for everybody and is still considered a 'developing' nation.  However, some of the misconceptions about Costa Rica are downright comical ... just today I read a question from a online poster asking if Costa Rica had Internet, cable television and cell phones.  Just in case you don't know; Costa Rica does have all three.  I'm posting this blog on my own high-speed cable Internet Wi-Fi connection from my three bedroom condominium filled with custom hardwood furniture while  a really great evening breeze comes through my bedroom window that remains open year-round.

What Costa Rica also has is a stable national banking system that didn't get involved in the high-risk lending practices experienced in other countries.  It's not a coincidence that the only banks in trouble here in Costa Rica are private/foreign owned ... like Citibank.

The Costa Rica economy has slowed down along with the rest of the world and some economists have declared Costa Rica to be experiencing its own recession. Yet Costa Rica's stability continues to; attract foreign companies in opening new facilities and to expand on existing operations, keep domestic and foreign driven construction projects online even as funding sources have become more conservative, maintain real estate values due to relatively consistent demand and attract foreigners for vacations, reduced-priced first-class medical treatments, relocations and retirement.

If these are all the traits of a 'developing' or 'third-world' country ... I am happy to be a part of it.

¡Pura Estabilidad!

Or if you prefer use one of our linkware images? Click here