Middle Earth actor lands in Costa Rica

There is nothing as titillating as a celebrity sighting, and when English actor Dominic Monaghan arrived at Juan Santamaría International Airport last Friday at 9 a.m., La Nación was quick to report it. According to the Costa Rican daily, Monaghan was spotted at the Hotel Presidente and charmed some passersby en route. He has visited the country at least twice before, in 2005 and 2006. Having spent enormous chunks of his life filming in New Zealand and Hawaii, he will likely feel at home in an intimate tropical country.

The question lingers: Why is the 36-year-old actor, best known as the drug-addled rockstar in “Lost” and the merry Hobbit Merry in “Lord of the Rings,” hanging out in San José? According to IMDB, both his latest films, “Deep Burial” and “Molly Moon: The Incredible Hypnotist,” are in post-production, so shooting a movie is doubtful. According to past interviews, Monaghan’s brother lives in Costa Rica, so perhaps it’s a fraternal visit. Or maybe he just wants to catch the beaches in the low season?

We can only hope he enjoys himself and doesn’t end up stranded on a time-traveling Pacific island on the way back.