The faces of some of Costa Rica’s toughest amateur boxers, these seven are a sampling taken at their coach’srecommendation before the Central American Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships and include the five gold medalwinners and, likely, some of the nation’s up-and-coming professional boxers and Olympic hopefuls. They are:MENLead by two of the men below – JuanGabriel Zúñiga and Mario Castillo – theCosta Rican men’s team took second placein the international tournament that includedall of Central America and Panama.Between work and study, these men managedto become some of the best internationalamateur boxers.Lucas AriasWeight: 81 kg (179 lbs)Class: HeavyweightAge: 23At Saturday’s champsionship,he lost by points toa Nicaraguan who eventuallytook the gold.Taking the bronze in hiscategory after an early defeat from the eventualwinner, Arias did not defend his title aslast year’s champion at the CentralAmerican Championship.“I didn’t fight my style,” he said. “I foughtthe way you do in real life, but if I would havefought the way I was trained he wouldn’thave won so easily. Next month, I’d like togo pro.”In other competitions, he earned a silvermedal at the Olympic Festival in Mexico Citylast year, and three gold medals and one silverin national fights. He plans to go pro thisyear. From Cartago, Arias is a bouncer at abar during his off-time.Mario CastilloWeight: More than 91 kg(200 lbs)Class: Super heavyweightAge: 31He won by a technicalknockout in the first roundin the championship’sfinals. During the match, hepunched his opponent out of the ring andhalfway down the stairs.“That medal has my name on it,” he saidbefore the fight.Taking the gold, Castillo brings 11 yearsof boxing experience to the ring, two previousgold medals in Central AmericanChampionships, two silver medals inCentral American and Caribbean championshipsand golds in “four or five” nationalcompetitions (he doesn’t remember).In his off-time, he is a bouncer at ClubColonial, teaches Tae Kwon Do and studiescomputer engineering and education.He started boxing competitively with agold medal win in El Salvador in 1994 andwas pleased to end his amateur experiencewith another gold. He plans to go professionalnext year.Marcos de la OsaWeight: 91 kg (200 lbs)Class: HeavyweightAge: 23De la Osa took the silverin his first internationalchampionship. This year,he lost the gold by points toa Nicaraguan.“I’m a little disappointed,” he said. “Iknow I could have beaten him. I’ll comeback next year.”He earned a gold medal in a nationalcompetition. From San José, he works in asportsbook (online gambling call center),studies business administration, and competesin kickboxing.Henry SalazarWeight: 69 kg (152 lbs)Class: MiddleweightAge: 21Salazar took the bronzein his category – his firstprize in an internationalcompetition.“He had more internationalexperience,” he said of his opponent.“Two months of training and I could beathim.”He is considering going pro this year.Salazar earned a gold medal in a nationalcompetition. From Guadalupe, Salazar studieselectronic engineering in his off-time.Juan GabrielZúñigaWeight: 64 kg (141 lbs)Class: MiddleweightAge: 22Taking the gold in hiscategory, Zúñiga defended his title with atechnical knockout in the third round, havingwon one gold medal in the Central AmericanChampionship last year.“I feel good,” he said. “I’m content forhaving achieved it again.”“My preparation took me far, and myteachers,” he said. “I have to thank the trainersin my corner – they told me what had tohappen and that helped a lot.”He also earned four gold medals andone silver in national championships. Thisyear, he is considering going pro. FromPuntarenas on the Pacific coast, Zúñiga hasboxed for six years and in his off-time heworks in sales.WOMENNeither national nor international competitionshave been available to women inCosta Rica until this year, when theyentered competition for the first time with thecoveted Central American Championship.These three all took gold medals and wonCosta Rica the first-place trophy in thewomen’s division.KatheleenO’ConnellWeight: 48 kg (106 lbs)Age: 19Experience: 6 years inboxingO’Connell took the firstwomen’s gold medal in thefirst women’s regionalchampionship with a technical knockout inthe first round .“I think it’s beautiful boxing in this country,”she said. “Eventually I hope to turn professional.”From the Southern Zone port town ofGolfito, O’Connell has trained for six years,and lately, in preparation for this competition,seven days per week. She has dual citizenshipin the United States and CostaRica.“I got into boxing by accident,” she said.“I was walking downtown (in Golfito), saw agym and the trainer called me in to practice.I tried it. I was 13 and from then on I havepracticed.”Beside winning the gold, O’Connell wasawarded the trophy for the most technicalfemale boxer for the number of technicalknockouts she doled out.“I feel great,” she said. “I’m going tokeep training, fight next year.”O’Connell is aiming for the 2008Olympics, after which she plans to box professionallyKarla RodríguezWeight: 70 kg (154 lbs)Age: 22Experience: 3 years inboxingTaking the gold medalin her category, Rodríguezsaid she will keep trainingand come back next year.From San José, Rodríguez has trainedin the city and with O’Connell in Golfito.“I was always interested in how boxerslooked – technique, strength,” she said. “SoI looked for a trainer.”Rodríguez said she normally fights menduring training because there aren’t a lot ofwomen in the sport.Martina AriasWeight: 60 kg (132 lbs)Age: 17Experience: 4 years inboxingTaking the gold medalin her category, Arias saidthe reason Costa Ricanwomen did so well wasbecause “we have more interest in the sportthan other girls, and we want to show thatCosta Rican girls are stronger.”From Escazú, Arias has always beeninvolved in sports, and since she was youngshe enjoyed this one.“It was always just a sport, I neverthought I would compete,” she said. “Myfamily has been extremely supportive. Mymother was nervous at first, but she isbehind me 100%.”Arias felt excellent after the fight, eventhough she hurt herself in the competition.“I injured my thumb, but did not let itkeep me from winning,” she said.Note: When a boxer turns “pro,” the personis able to accept money and sponsorshipsfor fighting. Once turning pro, theboxer is unable to return to amateur status.

FOUR adaptations from Bocaccio’sDecameron, “Se infiel sin mirar con quien”(Be unfaithful regardless of with whom)bills itself as a conservation of the lewd andcritical spirit of the original stories.The playbill waxes philosophic on thesecrass and funny skits, saying “600 yearsafter his death Bocaccio continues surprisingus perhaps because he shows the humanbeing as it is: a person with virtues anddefects, shames and joys…”At first glance, however, the collectionof skits looks like three actors finding successivelyimprobable ways to have sex withanyone but their spouses.The dialogue in Spanish and actors’flourishes draw from Costa Rican culture (alo Tico), most notably in the final skit, whichis performed in rural accents, straw hats andan exposed gut.THE set is sparse, limited to woodenboxes, a table and a minimum of props, andthe theater is intimate, the front row of seatsmere inches from the wandering paths ofthe actors. All of that is par for the coursefor these independent productions, and thelack of complexity showcases the talents ofthe actors.The plots of each skit are ridiculous, butall three of the actors compensate, nevermissing an opportunity to squeeze out onemore laugh with a facial expression, a tone,or a gesture.The first skit opens with two men,(actors Eloy Mora and José Luis Solano)preaching against the abundance of sexualimages in the media, a conversation thatculminates in the denouncement of amechanical woman (played by MercedesUmaña) below a billboard advertisementfor “milch.”One of them (Mora) goes to sleep andwhen he wakes the woman has come to life.She tells, him, among other things, that sheis a virgin and that God tells her he wasMarilyn Monroe in a past life. She also saysshe has a command from God to lose hervirginity to him, which he resists. It ends ina not unforeseeable twist, as do the otherthree.THE second portrays a woman whosays her husband does not give her enoughsexual attention. She tries to seduce a visitor(Mora) who seems more than mildlyretarded and at first is not aware of herintentions. She finally succeeds when herhusband (Solano) comes home and shemust invent an excuse for the visit of hernew lover.The third portrays another sexuallyunsatisfied married woman (Umaña) wholets a girlfriend (Mora in drag) convince herto invite over an attractive constructionworker who works across the street fromher house. There is the funny interplaybetween strangers seducing each other, thenher husband comes home when things haveheated up, opening the door to the surpriseending.The final skit is funny if you understandthe country’s rural accents, or have spentany time outside of Costa Rican cities. Allthree actors caricaturize the campesino well– especially Mora with a stutter and a shoutthat escapes him unexpectedly, wearing hisshirt unbuttoned to expose his bean-and rice-fed belly, and Umaña who is a perfectreplica of a country housewife.A houseguest (Solano) says he learneda spell that turns his mare into a woman atnights. The couple he is visiting wants himto teach the spell so the two of them canbecome horses by day. He shows them,demonstrating it first on the woman anddoing things that seem objectionable.The Sala 15 café is atmospheric,trimmed in natural wood, with tables on abalcony overlooking the ground-floorentrance and kitchen counter. The cherryand coffee cheesecakes are the specialtiesof the house. Also, the pizza bread andempanadas, and, of course, the coffees arerecommended.The café features live music onWednesday nights and theater productionsFridays and Satudays at 8 p.m. It is locatedsouth of the Plaza de la Democracia in SanJosé. For more info, call 258-9461 or 223-7482.

THIS month, art created by studentsat the European School in SanPablo de Heredia, north of San José,will be packed up and shipped overseasto London.The 10 selected works will be displayedat the end of August at theLondon International Gallery ofChildren’s Art.Children from kindergarten throughsixth grade used natural materials torecreate the natural beauty of CostaRica. The students worked together ongroup projects from sock puppets tocollages.The works “create awareness aboutthe children in Costa Rica and howthey live,” said Catherine Aronson, theEuropean School director.ARONSON’S favorite piece, madeby the kindergarteners, is “a butterflymobile made out of seeds that I’ve onlyseen here,” she said. “It’s really interesting.”The London gallery’s “main focusis to have showings of children’s workaround the world,” Aronson added.After London, the works may beexhibited in galleries and schools in theUnited States.

WHILE reading the lesson inour tiny church last Sunday, Ichanced to look up for a momenttowards the west window, whichunfortunately hasn’t yet been fittedwith the stained glass we promisedourselves.And there, framed by the clearwindow and casting her radianceover the congregation, wasAphrodite, Greek goddess of love,beauty and fruitfulness.I had never before seen suchunutterable beauty and as she lookedstraight at me my heart began to beat like a mad thing, like abird trapped in my chest, and the words died in my mouth.Our pastor started towards me, evidently thinking I washaving a heart attack, which in a way I was, and I momentarilyturned away to reassure him. But when I looked back,Ariadne had gone and old Mrs. Aristides, who was standingup to relieve a cramp, had taken her place.Old Mrs. Aristides is a worthy citizen, but could in noway be mistaken for a goddess, so I finished the lesson asquickly as I could and hurried out of a side door to get help.My neighbor is a psychoanalyst and I made for his clinicwith my heart still doing double time.When I had finished pouring out my story, hesaid:“Jackson, you’re a lucky man. You have fallen in loveagain, transfixed by Cupid’s dart.”“Alex,” I said, “Don’t joke about this. Just tell me whatreally happened.”“OKAY,” he said, “I’ll tell you the truth, but you’re notgoing to like it nearly so much as the myth. Let me explain:if your mother raised you right, she taught you almost fromthe beginning the difference between good and bad. And onthe good side she instilled in you, by constant repetition,notions of truth, beauty and goodness, so that however rarethese qualities may be in today’s world, at least you recognizethem when you see them.“My guess is that in the middle of a lesson exhorting usto love one another, you looked up and saw someone whoreminded you of your mother. In an instant, her teaching, theexhortation to love, your own memories of greek mythology,and the stream of light from the window blended into a powerfulillusion, in which you saw truth, beauty and goodnesspersonified.”He paused a moment, then went on.“Had the estimable Mrs. Aristides not stood up or if youwere reading from a different lesson, this would probablynot have happened. But it is through just this kind of associationthat we fall in love with ordinary people, creditingthem with qualities that exist only in our minds. And then,unreasonably, we later blame them for not coming up toexpectations. But at least you have had the experience. Somepeople, especially those raised in an institution, never do. Sogo home, get some sleep, and thank your stars you haveknown love,”Well, I’m not sure I can swallow that, but his guess thatthe lesson was about loving one another was right on thebutton, so I’ll accept it until I find a better explanation.

SOME music aficionados may not findCosta Rica to be the most ideal place for aninternational music festival.While nearly half the venues are burdenedwith the racket of waves crashingbelow, other concert sites struggle with theroar of rainstorms or singing frogs on jungleevenings. And, at a handful, the burden of arushing river 200 meters away is too muchto handle between Brahms and Bach.But to an increasing number of musicians,Costa Rica’s XIV Music Festival,sponsored by Credomatic, affords the uniqueopportunity to captivate audiences withGregorian chants or Italian operas amidstcloud forests and Pacific sunsets.This year’s festival, from July 31-Aug.22, boasts participants from European citiesclassically known for their musical tradition.While the St. Petersburg ConservatoryChamber Orchestra and the Voci ItalianeEnsemble may be accustomed to playinggrandiose concert halls or ancient theaters,they spend three weeks of their summer in thestunning natural surroundings of Costa Rica.FROM the cliff-hugging maze of VillasCaletas on the Pacific Coast to the jungle surroundedCentro Neotrópico de Sarapiquíto the Hotel Arenal Lodge, at the foot of theactive Northern Zone-Volcano, the concertsrotate venues throughout the country duringthe month.In a classy version of a Grateful Dead reminiscentroadtrip, visitors can travel fromsite to site seeing Belarussian violin virtuosoAnatoli Karaev and the Bach Academy ofBerlin, while catching incredible biodiversityon the way.For locals, the festival is an opportunityto combine weekend getaways with world classconcerts. And for those who are notready to share their Puccini with the soundsof nature, nearly all of the artists will alsoperform at the National Theater in downtownSan José, Aug. 14-21.Costa Rica’s own Surá Chamber Choruswill perform with the St. Petersburg orchestraAug. 21.In an effort to make the festival accessibleto all, as in years past, there will be twofree concerts at churches. With a repertoirein popular Italian tradition, the vocal ensembleVoci Italiane will perform pieces ofoperas at the Grecia church, northwest ofSan José, with its great organ, on Aug. 11.FARTHER west, the San Ramón churchwill get a taste of ancient Russian musicAug. 20 with Svetilen. The seven-membergroup creates a mysterious, Celtic-likesound a cappella and at times incorporatingancient Russian instruments, according tofestival organizer Jordi Antich.Most of the concerts have a more privatetone, held in outdoor amphitheaters orindoor halls that seat only between 25-150people. In these locales, if the music andnature aren’t enough to overwhelm the senses,the fine restaurants and luxurious lodgingscould be.Other venues include: Hotel RealIntercontinental, in Escazú; Hotel Alta westof Escazú; Hotel El Tirol in Monte de laCruz, Heredia; Hacienda Pinilla inGuanacaste; Hotel Flor Blanca in Mal Pais;Hotel Villa Alegre in Playa Tamarindo, theCasa Camarona on the Caribbean coast andthe intimate and beautiful Bosque de PazLodge and Biological Reserve near Bajo deToro.IN addition to the aforementionedartists, the festival features England’sCovent Garden soloists – including violin,viola and cello, Italian trumpeter AndreaLucchi, and Trianche from England and theUnited States.For more info about the festival or topurchase tickets, call 295-9747.

IF there is an ounce of truth in kung fumovies then Costa Rica did have an armylast week, if only of one man, during the visitof supreme karate instructor and 10th degreeblack belt Hirokazu Kanazawa. He met withstudents and instructors in his schools herefor five days while making the rounds of hisCentral American outposts of a revival ofphilosophy in karate.In 2002, Kanazawa attained the highestkarate ranking possible, making him the onlyperson in his federation of schools and one ofan extreme few in the world with such a title.Nearly 30 years ago, Kanazawa left theJapan Karate Association (JKA) and formeda network of schools called ShotokanKarate-do International Federation (SKIF).His mission was to re-instill a focus on thephilosophy of karate – something that hethought had been ignored in JKA.“Harmony and respect are okay,” he said,meaning those are desirable. “JKA meansonly fighting.”ONE of the men who were instrumentalin bringing Costa Rican schools into the federation,Francisco Estevez, elaborated:“There was a time when JKA only createdfighters. Sensei’s (Kanazawa’s) philosophyis oriented to developing the person.”Kanazawa, 73, said his and JKA’s methodsare two ways to achieve the same goal.Now, his schools span the globe in 120countries. Eight are in Costa Rica.An element of the philosophy he is tryingto rescue from the combat is the concept ofthe Hara, a point on the body four inchesbelow the navel that is considered the body’scenter of gravity.“Many kinds of training develop Hara,”he said. “Movements, intention, breathing,all must be in harmony.”AFTER judging Costa Rican karate studentsfor their capacity to advance levels, hesaid he was surprised with their ability,which he ascribes to the instructors.“Most of them have very good physicalsense, good timing, good movement, stance,hips, abdomen,” he said. “Good hip work ishard to achieve without work on the Hara.”When asked, he doesn’t mention the abilityto leave whole biker gangs curled up andgroaning on the floor as one of karate’sattractions. Rather, he said he devoted hislife to the sport and its instruction for altruisticreasons.“I would like everybody to becomehealthy and happy,” he said. “Strong spiritand body, then they can do for society, countryand world.”He believes karate is a path to worldpeace – there is a respect involved even inthe language of the sport that teaches peopleto respect different cultures. The commandsand names of movements in karate are allspoken in Japanese, regardless of what languagethe students and instructors speak.IN Japan, he said, “when we play baseball,we use English. In karate, we useJapanese. It’s respect.” He said that kind ofrespect promotes world peace.Two years ago, he began training Israelisand Palestinians and last year he offered thefirst international championship between thecountries. It took place on the Palestinianside in a building that was surrounded witharmed guards to prevent violence. Whereasbefore they would not speak to each other, hesaid, some of them left that championship asfriends.The eight schools affiliated with SKIF inCosta Rica teach those principles to morethan 200 students. Estevez and Alex Vargas,both 4th degree black belts, brought the firstschool into the fold in 1998.Estevez said the difference betweenSKIF schools and others is that the SKIFinstructors are counseled by qualifiedJapanese instructors, which is not always thecase in other schools.VARGAS said the benefits of training inthe SKIF model are not limited to the sportyaspect of it, but also the traditional aspect.“We think about how to win over ourselves,”he said, “not over others.”For a month of lessons, three times perweek, the going rate in SKIF schools is¢9,000 ($20.60).For more info, call Vargas at 261-1022,or e-mail him at alexskifcr@costarricense.cr.

KABEGWA, an indigenous tribe association,is looking for a few good volunteersto help protect the iguana populationswhere the Maleku and Cabécare indigenoustribes live, since increasing iguanahunting has been damaging the populationof the species.The tribes traditionally hunt iguanas as afood source and they also use their leather tomake drums.“We’re trying to relieve some of thepressure that has been put on the iguanapopulation and to repair the damage thathas been done by so much iguana hunting,”said Orlando Fletes, who is workingwith the project on behalf of the Ministryof the Environment and Energy (MINAE).VOLUNTEERS can stay with a tribalfamily in Guatuzo, in north central CostaRica, for free (except the cost of food), forone week to three months while workingon the project.Iguana conservation is not the onlyendeavor available for volunteers. Otherefforts will be made for reforestation oftribal lands and identification and preservationof plants used in natural indigenousmedicine.Additionally, volunteers are needed tostudy and compile the oral traditionsof the tribes.The Ministry of Culturealong with MINAE pledgedsupport for the oral traditionproject in the form of the 2004Cultural Study Award, whichprovides ¢5,000 ($11.50) permonth from March-December,totaling $115.Ana Isabel Robles, who isin charge of indigenous mattersat the Ministry of Culture, said themoney probably won’t cover all the project’sexpenses, but it is meant to give ahelping hand.“MOST people who win this awardhave already been working on the projectfor a while and continue to work on it afterthe money has run out,” Robles said. “Ithink José (Morales, president ofKabegwa) started on this last year.”The end product will be a bilingualdocument, in both Maleku and Spanish,with oral stories of the tribe that have beentold throughout the centuries.To reach this goal, however,Kabegwa wants to bring involunteers from outside of thetribes.“In the past it has been afight for assimilation and weare trying to fight for conservation,”Morales said. “It’svery hard for other cultures tounderstand this, for that reasonwe are very interested inculture exchange.”AFTER all, the broader goal of theproject is to help advance the indigenouscultures without imposing Western or capitalisticways upon them, which Moralessays is what often happens when entiregroups from outside of the tribal culturecome in to help, as opposed to individualsworking with Kabegwa.“What our organization is trying to dois to not reflect a Western cultural development,rather to develop the values of theindigenous, their knowledge, spiritualityand their needs,” Morales said.“The Western way of advancement iseconomic growth and power while theindigenous way is the advancement ofknowledge. The two aren’t even comparable,”he added.For more info or to help, call Moralesat 368-5770.Costa Rica Featured in Travel and Leisure MagazineCOSTA Rica’s tourism industry has just received a virtual boost from Travel andLeisure magazine. The country was featured in the cover story in the June 2004 magazine,which said the country is expected to draw in 1.2 million visitors, a 20% increase from lastyear. The stylish travel magazine sent an associate editor and a travel and fashion photographerto roam the country and pull together a quick travel guide for would-be tourists.The magazine devoted 12 full pages of beautiful photos to the country, dividing it byregions with suggestions for upscale accommodations and restaurants as well as the typicalexcursions such as deep-sea fishing and canopy tours. The article is full of quick andsuccinct descriptions with “don’t miss” and “insider tips” for beaches, local food andcraft buying.

A tense, eerie quiet settles into the two-storyarena as soon as the blaring rancheromusic stops and the green gate rips open.A fast flurry of man, bull, arms, hooves,cowboy hats, horns and dirt tear out of thegate and whip around the arena in a frenzy.The crowd leans in and holds its collectivebreath. The man on the bull lets go and botharms fly in circular motions as his torso isrocked back and forth by the bull’s bucking.It looks like a violent version of the butterflystroke.Within 10 seconds, it’s finished and therider has scurried out of the ring. The bullpants, flares its nostrils andlooks around with a scaredand rebellious glint in itseyes. Two other cowboystake the place of the rider andare faced with the task ofeither leading the bull out ofthe ring or roping and forcingit out, to get ready for thenext bull.And then it happensagain. At Rancho SantaAlicia in Liberia, the capitalof the northwestern Guanacasteprovince, about 12 or15 times on a Saturday night,young men in cowboy bootsand fringed chaps will climbinto the pen and lower themselvesonto the heaving back of an angry bullor bronco horse to be shot out into the gatedarena and bucked off.THE ranch doesn’t just do bulls, though.Ranch owners also offer horse lessons andriding tours of their 150-acre property.Sundays, they hold horse races at noon and onthe first Sunday of the month there are ringraces. After the Sunday races there is morebull riding with varied entertainment, as insinging cowboys and folkloric dances.It’s hard to imagine that the owners, husbandand wife, Philip and Mary Bookman,had never owned or even ridden a horsebefore buying the ranch, which came completewith restaurant, bar, horses and house,in October.In fact, they were much more of the operaand symphony crowd.“I miss it, but this is a different life,” saidPhilip during a bouncy jeep ride while surveyinghis property and its many riding trails.He says he has even gotten used to theconstant blaring ranchero music, althoughsometimes it gets to him.The retired newspaperman and his artist turned-real estate agent wife not only talk thetalk but they walk the walk.PHILIP bought a thoroughbred racehorseand gets visibly excited talking horses.Mary rides every day and continues takingriding lessons. While Philip can be seen inloafers and jeans, Mary has a whole new outfitincluding horseshoe earrings,white leather cowboyboots and a purple cowboyhat.The ranch’s two mostpopular attractions, horsenight and bull night, arequite different.An old cowboy fromWyoming, Jerry Dalfors,said horse people are showpeople, like people whoshow dogs. The horse and itsrider have a relationship andthey work together, whereasthere is no relationshipbetween animal and rider ina rodeo.“Having a good relationshipwith a horse is like having a good relationshipwith your secretary,” Dalfors said.“She thinks for you and you avoid problemsthat way. But rodeo, rodeo is a carryover fromthe old cowboy days. It’s the same as anyother macho sport. The cowboys had to provethey were better cowboys by riding wild horsesand bulls that had never been riddenbefore.”EVEN with all that macho influence, it’snot just men in the audience. Children, grandmothersand teenage girls in halter tops arejust as likely to show up.“This is great. We come every week,”saidMonica León, there with her lifelong friend,Iris García.The two middle-aged women both wearing conservativegold jewelry sat at one of many white plastic tableson the second floor of the arena.“It’s one of the few places in Liberia where you canbring the whole family and see different things,” Leónsaid.León’s son is a bull rider.“NERVOUS? Of course I get nervous,” she said,sipping a beer on a night when he wasn’t scheduled toride.“We used to get into big fights about whether or nothe should ride. But, what can I do?” she shrugged.In early June there was a fatality at the ranch. A bullstepped on a man’s head after bucking the rider. He dieden route to the hospital. Another bull gored a man andpunctured his lung.The Red Cross is always on hand, but they can’t preventinjuries. On her last trip to the United States, Marybought protective vests and head gear with a face guard.ACCORDING to the Bookmans, this type of protectivegear is not available in Costa Rica. The couplewas worried that with the combination of Costa Rica’smacho ambient and the inherent machismo of rodeo, riders would be reluctant to be seen wearinghelmets and vests.“But, it could save their lives,”Mary said, waving a bejeweled hand.“It’s stupid not to wear it.”The first night protective gear wasintroduced, more than half of the riderswore the vests. A few were seen tryingon the head gear, but the helmets provedto be too small. The Bookmans werehappy with the reception of the protectivegear, hoping it would catch on evenmore in the following weeks and preventfurther injuries.The entrance fee for Saturday nightentertainment is ¢500 ($1.15) and theshow begins at 8 p.m. Sunday’s entertainmentis free. The races begin at noonand the show begins around 4 p.m.AN hour-long riding tour of theranch’s trails costs $15. A tour withlunch, a show including folkloric dancesand marimba concert is $40. A tour,lunch and an exhibit of horses in thering is $25. Lunch and a show costs $20.The ranch is about 15 kilometerssouth of Liberia on the Inter-AmericanHighway.The last weekend of July will beRancho Santa Alicia’s first trade fair.Friday night will be the reception with ahorse show and a ranchero music competition.Saturday will have bull ridingand an exhibition of horses from breederCarlos Adrian Vargas Murillo.Sunday there will be ring races and arodeo championship betweenGuanacaste and San Carlos. Mondayafternoon there will be more bull ridingand an exhibit of Spanish Americanhorses.For more info, contact the ranch at671-2513.

SPORTFISHINGboats on thenorthern Pacificcoast are enjoying asteady bite in front ofTamarindo, in thenorthwestern provinceof Guanacaste,in 150 feet of water,scarcely 20 minutesrunning time fromthe beach.Capullo skipper Steve Curtis saidboats are raising about 15 sails a day, getting6-10 to the boat for release, but thewind came on Sunday and he ran southraising three marlin, with one caught andreleased along with some sails and a fewtuna up to 35 pounds.“The Dorado IV braved the winds andstayed off Tamarindo and went six for 15on sails for the day in 200 feet of water,”Curtis said.He predicted the winds will go downby mid-week, with the bite continuing hotalong the northern coast.Curtis also reported a lot of trash-linesthat the dorado like to lie under in thewater off Tamarindo. Anglers are pickingup one or two of the colorful and mightygood eating mahi-mahi on nearly everypass.We look for the bite to continue steadyalong the northern coast through July andAugust if things follow their normal pattern,likely with increased marlin actionthat often continues into September.I also heard from Bruce Hankins, whooperates the Bahia Langosta Condos. Hesent guests Sandi May and Ruth AnnCook out on Brock Menkings’ OspreyJuly 4 and in only four hours they releasedfive of the six sails raised and broughthome four dorado and four tuna. Not tooshabby for a half-day trip.No reports from any of the skippersworking out of the Playa Carrillo area andmy son Rick Ruhlow, who skippers theKingfisher there, was out of the country,but fishing has to be much the same in thatregion.Further to the south, Julie Kieldsensaid Susan Tharp of Bradenton, Fla. had agreat day on her first try for sailfish, on the35-foot Sailfish, skippered by Capt. BillKieldsen out of Los Sueños Marina, hookingnine sails and bringing six to the boatfor release, all 90-130 pounders.“The water is blue all the way up thecoast line and we have been catching tuna,wahoo and dolphin along with the salfish,”Kieldsen said.Further south, the reports have beenless cheerful. Veteran skipper BillGannon’s boat the Unique has been out ofthe water for an overhaul, but he obliged usby making a few calls when we couldn’ttrack down any reports.The best catch in that region Gannonheard of was on the Swordfish, which onSunday released four sails and severalsmall dorado.No reports at all from the Golfitoregion in the Southern Pacific, and yourguess is as good as mine as to what’s happeningon the Caribbean coast. Our onlyreports from that region seem to comefrom the Rio Colorado Lodge. The owner,Dan Wise, is still out of the country andphone at the lodge goes unanswered.For more info on fishing or assistance inplanning a trip to Costa Rica, contact Jerryat jruhlow@costaricaoutdoors.com orvisit www.costaricaoutdoors.comSkippers, operators and anglers areinvited to e-mail or call Jerry with fishingreports by Wednesday of each week. Call orfax: 282-6743 if calling from Costa Rica, orthrough the e-mail address above.

A presidential decree intended to regulate thecutting of Costa Rica’s coastal forests mayinstead be hacking away at the country’s longstandingmarriage between ecotourism andenvironmental protection.At the root of a growing national debate, thedecree allows the chopping of 15% of a coastalproperty’s virgin forest and 25% of a property’ssecondary forest for ecotourism construction.President Abel Pacheco, Environment MinisterCarlos Rodríguez and Tourism Minister Rodrigo Castromaintain the decree provides some protection wherebefore there was none.“What we are doing is being realistic. If we do thiswe are always going to have the 85%,” Castro said in anationally televised debate Wednesday, referring to thefact that the decree protects that much of the coast’sremaining primary forests.HOWEVER, the Costa Rican Federation for theConservation of the Environment (FECON) says thedecree allows deforestation and puts business interestsover environmental protection. The group maintains thecountry’s Forest Law already prohibits the cutting oftrees in the coastal zone.It has been left to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) to resolve thedebate.The decree permits the removal of treesfor projects that promote environmentaleducation and socioeconomic developmentfor coastal zone residents. It applies to thepublic Maritime Zone, which extends 200meters (650 feet) from the high tide line,and does not include national parks or protectedareas.Of Costa Rica’s 1,466 kilometers (910miles) of coast, only 15% – 220 kilometers(137 miles) – has primary forest, accordingto the Ministry of the Environment andEnergy (MINAE).“ONE of the biggest ironies in the lastdecade and a half is that in Costa Rica therates of deforestation have been among thehighest in Central America, at the sametime that ecotourism has been taking off,”said Luis Vivanco, anthropology professorand author of the recently completed book“Green Encounters,’’ about ecotourism inMonteverde.“The reality is, the forest is almostgone, because of ranching, farming…”according to Environment MinisterRodríguez.This is exactly why it is worth fightingto save what remains, said FECON memberJuan Figuerola, who participated inWednesday’s debate, along with Castro,Rodríguez, and Patriotic Bloc DeputyQuírico Jiménez.Jiménez, FECON members and theMINAE Workers Syndicate (SITRAMINAE)have filed three actions of unconstitutionalityregarding the decree with theSala IV.OPPONENTS claim the decree violatesArticle 50 of the Constitution, whichguarantees all Costa Ricans the right to ahealthy and balanced environment.The decree has been suspended whileSala IV reviews the actions, as well asseveral related injunctions filed byFECON.The suspension by the court came afterat least one hotel was permitted to cut 36trees near Manuel Antonio, on the centralPacific coast, prompting FECON membersand Jiménez to worry the decree was pushedthrough by government officials to appeasethe desires of private developers.Rodríguez admitted last month to thenational press that there was presidentialpressure to sign the decree as soon aspossible.“We could have done a better job if wehad more time … but we are satisfied withwe did,” he said Wednesday.A commission formed by MINAE andthe Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) toanalyze the decree was dissolved prematurelyin February after three months ofdiscussion.Against the advice of the majority ofthe commission, the decree was signed andwent into effect May 14. That same day,Glenn Jampol, U.S. owner of Finca RosaBlanca hotel in Santa Bárbara, after yearsof effort received permission to removetrees for a new ecotourism project inManuel Antonio.Rather than bowing to business interests,Rodríguez said the decree wasrushed because of a need to bring clarityto articles 18 and 19 of the Forest Law,which allow businesses to cut 100% oftrees to build roads, bridges and recreationalfacilities. Reforming the ForestLaw in the Legislative Assembly willtake years, he added.However, FECON and Jiménez arguethe same articles prohibit the change in useof forested land, thus blocking developmentof undeveloped land.AS an example, they point to Jampol’sinability before the decree to obtain permissionto cut trees on his property.However, Jampol said it is partiallycoincidental he was awarded felling permissionthe same day the decree went intoeffect. Jampol, who was on the commissionto analyze the decree and is a boardmember of the National EcotourismChamber (CANAECO), said the permissioncame after years of “unprofessionaland inaccurate” actions by the ManuelAntonio branch of MINAE.For years Jampol and his family hadplanned an ecotourism hotel in ManuelAntonio, much like his Rosa Blanca, whichlast year won an international sustainabletourism award sponsored by BritishAirways.Despite approval from the TechnicalSecretariat of the Environment Ministry(SETENA), plans to plant 2,000 trees, asewage treatment plant within the hotel,and other “ecotouristic” characteristics,Manual Antonio’s MINAE rejected theplans, Jampol said.HE appealed the decision and on May14, the same day the decree went intoeffect, the appeal was found with cause andpermission to move forward with the projectwas granted.When asked why the plans were rejectedbefore the decree, Jampol said the localbranch of MINAE told him, “We don’t knowwhat ecotourism is. We have no legal regulationsfor what ecotourism is.”This confusion echoes national andinternational sentiment.The generally accepted idea of ecotourismis to cause no, or very little, impacton the surrounding environment while economicallyhelping the community. But thereality can be very different.“There is a lot of discussion now on theinternational levels trying to close thatgap,” Vivanco said. “Ecotourism is at acrossroads.”LIKE many ecotourism supporters,Jampol sees one tied to the other.“We can complain about the numberof trees being cut, and animals beingkilled, but nobody is coming up with anymoney for more park guards. I trulybelieve that sustainable tourism, whenreally done by all the rules, is the bestanswer,” he said.Realizing the significance of thisdebate, FECON has decided to form a specialdepartment to study ecotourism,Figuerola said.“We cannot sacrifice the environmentfor tourism,” he said.