10 Mistakes to Avoid for First-Time Visitors to Costa Rica

Visiting Costa Rica for the first time can be a daunting experience. To ensure a memorable and enjoyable trip, it is important to avoid some common mistakes that first-time visitors often make. These include booking a flight to the wrong San Jose, visiting the wrong Playa Hermosa, avoiding booking a trip in the rainy season, underestimating the size of the country, waiting for a better deal, believing everything on Google Maps, being inflexible and impatient, not using available free apps, being unaware of crime in the area, and carrying only one form of payment. By avoiding these mistakes, visitors can make the most of their trip to Costa Rica.

Untreated Wastewater: Costa Rica’s Environmental Crisis

Costa Rica is facing an environmental crisis as untreated wastewater is posing a threat to the country’s rivers, streams, and aquifers. Only one-third of registered treatment plants operate correctly, and just 14% of the population has a safely managed sanitation service at home. To combat the issue, the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewerage (AyA) will launch a campaign to remind users to treat wastewater correctly, and David Benavides from AyA’s Sanitation Route has called for a joint effort between organizations and citizens to reduce wastewater contamination.

The Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, and AyA aim to achieve zero untreated wastewater by 2045, although the high cost of building water treatment plants remains a limitation. On World Water Day, the UN called for global action to address freshwater consumption and wastewater recovery, and Costa Rica must act quickly to protect its environment for future generations.

Cake-Snatching Iguana Bites Toddler And Infects Her With Unknown Illness

A three-year-old girl in Costa Rica was recently bitten by an iguana while attempting to steal her cake. The bite resulted in an infection from Mycobacterium marinum, a bacteria found in both fresh and marine water habitats. The infection was treated with antibiotics, but the girl experienced a delayed onset of symptoms. Dr Jordan Kit Mah of Stanford University will present the case at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen.

According to Mah, this is the first reported case of an iguana bite resulting in an infection. He emphasized the importance of being aware of the potential for such infections and taking steps to prevent them. He also noted the importance of using lower temperatures to cultivate and study the pathogens linked to reptile bites