| Al Almeida of Fuentes
Verdes alerted us this week to the very advanced problems in water
supply and stream/ocean pollution at the Central Pacific Coast's Manuel
Antonio, which is perhaps Costa Rica's top ecotourism destination.
According to Manuel Antonio blogger Matthew Cook, environmentalists
meeting in San Jose with Ricardo Sancho, the Harvard-educated former
deputy who is now Executive President of AYA, were unable to get a
commitment from the AYA to do something about the water shortage where
current pipes deliver only 30 liters a second to the community, a
shortfall of 6 liters with much new construction underway. Instead
of planning to double the capacity as requested, AYA continues at
considerable expense to truck water to cisterns for the hotels and
businesses. Cook's account of the problems may be read at www.sanga.com/MAQEnvironmentalDefense.
The advanced threats to the
environment at Manuel Antonio, which also include diminution of
wildlife corridors due to hotel construction in forested areas,
provide further impetus to the efforts of Lake Arenal residents,
via Fuentes Verdes Ecological Association, to curtail large-scale
development so as to prevent this area from incurring depredations
as severe as those at Manuel Antonio and other out-of-control coastal
developments.
(continued
in next column)
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At Lake Arenal, our strong
seasonal winds have again brought windsurfing tourists to the Tilawa
and Ticowind windsurfing centers. Benefiting especially from the
winds and the choppy waves are the kiteboarders.
Leaving guests with plenty
of energy for 2007, New Year's Eve revelry lasted until about 8
pm at rancher Christina Glass's house, where, among the many enjoying
another nice expat get-together were new residents Irene and Doug
Ward and Goldie and Alan Stopek, who have bought existing properties
and are doing further construction.
Concern about burglary and
other crime, while low compared to other areas, has inspired Marcy
Wagner to suggest the use of air horns to scare off crooks and alert
neighbors to call the police. Powered by cans of compressed air,
these horns do indeed make a piercingly loud noise. They're available
for a rather pricey 10.300 colones at the Gallo Mas Gallo "Bodga"
in Canas. They claim a hearing distance of a half-mile, not great
compared to the mile range of howler monkey voices, but loud enough
to reach neighbors in most areas. There have been tom-toms and smoke
signals, and now the gringo tribe could develop an air-horn signaling
network.
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