QR Codes, Boosters, and the Covid 19 Situation in Costa Rica

The Tico Times has a recent article on how to go about getting your QR code in Costa Rica. We have our QR codes and we had them printed onto plasticized cards about the size of a credit card, using this company in our town of Grecia:

It was so easy - we sent our information via e-mail to Imprenta Grecia and picked the cards up a few days later. Cost: C5,000 per card (about $10 CAD). With the card, it makes showing that one is fully vaccinated very easy. Then, if we go to a restaurant or any other place which requires proof of vaccination, all we have to do is flash our card and allow them to scan our cards.

We also received our booster shots last Friday. How did we know when and where we needed to go for these? Facebook! I belong to quite a few Costa Rican Facebook pages and these are invaluable sources of information. Members freely share information and this link for vaccination shots was posted. By looking for our town - Grecia (page 7) - we learned where the boosters would be given and at what times. Salón Parroquial is right across from the Catholic church.

People also shared the wait times they experienced and based on this we opted to wait until the second week before attempting to get the boosters. This proved to be a good idea as our wait outside the building was no more then ten minutes. Once we were inside, there were chairs to sit in. Everything was very well organized. Staff take your carné de vacunación (vaccination card) and eventually your name gets called.  I think we sat inside for no more then 45 minutes before receiving our boosters.

In my blog post on December 12 (and as I have done in some earlier posts), I provided a table of numbers from Worldometer with calculations comparing the evolving situation of Covid 19 in Costa Rica with that in Canada and the United States. However, unlike the earlier posts, I did not include any link to where one could go to obtain more comprehensive graphic information unique to Costa Rica. The link had been to a special web page of the La Nacion newspaper, but it appeared that the page was no longer being kept up to date.

It turns out that up to date graphic information the same as or similar to that previously provided by La Nacion can be obtained by going to the web site of the Costa Rican Ministry of Health ("Ministerio de Salud" in Spanish).

Another way to get graphic information not only for Costa Rica but also for many other countries is to Google the phrase "covid 19 graph". At present, a page headed "Coronavirus disease" should then appear. Under the sub-heading "Statistics", a chart showing the evolution of covid cases in a selected country should also appear. The selected country can be changed to any other country which may be desired. For example, the charts for Costa Rica, the United States and Canada are presently as follows:

The information provided by Canada is not as up to date as that provided by Costa Rica and the United States. Nevertheless, like the United States, the number of new cases in Canada appears to be surging whereas the number of new cases in Costa Rica has been steadily dropping towards zero. This may change if the Omicron variant of Covid-19 takes hold in Costa Rica as it has in the United States and Canada. On December 19, the Ministry of Health confirmed detection of the first case in Costa Rica (an 8 year old boy).

As reported by the Tico Times on December 20 the boy and his family had recently travelled to the United States.

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Lunch - Blue’s Cafe Arte and Cafeteria, San Ramon, Costa Rica

Today we drove to San Ramon (about 40 minutes away) to have lunch at Blue’s Cafe Arte and Cafeteria. It has received good reviews and the menu looked interesting.

It took a while to find a parking space but we finally found one a short walk away. Blue’s is inside a small mall and there are tables inside the restaurant and also outside in a covered mall.

Service is fast and the servers very nice. It’s not a large restaurant but it’s upscale. They offer live music and today we enjoyed a guitar player.

For refreshments, I ordered the “ice macchiato de caramelo”. It was really good - I like iced coffee and of course caramelo in or on anything:

Lance opted for the “cappuccino doble espresso” and pronounced it perfect, with the double shot of espresso and a mouse:

I wanted a hamburger today, something I don’t often order. This one - “hamburguesa de la casa” - was excellent. The bun was not too “bready”. It had onions, cheese, lettuce and bacon and came with a side of fries and a dipping sauce.

For Lance, it was the “wrap Cesar de pollo”, accompanied with waffle fries. I really like these and I wonder where I can buy them - maybe in the frozen section in a grocery.

As is usual for us, we couldn’t eat everything on our plates so we came home with half a burger and half a wrap - there’s dinner.

If you are in San Ramon, do try this restaurant. They are doing a great job.

We turned on Waze to make sure we got out of the city in the correct direction to get to our house in Grecia. It took us on an indirect route which we did not expect. The route was not anything like Highway 1, the freeway. Instead, we were met with switchbacks going up and down, no shoulders, and steep dropoffs with no guardrails (because there were no shoulders to support guardrails). It was definitely cocktail hour when we made it home.

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Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - November 2021 / Covid-19 Update

During November, visits to this blog were received from the following 11 countries:

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 133. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc.

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The following is a summary of weather for the month in the area where we live:

It seems that a switch was thrown on November 8 - signaling movement from the green season to the dry season. There was at least some rain every day during the first 7 days of the month. In the remaining 23 days, rain occurred on only 6 days with significant rain on only 1 day. The total amount of rainfall in November was the lowest it has been during that month since we moved to Hacienda El Paseo in the Central Valley - much lower than last year when the total was 19.75 inches (502 mm). Dry season trade winds occurred on several days.

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Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on November 7, 2021:

Since my last post, the death rates in Canada and the United States have each dropped (by 0.2 percentage points). Conversely, that in Costa Rica has risen by 0.02 percentage points.

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to those listed, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

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Experience with the Updated Healthcare System in Costa Rica - Should You Retain a Translator?

As I have previously indicated in this blog, the healthcare system in Costa Rica is quite unique. The country has its own government run public sector system which provides coverage for all medical procedures, prescription drugs and other benefits. This is provided to citizens and ex-pats alike, the latter of whom have been in the country long enough to acquire legal residency status. There are a number of public hospitals and a network of public "Ebais" clinics throughout the country. Overall, the public system is commonly referred to as "CAJA" which is short for "Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social".

As well, the country has a private system which is also able to provide high quality healthcare services. Many doctors in this sector speak English and have received training in the United States, Canada or Europe. There are four major private sector hospitals in Costa Rica.

Some private sector doctors are also affiliated with CAJA. They work part of their time in private practice and the remaining part for CAJA. If you find a doctor in CAJA who also has a private practice, it sometimes may be helpful to consult that doctor in his or her private practice. If you meet them once in CAJA and are happy with the experience, there is no assurance that you will ever meet them again in a routine appointment in CAJA.

Over the time we have lived in Costa Rica, Lance and I have relied on both the public and private healthcare systems - whichever seemed most convenient or expedient at the time. But, it can be a challenge to navigate the public system if you are not fluent in Spanish. Some CAJA doctors are fluent in English or speak at least some English but many are not. The same is true of nurses and administrative staff. Unlike the private system, you are unable to choose your doctor in the public CAJA system and you may be met with different doctors at different times.

Recently, Lance got fed up with a persistent bad back problem which can act up whenever he twists himself the wrong way or lifts something too heavy using his back instead of his arms. He decided to get an appointment at our local CAJA Ebais clinic in Puente de Piedra (less than a 5 minute drive from our house). Today, if one is able, this is done by having the EDUS app on your computer or phone. EDUS stands for Expediente Digital Unico en Salud (unique digital health record) and this is where you make clinic appointments, see your medical history, drugs, vaccinations, etc. You look at a calendar for available dates and select a convenient date and time. CAJA then responds with an email which confirms the date and time.

After getting the appointment, we decided to engage a translator ("Minor Villalobos" - see his contact information below) to be present during the appointment. Our understanding of Spanish is limited to day-to-day stuff and does not include technical medical terminology. He is fully conversant in English and Spanish. He has a paramedic background and is familiar with medical terminology. 

The appointment went seamlessly. The Ebais doctor decided that some lower back x-rays were in order. But, they had to be taken at the local hospital in Grecia (not the Ebais clinic). The doctor provided a requisition to get a hospital appointment to facilitate that purpose. 

Normally, without the translator, we would have had to drive to the hospital, find somewhere to park, and navigate to the right location in the hospital to submit the requisition. We speculated that this could be a real chore. Minor said he would do it. With the requisition in hand he drove off to the hospital and we drove home. About 1 hour later he arrived at our home with the x-ray appointment.

The x-ray appointment was on one morning at 8 a.m. We decided that we did not need Minor for this purpose because we had a good idea of where to go and the x-ray technician would simply follow the Spanish language instructions in the Ebais requisition. We were right. Shortly after arriving at the hospital and knowing where we had to go, we left with the x-rays.

We surmised that we should deliver the x-rays to our Ebais clinic. This was wrong. The receptionist at the clinic indicated that we needed to get another appointment (going online, etc.) and hand them over to the doctor at that appointment. We left the clinic with the x-rays went home, and once again went online to get an appointment.

Lance got an appointment. We then contacted Minor to determine whether he could attend. As it turned out, he could not. He had a previous commitment. So we went online, cancelled the appointment and got a new appointment which worked for both Minor and ourselves. In cancelling the appointment, we were asked to provide an explanation and said that we were doing so because our translator was unavailable at the scheduled time. That turned out to be good enough. There was no problem getting a later appointment.

With the latest appointment, Lance and Minor once again attended our Ebais clinic. The doctor (who was not the doctor that prescribed x-rays) reviewed the x-rays and decided (a) that there was nothing particularly urgent and (b) nevertheless, the attention of a specialist was in order. There were two bone spurs at or near the lower spine which the doctor indicated should be controlled and that a specialist should be consulted for that purpose.

As a result, the doctor issued a requisition for an appointment with a CAJA specialist. Minor is currently handling that. By reason of non-urgency, it may be a few weeks before we get any feedback including an appointment with a specialist.

The above is in contrast to how a medical issue might be handled within the private healthcare system in Costa Rica. Whether urgent or non-urgent, whatever issue you might have may be handled much more promptly in the private sector. Lance is laid back. He does not care very much except when his back acts up.

Despite the bureaucracy of CAJA, we remain convinced that the healthcare system in Costa Rica is second to none throughout the world. The bureaucracy and the available options are designed to serve both the poor and the rich, and those in between, and so it should be.

For those who may be interested, the contact information we have for Minor is:

Should you retain a translator in dealing with CAJA? In our experience, a competent translator like Minor can be very helpful. So, the answer is "yes".

Lunch - El Ancla Restaurante y Marisquería

Yesterday our restaurant of choice was El Ancla Restaurante y Marisquería in Grecia. "El Ancla" translates as "the anchor" and the restaurant is maritime themed, with the emphasis on seafood.

The ambience here is very nice, with lots of covered outdoor seating and an airy interior. There is parking in front of the restaurant. The staff is very friendly and service was quick. 

First order of business - drinks. We asked for margaritas and they arrived frosty cold and rimmed with blue salt:

On the menu, a half pineapple filled with shrimp caught my eye. I ordered it with a side of fries. Lance decided on corvina with a Mediterranean salad and fries. While waiting for our lunches, we were served a small bowl of lentil and pork soup. It was delicious and just the right size as an appetizer. The soup is on the house.

Lance watched one of the cooks quickly cleaver a pineapple in half and here is what my dish looked like:

The baked shrimp, chopped pineapple and red sauce inside the pineapple shell was topped with melted cheese. Aioli dip on the side for the fries - Costa Rican fries are always good. I really liked this dish and would order it again.

Here is Lance's fish dish:

His bowl of red sauce included shrimp and was garlic flavoured. The corvina was fresh and lightly breaded. I tried both his fish and the salad. The salad was special ... tomatoes, black grapes, strawberries, peanuts and some other kind of nut with a crunchy coating.

We would return to this restaurant any time. They feature live music on the weekends.

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Lunch - Restaurante La Finca, Sarchi

Last week we drove to Sarchi to have lunch at Restaurante La Finca. Sarchi is only 13km from our house but the drive takes about 25 or so minutes because the road - Ruta 118 - is very twisty and hilly most of the way.

Watch for the huge traditionally painted oxcart wheel and the restaurant’s sign. You make a right turn down a narrow laneway and to a parking area. There was a fellow there directing traffic - remember to tip him when you leave. We usually give them 500 colones. There is a butterfly farm close to La Finca but it is apparently temporarily closed.

You will be greeted at the entrance and shown to a table that you select. Staff are friendly and there is a nice view. The restaurant is open air so there is always a breeze.

Lance ordered a beer and I had a margarita. My lunch choice was camarón mediano al gusto (medium shrimp to taste - garlic for me). It came with a salad, roasted vegetables, a garlic dip for the shrimp and pureed potatoes. It was very good.

I wasn't able to get a good photo of Lance's choice - corvina en salsa de hongos (corvina with mushroom sauce) - but I had a taste and it too was very good.

You can never fault the portion sizes here - they are always generous and we never have room for dessert. So if you are in Sarchi, stop here for lunch or dinner. During the tourist season, tour buses bring visitors here for a stop at the souvenir shop next to the oxcart wheel and then to the restaurant for lunch.

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Lunch - Botijas, Grecia, Costa Rica

 Last Sunday, our choice of restaurant for lunch was Botijas in Grecia. They have a cool logo:

I can’t find a clear translation of the name. But no matter - it’s the food and service that counts. And they are a ten on both counts!

Again, as per usual in Costa Rica, the entrance to the restaurant is unassuming. They have a Covid-19 hand washing station and all staff were wearing masks, as - of course - were we. 

We were greeted by the chef (I think), who introduced himself and showed us around the eating areas. The restaurant stretches quite a way to the back, with lots of seating. We chose a table at the rear. The decor is funky - lots of colour, mismatched chairs and tables, interesting photographs on the walls. We spied Anthony Bourdain featured in a couple of pictures.

After being seated, we were given our menus and glasses of ice water with lime slices. I already knew what I wanted to order because I had perused the menu online beforehand. First order of business - red wine sangria!

The portions were generous as you can see.

They grow their own herbs and greens in flats and several times I saw cooks coming out to snip off pieces for a meal they were preparing.

Lance ordered the pechuga de pollo al curry New Delhi style:

I had a taste of Lance’s curry and it was very tasty. It came with an additional separate sauce surrounded by sesame seeds.

And for me it was the Seis Dos, Hong Kong style:

Presentations were beautiful. Both meals were delicious. Look at the kumquats with basil leaves inserted in them! My protein was pork. At the bottom of the stack were flat rice noodles, then bok choy and other greens, the pork and then crispy rice noodles. 

This is our new favourite restaurant. Highly recommend that you give it a try. 

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Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - October 2021 / Covid-19 Update

During October, visits to this blog were received from the following 16 countries:

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 133. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc.

 _____________________________________________

The following is a summary of weather for the month in the area where we live:

The total rainfall in October was marginally lower than that in October 2018 and 2019, and roughly only half of that in October 2020.

_____________________________________________

Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on October 10, 2021:

Since my last post, the death rates in Costa Rica and the United States have risen (by 0.06 and 0.2 percentage points respectively). Conversely, that in Canada has dropped by 0.02 percentage points.

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to those listed, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

If you want more comprehensive and up-to-date information and statistics on the situation in Costa Rica, including various locales in Costa Rica, then the La Nacion newspaper is a good source. If you do not understand Spanish, then you will need a web browser (Google Chrome, Safari, etc.) which is set to translate to your language of choice from Spanish.

 

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Lunch - Vuelta al Mundo

It was Lance’s turn to select a place to eat lunch this weekend and he chose Vuelta al Mundo (Around the World). We stumbled by chance on this hostel/restaurant several months ago. We were walking across from the Grecia park and saw a menu sign displayed on the street. It was impressive. We had no idea there was a hostel with a restaurant at this location.

As is usual in Costa Rica, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Upon entering, we walked through a large area and then out into a garden area with lots of tables for seating. Service is very attentive. Since we had already looked at their menu online, we knew what we wanted to order.

Here is the menu:

Drinks: Lance ordered a Belgium beer and I asked for a mojito. He said the beer was really good, especially since it has a 6.6% alcohol content, which is more than a Canadian (5%) or an American beer (4%)! My mojito was refreshing, with fresh mint and lime.

Lance’s beer glass matched his beer bottle:

We ordered a selection of four Argentinian empanadas - two chorizo and two ham, cheese and mushroom - to go (para llevar):

For our lunch, Lance selected the tempura with shrimp and vegetables and I ordered the green curry with fish. Both orders came with jasmine rice. My curry was excellent - loaded with vegetables and fish in a coconut sauce. As is usual in Costa Rica, restaurant food portions are large and we asked to have quite a bit of the tempura wrapped up to go.

As an added bonus, there is a resident cat! He/She came over to us for a pat several times. This cat has the most beautiful coloration:

There were some Octoberfest food and drink offerings which we didn’t know about beforehand and the choices looked yummy also:

The outdoor (but covered) eating area was decorated for Halloween:

Some photos of the hostel/restaurant:

If you check out the menu, you will see they offer dishes from “around the world”, including Canadian Quebec poutine! 

We highly recommend this restaurant and will be going back to try out more of their menu selections. 

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Lunch - Behind Closed Doors

Yesterday - Saturday - was our day for eating lunch at a new-to-us restaurant.

It was my turn to select a restaurant and my choice was Los Jardines Vivero y Café. This restaurant is next door to Super Rosvil El Liceo where I would be able to pick up a few groceries after lunch.

As is quite typical in Costa Rica, you cannot judge a “book by its cover”. This is what the entranceway to the restaurant looks like when it is closed (from their menu cover):

It’s just an unassuming brown wooden gate. You wouldn’t give it much more then a passing glance driving by. Once the gates are open, it is the most charming place.

Whoever designed and executed this restaurant is very creative. Tables are set out in nooks and crannies all over the place, mostly outdoors and with rain coverage such as umbrellas. Everywhere I looked I saw something whimsical and unexpected.

The staff are very friendly, welcoming and attentive. The restaurant opens at 11:30 am and I suggest getting there at that time, which is what we did. It started filling up fast closer to noon. 

We started with sangria:

We both ordered paninis. Lance chose ham and cheese:

And I chose mushrooms and pesto:

The yellow sauce is mustard and mayo and it’s for dipping the chips in which, by the way, are really good. Before our main courses arrived, we were presented with a plate of plantain chips with a warm bean dip on the side - gratis.

Neither of us could finish our paninis so we asked for para llevar (take away) and that will be our dinner tonight with a salad.

I know that Grecia expats meet here most Wednesdays for lunch. 

Highly recommend this restaurant. They require Covid-19 compliance - temperature measurement, hand washing and mask wearing. Masks can be removed when you sit down.

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