Óscar Arias Sánchez keynote speaker at the Inter-American Peace Forum

Costa Rica's president was in Washington DC yesterday where he pushed his three favorite initiatives:

First, he promoted his plan to have developed countries forgive the debt of those developing nations that reduce military spending and spend more on social development.

Secondly, he promoted his initiative to create a treaty over the transfer of weapons throughout the world. His arms treaty, if approved by the United Nations and various countries in the world, would provide a mechanism for keeping better track of where weapons are being sold. Considering the current world economic crisis, Arias is unlikely to get many national debts forgiven, although he made a strong pitch in Spain last week for a $35 million deal. The United States has forgiven $26 million.

Lastly, Arias promoted his Peace with Nature plan and noted that Costa Rica now is a country with more trees per capita and per square kilometer than any other in the world, and that Costa Ricans planted five million trees in 2007 and propose to plant seven million in 2008. He is seeking more funds for conservation here.

Arias was the keynote speaker at the new Peace Forum, and some suggested that this is where he would head when his term finishes in May 2010.

Taken from AM Costa Rica, www.amcostarica.com, 9/24/08, pg 1

Costa Rica is affordable even for low-budget folks

AM Costa Rica just posted an informative article about the cost of living in Costa Rica. Please go to our website to read the entire article. http://www.kimspearinternational.com/

Here are some quick stats taken from the article:

-Cell Phones cost about $8.10 a month. A land line will cost $5.88 a month

-Basic Internet hookup can be had for $28.25 a month. A cable hookup can cost about $18 for basic service.

-Milk is $2.61 per gallon.

-The best seats in the Teatro Nacional for a major orchestra performance can is about $14.60. The cheap seats are $5.50 and all tickets are subject to a 10 percent discount for senior citizens.

-The bus fare from San José to Tamarindo on the far Pacific coast is $6.23. That's nearly an all-day ride. And in the city few routes are more than 45 cents.

-The first kilometer of a taxi ride is about 77 cents. Additional kilometers in the city are 69 cents.

-Electricity: The current rate is 8 cents for each kilowatt for the first 200 kilowatts of use. Each of the next 100 kilowatts is 12 cents.

-Then there is FREE...all the country's beaches from high water to 50 meters inland, the parks, and frequent entertainment.

-Expats find they can obtain very reasonable health insurance from the only provider, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros. Some group plans reduce the cost even more.

The Next President: A World of Challenges

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the video production of The Next President: A World of Challenges. This program, produced by CNN and AMA, featured 5 former secretary of states, listed below. The program will air this Saturday on CNN at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please watch/tape it, as it was a very profound conversation between the secretaries, spanning topics such as climate change, Russia's growing power, the Middle East "problem," and personal feelings about the overall state of our union. The moderators were Christiane Amanpour and Frank Sesno.

Due to the power of networking, I was able to obtain front row seats to the filming. Excuse the quality of the photos, as I was so overly excited to see Christiane that I couldn't keep a still hand!

For more information go to: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/

Henry Kissinger 56th Secretary of State under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
James Baker 61st Secretary of State under George H. W. Bush
Warren Christopher 63rd Secretary of State under Bill Clinton
Madeleine Albright 64th Secretary of State under Bill Clinton
Colin Powell 65th Secretary of State under George W. Bush

KSI August 2008 Discovery Weekend A Great Success!

Our August 2008 KSI Discovery Weekend is now history…but WHAT A GREAT SUCCESS! 5 days filled with fun activities, good food, and plenty of adventures. Those who joined me last month were able to fully experience and enjoy the Costa Rican lifestyle, as you can see below.

“Thank you so much for such a memorable experience with such wonderful people! Hope we'll have more of these adventures together.”…M.I.

“I had such a wonderful time in Costa Rica. The country and its people are none less then exceptional, but what made it a memorable & enjoyable trip was the excellent company of friends there.” …H.I.

The KSI Discovery Group participated in exclusive, one-on-one tours of Costa Rica’s most distinguished properties (some of which were lead by the actual developers!). From golf cart guided tours of Los Suenos, to horseback tours at Del Pacifico, and the 4 wheeling tour at Cabo Caletas, the property tours themselves were quite a unique and fun way to explore the developments.


“I am really excited about an investment opportunity out there…” …P.B.

2008 has been a remarkable year for Costa Rica. Tourism is up 16%, and companies such as Amazon, Boston Scientific and Intel have expanded their work force to incorporate thousands of Costa Rica’s highly educated populace. Costa Rica ranked 2nd in Latin America in terms of the best country for business and trade; and just last month Costa Rica secured an $850 million loan slated for infrastructure. Current real estate trends in Costa Rica are up, reflecting positive cash flows and increased appreciation on properties. All of this makes for incredible investment opportunities!


“Since returning, my wife has said that Costa Rica is all I've talked about. Between Krista's enthusiasm for the country and my pictures, stories, reasons why it would be good investment for us, she is considering a trip to see (Costa Rica) by herself…In any event, this past weekend was a unique experience for me, one I will never forget, and for which I sincerely thank you.” …M.B.