1. Rainforest walks

Gallery: 5 rainforest adventures in Costa Rica | CNN Travel.

 

Costa Rica — home of the three-toed sloth, spider monkeys, fer-de-lance snakes, 894 types of birds and a half million more plant/bird/mammal species.

With 4% of the entire world’s biodiversity packed into a small territory, it’s only natural that Costa Rica trips gear toward seeing as much of the country’s biodiversity as possible.

Thanks to a government that’s historically been hyper-sensitive to environmental sustainability (Costa Rica aims to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021) and a year-round tropical climate, Costa Rica is the preeminent eco-travel destination on the planet.

But visitors shouldn’t expect to see howler monkeys or furry cowatees at every turn — on their own, anyway.

Even the most independent travelers will admit that a trained guide can be one of the most important elements of a Costa Rica trip.

Through rainforests, “cloud forests,” rivers and dives, these five Costa Rica activities are better with a guide.

The best way to experience a rainforest? Go for a walk among its spectacularly high treetops.

After biologists discovered that approximately 90% of all rainforest organisms live in the treetop canopy, they built suspension bridges to explore and study the complex ecosystems up high.

The Sky Walk offers guided two- to three-hour tours on six different suspension bridges at Monteverde, a small town in Puntarenas known as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Costa Rica. National Geographic dubbed it “the jewel in the crown of cloud forest reserves.”

Spanning canyons and drainages, the bridges can take up to 12 people at one time.

The boardwalk at Cinco Ceibas is Costa Rica’s newest attraction. The private reserve and adventure park is three hours north of San Jose and offers an interesting perspective of the rainforest basin.

The reserve has an extraordinary mile-long wooden boardwalk and personable guides who explain the details behind the green cathedrals of life. The guides also serve another useful purpose: protecting visitors from deadly insects and venomous snakes, such as the fer-de-lance.

2. Diving off Cano Island

Approximately an hour’s boat ride from Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Coast, Cano Island is a tantalizing destination, especially since most of it is off-limits to visitors.

Only a tiny section of beach and a handful of dive sites are open on the protected island, which means it’s also home to some of the world’s healthiest coral reefs and best diving.

Rapidly changing currents bring in an abundance of big fish (sharks, rays, large grouper), but it takes experienced dive masters to point out the more elusive moray eel, tiger snake, puffer fish and sea anemones.

The dive center at the Jinetes de Osa Hotel leads various dive trips; 506 2231 5806 (in Costa Rica), 866 553 7073 (in United States)

3. Birding at Corcovado National Park

A pocket of untouched beauty, Corcovado National Park in Drake Bay is described by National Geographic as the “most biologically intense place on earth.”

Guides can help spot many of the recorded 894 species of colorful birds hidden throughout the dense treetops and shrubbery.

They also provide expensive telescopes.

Reservations with the park’s administration must be made at least one month in advance. Official reservation confirmation is required by guards at various stations throughout the park.

Corcovado National Park, Edificio de ACOSA, frente al aeropuerto de Puerto Jimenez, Peninsula de OSA, Costa Rica; +506 2 735 5036

4. Kayaking

Costa Rica has no shortage of raging whitewater rapids and deep rainforest canyons to paddle.

Water temperatures stay around 21-24 C (70-75 F) year-round, even in the rainy season (May-November), so it’s never a bad time to pop into the water for a swim.

Multi-day rafting trips are highlighted by intense hikes and camping, with pit stops for fruit picking, photo ops and rope swings.

Rafting guides are a must. Not only do they know where to go, what fruit to eat and necessary safety measures, they’re good for pointing out sloths, toucans and other creatures above.

Costa Rica Descents offers a number of raft trips, from day trips to longer excursions.

5. Horseback riding

Horses have long been an integral part of Costa Rican culture.

With many cattle ranches that have been breeding their own horses for generations, Guanacaste (one of the first areas conquered by the Spanish) has a pronounced cowboy culture.

Throughout the rest of the country, locals often use horses as transportation and hold frequent horse parades to show off the best animals and riders.

Horseback riding is a popular, inexpensive and low-impact way to explore the country, from riding on the sandy beaches of Puerto Viejo de Limon to galloping along the stunning Lake Route from Arenal to Monteverde.

A variety of guided tours to suit any level can be booked through Anywhere Costa Rica.

More on CNN: Living large in Costa Rica

Norm Schriever: Thinking About Moving to Costa Rica? 5 Questions and Answers You Need to Know!.

 

“I’m thinking about moving to Costa Rica,” are words I hear every day, through emails, Facebook messages, and from people who have read my book about life as an expat in that country. More and more, people in the U.S. and Canada are contemplating cashing in their chips and moving down to the Central American tropical paradise for “pura vida” — the pure life.

“I want to move down to Costa Rica to live and get residency, buy a house, and open a business,” is the most common agenda, but their life-plan isn’t well thought out after that, or just based on Internet research and rumors. I see a lot of people rushing into their big move, spurred on by visions of a stress-free, easy life on the beach. Their experience can either truly be “living the dream,” or a complete nightmare, based on what happens next.

So what advice do I have for them? Let’s break down that plan:

1. I want to move to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but check out Nicaragua and Panama as well. Why? There are pro’s and con’s to each: Nicaragua is much cheaper and the surfing is still great, while Panama makes it much easier to be an expat, buy a car and open a business. Costa Rica, and tourist areas specifically, has gotten increasingly expensive in the last five years, and in may areas is just as costly as living in a major city in the U.S.!

2. I want to establish residency.
Establishing residency in Costa Rica can be an expensive and timely proposition (unless you marry a Tica!) So don’t worry about residency just yet — the country will grant you a 90 day tourist visa, so all you have to do is leave the country for a few days — or a few hours — after that (called the Border Shuffle), and come right back in on a new visa. You can still get a driver’s license and function just fine without residency, while keeping your options open. Take your time and make sure it’s where you want to be before establishing residency.

3. I want to live there permanently.
I recommend visiting for prolonged periods of time, first, to get to know the country, the different towns, the people, and the culture, before you commit to it. Start out with a month or two and go from there. If you really want to see what it’s like, go during their rainy season/low tourist season. Don’t treat your visit like a vacation by just partying and sitting by the pool in the main tourist areas. Instead, meet as many locals and expats who live there as possible, and explore different parts of the country. No matter how beautiful Costa Rica may be, it’s always good to get back Stateside for a little bit every year to “recharge the batteries” by seeing family, friends, enjoying cooler weather, etc. The best schedule I can imagine is splitting the year between Central America and the U.S., but that’s just me.

4. I want to buy real estate.
Err on the side of caution with buying real estate in Costa Rica, or any country. That’s good advice for someone in the U.S., as well if they don’t know the local market very well. To complicate things there can be issues with holding title, getting loans, etc. and it’s undeniable that there are pockets of ridiculously over-priced condominiums and projects plagued by HOA issues. Wait at LEAST a year before you even think about buying real estate. You can always find a nice, inexpensive place to rent, giving yourself time to learn the ropes.

5. I want to open a business.
Be careful. Too many people who want to move down to Costa Rica and open a business invest their life savings in it, only to become stress-cases and lose all of their money. Sometimes you need a Costa Rican (Tico) on the paperwork for an official business, which could further complicate things. You need to see what it’s like in the low season, too, before making accurate projections on profitability. If you are going to try and work in Costa Rica, make sure its low risk and doesnt cost much: you can usually be a teacher, Realtor, or work in tourism down there. There are also plenty of options for working virtually, no matter where you are.

***

Of course every situation is different — if you have a million dollars you certainly won’t have the same concerns as someone with no savings who needs to get established and start working immediately. Medical considerations, safety, and what kind of climate you enjoy most (beach vs. mountains) also factor in.

I have much more advice for you, but the best thing you can do is take your time and be conservative: check out a lot of places before committing to one, keep your cash someplace safe, don’t rush into residency, buying a house, or starting a business, keep working abroad to replenish your funds, and perhaps come back to the U.S. to recharge your batteries a few months every year. This plan will yield you the least amount of risk and stress, and keep things flexible and fun. The rest will work itself out based on what makes sense and feels right!

Drop me an email if you have more questions or need further advice — I’d love to help!

Norm

The cranes are back in full force!  Panama is experiencing a second wave of pre-construction development and absorption of the new inventory has been strong. According to one builder, pre-sales in their Santa Maria golf community project are coming in at a rate of 5-6 units per month with more than 70% of phase one already sold out. Many believe that the doubling of Panama Canal revenues combined with the completion of the massive infrastructure projects by the end of next year will be the catalysts that drive real estate prices, which is why smart investors are once again looking at projects in construction due for completion around the end of 2014.

Panama Condo market heating up again. Photo (c) Nick Halverson

Why buy pre-construction? As an investor, the potential upside is huge, but there are also some downsides. If you are in a position to put down 10% on a $400,000 condo to be delivered in — say, three years (which we all know in Panama means four) — you are essentially optioning at 2013 prices and banking on an increase over the time that the project takes to complete.  As an investor looking to flip before completion, timing is critical.

For the example above, if you sell your position in three years’ time for, say, $440,000 then you just doubled your investment.

Let’s take a look back in time: real estate prices in Panama doubled and in some cases tripled between 2005 and 2007. Pricing on condos for sale in Panama City, Panama have been flat over the last 24-30 months, but we have been tracking a noticeable uptick in certain areas of the city, meaning the timing may be interesting to once again consider an investment in a development under construction.

For the end user, if you are planning on living in your condo once it’s completed, putting down 10-30% towards the purchase price may make financial sense. Maybe you would like to invest the balance of the purchase prior to closing and liquidate when funds are needed, or maybe you are planning on selling other assets between deposit and closing so a longer payment structure suits your financial position.

Either way, there are also risks when purchasing pre-construction condos in Panama.

The inherent risk of purchasing pre-construction is that you cannot see, touch, or feel the completed product. The quality of construction and finish level vary tremendously in Panama, and it is important to only consider pre-construction condos  from reputable builders who are well funded, have all of their approvals and permits, and who provide detailed, unbiased contracts. Don’t believe the promises about “high quality” building materials, extra amenities, the best parking spaces, etc. and make sure to get everything in writing!

According to a country-wide real estate agent survey conducted by Panama Equity Real Estate last year, the estate agents we interviewed said that the three most reliable developers “completing the best product in Panama” were Bern, Corccione, and Aleman Arias/Grupo Los Pueblos Developers. There are a handful of other reputable builders out there, and there are also several that you should avoid.

Another factor to consider is timing. Most if not all new developments in Panama are delivered late, so don’t plan on two years being two years.

While the benefits of purchasing pre-construction in Panama have proven to be strong, the key to selecting a good pre-construction project is to do your homework and work with an informed, impartial Panama real estate agent.

 

 

Cell Number Portability Starts November 30 – QCOSTARICA – QCOSTARICA:

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• ICE finally signed the portability agreement
• Consumers will own their phone number

Despite the stall, the telecom regulator, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel) confirms that the state telecom, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) on Friday signed the cell phone number portability agreement.

Thus, starting November 30, cellular telephone customers can switch operator and keep their number.

Claro, Movistar, Tuyo Móvil and Fullmóvil had already signed the deal earlier this month. The portability issue was hinging if ICE would play nice in the telecommunications playground or continue with its stall tactics.

Sutel spokesperson, Eduardo Castellón, said that starting on November 30, the consumer – and not the operator – will own their cell phone number.

The number portability register and transfer will be managed by the company, El Corte Ingles.

Costa Rica launches new tourism publicity campaign in U.S. and Canada / News Briefs / Current Edition / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

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A push to draw more tourists to the land of “pura vida” includes breathtaking video spots to be shown in North American movie theaters, a new iPad app and plans to use social media networks Pinterest and Instagram.

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) soon will be launching a new advertising campaign in 1,345

Costa Rica’s ICT is launching an advertising campaign in North America to increase Costa Rica tourism and awareness.

movie theaters across the United States and Canada to promote the country’s most important tourist attractions.

The ICT signed a contract with international advertising agency 22 Squared, the ICT said Wednesday at a presentation with local tourism operators.

In a press release, ICT said the plan gives continuity to the “Gift of Happiness“ campaign that is currently being aired in these two countries. That ad campaign was developed by the same agency.

Screenings will continue through early 2014 in theaters in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Palm Beach, Dallas, Houston, and Montreal.

The plan also includes the creation of an iPad app called “Go Costa Rica,” and the posting of information on social platforms Pinterest and Instagram.

The messages aim to increase visits during the green season, which in Costa Rica runs May-October, and to promote tourist destinations in the capital, San José.

Costa Rica real estate, travel, news and information.

Central America Real Estate Growing Steady | The Costa Rica News:

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Central America real estate continues to see positive growth despite global economic concerns.

Costa Rica beach of Uvita

Central America has made steady progress in the past decade towards social development and economic growth. Central America is home to some of the poorest countries in the world, but despite that there has been economic progress and positive growth indicators.

Area such as Honduras and Guatemala still struggle with stability and security issues so home/properties in real estate has not seen significant growth, but the several business sectors have seen growth.

All the countries of Central America are susceptible to fluctuations in commodity markets. Costa Rica is the most susceptible to economic condition in the USA, especially the tourism industry. When times are tough for North Americans, they travel less and Costa Rica’s tourism industry highly sensitive to this.

Central America has become a popular retirement location for many Americans. Lower land and construction costs, low cost of living and the tropical environment have made the region very popular with retiring couples, as well younger people looking to reinvent themselves in an emerging market.

Instability in the American markets has caused many baby boomers to look to Central America to make their retirement money go further.

Ocean and Mountain View homes can be purchased for a fraction of what they would cost in the United States and Canada. In Central America the real estate industry has little regulation or oversight, however Panama is an exception recently passed a law requiring real estate agents to be licensed. Costa Rica and Panama are the only Latin American countries other than Brazil to have regulated oversight.

In spite of the European economic crisis and the uncertain future of the United States economy, Panama was the only Central American countries in Latin America to make the Latin America Top 5 Economies list, along with Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia continued to grow at a solid rate in 2012, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing between 5 and 10 percent in each country. This growth persisted even as Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina encountered difficulties maintaining sustained growth.

Within Central America, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama have positioned themselves as the top three picks for retirement, each with its own unique set of pros and cons.

With 73 million U.S. baby boomers set to retire over the next 10 years, these three countries are expected to see significant growth, in the near future.

The Costa Rica news (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica

Costa Rica real estate, travel, news and information.

Pirate Tales of Costa Rica – My Destination Costa Rica

Tall tales of tall ships carrying priceless treasures have been repeated throughout history and have spurred many treasure hunters to risk life and limb searching for lost gold silver and religious symbols adorned with jewels. Costa Rica is rich in pirate history with some of the most recognized pirates claiming to have buried vast treasures on it’s shores. Looking at a map it is easy to see that Costa Rica is a likely place for these marauders to hide their booty.  The miles of rugged coast, offshore islands, and protected bays make for perfect hiding places. Isla del Coco or Coco Island is by far the most famous place in Costa Rica’s pirate history. The tiny island that Jacque Cousteau called “the most beautiful island in the world” and was also on the short list to become one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” may be hiding more than just natural beauty within its rugged landscape.

Wafer Bay, Cocos Island Costa Rica

One of the most famous lost treasures is the “Treasure of Lima”  Like most treasure hunts in Central America this story begins with a European country, in this case Spain, trying to hold onto to its colonies in the new world and the riches they gained from them.  In 1820, Lima Peru was under Spanish rule, but the South American Independence fighters were threatening to take over the city and revolt was in the air.  The viceroy of Lima decided that in order to safe guard the riches of Lima he needed to export it to a Spanish stronghold in Mexico. He enlisted William Thompson, captain of the Mary Dear to carry out this task. They loaded jewels, gold, silver, heavily adorned candlesticks, and two life sized gold statues of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus aboard the ship. The viceroy’s most loyal guards were also sent to watch over the vast riches on their journey to Mexico. The Mary Dear left the harbor without incident, and all seemed well until temptation got the best of Thompson and his crew. One night they killed the Spanish guards and changed course to Cocos Island (Isla del Coco) located 340 miles off the pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Spanish Gold

Another pirate was roaming the waters around Isla del Coco at the same time. The infamous Benito “Bloody Sword”‘ Bonito  had left the warm waters of the Caribbean to escape pursuit from other pirates and the warships of Britain and Spain. He was known to have vast riches buried in the West Indies from past exploits so to avoid capture he rounded Cape Horn in his brig “Ralampago” or “Lightning” and headed to the waters of the Pacific off the coast of Central America. As they were sailing north up the west coast of South America, they spotted a Spanish Galleon loaded with riches from the New World. They easily boarded her and loaded all the treasure onto the Ralampago. The newly acquired load was too heavy to allow safe and swift navigation, so the crew set sail for Cocos Island to stash their new treasure before pursuing more booty on the high seas. Upon arrival at Isla del Coco,  they decided it was a perfect base of operations for their new territory in the Pacific. There were bays that could hide their ships, good defensive locations they could use to protect themselves, ample supplies of fresh water and feral pigs to eat.  Once the treasure was offloaded they set sail again looking for plunder. They came across a fishing boat and learned that the revolutionary war plaguing South America had spread to Mexico. They hatched an igneous plan of sending their most trusted crew members into the Spanish port town of Acapulco to learn more about the war and gain knowledge of how the Spanish intended to protect their riches. Benito’s crew mingled and drank with Spanish crews and learned that the wealth of Mexicos government and elite citizens was going to be loaded onto two ships headed for Spain. Benito Bonito lay in wait outside the port of Acapulco and sure enough, 6 weeks later he spotted them. He immediately came along side of the first vessel and without warning fired canons into her hull killing almost half her crew.  Benito commanded a portion of his crew to board her and take control. Then he set his sites on the second ship which had turned around and was trying to escape capture by heading back to Acapulco. The winds were not with the escaping ship and Benito quickly captured her and killed everyone on board. Once the treasure was safely aboard the Ralampago, he turned toward his new base in the Pacific, Isla del Coco. It is said that Benito buried 300,000 lbs of silver, 733 gold bricks each 4×3 inches and 2 inches thick, 273 swords with gold hilts and massive amounts of other precious trinkets.

Benito was fairly well established on Cocos Island when Captain William Thompson and the crew of the Mary Dear arrived in 1821. The two crews and their captains decided that, by joining forces, they would be able to sack more boats and soon they were sailing together. This arrangement was short lived as they got into a battle with the frigate Espiegle. When the battle was lost Benito took his life by shooting himself in the head. The rest of the crew was taken to Jamaica where all but Thompson and his first mate were executed for piracy. The two survivors told of the riches buried on Cocos Island and promised to show their jailers where it was hidden. Upon returning to Cocos Island, the two prisoners escaped into the jungle. The Spanish guarded the island and searched for the two pirates for months but never saw them again. A few months later a British whaling vessel arrived on the island seeking fresh water. Thompson was able to talk the captain into taking the pair to the Costa Rican port town of Puntarenas. The two men became ill and died soon after but not before Thompson befriended John Keating and gave him a map showing where the treasures of Cocos Island was hidden.

Isla del Coco – Cocos Island

John Keating found a few investors and hired captain Boag and his ship the Edgecomb to take him to Cocos Island to pick up the search for treasure.  The story gets cloudy here, but legend has it that only Keating and Boag went ashore and found the vast treasure. They tried to swindle the investors and the crew of the Edgecomb saying that they did not find anything, but the crew found gold on them and demanded that they show them the treasure. Once again a search party wandered onto the island and once again the persons who knew where the treasure was hidden escaped into the jungle leaving the rest of the party searching aimlessly. The Edgecomb left the waters of Isla del Coco leaving Keating and Boag stranded for a few months until another ship anchored just offshore. Keating was the only one still alive at this point, and he talked the ships captain into taking him off the island.
The fact that Keating returned to St. Johns Newfoundland with enough money to start a business and live in luxury until he died confirms the legend of the lost treasure and has spurred hunters to search Cocos Island ever since. The most famous and long lasting of these treasure hunters – and whose research was most widely used for this article – was a German named August Gissler. Armed with accounts and maps from John Keating he spent nearly 20 years (from 1897 to 1908) searching for the treasures that so many pirates reportedly buried on Isla del Coco (Cocos Island). While he did find 6 gold coins, he never found the gold, silver and jewels that today would be worth over $160,000,000. A list of famous figures that have tried their luck on Cocos Island include President Franklin Roosevelt, Sir Malcolm Campbell, and Errol Flynn.  In August 2012 another expedition armed with the latest technology started their journey towards Cocos Island, we look forward to hearing their stories and hope that the mystery of the Lost Treasure of Cocos Island is finally solved.

photo credits – captain jack sparrow (by Rick Galvan) – le geni, just arrived 6 am & a gorgeous waterfall on isla del coco (by jonrawlinson) 

Rock Carved in 1846

Tico companies to promote Costa Rica at travel fair in Brazil / News Briefs / Current Edition / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

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A group of 13 Costa Rican companies will participate in the first edition of the World Travel Market Latin America 2013 (WTM), to be held April 23-25 in São Paulo, Brazil.

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) will accompany the companies to increase marketing efforts in South America.

According to Tourism Minister Allan Flores, Costa Rica’s participation in the fair “is part of government strategies to capture relevant markets.”

One of ICT’s main goals is “to schedule appointments with Brazilian wholesale market representatives for negotiating cooperative campaigns, answer questions from visitors and members of the press and to measure trends occurring in the market,”the minister said.

WTM Latin America will feature more than 1,150 exhibitors including tour operators, tourism agencies, public institutions, airlines and wholesalers – mainly from Brazil, Latin America and the United States.

Brazilian arrivals to Costa Rica have remained constant in recent years. According to the ICT, of 15,071 Brazilians who visited Costa Rica in 2012, 69 percent were vacationers, 21 percent came for business, 6 percent visited relatives and 4 percent indicated other reasons.

Construction of condominiums grew 130% last year – Inside Costa Rica | Inside Costa Rica:

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Construction of condominiums grew 130% last year

April 9^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) The high cost of land, resource use, and security are just some of the reasons for the high growth in the number of square feet dedicated to the construction of condominiums between 2011 and 2012.

According to the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction, condo development grew by almost 130% in the last year, while single-family home construction grew just 5%.

During 2012, some 870,000 square meters of condominium construction occurred, while the year previous that number was 387,000, according to the chamber president, Gonzalo Delgado.

Delgado said most condominiums are targeted at upper middle class families, but there are plans for projects for lower-income families.

Delgado believes that condos will be “the way of life” in the near future.

Contrary to condominiums, the construction of hotels and offices showed negative growth during the same period.

Tico hero helped Boston blast victims / News Briefs / Current Edition / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

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Images of Costa Rican Carlos Arredondo running alongside and helping a critically injured man during the Boston blasts on Monday made hundreds of newspapers and TV news shows around the world.

Other pictures show Arredondo, 52, carrying a small U.S. flag covered in blood. He was one of hundreds of thousands of bystanders who attended the Boston Marathon, there to watch National Guardsmen run the race in honor of fallen soldiers, including his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Alexander Arredondo, 20, who died in battle in Iraq in 2004.

Carlos Arredondo was a hero in Boston’s bombing

His other son, Brian, committed suicide in 2011 at age 24. Carlos himself was seriously injured when he accidentally set himself on fire while trying to burn the van of military officers who came to inform him – on his 44th birthday – that Alexander had been killed by a sniper in Najaf, Iraq.

Carlos survived, and he and his wife, Mélida, became outspoken opponents of the Iraq war, traveling the country in his fallen son’s truck to promote peace. The Tico Times profiled him in 2012.

The Washington Post reported that just seconds after the blasts Arredondo “ran across Boylston Street, jumped the security fence and landed in the middle of fallen bodies.”  

“Stay still, the ambulance is here,” Arredondo told a man whose legs had been blown off. Another picture shows Arredondo running down Boylton street while pushing the injured man in a wheelchair, yelling “Ambulance! Ambulance! Ambulance!” According to Reddit and Mother Jones, that man is 27-year-old Jeff Bauman, Jr., from Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He is in critical, but stable, condition at Boston Medical Center after having both of his lower legs amputated. Arredondo likely helped save his life.

“When the smart thing to do was run away, many ran into the smoke instead,” The Washington Post reported, referring to Arredondo and others who rushed to help victims despite the potential for further explosions.

Arredondo is a Tico who has lived in the United States since 1980. On Tuesday morning, the Arredondo family received dozens of calls from U.S. media, including major TV personalities such as Katie Couric.

He said he had acted out of instinct, using training he had received as a fireman and a rescuer of injured bullfighters in Costa Rica.

After delivering Bauman to emergency personnel, Arredondo went to find his own wife, who waved her American flag, as a signal to him, in front of the Boston Public Library. They both returned to their home in Roslindale, an outer area of Boston. Arredondo, who is visibly shaken in a video interview (see below), said he continued trembling throughout the night.

Also on Tuesday, citizens started a petition to grant Arredondo the Presidential Citizens Medal for exemplary deeds. The goal is to reach 100,000 signatures by May 16.