Ad Astra Rocket Center is 10 minutes from the Guanacaste Country Club

craig@craigwilliamson.com — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:07:00 GMT

Thanks to the presence of some of the most innovative companies in the world today Costa Rica has become a major player in high-technology manufacturing, medical technology manufacturing, professional services and believe it or not, the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology for space travel!

Since the year 2000 the number of companies in Costa Rica's manufacturing sector has increased by 83%, Costa Rica's medical devices sector has increased by 288% and the services sector has increased by 1,760%

Ad Astra is a rocket propulsion company dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology. It was started by Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz a Costa Rican-American engineer, physicist and former NASA astronaut who is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions. His ambitious goal is to revolutionize space transportation and exploration, through the development and commercialization of the VASIMR® engine and related technologies.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics named the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) among the top 10 emerging aerospace technologies of 2009 and aerospace experts believe that a 200 Mega Watt VASIMR® powered space ship could make the trip to Mars in as few as 39 days.

In an effort to help bolster this new industry, Costa Rica's President Laura Chinchilla is seeking to attract more investment from aerospace companies and this week signed a decree creating the National Council of Aerospace Industry which will be chaired by Clotilde Fonseca, Minister of Science and Technology.

In an interview this week, the World Bank Director for Central America Laura Frigenti was asked about the the prospects for Costa Rica this year, she answered: "They are very good. We at the World Bank, look at Costa Rica with a lot of admiration. It is a country that has much to offer the world in terms of good policies, results, particularly in the areas of social policy, debt and openness to foreign direct investment."

And you saw in the news this week that out of 65 countries, a young Tico - Rafael Angel Rodríguez Arguedas - just won the Gold medal in the World Olympics for Chemistry? He beat other very talented contenders from countries that have typically performed well in this field including the USA, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.

Good things are happening in Costa Rica, come be a part of it!

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Tags: ad astra,costa rica

Belize, a place full of magic

craig@craigwilliamson.com — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:59:00 GMT

Being on the road most of the time has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that my Master Franchises include what would be considered the paradise of the Western Hemisphere. In expanding the ERA brand in Latin America, one needs to immerse oneself into a wide variety of cultures. The first stop, Belize, is a wonderfully confusing and synergistic mix of Native Indian, Spanish, African, and even Western European, Chinese, and very traditional Mennonites from North America. Now, this is only the beginning. There is this magical mix of Creole, Mayan, Rasta, and Punta with the native Mayan as an underlying current. I find it to be the most interesting mix of friendly, joyful, and intelligent people along the Caribbean. Ask the typical Belizean and they will have a rather interesting and mixed explanation of being both Caribbean and Central American. Ask Spanish Central America and they will be “on the fence” if Belize is included in Central America.

For the record, technically and geographically, it is both Central American and Caribbean which, personally, I find to be a passionate, conflicting mix. It makes for interesting Creole/Spanish/English discussions that, although lively and entertaining, achieve less than total understanding.

Make no mistake: there is an intelligent, educated, and ambitious generation emerging in this small but ecologically and socially responsible country. As a developer, I find the permitting process much like Costa Rica. The number ONE priority is the care and sustainability of the native trees, flora, wildlife, etc. Just ask any major yachting or cruise company. Any damage done to the second largest LIVE coral reef in the world, which lines the north-to-south offshore shelf of Belize, is met with severe penalties as it should be. In some cases, it is necessary to confiscate the vessel if there is extensive damage that continues beyond stern warnings and geographical limitations. Personally, I have free dived these reefs many times, and ALL dive masters emphasize the need to leave all coral undisturbed—no touching and monitor your depths diligently. These are fragile pieces of artwork created over years and sustain a critical part of the Caribbean ecosystem.

Whenever I visit, which is often because Belize is one of the places I keep a second home, I make a point to grab a Ponga (a specially designed fishing boat) and first visit the normal spots. Blue Hole, Shark Ray Alley, Ambergris Caye, etc. In these areas, it is actually possible, and part of the experience, to swim and interact with sharks. Now, before you panic, these are “Nurse Sharks”, shaped like and of shark anatomy, but they are actually bottom feeders much like catfish. The only warning is to keep your fingers protected—they may look like little fish, and these ARE STILL SHARKS.

Then, one hour of Caribbean snapper fishing—thats all it takes. Three hooks on your line, your captain will find a school, cast at the “snapper boil” (the water disturbed by their feeding), and they will hit your bait before it even hits the water! Three at a time, 60 fish in 20 minutes, it’s the way fishing should be. NOT boring. And, on the way to the next stop, they catch “Flying Fish”—picture this—a net 5 feet high from bow to stern. Then, just drive through the boiling, flying fish torpedoes. Keep your head down and clean them as fast as you can, which means scaling and gutting. That’s it. Caribbeans eat fish with the head attached because the eye balls are a delicacy. Yikes.

After the normal tourist experience though, my recommendation to anyone visiting Belize City would be a little known, almost secret spot offshore. Way off shore. It's called “Miami Beach”. Ask any fisherman, and he will take you there. Prepare well as it's far offshore. Bring your cooler, BBQ grill, meat, plantains, etc.

Miami Beach is a magical place as well. Well offshore, with no sight of land, it is a submerged island. Pure white sand just 12 inches under the surface over an area of at least a square mile. So, picture this: no site of land, boat pulls up on sand that is just a foot deep, everyone gets out and drops their beers in the water. Now, they don’t move because they are bobbing on the sand. Then the grilling begins, of course with the grill also sitting in the sand, 12 inches deep in the clearest, cleanest, “bluest” Caribbean water you can imagine. After the consumption of all the beer, rum, food, etc, it's “siesta” time.

Imagine, no land as far as you can see. White “sugar” sand with no weeds, 12 inches of 84 degree water with high salt content because of the evaporation. Sit down, lay back, close your eyes, and the water is the same temperature as the air. Lift you hands out of the water, and it feels the same. Back in the water, same. Then, take a peek at your friends. They're all doing the same thing. You fall asleep after gently bobbing on the sand below with no possibility of going under.

If you do nothing else while you are in Belize, find a fisherman, ask him about “Miami Beach”, and plan a restful, healing afternoon in that magical place. And eat everything that you and your crew have caught. Fish ALWAYS tastes better grilled on the boat or beach.

Ok, back in CR again now, my first love. Next week, 4 days on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula. Stay tuned.

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General living in Costa Rica

Ad Astra Rocket Center is 10 minutes from the Guanacaste Country Club

Belize, a place full of magic