The fact is that medical tourists are after high quality treatment, safety, and comfort, not only price. When medical travelers are asked about their wish list, quality treatment, safety, and comfort are usually named, not necessarily in that order, and then price is also mentioned.

Medical tourism destinations have begun to pay close attention to what medical tourists are demanding, and they are concentrating more and more on the services and quality that are provided rather than just trying to provide the lowest price possible. In fact, many medical tourists are often willing to pay a bit more for their medical tourism procedure as long as high quality, safety and comfort can be guaranteed.

This is where a place like Hospital Clinica Biblica Costa Rica comes in. It provides everything that could possibly be on a medical traveler’s wish list, and it often surpasses expectations.

There are many hospitals around the world that have been striving for Joint Commission International accreditation, and more and more medical centers around the world are rising up to the standards required by the JCI. Clinica Biblica hospital in Costa Rica has already risen to the standards set by the JCI, and it is already an accredited institution.

Therefore, the medical traveler knows that he/she can travel to Costa Rica and receive medical care that meets or even exceeds international standards. Additionally, since comfort is part of what medical tourists look for, the fact that Costa Rica is only a 2.5 hour flight from Miami and only 5.5 hours from Los Angeles and New York really helps.

A patient can arrive in Costa Rica in the morning, go to the hotel, freshen up, and he/she can often have his/her first appointment with the doctor, dentist, or cosmetic surgeon that same afternoon. Compare that to having to fly 14, 18, or sometimes even longer to Asian destinations, and you can see why Costa Rica holds a clear advantage when it comes to comfort due to its proximity to North America.

Additionally, since the country receives more than 2 million visitors per year (the entire population of the country is around 4 million people), tourism is one of the main industries, and the medical traveler will find many places where he/she can rest comfortably while recovering from a medical, dental, or cosmetic surgery procedure. In fact, there are companies that will help you set up the entire trip so that all you have to think about is getting well once again.

All in all, it makes perfect sense to travel to Clinica Biblica Hospital in Costa Rica for medical tourism. If you have not yet decided where you are going to go for your medical tourism procedure, then you need to take a look at this medical center located in the heart of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica

Below you’ll find   a list of activities   and attractions, and also travel statistics on comparison shopping, vacation planning and themes, and some lodging alternatives.

From championship golf courses to luxurious spas and miles of sandy beaches, Rosarito has it all, for all ages and interests. Ideal for water activities, Rosarito also provides amazing shopping, horseback riding and dining. It is also home to Fox Studios, the place where movie sets for Titanic and Planet of Apes were built. Read on to find out about the city’s most popular events.

The well-known lobster village, Puerto Nuevo  arose in the 1970s and 80s, just fifteen minutes south of centro Rosarito, originally as a fishermen’s neighborhood who would offer the daily catch in their living room, and now is a tourist/culinary destination. Lobster, rice, and beans, washed down with Margaritas is the “comida del dia.” Lobster “Puerto Nuevo Style” can be advertised anywhere in Baja, where the recipe is lobster, doused with butter and grilled, although if a customer insists it will be prepared in the traditional method.

In 1996, James Cameron built the Fox Studios for the film Titanic. Now, it is a place awaiting tourists who like movie sets, prop rooms and exhibits in a hollywood kind of environment called Foxploration. Fox studios are located south of the commercial center along Boulevard Benito Juarez, where a new, widened four lane Boulevard Popotla is rapidly developing a reputation as a target area for hand-crafted “rustico” furniture, metal sculpture, and boutique art studios and galleries.

On the site of the city fairgrounds in North Rosarito, a new “Rosarito Pabellion” (Pavilion) shopping center began construction in late 2007. Said to become the largest shopping center in Baja California, it includes major anchors, (Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Coppell, Ashley’s Furniture) Cineopolis multi-plex theaters, and chain restaurants such as Burger King, Subway, Applebee’s and VIPs.

While in Rosarito, visiting its numerous markets and shops is a must. No visit to Rosarito is complete without purchasing one of the unique Mexican handcrafted items. Visit the artisan Mercado and shop for iron goods, wood carvings and other traditional Mexican pieces of art.

A market research study shows that 57 percent of the travelers were interested in comparison shopping among Rosarito vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, inns, and hotels. Interestingly, 59 percent of the tourists were open to receive lodging offers from locations situated near Rosarito, as Tijuana and Imperial Beach.

A survey shows that mindful tourists who started their trip preparing two or more months before their arrival represented the 17 percent of the inquiries searching for a place to stay in Rosarito. Those more traditional travelers who sent their inquiries one to two months in advance from their travel date represented the 20 percent of the lodging requests. An impressive 64 percent of the inquiries were sent by typical vacationes who preferred to wait until the last month before their arriving to their Rosarito lodging.

In these troubled economic times, most travelers are looking for comparison shopping among different lodging alternatives  before decide  where to stay.

As an example, beneath there are 2 excellent deals to evaluate:

Rosarito Beach Vacation Condo: Looking for a relaxing or romantic weekend get away or trying to find the perfect home away from home in Baja California? If you drive approximately 20 miles south of the USA/Mexico border along a scenic toll road that costs less than $2.50 (US), you will come to the heart of beautiful downtown Rosarito, B.C. Mexico (commonly referred to as San Diego South). If you look to your right just off the beach, you will see two new condominium towers, La Jolla de Rosarito. On the fifth floor of Tower Two, is a new 1330 Sq. Ft. completely furnished two-bedroom/two-full bath (one with a SpaTub) LUXURIOUS ROSARITO BEACHFRONT CONDO for you to enjoy. This cozy beautifully decorated Rosarito vacation unit has ALL the comforts of home, is like the best-kept secret that you’re glad you know about. For more info, pictures and a useful form to deal with the owner directly, please log into property ID#168165 at rentalo.com

Rosarito Mexico Vacation Condo: Las Olas Grand is considered to be the most luxurious Rosarito condos ever built in Baja. It was built to exacting American standards with exceptional workmanship and sophisticated detailing throughout. It is a 21 story resort tower with 3 infinity pools, 9 Jacuzzi’s, and private cabanas for a day at the beach. An ocean front gym complete with sauna and steam room, tennis courts, 3 restaurants, concierge and room service. The Rosarito vacation condo itself is 1828 Square feet 3 bedroom 2 bath. High speed Internet, Voice over IP phone, surround sound, and 42-inch plasma. The balcony measures 20′ X 12′ overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Baja coastline. It’s located 20 miles south of San Diego, California making both country’s readily accessible. Rosarito Beach, Mexico was been rated as one of the top 5 spring break destinations, with abundant nightlife and restaurants. The resort is located 5 miles south of Rosarito Beach Mexico. For more info, pictures and a useful form to deal with the owner directly, please log into property ID#221664 at rentalo.com.

Below you will discover a list of activities and attractions, and also travel statistics on comparison shopping, vacation planning and themes, and some lodging selections.

Staying at a vacation rental in Ocho Rios is an excellent idea especially if you are traveling with your family or a large group. Ocho Rios vacation rentals not only offer more space but also more privacy, most of the times at a better rate than an Ocho Rios hotel room. At an Ocho Rios vacation rental you will feel just like at home, but with a variety of amenities that will make your vacation an unforgettable experience.

Dinning at Ocho Rios is a very pleasant activity. Visitors of an Ocho Rios villa can not only find delicious local food but also Italian and Caribbean cuisine. Restaurants are superb and some of them are located amidst natural settings making the dinning experience unique.

A famous waterfall and a major Caribbean tourist attraction, the Dunn’s River Falls span 600 feet and are perfect for those looking for a close nature encounter. Guided tours around the falls are available and climbing up the waterfalls is allowed. Book a hotel in Ocho Rios and enjoy the magnificent beauty of these falls.

Located about 15 minutes from Ocho Rios, the Chukka Cove is a farm and stable that offers Ocho Rios accommodation guests an incredible experience. Several rides including the beach ride and a bike ride through the astonishing landscapes of the Jamaican Mountains make the visit to this cove worth the time.

If you have ever dreamed of going on a Safari, staying at a Ocho Rios resort will allow you make this dream come true. Tours with zebra stripped jeeps that take visitors to the White River for river tubing and hiking through the hills and off the beaten path are available at Ocho Rios.

In these troubled economic times, most travelers are looking for comparison shopping among different lodging choices  before decide  where to stay.

This is a great deal to evaluate, please read:

Ocho Rios Vacation Condo: This Sandcastle Resort Ocho Rios condo rental on the ground floor has a wonderful sea view. It is located in a safe, friendly, well-maintained resort set in a colonial style design. Our Condo Rental In Ocho Rios is located on Turtle beach, which is a favorite stop for cruise ships in the Caribbean. It is also opposite the beautiful tropical Turtle Park. The Condo Rental In Ocho Rios is within walking distance of all attractions such as Margaretaville club and bar, Island Village shopping and entertainment Centre, Hard Rock Café, Bob Marley bar and grill, craft markets and lots more.  For more information and photos, please log into property ID#295900 at rentalo.com.

The doctors that you will be dealing with at these institutions if you are a medical tourist have received some or all of their training and education in the US, Canada, and/or the United Kingdom and other European nations. Therefore, you can rest assured that you are going to receive the latest treatment techniques.

Moreover, the doctors, dentists and cosmetic surgeons you will deal with on your medical tourism trip use nothing but state-of-art equipment. Therefore, you are going to receive top-notch care at any of the three private facilities.

You can choose:

Hospital La Catolica Costa Rica

Hospital Clinica Biblica Costa Rica

Hospital CIMA Costa Rica

You can not go wrong by choosing any of these fine institutions for your Costa Rica medical tourism trip.

If you are looking to save on health care, you can expect to save 50% or more when traveling to Costa Rica, depending on the procedure you have chosen. There are procedures such as all on 4 dental implants, and all on 4 dental implant alternative such as all on 6 and all on 8 immediate load full mouth restoration.

This type of procedure can cost 60 thousand dollars or more in the United States. However, if you travel to Costa Rica for your full mouth restoration, you are going to pay less than 25 thousand dollars, and that includes lodging, airfare, and meals.

Save big by traveling to Costa Rica for your medical tourism procedure!

Regrettably, as you mature, your chances of getting diabetes type 2 increase. The estimates show that fourteen percent grown ups over the age of 50 are going to be diagnosed with diabetes type 2, and that is also a a staggering number when you consider the fact that there are over 6 billion inhabitants globally. In reality, chances are you or someone you know are likely to have Type 2 diabetes.

Should you be amid those who are diagnosed with the condition, you have very likely utilized a weight-reduction plan, jogging, changing lifestyle, and possibly numerous other methods to handle your illness. However, often these approaches may not be enough to eliminate the disease, you often end up trying to regulate it by means of medicines or insulin injections.

The outcome of type two diabetes in your body system can be very serious and debilitating. As your malady goes on, it usually goes on to cause renal system failure, sight loss, gangrene, limb amputations, skin lesions, heart problems, coma, stroke, shock, and in extreme cases death.

It seems perfectly logical that you would desire to resolve your malady instead of seeking to regulate it. However, the ways that are currently made use of do exactly that; they will only manage the illness instead offering you ways to resolve it.

Then again, there is a process to treat and revert type two diabetes which has proven to be capable of presenting a resolution for the illness in 90% of the people diagnosed with the disease. Metabolic surgery, a variation of mini gastric bypass surgery, is now being put into use as a method reverse the malady. What a novel strategy because rather than utilizing gastric bypass surgery as a weight reduction technique, it is improved to be sure that it resolves Diabetes type 2.

The website Type2DiabetesInternational.com states that the type 2 diabetes specialist “who performs metabolic surgery is one of the topmost laparoscopic gastric bypass and metabolic surgeons in the Americas.

The video on the website writes that the medical expert has conducted over two-hundred metabolic surgeries, and the operation has worked in reversing the illness in 90% of the affected individuals.

Anyone who has Type Two Diabetes, anyone in search of positive results and other choices, can now look at reversal via metabolic surgery as one of the available options.

Nick Stevens is a specialist blogger whose specialty is type two diabetes. You can read more about how to resolvediabetes type two as you research the different procedures.

The European Union eliminated sanctions against the Raul Castro regime, but with strong conditions with regards to human rights.

However, the exiled Cuban opposition groups consider the European Union’s decision to eliminate diplomatic sanctions imposed on the Castro regime in 2003 does not correspond to the repressive reality that Cubans live and is actually in response to the Spanish government’s diplomatic work in favor of the oldest totalitarian dictatorship in the American Continent.

The opposition groups consider it embarrassing for the Rodriguez Zapatero government to lend services of this nature to the dictatorial regime of the Castro brothers, while thousand of people are assaulted, arrested and incarcerated in subhuman conditions daily and arbitrarily for expressing their ideas and demanding universally recognized rights. A government that utilizes torture and intimidation as a systematic means of maintaining its power can not be legitimized by the world’s democratic governments.

What would the Spanish Socialists, who are in power today, have thought of a democratic government in the 70’s, just before Franco’s death, when repression in Spain was intensifying, is said government had dedicated its diplomacy to diminishing diplomatic and political pressure against the Franco dictatorship?

NO CHANGE

The exiled opposition agree with the internal opposition forces that affirm that Cuba under the Raul Castro regime has made no real changes which could lead to urgent transformation political, economic and social realms which the Cuban nation needs and awaits.

The exiled opposition is thankful for the solidarity expressed by the Swedish and Czech Republic governments and others that defended the right of the Cuban people to live freely and democratically. The were able to include a series of conditions directed at the Castro regime which call for the unconditional release of political prisoners and respect to human rights on the island, as well as calling for the regime to abide by two international conventions recently signed regarding civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

COSTA RICA

Notwithstanding, Costa Rica seems to be on its way to establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. There is no official information, only versions supplied by functionaries who are tied to foreign affairs. At TicosLand we ask ourselves, does it go against our democratic and pacifist principles to establish diplomatic relations with a totalitarian dictatorship? Well, Costa Rica broke off relations with Taiwan in order to establish relations with China. It would not be the first time our government has acted contrary to what it preaches.

Ticosland previously announced that the airlines were going to cut flights to the Caribbean.

In what now seems to be a pattern that threatens Costa Rica, three airlines announced that they will suspend flights to Central America at the beginning of the second semester this year due to increases in jet fuel and operating costs.

Where Costa Rica is concerned, TicosLand learned that Carlos Ricardo Benavides, the minister of tourism, announced that there are no official reports about flight cancellations or reductions.

United Airlines reported the suspension of flights to Guatemala beginning September 2.  Jesus Rodriguez, the sales manager for Central America and the Caribbean said that the increase in crude oil prices provoked an increase in operating costs, which in turn made it impossible to continue flights to Guatemala.  United Airlines has been operating in Guatemala for the past 17 years and offered a daily flight from Los Angeles and vice versa.

Spirit Airlines, another Unites States airline, postponed the announcement of its passenger flights from Miami to San Salvador, which it had planned to begin in August due to rising fuel costs.  Salvadorean tourism minister, Ruben Rochi, stated:  “We have received information from Spirit Airlines giving us notice that it has made a decision to suspend its flights to El Salvador while jet fuel costs are unstable.”

In addition, Mexican low cost carrier, Interjet, which made the run from Guatemala City to Merida in Mexico has also made a decision to suspend its flights.

Costa Rica without changes

Martha Pantin, Director of Communications for American Airlines, indicated that there are no forseen changes for flights to Costa Rica.  However, the airline is decreasing flights to Argentina and internally.  As was previously announced in our TicosLand blog, American Airlines will be eliminating flights from Puerto Rico to the United States, and flights to several Caribbean Islands.

TACA has stated that it is in the process of reviewing its operating plan for the second semester.  It is natural for the industry to adapt flight frequencies to market demand, as is done in the high and low tourist seasons.

Continental and United Airlines announced a plan yesterday for cooperation around the world in an effort by the big US air carriers to consider fusions and alliances in order to face high jet fuel prices.

If there is any decrease in the demand for seats to Costa Rica due to the increase in prices, TicosLand expects for the airlines to cut flights to our country.  We urge our tourism ministry to look for other potential travelers before a cut in flights from the United States affects our economy to the point where we might begin to face a recession due to a drop in tourist dollars

The high cost of jet fuel and weakening of the US economy are threatening to sink the Caribbean tourism industry, according to a story published by the AP.

Prices for airline tickets have gone up markedly and reduced the number of flights to the islands, which in turn reduced the number of tourists who are a vital source of income for Caribbean Island Nations.

Tourism is a cornerstone of the Caribbean economy, which received 15 million visitors, attracted by the beaches and other island charms. There are billions of dollars in investments and thousands of jobs at stake, said Allen Chastanet, president of the Caribbean Tourism Association.

The airlines are reducing their services globally because passengers are not willing to pay the new ticket prices, which went up in order to compensate for the high cost of jet fuel. The Caribbean is particularly vulnerable because American, which controls a good part of the Caribbean market, is going through some truly turbulent times. For example, American transported 60% of the passengers traveling to Puerto Rico last year. However, it is proposing a reduction from 93 to 51 flights to the island. It is suspending its services to Santo Domingo, Antigua, Saint Martin and Aruba among others.

The reduction of flights could also affect the cruise ship industry since it will be more difficult to get to Puerto Rico to board the ships. Ten cruise ships initiated their voyage from Puerto Rico last year.

Instead of raising ticket prices to prohibitive levels, US airlines have chosen to limit the number of flights and reduce their capacity. Airline flights would be totally inaccessible if airline tickets went up with oil prices.

At TicosLand, we ask ourselves: How long will it be before Costa Rica’s tourism industry is affected? It’s time to switch our focus to Europe where the Euro continues to strengthen. Therefore, it is a market with an enormous potential.

Wall Street, New York – The dollar lost ground against the Euro and Yen again yesterday after the market perceived a price rebound at the producer level an new unfavorable signs in the US housing and industrial sectors of the economy.

After the closing of the stock market, the Euro was at $1.5515 compared to 1.5478 from Monday’s session. In order to acquire a dollar, you needed .6445 Euros against the .6461 from the previous day.

With respect to the Yen, the dollar closed at 107.97 against the 107.97 from the previous day’s closing. The US currency weakened for the second consecutive day after some disappointing signs in the economy lowered expectations that interest rates would be maintained or raised in the short term from the current 2%.

In other news, US based airlines reported that they could lose 10 billion dollars in 2008 due to the high price of jet fuel, a sum which could equal or surpass the worst loss in the airline industry’s history which occurred in 2002. In a Senate hearing regarding speculative operations in the oil market, James May, from the Airline Transport Association stated that up to 200 communities could lose airline services due to cutbacks in the airlines’ capacity to save money. Analysts on Wall Street are also predicting multi-million dollars losses for the largest airlines, which are spending 50% more on jet fuel than a year ago. It is expected that the total spent by the airlines on jet fuel will surpass 61 billion dollars, the largest expenditure for the airlines.

How does this affect TicosLand and Costa Rica? Costa Rica is largely dependent on the tourism industry. A cutback on flights to Costa Rica would mean less tourists and less earnings from the tourism industry. It is a domino effect which could be felt even by small farmers who produce for the farmer’s market and don’t even know that their fortunes are tied to the tourism industry.

Stay informed and read the Ticosland Blog. While you are at it, visit our directory and fill out a profile. It could mean more traffic for your website and higher sales. It could be a way to avoid the collateral effect that is being posed by the downturn in the US economy.

The price of gasoline is not only unfathomable, it is also unconscionable.

Who would have thought it possible we’d be paying over 700 colones per liter of gasoline, with talk of even higher prices every two weeks down the road? That’s exactly what RECOPE recommended this morning in La Nacion. We have seen the price of gasoline more than double in the last four years, while salaries have remained stagnant and even lag behind the inflation rate. We have had inflation average over 10% the last four years, gasoline prices have doubled, food prices have skyrocketed, and there is no end in sight. Many wonder when this will end because these price increases without a real increase in salaries are unsustainable. Some people get angry while others just suck it up and pay the price, figuring that if you close your eyes, it will go away. It won’t! But what can you do about the high price of gasoline?

After dismissing the thought of looking for lower gas prices from the competition (thanks to another monopoly, there is none), or boycotting your local gas stations – a pleasant thought even though we know that the white elephant of RECOPE will not go away, but a move that won’t get you to work or get you to the beach on the weekend– you’re faced with thinking over some real options. We think of these, too … and here are some that come to mind. None of these involve dumping your car and getting a new one.  Of course, if you have the money to buy a new one, then you would not be so worried about skyrocketing gas prices anyway.  But we know that’s not always possible, especially if you’re in the middle of a car payment with nowhere to go. Plus, if your vehicle is a larger model like an SUV that gets low fuel mileage, its present sale or trade-in value probably leaves a lot to be desired. So, if you need to keep driving your everyday ride but just have to do something about the high gas costs that are completely obliterating your budget, then give these tips recommended by AAA in the USA a shot:

1. Start by driving less. Most Costa Ricans are doing it anyway. Really, this isn’t as painful as it sounds. We’ve grown accustomed to our cars providing mobility on demand, which is a good thing when it isn’t hurting our wallets or contributing to growing oil dependency. It’s not so good when the reverse is true, which is the situation today. So plan ahead. Consolidating your day’s errands into sequential trips one after another is a great strategy that will save gas. It will also cut exhaust emissions by eliminating unnecessary cold-starts when your car’s emissions control system is least effective.

2. Ease off on the pedal, Speed Racer. Okay, maybe you’re not really “hot rodding” your way down the street, but chances are pretty good you’re not thinking about taking it easy from one traffic light to the next. Light accelerator pressure and a conscious effort to avoid quick starts and stops do make a difference in fuel economy, sometimes a pretty big one. Give it a try. While you’re at it, smooth out your pedal pressure at highway speeds as well by using your cruise control, if your automobile has it, whenever appropriate. It’s hard to do in Costa Rica, we know, but it is a good fuel economy practice anyway.

3. Feeling the need for speed? Let it go, watch NASCAR and daydream. It’s easy to creep past posted speed limits without thinking about it, especially on urban highways where traffic often tends to move well beyond the posted speed limits. The problem is that fuel efficiency diminishes rapidly above 90 kph. In fact, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the USA says that each 8 kph driven above that speed has the net effect of costing you about 20 cents more per gallon of gas, which with the colon being where it is in relation to the dollar would save you over 100 colones per gallon of gasoline.  That’s something to think about next time you feel the need to imitate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

4. If you’re filling up on mid-grade or premium fuel, check to see if you really need to do this. Some high-compression engines do require higher octane fuel to run properly and, in fact, serious engine damage could result from using a lower grade fuel than is specified in your owner’s manual.  But if you don’t need premium fuel you shouldn’t be filling up with it. If you visit the gas station regularly, you know that premium fuel costs more per liter but doesn’t provide better performance in engines designed to run on regular … so you’re essentially pumping cash out your tailpipe, which is not a pleasant thought, is it?

5. Check your tire pressure weekly and keep your tires aired up to the recommended psi. This is so simple you’d assume everyone does this regularly. Not so. And that’s too bad since tires with low pressure create greater rolling resistance that can cost you up to 3 percent in fuel efficiency. Tires heat up while you drive and checking them while hot will give an artificially high reading. Make a habit of checking tire pressure before driving when your tires are cold. You might also consider buying low rolling resistance tires the next time your car is ready for new treads.

Those are the five essential tips recommended by AAA. Since most automobiles in Costa Rica have manual transmissions, TicosLand also recommends going downhill in 5^th gear. If you coast in neutral, you are actually using more fuel than if you use the correct gear. So try to keep these things in mind if gas prices have squeezed your pocket to the point where you just can’t squeeze out another “centimo.”