Brilliant Disguise: A child dressed in an indigenous costume took part in festivities Friday in Managua to honor the city's patron saint, Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

Tables shook and walkers stopped in their tracks in at least one town on the central Pacific Saturday night as an earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale shook the ground.

The Prince of Saudi Arabia and one of the richest men in the world Alwaleed bin Talal is in Costa Rica vacationing at the Four Seasons Resort in the northwestern Guanacaste province, according to the daily La Nación.

Mundoloco Concerts
Featuring Fabio Avelino and Baruque Congo, from Brazil, and Nagual Trio, jazz-rock fusion, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro.

Little Theatre Group Extraordinary General Meeting
7 p.m., Costa Rican Doctors' and Surgeons' Association, south side of La Sabana Park. Info: 355-1623, www.littletheatregroup.org.

So far this year, 128 cases of hemorrhagic dengue have been reported in Costa Rica, 77% more than the total number of cases seen in the country last year, according to statistics from the Public Health Ministry.

Health officials are alarmed at the significant increase in this potentially deadly disease, Health Minister María Luisa Avila told the press Friday.

Costa Rica has been fighting dengue for 14 years, and it is normal that cases would increase, but not so drastically, she said.

The number of those suffering from the classic form of dengue is also on the rise; from January to August, 11,892 people were treated for this disease, a 118% increase over the number of cases treated last year.

The areas of the country most affected by this mosquito-transmitted illness are the Caribbean and northern Pacific, but cases have been registered all over the country.

Fumigation efforts are under way to try to curb the growth of dengue, Avila said.

-ACAN-EFE

The U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua is asking for help finding a missing U.S. woman of Thai descent identified as Parnapatchara Bindie, who was last seen May 28.

Bindie, whose maiden name is Suriyasat, is believed to have traveled to the southern town of Rivas and could now be outside Managua, according to a statement from the embassy, which believes she could be sick or have had her passport stolen. No further information was available at press time.

Bindie is 51, weighs about 90 pounds and is five feet, two inches tall. She has black hair and very dark brown eyes.

The U.S. Embassy is working with Nicaraguan police to search for her. Anyone with information about Bindie can call the embassy in Managua at 268-0123. All information received will be kept confidential, the statement said.

-Nica Times

By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net

The Prince of Saudi Arabia and one of the richest men in the world Alwaleed bin Talal is in Costa Rica vacationing at the Four Seasons Resort in the northwestern Guanacaste province, according to the daily La Nación.

The 52-year-old prince, who is a shareholder in the hotel, arrived Saturday night at Daniel Oduber International Airport, in the Guanacaste city of Liberia. His massive Boeing 747 plane came from Panama, his previous stop on a trip that also included the Dominican Republic and will continue in Guatemala when he leaves Costa Rica Tuesday.

Today he is scheduled to meet with President Oscar Arias, La Nación reported.

This billionaire received extra special treatment upon arriving at Daniel Oduber. He was saved the trouble of waiting in line at Immigration by having documents delivered to him to fill out inside the plane. Then he and his 48-person entourage traveled from Liberia to the posh resort in an 18-vehicle fleet.

While the prince and his party are staying at the Four Seasons, the hotel has restricted the presence of other guests for security reasons, the daily reported.