Make cheese with Los Congos Conservation Group
Finca Biamonti, Coronado. Info: grupoloscongos@gmail.com.

Learning About Rheumatic Diseases
Free lectures in English on fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, by doctors Duncan Manley and Francisco Brenes of Clínica Biblíca Hospital, Jan. 26, 2-6 p.m., 4 th floor of Omega Tower, Clínica Biblíca Hospital, San José. Register at 2522-1000.

National Museum Summer Workshops
Mammal Footprints, ages 9-12, Jan. 26, 9 a.m.-noon; Recycling, ages 8 and up, Jan. 26, 1-3 p.m., bring a tin can, plastic bottle and milk carton at National Museum, Ca. 17, Av. Ctrl./2. Info: 2257-1433.

Mundoloco Concerts
Mentados, ska, Jan. 26, 9:30 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú, info: 2288-4740, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Jazz Jam Session
Jazz Café Trio and guests, 9 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, info: 2253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

An estimated 7,000 homeowners have not paid the tax on their homes valued at ₡ 100 million (nearly $179,000) or more in Costa Rica. With the Jan. 15 deadline for paying the tax having passed, those homeowners are responsible for fines that amount to 10 times the original tax.

The Tax Administration is not backing down on their requirement that every luxury home owner file and has pledged to confront delinquents in the coming months with “an order to pay.”

Jenny Phillips, finance minister, said the low number of filers is evidence “that tax payers in this country are not educated in paying taxes.”

She added, “We have been announcing this everywhere. Nobody in this country can argue that they didn't know about the law.”

Legislators approved the law in October 2008 as a means to raise money for housing for the poor. Known as the “impuesto de solidaridad” (solidarity tax), financial experts expect the tax to raise as much as ₡ 12.5 billion (almost $22.4 million) a year.

The original deadline for the first payment was Dec. 31, but flaws in the system led officials to extend the deadline to Jan. 15. Responding to claims the tax was complicated to file, Phillips said, “This ministry administers taxes. (They are) taxes that are complicated. We would be lying if we didn't say the following: The majority of taxpayers have to look for specialists.”

Alluding to the supposition that such taxpayers have money to hire help, she said, “This tax is directed at people who have homes valued at more than ₡ 100 million.” There's no excuse, she added, “Those that haven't presented their declaration, have not done so simply because they don't want to.”

Costa Rica was the fourth and final stop Monday on Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani's tour through Latin America, in a visit that included Argentina, Venezuela and Brazil.

The visit – the first by an Arab head of state to this Central American country – is expected to bring Qatari investment in fields such as technology, science and the economy in Costa Rica.

"It's a new window we are opening for the Arab world; with a country that is very wealthy and with a personal friend of mine and a friend of Costa Rica," said Costa Rica President Oscar Arias.

Arias announced plans to open an embassy in Qatar capital Doha in the coming months. Qatar officials said they, too, would open an embassy in Costa Rica.

The decision to open an embassy in Doha comes less than a year after Arias closed three (in Bolivia, Paraguay and Czech Republic) due to financial reasons. Arias also closed consulates in Puerto Rico and in Chicago.

But Arias said an embassy in Qatar would encourage investments from Arab countries.

"We don't have an embassy in the Arab world," Arias said. "And they have interest in investing in tourism and in agriculture (here)... If we don't have an embassy in the Arab world, it would be very difficult to solidify certain investments."

Qatar, a small country of 1.5 million on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, is the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas and has the third largest gas reserve in the world, according to the U.S. State Department. The per-capita income in 2007 was $67,000, the fifth highest in the world.

"We don't want to let this opportunity pass," Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno told reporters before the meeting, which was held at the Four Seasons Resort in Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste. "This is significant."

Asked why the Qataris chose Costa Rica, Stagno said the emirate is looking to diversify its investment portfolio.

"They know that Costa Rica is a stable country and a country that is attractive for real estate, tourism and technology investments. They are looking for secure destinations and this is what we are giving them," he said.

Costa Rica and Qatar established diplomatic relations in March 2004.

The agreements signed Monday promote cooperation between the countries and provide protection for investors under certain circumstances in the areas of expropriation, repatriation and currency convertibility, meaning investors may be protected against certain types of government action.

Costa Rican officials neglected to define specific investment projects, but mentioned housing, infrastructure such as ports or highways, telecommunications and further development of high-end tourism as top priorities.

Arias said a mission from Qatar will remain in Costa Rica to learn more about the country's investment opportunities.

Al-Thani arrived on Monday at the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia and was scheduled to leave the same day. He assumed power in 1995 when he deposed his father while the former ruler was traveling in Europe. The father and son have since reconciled.

The Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER) has promised to extend rail routes by mid-February.

If all goes according to plan, INCOFER will add one stop to the Pavas-Latina University (ULatina) train, which will run east to Curridabat, and three stops to the Heredia-San José train, all within the next three weeks.

The Heredia-San José line, which ends at the Atlantic Station, will continue to Barrio Escalante, the University of Costa Rica and end at ULatina. The cars will run along the same tracks that the Pavas-ULatina train uses.

The Pavas-ULatina will end at a terminal that INCOFER has yet to install, 100 meters east of the IndoorClub in Barrio Freses, east of Curridabat's Plaza del Sol. There will be no stops in between the ULatina and the IndoorClub.

Last weekend, crews in San Pedro and Curridabat chipped away asphalt and concrete to uncover 1.5 kilometers of steel train tracks that had been paved over since the lines were last in use more than 20 years ago.

The extensions represent part of INCOFER's peripheral railway ring project, which will eventually provide train service to Cartago, the old capital east of San José, and Alajuela, northwest of San José, circling the entire San José metropolitan area. INCOFER estimates the whole project will cost $27 million and require six years of work.