There is a very good chance that, if I do nothing, I will give birth to a baby bot fly in 4-8 weeks. By giving birth I mean that a nasty, sharp larvae will eat its way through my skin and emerge, "Alien" style, from my upper arm. I've been pretty convinced that the itchy, hard bite is a bot fly larvae and, after getting everyone at the school's opinion on the matter (small town, not a lot going on :), I've decided that it is indeed time to go to the clinic and get a real doctor's opinion on the matter. If it is a bot fly larvae, they'll extract it with a syringe. Which is more appealing than the old school method of coaxing it out with a piece of bacon.... I'll keep you posted :)
Scorpion Count: 71
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
So Much To Say....
It's been a long time since I wrote and my only excuse is that we've been happily inundated with visitors. After Mara's truly special visit, our friend Chrissy came and led us on a whirlwind itinerary that would have made my parents (the travel professionals) proud. First, we went on all three of our first zip-lining canopy tour ever, which was... AWESOME! Okay, at first it was terrifying and I kept thinking, "Why doesn't anybody ever talk about how truly scary and awful this is?" But then, after the third cable, I was loving the thrill, the view, and the ride and forgot all about the fear.... mostly.
Chrissy then convinced us to take a day-trip to Arenal and I will be forever grateful for her "persuading" (read, "strong insistence"). We took the taxi-boat-taxi across Lake Arenal and were freakishly lucky to have blue skys, calm weather, and a totally stunning view of the volcano! After reaching La Fortuna on the other side (Monteverde is about 3 hours from the Arenal area), we entered Eco Termales hotsprings and were swept away to a tropical paradise.
The Arenal Volcano is quite active (on a clear night, you can watch the lava spew out) and ever since it's big eruption in 1968, it has heated the natural springs around the area causing a flux of deliciously beautiful natural hot spring resorts. Eco Termales was perfect. We soaked ourselves in volcanic waterfalls, drank perfect pina coladas, and were entertained by a troop of Howler Monkeys! Seeing Howler Monkeys are very rare and I will post Chrissy's awesome pictures soon. I won't talk about the part where I slipped on the wet stones, came crashing to my knees, and bled everywhere. Rob got me ice and a pina colada. I'm fine now.
We returned to our house to find David and Renee and all five of us headed out the next morning at 6am for our walk up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This was Rob's and my third time, and I don't think it will ever stop being a fully astounding experience. Our guide this time, the wealth of knowledge, Eduardo, kept commenting that James Cameron simply stole the Cloud Forest as his setting for Avatar. I think Eduardo is right; the size of the ferns, the details of the bugs, the sounds of the birds- it's all almost too perfect, too dazzling, too awe-inspiring. And, the freakish luck that Chrissy brought continued because we saw eight Quetzels! Quetzels are the prized, endangered bird of the central american forests and people freak out if they see one. Eduardo was out of his mind with excitement which was just a bonus addition to our happiness. We also saw more monkeys and toucans dive-bombing nests (they kidnap and eat other baby birds). We capped off the day with a night hike where we saw an owl, glowing bugs, and about 15 tarantulas. I'm not exagerating- they're everywhere....
After sadly saying good-bye to Chrissy, our fun with David and Renee continued as they explored coffee farms and waterfalls while we were at work. Last week-end we took taxi-boat-taxi with them and enjoyed it just as much as the first time and once again tested our luck with beautiful weather. This time we visited Tabacon- the king of the Arenal hot spring resorts. We decided to splurge on a room here and soaked up the luxurious volcano pools and reveled in our fancy hotel rooms that are up to standard for one of my parents' safaris (those of you who have been on one of their safaris know what I'm talking about).
The next day, perfectly relaxed and pampered, we visited Arenal National Park and hiked over the lava flows as close to the volcano as non-scientists are allowed. The most amazing part was getting to hear the rocks tumbling out of the volcano. When we looked through the binoculars we could see those rocks tumbling down the side, some as big as small houses!
Our last night with David and Renee we spent at the home of Irene, our new friend, thanks to Mara, where we had another fun night and watched an incredible lightening storm over the lake, out of her panoramic windows.
Now that we're back in Monteverde, enjoying the last week of school, I am a bit worried that our luck has run out weather-wise, because we are living and breathing in rain. I'm hoping it will clear a bit after Peter, Brad, and Erin arrive this week-end.
Pura Vida!
Chrissy then convinced us to take a day-trip to Arenal and I will be forever grateful for her "persuading" (read, "strong insistence"). We took the taxi-boat-taxi across Lake Arenal and were freakishly lucky to have blue skys, calm weather, and a totally stunning view of the volcano! After reaching La Fortuna on the other side (Monteverde is about 3 hours from the Arenal area), we entered Eco Termales hotsprings and were swept away to a tropical paradise.
The Arenal Volcano is quite active (on a clear night, you can watch the lava spew out) and ever since it's big eruption in 1968, it has heated the natural springs around the area causing a flux of deliciously beautiful natural hot spring resorts. Eco Termales was perfect. We soaked ourselves in volcanic waterfalls, drank perfect pina coladas, and were entertained by a troop of Howler Monkeys! Seeing Howler Monkeys are very rare and I will post Chrissy's awesome pictures soon. I won't talk about the part where I slipped on the wet stones, came crashing to my knees, and bled everywhere. Rob got me ice and a pina colada. I'm fine now.
We returned to our house to find David and Renee and all five of us headed out the next morning at 6am for our walk up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This was Rob's and my third time, and I don't think it will ever stop being a fully astounding experience. Our guide this time, the wealth of knowledge, Eduardo, kept commenting that James Cameron simply stole the Cloud Forest as his setting for Avatar. I think Eduardo is right; the size of the ferns, the details of the bugs, the sounds of the birds- it's all almost too perfect, too dazzling, too awe-inspiring. And, the freakish luck that Chrissy brought continued because we saw eight Quetzels! Quetzels are the prized, endangered bird of the central american forests and people freak out if they see one. Eduardo was out of his mind with excitement which was just a bonus addition to our happiness. We also saw more monkeys and toucans dive-bombing nests (they kidnap and eat other baby birds). We capped off the day with a night hike where we saw an owl, glowing bugs, and about 15 tarantulas. I'm not exagerating- they're everywhere....
After sadly saying good-bye to Chrissy, our fun with David and Renee continued as they explored coffee farms and waterfalls while we were at work. Last week-end we took taxi-boat-taxi with them and enjoyed it just as much as the first time and once again tested our luck with beautiful weather. This time we visited Tabacon- the king of the Arenal hot spring resorts. We decided to splurge on a room here and soaked up the luxurious volcano pools and reveled in our fancy hotel rooms that are up to standard for one of my parents' safaris (those of you who have been on one of their safaris know what I'm talking about).
The next day, perfectly relaxed and pampered, we visited Arenal National Park and hiked over the lava flows as close to the volcano as non-scientists are allowed. The most amazing part was getting to hear the rocks tumbling out of the volcano. When we looked through the binoculars we could see those rocks tumbling down the side, some as big as small houses!
Our last night with David and Renee we spent at the home of Irene, our new friend, thanks to Mara, where we had another fun night and watched an incredible lightening storm over the lake, out of her panoramic windows.
Now that we're back in Monteverde, enjoying the last week of school, I am a bit worried that our luck has run out weather-wise, because we are living and breathing in rain. I'm hoping it will clear a bit after Peter, Brad, and Erin arrive this week-end.
Pura Vida!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tilting at Windmills in Tilaran
We spent a truly lovely week end with Mara in the Tilaran, Guanacaste area (roughly two hours north of Monteverde). Driving from Monteverde to Tilaran is a true feast for the eyes, miles and miles of rolling green pastures and panoramic views. The cows, the small villages, and the expansive blue skys are reminiscent, in ways, of places in Ireland, Illinois, and, I imagine, Cervante's own Basque country. We knew that we were approaching Tilaran because of the industrial windwills dotting the hills, and once there, we could feel the wind. It's a new level of wind in my life. Relentless and forceful, but somehow not over-powering. Gaunacaste is a notoriously hot province and you can certainly feel the heat underneath the wind, and then become grateful for the wind for alleviating some of that heat.
Costa Rica is a leader in renewable energy and the massive power provided by this wind is not only very important, but should serve as a harbinger for all those annoying gringos in the US who don't want their Martha's Vineyard and Idaho views "ruined." I have to say, Tilaran is beautiful. Shocking green everywhere sloping down to the expanse of Lake Arenal where the water is whipped (by the wind, of course) into constant tiny, white peaks. And, the windmills just add to the beauty. Mara took us on her daily walk/run from her days living in Parcelles during the Peace Corps and we strolled directly under the giant, rhythmic machines that are not at all offensive or too loud.
We spent a fun night with her host family who were amazingly welcoming and shared LOTS of delicious food and everyone was patient with our halting Spanish. We then spent a night at the house of a friend of Mara's who has an amazing picture window taking in Lake Arenal and the volcano. After a bumpy, but picture-postcard, bus ride back to Monteverde, we hosted Mara for a few days. She did not have any white-faced monkey visitors at her windows (they've been scarce lately), but we did get to see the endangered Spider Monkeys on our Cloud Forest Reserve Tour. They are the largest monkeys in Costa Rica and endangered because they can only survive off of the vegetation from primary forests. As deforestation continues, they are forced to move into secondary forests and without certain nutrients, are developing osteoporosis. And you can imagine how successful a swinging monkey is with brittle bones... We also were lucky to see the famous Resplendent Quetzel, which is as magical and multi-colored as all the guide books say.
Pura Vida!
Costa Rica is a leader in renewable energy and the massive power provided by this wind is not only very important, but should serve as a harbinger for all those annoying gringos in the US who don't want their Martha's Vineyard and Idaho views "ruined." I have to say, Tilaran is beautiful. Shocking green everywhere sloping down to the expanse of Lake Arenal where the water is whipped (by the wind, of course) into constant tiny, white peaks. And, the windmills just add to the beauty. Mara took us on her daily walk/run from her days living in Parcelles during the Peace Corps and we strolled directly under the giant, rhythmic machines that are not at all offensive or too loud.
We spent a fun night with her host family who were amazingly welcoming and shared LOTS of delicious food and everyone was patient with our halting Spanish. We then spent a night at the house of a friend of Mara's who has an amazing picture window taking in Lake Arenal and the volcano. After a bumpy, but picture-postcard, bus ride back to Monteverde, we hosted Mara for a few days. She did not have any white-faced monkey visitors at her windows (they've been scarce lately), but we did get to see the endangered Spider Monkeys on our Cloud Forest Reserve Tour. They are the largest monkeys in Costa Rica and endangered because they can only survive off of the vegetation from primary forests. As deforestation continues, they are forced to move into secondary forests and without certain nutrients, are developing osteoporosis. And you can imagine how successful a swinging monkey is with brittle bones... We also were lucky to see the famous Resplendent Quetzel, which is as magical and multi-colored as all the guide books say.
Pura Vida!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Zombieland?
For the first week or so here, Rob and I reacted oddly calmly, when every evening as we were eating dinner we would hear distant, clear moaning. I think we both assumed that it just must be something from jungle life. Maybe cows? No, way too deep and eerie for mooing... Maybe horses? No, definitely not horses. Rob even joked once that he felt like we were in "28 Days Later" and that at any moment the zombies were going to burst though our walls and rip our heads off.
Well, it turned out to be Howler Monkeys. And boy, do they howl. It's pretty awesome. They tend to howl in the early morning and late afternoon and their deep, territorial calls travel easily through the forest. We haven't seen any yet, although we're hoping... They live way up in the canopy and are quieter and better behaved than the white-faced monkey terrorists who were, most recently, seen ripping the siding off our guest house. So, the Howlers are harder to see.
Speaking of the monkeys who live above our house: I swear that every morning, mildly bored with their effortless swinging and graceful tree hoping, they say to each other, "Let's go to the roof and have a good stomp." And that's how I imagine them, lying in my bed at 5:30am, envisioning spider monkeys lifting their long arms and legs high above them and then stomping on our roof.
Well, it turned out to be Howler Monkeys. And boy, do they howl. It's pretty awesome. They tend to howl in the early morning and late afternoon and their deep, territorial calls travel easily through the forest. We haven't seen any yet, although we're hoping... They live way up in the canopy and are quieter and better behaved than the white-faced monkey terrorists who were, most recently, seen ripping the siding off our guest house. So, the Howlers are harder to see.
Speaking of the monkeys who live above our house: I swear that every morning, mildly bored with their effortless swinging and graceful tree hoping, they say to each other, "Let's go to the roof and have a good stomp." And that's how I imagine them, lying in my bed at 5:30am, envisioning spider monkeys lifting their long arms and legs high above them and then stomping on our roof.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sloths and R.O.U.S.s
WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! It was so coool. Can you tell I'm excited? We were in our bedroom (of course. Our bedroom is turning out to be the best place to see wildlife in the whole Monteverde zone) and Rob noticed a rusty colored two-toed sloth hurrying along a branch. Hurrying by sloth standards; by white-faced cappuchin monkey (our ever-present companions) standards, he was ambling along. It was amazing. We also saw a beautiful toucan at one of our local cafes. And, one morning, on our driveway, we saw a Rodent Of Unusual Size. Seriously. Fauna here has been grouped into two categories for us; the ones which elicit the reaction, "Incredible!" and the ones that elicit the reaction, "I hope we never have one of those in our house." You can guess which reaction the ROUS got.
Speaking of ROUSs, there have been an odd number of allusions to the Princess Bride lately. First, Rob thinks we may have a fire-swamp in our drive-way. I'm doubting the existence of fire, but there is a suspiciously quick-sand looking spot that we tend to walk around. Secondly, the ROUS. And thirdly, the woman who made the most delicious bread anyone has ever tasted has left. This is sad because she used to sell the bread (and equally inspired cinnamon rolls) outside the school every day. However, a fellow-teacher told us that she is not the first bread-maker and that there are rumours that the recipes have been passed on to another. She said, quote "the bread-lady is a lot like the Dread Pirate Roberts." It might be good that the bread is on hiatus because it was my third day in a row of eating an entire loaf for a snack that I remembered my dear aunt/cousin Nancy telling me how she gained 60 pounds when she lived in Brazil from eating too much bread, beans, and rice....
We finally make it to the proper Monteverde Cloud Reserve this week-end, and while we did not see near the amount of birds and animals that hang out in our yard, we were simply blown away by the experience. It's such a cliche to say "blown-away" and "primordial" and "breath-taking" but that's exactly what the cloud forest is; truly spectacular vegatation and sounds everywhere.
Speaking of ROUSs, there have been an odd number of allusions to the Princess Bride lately. First, Rob thinks we may have a fire-swamp in our drive-way. I'm doubting the existence of fire, but there is a suspiciously quick-sand looking spot that we tend to walk around. Secondly, the ROUS. And thirdly, the woman who made the most delicious bread anyone has ever tasted has left. This is sad because she used to sell the bread (and equally inspired cinnamon rolls) outside the school every day. However, a fellow-teacher told us that she is not the first bread-maker and that there are rumours that the recipes have been passed on to another. She said, quote "the bread-lady is a lot like the Dread Pirate Roberts." It might be good that the bread is on hiatus because it was my third day in a row of eating an entire loaf for a snack that I remembered my dear aunt/cousin Nancy telling me how she gained 60 pounds when she lived in Brazil from eating too much bread, beans, and rice....
We finally make it to the proper Monteverde Cloud Reserve this week-end, and while we did not see near the amount of birds and animals that hang out in our yard, we were simply blown away by the experience. It's such a cliche to say "blown-away" and "primordial" and "breath-taking" but that's exactly what the cloud forest is; truly spectacular vegatation and sounds everywhere.
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