Ants, ants, and more ants

The ants of Costa Rica are fascinating and a constant source of frustration for those trying to grown plants, shrubs, and other ornamental flora.

The cut ants can literally strip a mid sized tree naked of all leaves within a few hours.  Constant vigilance is required to win the battle against them.

Another type of ant that has become part of our communal living arrangement are the army ants.  The arrival of swarming army ants is something to behold.  They arrive suddenly in large waves as they migrate through.  To read more about the intriguing Burrell's ant and the habits, link to http://eol.org/pages/470832/details.  The first time we saw the swarm approaching our home the experience was akin to a low budget horror movie.  We were told that the best thing to do is leave the house for a couple of hours and let the colony pass through the house, leaving the house free of all other insects since they pretty much eat any other ant or insect in the path as they migrate.

A couple of weeks ago we visited a botanical garden in Sarchi and as we were exiting the park, my husband had the misfortune of having an ant land near his eye and sting him.  The pain was intense and then the area below his eye became very red and swollen.  We purchase some ointment from the pharmacy that helped alleviate the pain.

We have read about another species of ant called a bullet ant that has a sting potent enough to disable a person for a day.  

Oh, yes, and then there are the tiny ants that tend to infiltrate and destroy electronic equipment such as laptops, printers, and speakers.

The ants are plentiful and challenging to live with, but we can learn a lot from them too.  The ants are hard workers and epitomize teamwork.  It is not uncommon to see a large dead insect being hauled across the road by a group of ants. 

Off to Nicaragua

We made our first journey to Nicaragua last Friday to renew visa for driving privileges.  We left around 3:30 am with our friends, Julio and Yesenia.  We arrived at the Peñas Blancas border crossing around 7:30 and began the inexplicable  process of getting into Nicaragua.  First, we were greeted by the money exchangers in the parking lot carrying wads of different currency.  We soon realized thar we would probably need some U.S. Dollars and decided it was better to use the ATM machine rather than accept the exchange rate offered by the money changers.  We also were surrounded by men trying to offer to help fill out documents for the crossing.  We accepted the services of one dude and then headed into the Costa Rica immigration building to get our exit visa stamped.  Next stop for me was the Aduana to get the papers cleared to cross the vehicle into Nicaragua.  We then drove to a checkpoint in between the Costa Rica and Nicaraguan immigration buildings to show our passports...we handed them to the same guy who had filled out our papers and he took all of the passports to the man sitting behind a desk under a makeshift checkpoint.  Next stop was to pay $1.00 each for some stamp which is then handed over to Nicaraguan immigration with $12.00 US dollars...no Colones or Cordobas (official Nicaraguan currency) accepted...go figure.  After about 15 minutes of haggling with the officer who insisted we had to stay in Nicaragua for a minimum of three days, we managed to convince him we were only going for the day....he insisted Nicaraguan law mandated a minimum of three days, but I suspect after he realized there was not going to be a forthcoming bribe, he relented and stamped our passports with the entry stamp.   We also had to get permission and pay $27.00 for one day of car insurance before having all our papers in hand to proceed to the next stop which was to show all the papers to another dude.  Finally, we drove through the dreaded, but compulsory spraying of the car...not sure what the spray is for, but we made sure the a/c was off and all windows closed.

After a 45 minute drive north on very nice roads we arrived in Rivas.  Since Julio and Yesenia had to go to the bank and Costa Rican Consul for some business, the hubby and I went in search of food.  On the way into Rivas, Julio had hired the services of a taxi, which is actually a rickshaw driver on a bike, to bike ahead of us and escort us to the Consul building.  We then left the car at the park and went with the rickshaw driver to tour the backstreets in search of food.  An old man on a bench said he would "watch our car for us" while we were gone.  

Our driver asked if wanted "simple food" to which my hubby responded too quickly, "si."  Little did he know that meant just beans, rice, and fried eggs.  The driver stopped at three holes in the wall and would shout to the cook if the food was ready.  After two "no's" we ended up on a side street at a joint with three tables and hundreds of flies!  The food was surely simple, and very cheap...less than $5.00 for both of us.  We headed back to the park and the car.  When we arrived at the park, the car guard was fast asleep on the bench so we took off smiling at the "guard!"  Must have been siesta time.

We were on our way back to Costa Rica two hours later and went through the whole process in reverse with a couple of extra bribes since the Nicaraguan agent insisted we did not stay in Nicaragua the mandated minimum of three hours...three days, three hours...what is it with threes?  Anyway, an $11.00 bribe which was the exact change we should of received from our $50 US dollar bill seem to meet the requirement of the officer to place the exit stamp on our passports...funny how that works!

On our way home we stopped in at the Three Hermanas Restaurant about two hours from home to enjoy a delicious meal.  While dining we saw three beautiful macaws fly overhead.  The waiter told us the macaws roost at the restaurant across the road where they were raised and released.

On our final stretch home the traffic came to a stop.  A bus had been involved in an accident which caused delays each way.  While we were stopped we noticed a bunch of loud howler monkeys in the trees next to the highway.  It was quite special to see them all along a stretch of road.  They really are loud, hence their names!

We finally made it home around 7:30 pm and could only think of falling into bed and sleeping.  

 I was really touched by the evident poverty as soon as you enter Nicaragua and the irony of how nice the roads were, but very few cars traveling them.  I also realized how lucky so many of us are not to have to stand in long lines outside the consul in the hot sun waiting for paperwork to be stamped.  Our rickshaw driver, like many others I saw were young men who clearly have very few employment and education opportunities in an impoverished country.  

Cheese, Balloons and Jaboticabas

Discovering new traditions, fruits and plants is a passion of mine.  Since moving to Costa Rica, I have had the opportunity to do all three and it seems like just when you think there is nothing new, some new tradition, fruit or plant is introduced to me.

Yesterday, for example while driving to our friend's place we noticed yellow and white balloons everywhere in town.  At first, we thought the balloons were for a wedding, but as we went from one side of town to the other, we realized the abundance of balloons and other decorations had to be related to a religious festival.  As it turns out, the balloons were to welcome a saint that is transported through all the neighborhoods with a large procession of people singing behind it.  

We have made some wonderful new expat and Tico friends.  Today, we were invited by our friends Julio and Yesenia to go to Los Angeles over near San Ramon to buy the "best cheese" in the area.  We were not dissapointed.  We arrived at a small roadside store and began our adventure by ordering some great cafes con leche.  Our friend, Julio, them asked the owner to warm us up a package of corn tortillas.  One minute later we were enjoying great cheese wrapped in tortila with our coffee.  I remarked that it might seem crazy that we drove an hour to indulge in a corn tortilla with white cheese, but it was well worth it.

After our cheese and coffee break we headed back through the town of San Ramon and stopped in at a family owned nursery.  Julio has known the owners for years, and kindly invited us for a tour of the nursery and farm.  They even allowed us to raid their Jaboticaba (like a Brazilian grape) trees.  The fruits were new to me, but I quickly became well acquainted with them after trying a few.  They reminded me of eating concord grapes. The tree is fascinating since the fruit grows directly on the bark, almost like someone glued dark purple balls to the stalk.  The proprietor makes wine as well from them.  She gifted us a bottle of wine in the making to place in our closet for another two months and then it should be ready to drink.  

Another wonderful surprise was seeing her variety of rabbits that she raises and the rare turquoise jade plant that is flourishing at her property.  The plant produces a spectacular flower that can only be appreciated in person.

After spending an hour with the family at the nursery, we purchased a couple of Jaboticaba trees and headed to Palmares to eat at a great restaurant.

As we arrived home, I remarked to my hubby how fortunate we are to have made friends with Julio who is equally passionate about all the plants and fruits of his homeland and his willingness to show us his homeland.

Two Different Worlds...Wish You Were Here

"Wish you were here" yesterday took on such new, funny meaning for me.  I drove a dear friend over to the hospital in Escazu yesterday for a doctor's appointment.  On a side note, it was my 25th wedding anniversary, but my hubby had to attend a drawn out homeowner's association meeting so I volunteered to drive my friend to Escazu.  She and I and two other ladies went with us.  After the appointment, we decided to have lunch together at a fabulous hamburger restaurant named "Hamburgesia," and get to know one another better.  We all decided to share a story about a nutty relative in our respective family trees.  One of the ladies had the most priceless story of a sister of hers in prison who sent her a greeting card from prison that read, "wish you were here!"  She said she got in touch with her sister to ask her what the heck was up sending such an off the chart message from prison.  The sister told her that the volunteer had run out of all the good cards by the time he reached her cell block so she had no choice but to settle for the "wish you were here" card! By the way, anyone who says you cannot get a decent hamburger in Costa Rica should try this place!  

It's funny that after our venture to the big city and the nice restaurant we realized that while it is nice to be able to go to a establishments that resemble gringolandia (the US or Canada), some of prefer the simplicity of our lives here in the small town of Atenas with only one traffic light.