Recently
Jeff and I learned that when someone asks, “How do you feel about
bugs?” – to get really CLEAR on why they're asking a question
like that.
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| It hops, it flies, it tickles. |
I
answered by explaining that I'm not too concerned about bugs but that
Jeff is getting a bit more concerned lately. I thought that was
sufficient – though later I realized that I hadn't understood the
question.
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| Call it a June bug or scarab beetle. It's real buggy. |
And so
blithely starry-eyed, we moved into the “Owl House” at
Saramandaia, a 36 acre verdant, jungly hillside in Ciudad Colon,
Costa Rica, preparing for a lovely one week long retreat in the wilds
of Costa Rica.
Granted,
the home is “rustic” with functional yet unsophisticated
furniture, appliances and cookware. But rustic is fine. It works.
What we were excited about was the setting: in a tantalizing,
non-muggy jungle on a hillside complete with a fantastic view into
the canopy. Colorful butterflies flitting about, hummingbirds
buzzing around all day long, green and red parrots charging by in
flocks overhead, multitudes of types of birds we've never before seen
– most of which move too quickly to get pictures of.
And
this doesn't even include the troop of white-faced capuchin monkeys
that cruise by the house several times a day, often gifting us with
close-up glances of what it means to be truly wild and free. What a
marvel to gaze directly into the bright eyes of such an intelligent,
though non-human, being.
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| Hi |
But
during our first full evening in the home, my mind kept returning to
our host's initial question: How do you feel about bugs?
You
see, sometime around 7 pm every evening this pleasant research
station converts into a war zone of buzzing, whizzing, flying,
running, bombing BUGS. It's like a witching hour. The flying
beetles find their way in and circle the room. June bugs bumble
about. Certainly the most voluminous population is the moths – of
all sizes, followed closely by all manner of miscellaneous tiny
flying thingies. Then unexpectedly from no where, an inch long
flying cockroach launches into the room or darts out from under the
cushion I'm sitting on – and runs across the wall. Get anywhere close to it
(to smash it!) and it suddenly flies off again, and again, and
again.
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| The infamous flying cockroach. |
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| Everybody's texting these days. |
And
every so often one of the half dozen 3-4 inch-long geckos that are
also cruising the walls during these eventful evening hours, nabs a
cockroach. It's amazing to see it happen. The gecko dashes across
the wall 3-4 feet in a flash, grabs the cockroach while running, and
finds an opportune spot on the wall to somehow swallow that huge
cockroach whole.
We
OFTEN wished there were more geckos – more to eat up all the ants,
moths, gnats, beetles, cockroaches, and other busy buzzy biting
creatures that found their way into this most interesting abode. Who
needs TV in a place like this?!
The problem is the roof: an intact clay tile roof – with no
ceiling, no protective barrier between those artistic-looking clay
tiles and . . . us, with just enough room in the joint between each
of the tiles for harboring and breeding tons of insects. They live
there all day long, until the evening witching hour when the indoor
lights get turned on. Then they fly out, run out and simply drop out
from every disgusting crevice to join in one helluva party.
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Really a beautiful roof in very good condition.
It does not leak in a downpour, but bugs can get in. |
The
next time someone asks you: How do you feel about bugs? Please, ask
why they want to know. Exactly why. We certainly will.
But
other than the bugs in the “Owl House”, we really liked Ciudad
Colon and would gladly return there for a very long time, given the
right opportunity.
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| Stained glass window repairs are falling behind. Those darn earthquakes! |
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| This beautiful relic is fenced off and falling apart. |
Ciudad
Colon: 45 minutes west of the Costa Rican capital of San Jose, is a
homey and friendly town with it's own fun, attractive Saturday
farmer's market.
With a great community atmosphere, in the evenings
the town park converts into a maze of soccer and basketball games,
families picnicking, teenagers hanging out, exercisers walking, and
skateboarders zipping about.
Nice
place. Worthy of our consideration.
Now to
check out San Isidro del General in the southern part of the country.
