Adios. . .

For a week. . . We're out of here for a week off. Time to hit the beach and relax for a bit. We're headed to San Andres, Colombia. Taking off today, and we'll be back in a week or so, as we're going to spend some time in San Jose before and after the trip. Hopefully, we'll have some good pictures and tales to tell when we return.

Geography quiz. . .

OK, time for our three-month break to vamoose from Costa Rica to see other parts of the world and renew our visa. . . We found a great deal: airfare, three nights hotel, all meals and drinks included, for $400.00 per person. . . Where are we going? It's an island to the east of Costa Rica. . . It's also north, but it's a property/territory of a South American country. . . Kind of odd to be flying north to end up in South America, but that's the way it goes these days, I suppose. . .

To be honest, we have a nice global map here in the house of the hotel, and I couldn't even find the place on it. . . Had to go prowl around on the Internet to find it's location. . . It used to be claimed by Nicaragua, but is now the property of this South America nation. . .

Please enter your guesses. . . We vamoose August 26 and will be back on September 1. . .

Once In A Lifetime

The other day, Kenneth had called me over to the driveway to come and take a look at this sloth that had come down low from the tree...he was so low you could reach out and touch the cute little guy...i never would have thought i'd come this close as to be able to reach out and touch this cute little creature...as excited as i was, i have to say i was a little afraid as well--my heart was racing, as all i could think about were the long claws..not knowing if he'd lunge at me with his paw or not...but, being this close i just couldn't resist and touch the little one...the texture of his fur is not as coarse as i had thought it would be...it was actually quite soft...
These creatures are just amazing to watch...i just get so mesmerized by how they move around on the branches and trees...for the most part, they are pretty slow with their movements, but there are times when they can pick up the pace and move a bit faster to get around...this little guy decided to hang out low on the tree for quite some time before he headed back up to higher ground...

Do not, under any circumstances, ever, ever

Mix meatloaf and pizza with a couple of dogs in a two-day period. We have found this out the hard way after a couple of delectable dinners (one cooked--the meatloaf--and one delivered--the pizza). . .

There is an ongoing debate here in Costa Rica as to what is the best kind of food for the canines. . . One of us insists on feeding treats to the pooches (including cooking up pork chops just for them and feeding them dinner scraps) while the other wishes to stick to traditional dog food materials and treats. . . In Spanish, dog food is concentrado. . . Pizza and meatloaf, while delicious, are not concentrado, and we have been paying dearly in the evenings with eye-watering emissions ricocheting off the walls like a hummingbird on a major sugar high. . .

Godzilla. . .

The latest movie that didn't do that great (with Matthew Broderick) theorized that Godzilla got his/her start as a big lizard and then was nuked into super stardom. Perhaps this was the size of what the pre-Godzilla looked like. We found this critter wandering around down by the gate the other day. It's an older one, as part of its tail has fallen off and it's losing color towards the end of what bit of tail it does have left. It has a huge chin waddle as well, really big and saggy. I was able to get up really close to it. It didn't seem to mind that Keneth was running the weed eater just a few feet away, or that I walked up and started taking pictures. He wasn't in the mood to move very fast or far, it seemed, being content to soak up some sun on the grass.

While driving around down here, you do have to watch for iguanas crossing the road. They can get pretty long, but they are very low to the ground still, and I have not seen a couple when we've been driving. I'm used to looking out for dogs and cats, which are higher off the ground, but not low-slung lizards.

Gecko vs. bug. . .

No pictures with this one, though snapshots would not suffice; video would have done it much better. . . We were lying in bed the other night, watching TV, when we saw a good-sized gecko scurrying up the wall by the televison. . . We kept an eye on it, wondering what it would do. It didn't do much, just stayed stuck to the wall and flashed a few inches once in a while.

Then a medium-sized cockroach landed on the wall, about 2-3 inches from the gecko. . . Less than 10 seconds later, the gecko had scrambled over, pounced and sucked up the cockroach. Then the gecko scuttled down between the wall and the dresser, presumably to enjoy its late-night snack.

It was like watching Animal Planet in person, kind of cool to see nature in action that up close and personal.

Timberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

We've had about three to four sloths living in the trees between the gate of the hotel and our house the past week or two. In the previous few days, four of them gathered in one tree. I took some guests down one morning to see the sloths, as most people that come here can't wait to see one.

We were down on the driveway, watching three of them huddled together on a branch, about 50 to 60 feet up in the air. One started making its way our further, and the branch (which was over 50 feet long) started to dip. I cleared everyone away, and sure enough, the branch broke about a minute later and the sloths came crashing down, about 3 feet in front of me.

Keneth and I jumped in and started clearing away the branches (the main branch that snapped was about 6 to 8 inches around, and it snapped off from the base of the tree) to free up the sloths.

Luckily, none of the sloths were hurt. Even though they must have been startled and shocked to be out of their element, they still didn't hurry to get back into the trees. They shuffled along on the ground, before starting to climb up some banana plants and then back into the trees. I was told that it is very unusual to see a group of sloths all huddled together. Usually, they're solitary creatures, unless one is watching a baby.

It may sound cruel, but that was pretty neat to see the sloths up close and personal like that. I could have touched one if I wanted, but didn't want to disturb them anymore than they already were.

Espanol 101. . .

Or maybe something more basic: Spanish 50?

I just completed a week of free Spanish lessons at Proyecto Asis, the animal rescue center near the hotel. Proyecto Asis, in addition to hosting volunteers to work with the animals and build houses for people in the area, also offers a Spanish class. Fortunately, I was able to go to the class for a week for free. It was a great experience. Lindsay, the instructor, was very good. It was just myself and a junior-to-be in high school from California. Of course, I was the laggard in the class, not having as much experience as the 17-year-old girl.

Nonetheless, the experience was very good, and I did learn a lot -- much to the chagrin of the folks who work here at Tree Houses. At least I was able to understand when Darleen and Patricia told Lucy they wished I had never taken the classes, as I was now able to ask for a lot of things and tell them what needed to be done.

Since the class is at the animal rescue center, it was great to walk the grounds before and after class (it was four hours each morning for a week). One of the drawbacks, was when the mapaches (raccoons) would come scrambling through the outdoor classroom. Actually, it wasn't a drawback, but a very nice diversion. The mapaches pretty much took over the classroom, scrambling up our legs and onto the table and trying to make off with keys, pens, notebooks, etc. The critters are still pretty young and very curious.

Not your typical classroom setting, but still a very good time.

Animal Rescue

I have to say, i am so proud of myself...i helped to save the life of an injured hummingbird...the birds here have a tendency to hit against the windows...unfortunately, there are times when they hit too hard and there is nothing that can be done to help them...then, there are other times, when they hit the windows and find themselves just knocked unconscious, and with a little help, they are able to get back on their wings and fly away...it just requires a little bit of hummingbird resuscitation...unlike anything one would expect...
The other day, a hummingbird had knocked up against the patio window of our house and landed on the ground...unable to move...i got hold of the bird and placed it in the palm of my hand...i lifted up its tail and blew a couple puffs of air into its bottom...and NO i did not go mouth to butt to blow in the puffs of air...there was no bird to human contact...i was a good enough distance away from its bottom, just enough to blow in some air...it's apparently what is practiced down here in CR to help in bringing birds back to life after they've gotten the wind knocked out of them...and to my surprise it did work...after just a few puffs of air and some massaging of the hummingbird's back and head, i was able to bring him back to life...and he fluttered back and flew out of my hands...i have to say it was a feeling like no other, to be able to hold such a beautiful and delicate bird in the palm of my hand...truly amazing!

Hail to the King!

Having been down here now for about five months, we have not eaten much American-style fast food. We try to eat at the local sodas, or restaurants, most of the time, as we can get our fair share of grease back home. . . However, sometimes there is a need for the greasy, salty and decadent fast food that has bloated America.

Recently, we caved into temptation and hit up Burger King and McDonald's on a trip to San Ramon. Unlike the Colonel, both BK and McD's taste pretty much the same as back home. . . However, this time we discovered Burger King's Cheesy Tots. . . Have mercy, and prepare the angioplasty--these are some tasty things. . .

Not sure if they're available back in the States at Burger King, or if it's a Costa Rica or Central American menu item (McDonald's serves chicken legs and wings) but it's dangerously tasty. . .

As you can probably figure out from the name, it's basically deep-fried tater tots infused with cheese, and they are outstanding. . .

Curiously, after not eating much of this food for our time down here and then gorging ourselves, we were both a little queasy afterwards. . . Lesson learned? Probably not, when cheesy tots are available.

It doesn't get old. . .

Spotting wildlife here at the hotel, which is nice . . . I suppose if it did, then we'd grow bored and wouldn't enjoy things down here as much. . .
Recently, we've had a great run of sloth sightings very close to the hotel. . . Sloths are not the easiest of critters to spot, as they don't move very much, and when they do, it is truly painfully slow. . . Of late, we've had several sloths down by the front gate and one near tree house No. 3. . . On two consecutive mornings, all of the guests and us were down at the gate watching a mama sloth and her baby on the left side of the driveway, and a male on the right side. . . The mama and her baby got down to about 8 feet off the ground at one point, before they stretched out (excruciatingly slowly, of course) and the baby climbed off the back of the mother, and reached out on its own, as the small branch they were using wasn't strong enough to support both of them at the same time. . .

While that was going on, there was a male that decided to descend from his lofty perch on the other side of the driveway. . . He also came down pretty low, before stretching over to another tree. . .

Since the sloths don't move fast, we were able to spot them for 3-4 days in a row, though they got progressively farther away from the driveway. . . They take on a greenish tint, growing mold and fungus on their fur, which makes them even harder to spot. . .

We've had great monkey sightings as well. . . Two young males have been swinging around the hotel and between No. 1 and 3, dropping branches and making a mess in the driveway. . . One couple drove up to check in, and the monkeys started dropping leaves and branches on their rental car. . .

Frog!

All right, most folks know that Lucy is the one with the thing for frogs. . . This time, though, even I got excited about seeing one. . .

Lucy went out to grab and refill one of the hummingbird feeders. She brought it inside, and was getting ready to rinse it off, when she noticed a red-eyed tree frog was perched atop the glass bottle. . . These frogs are nearly impossible (at least for me) to spot in the wild, as they can fold up pretty much into a small rectangle, tucking their legs and arms underneath them, and closing their eyes, while perched on a green leaf. . .

When the frog opens its eyes, it's a brilliant red that really stands out, and the feet are a bright orange, while parts of the underside are a nice blue. . . It does secrete poison, so we didn't touch it. . . We used a stick to move it from the feeder onto a green leaf, where it promptly closed its eyes and does whatever it does when it closes its eyes. . .

Alas, there was a pretty good rain storm with some winds later on in the evening, and the frog vamoosed for better protection from the elements, we're guessing. . . It hung out on the leaf for most of the day. . .

Always room for cheese. . .

From nasty grubs to tasty grub . . . Nothing like a smooth transition. . .

Cheese is very expensive here in Costa Rica, for the most part. There's one major dairy that pretty much has a monopoly on things, so cheddar, mozzarella, etc., are pretty expensive, and the imported cheeses are even more so. . . The exception is queso palmita, which is made in the highlands here in Costa Rica. Driving from San Jose up to Tree Houses, you will pass dozens of signs offering the cheese for sale. . .It's pretty salty (right up my alley) and like string cheese. It comes in a big, white blob, and you can just peel it off and eat it. It also melts pretty well, which is a nice bonus for pizza, tacos and cheese burgers.

As for what's in it? Not really sure, but it does taste good, and that's what matters.

Not for the weak of stomach. . .

Bejuca has had a bout with dermatobia. It's pretty much like a botfly larvae (picture) and botfly larvae are easier to find on the Web for pictures. If the Internet connection weren't so slow here, we'd try to put up a video, but it's pretty gross and graphic in getting the buggers out. . .

We noticed that Bejuca had been licking certain areas quite a bit a while back, and when we parted the fur to look, we noticed little holes, almost like dimples, that were red and a little swollen. . . Raeann, one of the owners of the hotel and the owner of Bejuca, knew right what they were: botflies, or a variation of it as the vet told us. . .

One simple way to get rid of them, which doesn't necessitate a trip to the vet's office, is to smear vaseline over the hole, and cover it with duct tape. . . the worm cannot breathe through the jelly and the tape, so it reverses and heads back out. . . After about 6-8 hours, you peel off the tape, and the worm is there to be plucked out. . . We did that for one of them, but Bejuca had a lot. . . Some of them were in places where we could not wrap successfully in duct tape, hence the visit to the vet. . .

We took her to the vet, and he gave her a shot that killed the worms. . . Two days later, we took Bejuca back to the vet, and they squeezed and tweezered the buggers out. . . Knocked Bejuca out, thankfully, as it looked pretty painful. . . It was like popping a giant zit, except these worms were in no hurry to come out, being dead and embedded pretty deeply. . . There were six in total that they pulled out, so seven if you count the one that we pulled out here at the house. . . Lot of queasy moments and funky liquids spurting about in the vet's surgical room. . .

If you have a strong stomach, google botfly and dog and you can see some videos, but don't do it right before a meal. . .