Kind of ironic that I’m sitting on my terrace polishing my manuscript as I look out on blue skies and a clear view of the whale’s tail. The first sunny day in weeks, and here I am complaining about the rain. Not complaining, really, just already tired of the damp, humid, and coolish weather that came so early this year. We get socked in more often than not these days, which makes the view that much more welcome when it does make an appearance. This morning we basked in the warmth of the sun as we sipped our coffee and gazed out onto the azure blue seas, content to just be.
Rainy season started at least a month early this year, which is why so many of us jungle dwellers are grumpy early. With over 750,000 species of insects dwelling in CR, I think at least 700,000 of them hatch during rainy season. Some have such a short life span that they hatch, buzz around for a night, then die by morning. I mean, what’s the point? Every day I have to sweep up the bug mortuary in the house just to walk to the kitchen to make coffee. Always wearing flip-flops of course, never barefoot.
Speaking of bugs, Karl recently got bitten by something (you rarely catch the culprit in the act) and the bump kept growing and growing, then oozing a yellowish liquid. After consulting with some of the locals, we learned that he’d been infected with a botfly larva that was feeding off his flesh – from inside his leg! The treatment is basic. Suffocate the larva to force it to come to the surface to escape. First, you smear vaseline on the bite, then wrap it up tight with gauze and tape. Wait twenty-four hours, then remove the bandage and pluck the dead botfly out of the wound with tweezers. Plan B, or the Jungle Jim Plan, is to slap some raw meat on the wound and wait. We opted for vaseline.
Another hazard of rainy season is falling trees in the jungle. And yes, they do make a lot of noise whether you see them fall or not. When the ground gets overly saturated, the trees drop like flies. After a really heavy rainfall the other night, we found the tree in the photo that had fallen across our road and landed on top of the power lines. We needn’t wonder why there are so many power and connectivity outages here. Thankfully we didn’t lose electricity or internet this time, especially since the power company didn’t show up for over 24 hours.
And of course, there’s the thick, gelatinous mud the color of rust that miraculously appears out of nowhere as soon as the first few drops of rain fall. I have my mud boots at the front door ready for any outdoor treks. Before I put them on, I hang them upside down and smack them together several times to shake out any critters that might be in there, like scorpions. Well, I had to go to town yesterday to pick up my new business cards for my NY trip (😱) and wore my wellies. After I left the store, I looked down and saw over a dozen HUGE black ants crawling up one of my legs, biting their way to freedom. Those suckers had made a nest under my insole and had the audacity to attack my leg as they made their escape from the legendary Big Foot.
Life in paradise. Gotta love it! I do, I really do, so during rainy season I remember that:
“Into every life, a little rain must fall.”
Pura Vida! 🙊 🙉 🙈
May. 22, 2022
MICHAEL BIBER28.10.2022 22:03
Love you hear you reaction to going back to NY. Hard transition? Can you ever imagine returning there? What did you enjoy most about the trip?
CAROL31.05.2022 18:12
YES! Power vibes, love and light coming your way! You’ve got this! XOXO ❤️
CAROL29.05.2022 18:12
WOW! Gives me a whole new way to look at Rainy Season! Glad K is OK!
JUDY30.05.2022 22:44
Hello, Stranger…! I’m in NY right now, about to pitch my novel to agents and publishers. Send me power vibes, por favor!
BOBBI E.T.23.05.2022 00:15
Okay, you had me the bugs and other biting insects. So you are publishing your book? Why are you to New York? Is K going with you and how long are staying? love
Judy Richter 