It’s 2:45 a.m. Just spotted my first gecko. It’s here in my room. I’m delighted!

 

It is NOT delighted to have been spotted or to be here.

 

But it’s too fast for me to catch and relocate, so it will have to find its own way out…

 

ENVIRONMENTAL RESIDENTS.. are… OKAY!!!

 

Also spotted a trail of ants that came in under the door.  I sprayed the entry point with insect repellent.  That stopped the incursion immediately. Then I murdered the ones that were inside. Maybe ten total. Charli pointed them out to me.

 

She is also fascinated by the gecko but has made no effort to catch it. She mews at it. Maybe she’s looking for an additional friend since I’ve been gone so much! HA!

 

I also spotted a short, very dark eel-like creature in the shower. I picked it up in a tissue and relocated it outside.

 

You may have seen the video I posted on Facebook about the leaf cutter ants that are outside near the cabana where we gather to visit or eat communally on occasion. They fascinated me!

 

Anyway, the much ballyhooed “buggy” environment is not an issue for me at this  elevation. It’s true I have to come indoors as night falls to avoid mosquitoes that can dispense diseases like  dengue, zika and malaria, but if I wanted to stay out longer, spraying myself and my clothes with insect repellent would work fine.  Moving indoors as the sun sets work for me.  I’m ready to call it a day by six anyway, when it comes to being outdoors.

 

I haven’t seen any creepy critters in my room at all.  No scorpions (if there are even any around here at this altitude). Nor have I seen any while wandering the  property.

 

Melaney tells me there are iguanas on the property, but I haven’t seen any. She says one of them is about two and a half feet long, so I’m hoping to spot it at some point.

 

Humidity, heat…

 

The heat and humidity here in Grecia are just fine. In fact, as I sit here typing this, I am wearing my Scholastic arctic jacket to keep warm under the ceiling fan, which I haven’t figured out how to turn off yet!  It’s about 68 degrees outside, which is about as cool as it ever gets around here, and it feels good.

 

It’s supposed to be stormy today (Saturday) most of the day. I’m looking forward to finding out how that plays out. Topher Benum wants to go into Grecia proper today and invited me to go along but I’m playing it by ear.  I’d like to go. He says he only plans to stay about four hours, which is do-able, unless there’s a downpour! I could get a SIM card and CR phone number if I ride in with him, too, which I would love to do asap.

 

Shopping and Feria Trip

 

I rode with several gals to the feria yesterday where I bought food for the small fridge in my room and for the community table.

 

Oh!  And I did my first ATM transaction and shopping trip on the way there, which went without a hitch. But I must say it felt breathtaking to ask the ATM for 100,000 colones, for sure (the equivalent of $200 USD)!

 

At Mas o Menos (More or Less, the grocery store) I bought wet cat food and cat litter for Charli, small jars of peanut butter and jelly, a small bag of corn flakes, and a small can of sweet corn. (More about corn in a minute!)

 

Some of the vendors/farmers at the feria spoke English.  Those who don’t were welcoming and able to understand enough of my rudimentary Spanish to answer questions and educate me about microwaving some of the food I bought from them.

 

There is a fruit down here that looks like small sea anemones. I’m not sure what the name is, but it’s delicioso!  When I asked the vendor, “Que es eso?” she cut one open for me and let me taste it for the first time. YUMMY!!!  So I bought a  bag of them and then asked how soon they need to be eaten/how long they last and was told to eat them within five days. I took most of them to the community pantry, of course! I kept about three of them here in my fridge for snacks/treats.

 

And I bought my first tamales. Asked how to heat them.  Mentioned microwave, which the vendor understood, so she replied, “Cinco minutos.”   Topher Benum and I ate those last night for dinner, along with a huge ripe avocado, cantaloupe and watermelon.

Topher Benum and me at VE

 

I bought five ears of corn at the feria, which was a mistake. The corn here is what’s fed to cattle in the U.S.  It’s flavorless. I will have to buy sweet or frozen canned corn down here if I want a corn fix!  Topher and I managed to get through two  ears of it (one each), but just barely.  Laurie apologized and said she should have warned us about the corn in CR!  We’re spoiled in the U.S., so eat extra for me when you have it!

 

Happy, Peace-Filled, Relieved

 

I’m enormously happy, peace-filled and relieved to know that I researched this country well enough to be able to land here feeling right at home, minus the U.S. at home issues (politics, disconnection from family, etc.). Going to the store and feria felt familiar; I wasn’t at all cowed by the experience.  I just dived right in, explained my recent arrival and rudimentary Spanish skills, and everyone was lovely, patient and welcoming.

 

It’s a whole new world!

 

Following are photos of the Grecia Feria de Agricultura (farmer’s market) courtesy of Ms. Morgan, another of the Villas Escondidas guests.  As usual, I forgot to take photos. I was too engaged experiencing the place and buying stuff to think about taking pictures!

 

 

I suppose I should try to get some more sleep. Morning isn’t far off!