While justifiably scary to most parents, the numbers themselves are small  Still, it bears spending some time learning about this parasite.

Basically, the whole process starts with rats. Rats become infected and pass larvae in their feces. Slugs and snails come in contact with the feces and they then become infected. The disease is passed to humans while eating undercooked snails or possibly on vegetables that either have small snails on them or perhaps have not been thoroughly washed. I say perhaps, because the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states “There is some question whether or not larvae can exit the infected mollusks in slime”.  Some here think that just contact with the slime of a slug can infect a person, maybe by just crawling around on a lettuce leaf, but clearly there is no proof of this. More likely would be ingesting a tiny snail in your salad.  Either way, wash those veggies!

I know little about escargot, but I know a ton of folks who dote on it. I tried it once and liked it, but then if you put enough garlic on a shoe, I’d probably like it equally. I also think special snails are used in preparing escargot.  Probably went to prep school or something… but just the same, I think thorough cooking is called for.

Kids, however, can find slugs and snails to be fascinating. They pick them up and think they might make fine pets.  A few weeks ago, however, a little boy (15 months) died after eating a slug. He passed after spending  two week in Childrens Hospital.. The larvae do just terrible things to a child’s intestines.

Interestingly, all of the kids involved lived either in San Jose or Alajuela. I say interestingly as, in general, Cost Rica’s normally nasty critters and bugs live on the coasts or the rain forests where the tropical heat provides a better environment.

This all starts with the rats, of course, so in addition to the cautions above, make sure there is no thriving rat population near you.

Those of you who follow my writings probably already know about Rolando, the Flying Cucaracha Affair, and the occasion tarantulas that come avisitin’ at Casa Ticogrande. However, for sheer annoyance, nothing can top the ants (hormigas). that look at this house as a giant smörgåsbord.

When I speak of ants, I am not referring to one or two… or fifty. I am referring to, in some cases hundreds (or more).

The other night, I called Maria Luisa to the kitchen to witness a true phenomenon. Starting at the base of the counter, crawling up the side of the counter, across all three counter tops (maybe 20 feet) and disappearing into a crack near the edge of the counter were ants. Thousands of ants. I bent close and could hear them singing some sort of marching song.

Our ants are not limited to the kitchen. Oh no! They travel! They come out of the floor in my office, they live in my desk. They live in our bedside tables and on occasion, they join us in bed as we watch TV!

They come in various sizes! Some are very tiny. Some are big mothers, black and nasty looking! They crunch when you step on ‘em.

We also get other critters like the tarantula, an occasional scorpion and some things that I know not the name. We also get the flying cucarachas of course and those really BIG cucharachas about the size of a box of matches. My wife won’t let me touch those as she assures me they eat the smaller cucharachas that gross out everyone. She may be right as we never see those!

Drop anything on the floor and within seconds, it is covered with hundreds of the really tiny ants. “Anything” here can also mean a dead bug of any specie.

The kitchen thing did it for me! The next day I am on the phone to the Cruz Verde. The Cruz Verde are the bug people, the CR equivalent to the Orkin man. Cruz Verde means Green Cross in Spanish. I have no idea from whence came that name, but there you have it.

They arrived on time, and we want about carefully locking up the dog, both cats and the parrot. These guys take this bug thing seriously and they spray inside, outside, in cupboards, along floors, in my desk and nightstand… the works. Two guys – one hour. We are told that we can free the animals from prison in an hour… but I wait three as our animals are family.

Yesterday? No bugs! OK a few but clearly they did their job well which they should have for the $60.00 they accepted as they left.

Today?  None.  Sixty day guarantee, and they want to be in my wallet every six months.

Think I’ll just wait until I hear that marching song again.

On we go…. Part 2

So after a white-knuckle trip down the side of the mountain, we arrive safely at Savegre Mountain Hotel. I promptly attempt to register at the garage. A patient campasino informs me that guests normally register in the hotel lobby, and directs me to that location approximately 40 feet behind me. I try to come up with something clever to explain why I am trying to register in the garage, but I am suffering from some sort of stress thing, so I just get back in the car and drive the 40 feet. I have no idea why I did this, except it seemed important at the time to make a showing that I was not a total idiot.

Getting out of the car, the first thing that hits you as you step out of the car is the hummingbirds. It is not that the hummingbirds are rare here… they are not. But never are you going to see maybe 300 of them within 10 feet of you. Now I know why there are so few in my back yard. They are all here, and that 300 number pales when you learn there are 4-5 more locations where they are congregating around feeders in equal numbers. I took a bunch of crummy pictures, but if you want to see them, click here.

We check in without further delay and are directed to our cabin, a spacious thing with a ceiling about 50 feet above the floor. The reason for this becomes clear when I build a fire in the fireplace only to discover that Ticos may not fully grasp the concept of a vent or of drafting. Our cabin fills with smoke, so we decide to take walk.

There are numerous trails where you can see an enormous amount of wildlife. Wildlife here means birds as the other wildlife, like the monkeys, have all died years ago… most from falling out of trees laughing at gringos building fires in the cabins.

One of the trails (senderos) is about 25 KM long (about 16 miles). We give that one a pass. Anything that long requires a motor vehicle or a thinner person.

On the way, I am told that there exists a tree where the Quetzals come to chow down on avocados. I am also told I must arise early in the morning at first like in order to catch them on film. I decide this would be cool, so I make plans for the next morning if I have not passes on due to smoke inhalation.

The smoke has cleared from the cabin, so ML and I return to await arrival of friends Ray and wife Patricia. Ray is the one who discovered this place and I must admit… he hit gold. The Rio Savegre area and h0tel simply sucks the stress right out of you. Normally, it takes me 2-3 days to relax, but for some reason, this is happening in minutes.

R and P show up with a supply of munchies and various beverages all of which contain alcohol. As it is now raining, we spend time in front of the cabin allowing nature and the Seagrams to do their thing.

Dinnertime!

There is only one meal plan here… all meals included. This is, of course, because there are no restaurants withing 200 vertical miles. We head over to the restaurant coincidentally located 45 feet in front of the garage, and are treated to a large buffet containing the usual Tico fare of rice, beans, fish, chicken, funny meat, and tiramasu. While this restaurant will never win any awards for fine cuisine, it is certainly quite acceptable… acceptable enough that I make 2-3 return visits.

There is no nightlife here. You are expected to commune with nature then go to bed. We decide this is OK so we all head off to our cabins. A small surprise is that it is now cold! I mean REALLY cold… like 40 something. Blankets are not going to be enough so I decide to build another fire. We open all the windows and I do my thing.

So after deciding to sleep on the floor…

The Quetzal!

OK, morning arrives and I am off camera in hand to capture a photo of the evasive, reclusive and ever resplendent Quetzal.

I clump my way up a short trail to the Quetzal tree. Now I have no idea why I would think there was not already Quetzal IN that tree, but I do know I have no future whatever as a wildlife photographer. As I draw near, a brilliant flurry of blue, red, and green blasts out of the Quetzal tree and disappears into the forest.

Nuts!

Now I have no idea why I would think there was not already ANOTHER Quetzal in that tree, but now I am SURE have no future whatever as a wildlife photographer. As I draw closer, another brilliant flurry of blue, red, and green blasts out of the Quetzal tree and disappears into the forest.

(Bad word.. much worse than “Nuts!”)

Ok… perhaps the pros find a semi secluded place from which to watch the damned tree and try to remain silent? I do this, and after maybe 15 minutes that feels like 15 hours, a Quetzal flies back to the tree and promptly hides on the opposite side of the trunk. I am patient however, and after another five minutes, the little devil pops his furry head around the side of the trunk. Their heads look like a green fuzzball… about the size of a walnut. Odd since their body is much larger and their tails are about 2-3 feet long!

I snap about 342 photos hoping to get 1-2 that are decent. I am pretty sure the pros get their shot the first time. Above right and left are a couple that at least do not totally suck. Click any to enlarge.

Saving wildlife.

After breakfast, we hear our neighbors yelling. It seems a wild parakeet has flown into their (close) window and has died.

“Not so”, says my wifey.

As regular readers here and in my personal BLOG know, ML is a country gurl and loves all living things regardless of how many legs they have. She races to get to the dead bird.

“Aha! Not dead”, says she. “All we need to do is blow air up its butt!”. I am translating this rather loosely from the Spanish!

If this were any other person than my wife, I would advise treatment of some sort, but for now, I keep quiet and watch her as she blows air up its butt.
She does this far maybe 2-3 minutes (not actually touching here lips to that area I might add). The bird begins to move a bit and in another moment, spreads it wings and takes off!

I am fairly sure this technique is not taught at the leading veterinary schools in the USA, but to watch this is pretty amazing. It also beggars the question as to who was the first person to try this technique and how on earth that thought came into their mind in the first place.

Ok…. that’s it. Another fun weekend coming up soon. This place costs $200.00 per night including all meals… less if you elect to rent a cabin without the fireplace.

This was submitted to me complete with a great photo by Ronna von Knorring, a transplant from Kansas who blogs here.

As a fair number of my readers seem to be very curious about the creepie crawlies who live here (no, I am NOT talking about those guys hanging around the bars in Jaco), I thought I’d publish her submission! Enjoy!

I don’t know much about these beautiful caterpillars other than that the have a nasty sting. They were out in FORCE on our southern Pacific coastline property in Costa Rica in October 2005. They seemed to really enjoy eating the leaves from our balsa tree as well as crawl into our home. We would find them making their cocoons in the strangest places like a fold in a hammock, in a dark corner near our ceiling and in tarps hanging here and there.

I had seen enough shows on the Discovery Channel to know that the “flashier” and “brighter” some animals and insects are, the more harm they can cause. Having encountered another fancy caterpillar previously that I got too close to, I knew to leave these well enough alone.

One day I was at our outdoor sink when I saw one that had fallen from the tree overhead. Not wanting for it to be in a place where it couldn’t get out, I picked up a nearby leaf and scooted the beauty on to it. As I attempted to toss the leaf and caterpillar over our hedge, I got struck by one of the barbs. OUCH!

They really pack a punch. I instantly felt the pain that is similar to a wasp sting. The intensity lasted about 10 minutes.
I’ve seen pictures of the Morpho Butterfly (the blue one) in its caterpillar stage, and it is even more extravagant looking than this one. As beautiful as they both are, and as “soft” as their spikes might seem to the touch, stay away from these, and other, character filled creatures.

For readers who want to learn more about the various bugs, snakes and other critters, check out The Real Costa Rica.