Oh, When the Ants Go Marching In...

When friends from the States ask us about life in Costa Rica with lots of bugs and other tropical creepy-crawlies, we say, hey, we have bugs here that eat the other bugs, so no hay problema! Little did we know just how apt that phrase really was. But if we needed any confirmation, we got it recently when our rancho was literally invaded by ants. Not just a few ants, not just a bunch of ants, but thousands and thousands of ants! And they showed up in no time at all. We had done a load of laundry that morning in the rancho where our washer is located and there had been no sign of ants, just the normal iguana skittering away at our approach. But by mid-afternoon when Layne went out to get the barbeque grill for me, the place was swarming with them, great huge lines of mid-sized brown hormigas, busily trooping along the bottom wall, up the sides, under the cabinet. It was downright spooky!

Since we were uncertain whether to be concerned about this, we turned to our friend and neighbor Marcial, our go-to guy for all things Costa Rican. Even though it was Father's Day, he soon arrived at our gate to take a look. After studying the creatures up close, he assured us they were not only harmless but were actually "cleaning house." According to Marcial, this particular type of ant comes en masse and in the space of a few hours carries away the eggs of other ants, cockroach eggs, dead ants, wasp nest eggs and the larvae of all manner of other unwanted critters. Drawing our attention to one or two which were toting little white balls on their backs, he assured us those were eggs of some undesirable insect. He did say they carry a mean bite so avoid getting stung but he also said they are not out to get you. And sure enough, within a couple of hours, they had disappeared completely. Who knew?

We did have to keep little Winston, our new foster puppy, out of the rancho while the ants did their thing as he seems to relish nibbling on ants. With their reputation for a mean sting, we didn't want him getting a mouthful of those guys. Winston, of course, is getting a reputation of his own; you might even say he's world famous. (After all, this blog has readers in lots of other countries, including Russia, China, Germany, France, Japan, Latvia, Australia, as well as the U.S. and Canada!) This morning as we were breakfasting at Natural restaurant, friends Joni and Mike drove up and immediately recognized Winnie from having read my last blog post with his photo. It's not surprising that he makes friends everywhere he goes. For instance, at VGym this morning, as he was waiting patiently (well, sort of patiently) by the door while we did our workouts, everyone stopped to give him a pet and rave about what a pretty boy he is. Naturally, we agree. In fact, as some friends predicted, we have decided to adopt him. Big surprise, eh? He's just too nice a dog to let go, a real find, we think. We look forward to many joyful years with him in our lives.

With all the attention, Winston was pretty tuckered out by the time we got to Natural for breakfast so he fell dead asleep by Layne's chair while we enjoyed another fabulous meal at this new eating place. If you haven't made your way there yet, you'd better go soon before there's a waiting line to get in. The food is so delicious -- fresh, wholesome, much of it organic and beautifully presented. My new favorite is the House Special fruit, natural yogurt and homemade granola dish. Today I asked for extra granola and then learned just how carefully it is prepared, using coconut oil and honey instead of vegetable oil and sugar. The extra care really shows in everything proprietress Maria prepares. The fact that she herself is so charming and sweet is icing on the cake, so to speak.

By the way, she is looking for a new house to rent, nothing fancy but comfortable enough for her, her two children and her mom. Of course, we hope to find her a place here in Santa Eulalia, but if you know of a nice low-cost Tico home near Atenas with a yard for the kids, please let me know and I'll pass it along to Maria. Or drop in for lunch and tell her yourself!

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Costa Rica Dance Card: FULL!

The old saying "Time flies when you're having fun" certainly seems to fit our lives here in Costa Rica. In the week and a half since we returned, we have 1) joined a gym and gone now four times, 2) had friends over to watch the presidential debates last week, 3) seen the chiropractor twice, plus the acupuncturist once for Layne and the physical therapist once for me, 4) traveled to Alajuela by bus to shop at PriceSmart and to the clinic there for x-rays of my feet (cost: $22), 5) shopped at the feria last Friday and picked up organic produce on Saturday, 6) had breakfast with Marc at Kay's Gringo Postre, 7) had Bonnie over to watch some of the baseball playoffs yesterday, and (8) joined the Santa Eulalia gang for a hike Sunday morning and a potluck by Bonnie and Stephen's pool that afternoon. I could go on but you get the point. Our dance card always seems to be full here in Costa Rica!

The new gym in town is called VGym and bills itself as "mas que un gimnasio," or "more than a gym." The "more" is the petite owner whose name is Vigie (not sure of the spelling but it is pronounced V-G). She is trained in physical therapy, used to work at LA Fitness in Los Angeles, California, and obviously relishes her role as personal trainer to everyone who walks in the door. In excellent English, she asked us questions and took down notes on all Layne's and my little aches and pains, old injuries or current problems, such as the chronic tendonitis in my shoulder and Layne's occasional sciatica issues, then designed a workout program tailored to our individual needs and our exercise goals. (As usual, Layne is focused on improving his golf swing.)

Like a mother hen, Vigie watches over us and the other patrons as we do our workouts, being sure we maintain good form and avoid any risk of injury. Unlike the other two gyms in town where some of our friends go and where I've taken a salsa aerobic class or two, VGym isn't rocking with loud music or stuffed wall to wall with massive exercise equipment. But the apparatus she has is more than adequate for her current clientele: a treadmill, free weights, yoga mats, a number of stationary bikes, large and small rubber balls and a variety of weight-lifting machines. With a senior rate we each pay only 12,000 colones (about $24) per month and Vigie even offers a weekly rate for out-of-towners wanting to stay in shape, so if your vacation plans bring you to Atenas, be sure to check out VGym, located across from the gas station.

The Sunday hike was a lovely if damp excursion, with an overcast sky and occasional mistiness cloaking us as we followed Marcial down a side street, through sugarcane and coffee fields, negotiating over rocks to cross a small stream and finally back up through another local neighborhood to the main road. It was especially joyous for Marcial and Seidy as Marcial's oldest son Gabriel and his wife and two adorable little girls were along with us, having just arrived the previous week from Germany where they live. They have rented a small house here in Santa Eulalia and will be staying for a few months so we will enjoy their company on many future outings, no doubt.

Marcial leads the way

The Santa Eulalia "gang"

Marcial shows the ripening coffee beans

 After everyone had returned home and cleaned up, we reconvened at Bonnie and Stephen's charming rancho by the pool. They have lucked upon such a wonderful and inexpensive rental, spotted by Stephen through Craigslist while still in San Francisco. It offers the small 2-bedroom, Tico-style house where they live, but is overlooked by their landlord Dave's beautiful home up the somewhat treacherous stairs near the pool. Since Dave is gone so much of the time, Bonnie and Stephen also have access to the larger home and well-equipped kitchen when needed. 

Chris and Sue 

Stephen, Layne chat with Bonnie as Felipe takes in the view

Stephen enjoys the gang

So it was there that I warmed up my Creamy Chorizo and Chicken Soup (made, of course, using Marcial's excellent spicy Italian sausage) and Chris re-heated his stuffed baked potatoes. Along with Chris' tasty shrimp dip, Stephen's excellent beans slow-cooked with pork ribs and abundant fruit from Seidy, we had quite a feast. The children played in and around the pool while the grown-ups laughed and talked and enjoyed the splendid view from the rancho. Even the sun came out to warm the day and make us all realize just how fortunate we are to share this Pura Vida.