Cost Rica Journal Entry 1

Although it rained much of Thursday, most of the family and I went to pay a visit to Mari’s house about a kilometer away. Because of the day’s rain, the river was up about six inches from the day before. The trail wound through primary and secondary forest and then entered a cleared area at the far side of which lived Mari and her family. The cattle thought we were going to feed them and got on the trail ahead of us, headed for the feeder.

The visit to Mari’s was delightful, crowded in the front room because of the rain. She and her daughter had made some wonderful empanadas filled with fruit from a tree in the yard. I was curious how they baked them and went snooping in the kitchen. In many homes, the stove is a chunk of steel supported by concrete blocks. This has holes in it to accommodate pots (see Las Rocas). To bake empanadas and other pastries, a heavy aluminum pot is used but instead of a normal lid, a piece of sheet metal with a fire built on it is used. I liked this wall with potted plants and asked to take Mari and her daughter’s photo there, through the window of the room where we were gathered.

It was after dark by the time we got back. The return trip followed a road and then across pastures—much easier and safer than through the forest. Dinner was light since we had pigged out on pastries and coffee so late in the day. Early on, I had developed a friendship with Gustavo (left) and Eldon who had had some English. They called me teacher and enjoyed showing me around. Later that night, they took me to an enclosure where they maintained six tempescuintle (pacas); one male and five females.

They are hoping to breed them since, as many people have told me, they are very tasty. Because of Edgar’s environmental ethics, perhaps even further stimulated by his attending OTS classes, he refuses to shoot any in the forest.

We always rose quite early, no one sleeping much past 6:00. All food scraps created through the day are saved for Mari’s sow. Here her son-in-law (left) is transferring the slop to a container to be hand-carried back to her place.

That morning also brought the Flor del Dia (Cymbrellia), a local orchid that blooms synchronously for only one day, like our night blooming cereus. I didn’t see any pollinators through the day so maybe they are visited before first light.

After the larvae were cared for and other morning chores finished, Edgar and I took a loop trail through the primary forest. It was an enchanting place, fog hanging in the air. It looped through the forest for about a mile and ended up at the swimming hole, steps descending to the water. Edgar has laid out a beautiful trail forest to use for those who appreciate the. One of the more exciting finds was a small fungus garden of ants being maintained among the mosses growing on the trees. This is only possible in very wet climes.

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