Thoughts on daily life in Costa Rica

The afternoon rains are predictable now. The huge downpours seem to have been replace with a lighter, more manageable rain. We take our umbrellas everywhere, just in case and one day this week they came in handy. We went to the market in the afternoon, got done shopping only to see a torrential downpour. We stood outside the market for about 20 minutes waiting for it to ease up, but it didn't happen. Rivers of water were cascading down the streets and gushing from rooftops. The water was so strong, fist size rocks were swept away. We decided to take a cab home but none could be found. Finally we bit the bullet and walked home through the rivers of water and sideways rains. We were drenched when we got home, even my hat, which was on my head, under the umbrella was wet.

apple pieThis week I made my first ever apple pie. My mother gave me a demo a few years ago but I never had the chance to try it on my own. I saw Granny Smith apples at the store and decided to give it a try. The outcome was delicious! This treat will be rotated in among the other sweets I have been making.

Today the neighbors took us on an outing to Atenas to visit some friends of theirs who purchased a bed and breakfast. The B&B had a nice atmosphere with multiple outdoor living areas and a pool. Furnishings and decor were Balinese and Moroccan influenced. I think they will have a nice business there. We chatted for a while and after the afternoon rains stopped we headed home.

This lizard came in under the kitchen door. He jumped around the pots and pans for a few minutes before I was able to open the door. Luckily he saw the sunshine through the door crack and went back outside. Another similar lizard comes into the screened patio area a few times a week. Each time he is in he's trying frantically to get back outside. They must not be too bright.

Here is an interesting insect. It is pictured crawling on the lip of a coffee cup. The first time I saw one I swept it away, thinking it was lint. The second time I saw one I realized it was moving. I looked closer and saw legs on the bottom. When he became frightened he could sit down, hiding his legs under the mess of, what appears to be insect and plant parts he carries on his back. I studied him for quite a while under a magnify glass. We decided to call him the barnacle bug.