Sun, Pineapples & Come On's

 

Sunday, February 8 - Domingo 

I have two guests this week.  Which can be more demanding than 45 - as I am the only source of amusement, conversation, English - Spanish translation.  In order to accommodate my guests - yoga has been moved to 5:00 p.m. - freeing their mornings and filling my late afternoon. 

As you know, I’ve received numerous comments on my attractiveness.  Well, now there is a new twist, Johan, the 21 year old who works in reception, offered last evening to keep me warm at night.  I smiled and thanked him.  When he persisted, I fell back on the conversation Federico and I had many years ago after Glen was fired.  “Charrito you can do anything you want with anyone you want, just not with a member of the staff”.  I relayed this enlightening piece of information, in the hopes it would sufficiently discourage Johan.  Johan listened politely, broke into a big smile and said “Guapa, I don’t work for the hotel anymore, tonight is my last night.”  Shocked, I roll my eyes, smile, reaffirm my “No, thank you” and return to my room.  Admittedly I am flattered.  I haven’t had anyone hit on me in along time, especially a 21 year old.  As flattered as I am, it doesn’t feel right.  Why is it as women once we figure out it’s okay to have sex outside of relationship, we no longer want to?   I go to bed with a smile on my face, as the rain continues throughout the evening.  Perhaps, my energy s changing and I may actually meet that special person.  

Monday, February 9 - Lunes

I woke up Monday morning to the sound of American tourists greeting each other, talking about the sunshine from their terraces.  Voices spilling throughout the upper most region of the resort.  Blissfully unaware and/or unconcerned of the effect their voices have on the sleeping senorita next door.  Breathe deeper, I tell myself, breathe deeper.  They are leaving today and you will have the bliss of peaceful quiet restored.   My room is in the upper part of resort for this reason.  The only time I have neighbors is when the resort is full, with the present economy - those days are few .  I wake, drink water and prepare to start my morning yoga practice.  As they leave, I walk on to the terrace and unfurl my mat.  Comfortable in the knowledge of my neighbors departure I embark on a rather long yoga practice.  At some point, two return to brush their teeth, check for possible items left behind.  I continue my practice.  After which I don my bathing suit and a cover up - it is Monday - my guests are going on the boat tour and I am going to the pool to soak up the sun.  The much missed, much needed sun. 

Monday is a day of sun worship and appreciation.  I manage to complete my work and spend two uninterrupted in hours in the morning sun.  I am smiling again - extolling the virtues of the sun to everyone.  As I make my way from the pool to my room through the restaurant, I encounter Johan at the bar having lunch.  He repeats his desire, obviously wondering how I cannot take him up on such a generous offer.  I graciously refuse again, reminding myself that he is half my age (okay a little more than half).  Smiling I continue on to my room.  Within minutes, Johan is at my door.  This is a total violation of hotel policy.  Then, I remember that he doesn’t work here, so he doesn’t really care.  He does his best to convince me - conversations, hugs, attempts at kissing.  I am flattered, but also in complete control on my senses.  I know nothing good can come of this and a few minutes or seconds of pleasure is not worth my pristine reputation - at least in Costa Rica.  I hear the urgings of my friends “Get a Costa Rican boyfriend, at least you’ll learn the language”.  I consider this and decide it’s still not worth it.  After a brief visit, I manage to extricate Johan from my room without hurting his feelings or compromising my integrity.  Growing up is interesting.  

Tuesday, February 10 - Martes

Tour de pina, Pineapple Plantation tour day!  I’ve arranged for the guests to have a tour of a nearby pineapple plantation on which I will accompany them.  Another new adventure.  We get in the truck and make our way with Rodrigo and Diego to the nearby fina (farm) also known as the Collin Street Bakery.  

The grounds are immense - hecters of land - unfathomable acres all covered with pineapples in various stages of growth.  We meet Miguel, our tour guide and proceed through the factory.  This is an organic farm.  Miguel explains how the pineapples are sorted  - 70% of the crop for export, 20% unusable, 10% for local consumption.  The stalk of the pineapple is removed on those designated for local consumption and replanted.  The stalk comes off with a firm twist - try that the next time you purchase a pineapple.  He explains the growing process.  Pineapples are a bromelia, which I honestly did not know.  After we tour the processing and packing plants we board a tractor and tour the plantation.  It is absolutely fascinating to learn how they are grown and to see them in various stages of growth.  

During the plantation tour I have another young man come on to me, Miguel.  Although he is probably a year or two older than Johan he is definatly not as smooth.  He has been calling me Guapa throughout the tour.  Now, he sits next to me and says “I know you are older than me, you are really attractive now - you must have been very attractive when you were younger.”  and proceeds to ask me out.  I honestly can’t remember what he said after “younger” - my mind froze.   The best way to describe it is like listening to your favorite record (hell, he already implied I was old, might as well use the age appropriate reference) and all of the sudden the needle scrapes across the record and the music violently ends.  That is what happens when my mind freezes.  I manage to maintain the smile on my face, but words fail to form in my mouth.  My head is busy processing at lightening speed - “ younger, attractive.  Suddenly I am old, I don’t feel old, I should be offended, I know he didn’t mean to be offensive.  What the hell is he talking about?  How dare he? More attractive when I was younger, what’s wrong with the way I look now, what’s going on, say something”.  I can’t, I just keep the smile glued to my face.  Miguel doesn’t seem to notice, he is trying to ascertain if I will go out with him.   “How long will you be in the country?  Will you go out with me?  I’d like to take you out.”  he says.  Somehow I manage to stay gracious and provide my contact information - despite the fact that I am offended and complimented at the same time.  My mind continues to twist “you must have been really attractive when you were younger” around and around in my head.   

We leave the finca and stop at a fruit and veggie stand on the way back to the hotel.  I am desperately trying to find kale or some other dark leafy green.  The hotel has tried unsuccessfully to get these items.  I find it difficult to believe they are not available and decide to shop for them on my own.  The store has many local items, variations of mangos (at least 4), squash (3) and other fruits and veggies.  The easily found lettuce (one kind that is unidentifiable to me) and typical vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower and cilantro all in the refrigerator.  There isn’t a dark leafy green in sight or an alternate form of lettuce.  I pick up a couple of different mangos, empanadas con guava, and butter cookies.  Still reeling from the younger comment, I feel comforted when I notice a bakery and purchase a big chocolate covered donut!  Consoling myself with the comfort of different food.  As I bite into the donut the word younger evaporates from the recesses of my mind.  

I return to my room in the late afternoon to find several large cockroaches and flies dead on their backs, legs sticking up in the air.  The housekeepers haven’t cleaned, so I am unable to take a rest as I know they will be here shortly.  I’m not sure why there are dead insects on the floor, I gather my things and proceed to the office.  On the way I am stopped by the gardeners who tell me in Spanish, that I can’t go to the office right now because the fumigators are here.  Ah, the dead cockroaches makes sense.  After reception is fumigated, I head to the restaurant with the rest of the staff.  The fumigators follow us.  We all run down to the open pool area and watch the plume of smoke puff out of the restaurant.  Apparently they fumigate several times a year.  That is one of the reasons they sent me to Tortugero in 2006, so I wouldn’t be in the hotel during fumigation and repairs. 

During the night I awake to a strange sound outside of my room.  I’m the only one in this part of the resort.  The hotel is relatively empty and I had to fight off cobwebs, which form quickly as I made my way to my room this evening.  The sound alarms me and I wonder where the night guard is.  I listen closely and realize it’s a rogue horse - eating the vegetation.  For a brief moment I irrationally fear that he’ll push through my door.  I steady my breath, talk myself out of it and hear the horse move on to more vegetation.  I drift back into sleep.   

Wednesday, February 11 - Miercoles

Adrian is back.  Adrian has been splitting his time between here and a restaurant he has opened in Jaco - on the Caribbean side of the country.  We decide to leave the hotel for lunch.  Since it’s my free day - I’m thrilled.  I actually get to leave the property in a vehicle and eat different food.  It’s too much to hope for kale, but shrimp cerviche sounds promising.  

Adrian, Marcello and I drive to a roadside restaurant in La Virgen.  On the drive Adrian is talking to me while I look out the window at the passing scenery.  I’ve been on this road before, but I love to look at houses, people and way of life.  There are so many photo opportunities - but I don’t want to ask him to stop.  During the drive, he looks at me and says “Charrito, you don’t care where we go.”  I say “No, Adrian, I don’t.  We could just keep driving.  I’m just happy to be here, to be out, to be looking at something different.”  He says “I know, I can see.  You are so happy.  It is nice.  It is a pleasure to see you so content.”  When we finally arrive at the restaurant, I am the only gringo, which attracts the usual amount of attention.  I used to think it was the shorts - but it’s the gringo.  There is no way to hide that - so I comfortably embrace it and speak Spanish to the best of my ability.  We start lunch by speaking in Spanish - but my accent wears on them after a while and we switch to English.  Lunch is fabulous.  Shrimp cerviche and sopa de mariscoes, seafood soup.  The soup is loaded with seafood, large pieces of fresh fish, muscles, clams, langostino, crab.  Absolutely delicious.  

After lunch Adrian takes me to see his property.  He recently sold his house and purchased a vacant lot in La Virgen.  The lot is large and overlooks the river from very high ground.  It is the last lot on the street with spectacular views.  No one will be able to build and obstruct his view.  The ground is high enough so that if the river floods it will not effect his property.  There is a wonderful breeze.  He tells me his plans to build several apartments and install a swimming pool.  Adrian knows he cannot live without other people around.  Building the apartments will provide an income when he retires as  well as company.  It’s a very wise purchase and decision.  He tries to talk me into purchasing the land across the street.  It’s a fabulous location and he says it’s cheap.  I don’t ask how much, for fear that I may want to buy it.  

We stop at another finca, close to the hotel to check on Adrian’s horse.  In order to get into the property, Adrian has to move the bulls that are sitting near the gate.  It’s a funny site, watching him move the bulls.  I pull the car through and we drive deeper into the property - there are 15 cows blocking the next gate.  Adrian gives up and tell’s me to park there.  We walk through the cows and the gate, by some pigs, chicken and roosters.  Then I hear dogs.  Ugh!  Dogs without fences and we are in their property.  They come running and barking and Adrian walks away from me.  I yell at him and pick up my pace.  I tell him not to leave my side, I’m not crazy about dog.  He laughs.  He introduces me to the owner of the farm as his nubia, girlfriend.  We all laugh (Adrian is gay).  Diego, the owner, is attractive and very nice.  They talk for a while in Spanish, I understand some of the conversation.  Diego breeds cattle to produce a certain kind of beef that is famous in this region.  As it is explained to me - the beef is very tender because the land is level - so the animals do not develop hard muscles.  I nod my head and act like this is fabulous.  This farm borders the Sarapiqui river.  During the earthquake, it overflowed ruining one of the houses and a garden.  It deposited large amounts of mud and then receded and kind of rerouted itself leaving mud where the river used to flow.  It’s very sad.  

As we walk over to meet the woman who is taking care of his horse, he tells me that Diego told him “Adrian, she’s very beautiful, but don’t make a change like that - it’s not easy.  She’s very beautiful”.  We laugh and I tell him that Diego is very attractive.  Adrian looks at me and says “He’s gay - that’s how he knew the change is difficult, he knows me.”  I’m surprised and a little disappointed.  Rosetta, the woman who is taking care of Adrian’s horse,  shows us the damage to the house she used to live in.  There are inches of mud covering the floor - the horse is not usable.  In order to get there we had to walk over saturated muddy ground on temporary steps bearing the words Chiquita for the banana company.  

Diego show us the kitchen he is working on.  It is gorgeous.  A North American kitchen in the middle of a farm.  Complete with custom made wood cabinets, a vent for the large American stove, a cut out for a full size refrigerator, granite counter tops, custom built shutters and doors.  The kitchen would have overlooked the garden with the river in the background.  Now, it looks onto mud.  It is the most beautiful kitchen I have seen in Costa Rica. 

Adrian has had enough of driving, so it’s my turn to drive back to Sueno Azul.  I have to drive around the cows, as they are young cows and won’t move.  Then Adrian has to get out of the vehicle and move the bulls.  I’m comforted when he tells me he doesn’t like moving the bulls.  Apparently my fear of them is a healthy one.  After all of that, I drive up a steep hill directly on to the main road.  Luckily no vehicles were coming in either direction.  We try to purchase a pipa, cold coconut, but the roadside stand is out.  He has homemade liquor but no pipas.  We stop at the mini-super pick up a few things and return to Sueno Azul.  

As I catch up on a few things in the office, Johan calls.  He asks me out for Friday.  I agree.  As soon as I hang up the phone, I wonder what the heck I am doing.  I console myself with the fact that at least he has called on Wednesday for a Friday night date.  

Friday, February 13 - Viernes

Despite the fact that I have re-arranged my schedule, taught two yoga classes instead of one to accommodate our guests and my date - I’ve decided not to go out with Johan.  The whole idea is just too ridiculous for me.  I’m flattered by the attention, would love the opportunity to get off the property.  I like the idea that I may actually learn Spanish - but I don’t think this particular opportunity is my best option.  Johan is a river guide, and river guides are notorious in this country for sleeping with the tourists.  North Americans, especially blonde North Americans have a reputation for sleeping with the locals.  I’m really not interested in that and don’t feel it’s my responsibility to debunk the reputation of all North American blondes.   

Johan calls, Aura answers the phone and he won’t ask for me.  He knows Aura is my friend, so he says he’ll call back later.  I go on about my day.  Stopping in the mid afternoon to read yet another book on my terrace.  As I sit there in the quite, I hear the sound of an animal nearby.  I slowly get out of my chair and look over the partition.  I expect to see a caimen.  At first, I don’t see anything.  I keep looking, the sound has stopped.  I de-focus my eyes knowing I’ll have a better chance of seeing whatever it is if I can change my perspective.  As soon as I manage to take in the whole scene, I see the source of the noise.  It’s a rather large snake, possibly a boa, making his way around the building next door.  I’m fascinated.  He is moving over dried leaves and the weight of his body crossing the leaves made the crunching noise that drew my attention.  I watch as his body disappears into the ground or the structure.  A few minutes later, I hear the noise again - he is making his way back.  He is beautiful, about 5 feet long and I can tell from his coloring not fully grown.  The markings on his eyes are striking.  The color is condensed in the middle to end of his body - indicating he still has a lot of growing.  He disappears beneath a mound of earth.  A few minutes later he’s back, crawling towards the building again.  This time, he heads to higher ground, which is what I am on.  I can’t bear to watch anymore, I go inside grab a glass of water and when I return he is no where to be found.  Tonight I am more cautious when I leave my room, enter my room and walk out onto the terrace.  I have been walking onto the terrace and spending time in my room in the dark, tonight the lights are on and I carefully survey the terrace each time I walk outside.   

Saturday, February 14 - Sabado

Feliz dia del Amor y la Amistad!