Bed bugs – they are the worst. Or fleas, who knows. But one of them is the worst.
It is sometimes difficult to blame one specific bed / hotel as the red signs appear 1-4 days after the bite.
Dealing with pests of different sorts in tropical climates is always a bit challenging. Something is always creeping or crawling and there is no real safe space where you can relax, except of course our mosquito tent (with mosquito net floor), originally purchased for birdwatching over-night outdoor sleepovers. But you cannot really carry this around all day.
Bugs, gnats, mosquitos, spiders, cockroaches, centipedes, millipedes, chiggers, horseflies, ticks, scorpions, snakes – nature in Costa Rica is abundant and diverse also in parts of the fauna where a bit more simplicity would do fine.
Chris and I went on a little sunrise walk and enjoyed a calm morning with a lot of wave action.
The waves will most likely stop our snorkeling plan as visibility goes down – really sad as there are great coral reefs very close by and I had been looking forward to it.
In the afternoon we then did a little hike in the Cahuita National Park where jungle meets ocean. A beautiful place and although environmental restrictions are tighter now than in 1988 and access is more regulated it still has that relaxed flair of the last millennium (that sounds so grandiose).
When we took a break and got our snacks out we were quickly surrounded by a horde of Chapuchin Monkeys who threatened to take our bananas from us. It was them or us, I had to gobble that whole banana in one bite.
When the monkeys had recognized that we were not willing to share they went their three dimensional way. But the next competition already sneaked up from behind and tried to get access to our bag – a mother racoon with her two kids. It took a serious mock attack performed by yours truly to get them off our backs (and bags).
We cooled down with another smoothie con leche (mango for Chris, strawberry for me) and Chris’ day was made when we discovered a two-toed sloth directly above our heads at the beach bar.
I started the day with evil critters, let me close it with some that have a thoroughly good reputation, fireflies. In northern Germany you rarely see them, but here they are all around us. Go for some firefly action with the sound of the waves of the Caribbean sea in the background.
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