There's a Tarantula in the Pool!

Unlike many of my blog posts, this one is utterly true.

At 6:30 this morning, like most mornings, I trudged down the steep walkway to our tiny, icy, condo pool for my miserable swimming regiment. On my way, I imagined the tentative entry in the frigid water, the monotony of eight strokes, turn, eight strokes, turn, yada, yada.   But when I got there, something was oddly awry.

The first thing I noticed was a bird.  It was an average bird, robin-sized, with brownish fluffy wings.  And a bit on the pudgy side, for a bird, I thought.   It was sitting on the cement, right near the pool edge where I get in.  When I walked closer, it cocked it's head at me.  It did not fly away.  I skirted around it, and still, the bird did not budge.   This unnerved me for certain, but not as much as it unnerved the bird.   Other than the obesity issue, it appeared perfectly healthy.

Not my photo, but this is what it looked like.

So I got in the pool, keeping my eye on the bird and it doing likewise to me.  I figured I'd ignore the bird.  It was really creepy.   I was about to duck my head under  when my morning got exponentially weirder.

Something was squirming on the surface of the pool.  Within moments, I ascertained that IT WAS A TARANTULA!!   It didn't take me long for my chilly, water-impaired body to stumble backwards  and leap out of the pool like a gazelle on steroids.

Yes.  A tarantula.  It's body was nearly the size of my thumb, and it's legs undulated in and out in an octopus-like motion, trying to stay afloat.

You know I'm a bit crazy about my exercise. I wasn't going to let one lousy tarantula get in the way of my morning routine.  I had to get it out of the pool.

I yanked a giant leaf off of a nearby plant and I GOT BACK IN THE WATER WITH THE TARANTULA.  (I hadn't had my coffee yet, and looking back, my judgement ay have been a bit off.)

The flightless bird eyed me suspiciously.   I swatted at the water, making waves to push the giant spider to the edge, away from me and away from the bird.  Now comes the really stupid part where I scooped the tarantula out of the water by grabbing both ends of the leaf, getting under it, and flinging it out onto the pool deck with a shudder.

It uncurled itself and sat there.  The bird was looking seriously anxious, and now rose off it's belly, but still did not fly.

"What the heck," I thought.  "I better get my swim in now or I'll be late for school."   Back and forth eight strokes, turn, eight strokes, turn.  But this swim was different than usual, With every breath, I lifted my head and assessed the status of the tarantula and the pissed off bird. 

Within moments, the condo security guard came rushing to the pool area.  He must have come to investigate the odd goings-on that he was seeing on his security screens.  Here's our conversation (translated fro Spanish, of course)

Him:   What are you doing?
Me:  Is that a tarantula?
Him:  Ah!  Ah!   That's a very dangerous spider!  Don't go near it!
Me:  I just took it out of the pool.
Him:  You took it...you took it out of the pool?!
Me:  Yes.  With a leaf.
Him:  With a leaf!  It's a very dangerous spider!  Don't touch it.
Me:  What's up with that bird?
Him:  It flew into the window.  It will be okay.   Don't touch the spider.  Call me next time.  Don't touch that very dangerous spider!!!!!

I continued to swim, keeping my eye and my prickly attention on the bird and the tarantula, both of whom began to make a very slow escape.

Steve later surmised that perhaps the bird had been carrying the tarantula, was bitten or  attacked by it, dropped it into the pool and then crashed into the building window.  That guy says the craziest things!

Later that day, the guard told us that the bird flew away, and the tarantula, whom I had worked so hard to save, met his maker at the end of the gardener's hammer.   Alas.  RIP.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

The ever-changing weather switched from blue-sky to a heavy veil of fog and back again while we enjoyed hiking up and down the stairs to see the rushing cascade of falls at La Paz, near Volcan Poas.

One of our favorite parts of the nature reserve park was the 3 story domed butterfly gardens, replete with thousands of fluttering, free-flying, colorful wonders.   We practically had to dodge them, and several landed on us!   Additionally, the poisonous dart frogs and free-roaming hummingbirds were spectacular.  But, the cara blanca monkeys (Capuchin) looked like unhappy inmates in a Costa Rica prison.  And, the gorgeous leopard paced back and forth wondering what he did to deserve incarceration.  Seeing jungle animals locked up while their cohorts are only meters away in the jungle canopy, seems particularly tragic. 

Nevertheless, it's a super day trip:  Only a bit over an hour away from San Jose.  Don't expect cell coverage, especially if you have Claro - putting the kaibosh on our plans to meet up with friends...

Right now, until December 15th, 2014, if you like the Waterfall Gardens on Facebook, residents get 50% off the entrance fee.  Sweet deal!

Love Triangle at Country Day School!

And here's a movie created in Steve's Broadcast Video Elective.
It gives you a nice slice of life here at CDS.  Try full screen for the best viewing!

Funky Monkey: Tico Taco Recipe

It was a chill weekend:   We went to a local hotel for a swim (Intercontinental---very lovey), shopped at the open market in Escazu, and the kids had their weekly, free (community sponsored) tennis lessons.

So---how 'bout a recipe for one of our favorite, portable hiking snacks?

Benji says: " #unnecessaryphoto"

Funky Monkey:
Tortillas
Bananas
Peanut Butter
Nutella Chocolate Spread  (The two latter ingredients are soooo Gringo, but you can find 'em here.)

Roll em up!   Eat them as is, or for a real treat, grill them on the BBQ, or wrap in foil on a campfire.

(Note all the healthy fruits and veggies in the background.  We don't always eat Funky Monkeys!)

Boogie Boarding at Jaco Beach

Look up “Yippee!” in the dictionary and you may find a description of the Blatt family on their boogie boards.   We had originally thought about buying boards just for the Benji and Marina, but then Steve and I decided, “Why should the kids have all the fun?”

The novelty has yet to wear off.  This Sunday, we headed to Playa Jaco and boogied our boards off on the curling waves.   What a rush it was as we shot like rockets from the bowels of the powerful waves!   

Alas, a herd of surfers descended upon our end of the beach, and our playful piece of ocean quickly became a congested traffic jam.  Nonetheless, we’ll be back soon!

Cataratas Los Chorros Waterfall

The four of us clung to each other, inching our way across the rushing river toward the Los Chorros waterfalls.

We held hands in a tight line and moved slowly against the current, snaking along the canyon walls that connect one enormous fall to another.   The spray was deluge-like, and the water roared down the cliffs, and rushed around our knees.

Wanna get there?    The typical Tico directions that we had told us to turn right at the big gate, look for chickens, left at the guy riding his bicycle, take a sharp left at the tree with a long branch, and follow the hill up and then down.  It was a miracle that we found the place.

 Actual directions from 27( SantaAna): Get on the 1 and get off at Grecia.  Then make a right when you see soccer fields on your left (before the yellow blinking light), and head 8 kilometers up the hill, bearing right at any opportunity.  The entrance (on the right) says Parqueo Los Chorros, and has a waterfall painting.

We made it!

Where'd my pants go?

Super model shot

hubba hubba

dwarfed by the awesomeness of nature

Hanging the Mezuzah

We happily hung our mezuzah on the doorpost of our house and celebrated the finishing touch of making our apartment feel more homey (and Jew-y).  A few friends from the synagogue joined in the celebration.
 













It had been a lovely sunset, and Marina and I took some pics from the balcony and the parking lot!  

Catapulting into the Tweens

Marshmallow-toothpick towers, water-balloon catapults,  a photography scavenger hunt and an enormous amount of chocolate cake:  Here's to celebrating being 12 years old!  (And to being done with party planning, shopping, baking, cleaning up...)