See the Pretty Girl in that Mirror There (What Mirror? Where??)

Since deciding to hike Machu Picchu in May of this year, Kady and I realized we needed to find a local place to test out our hiking boots and our (un)fitness levels. We finally went on our first excursion to Rincon de la Vieja a few weeks ago with Harumi, Ayano, and Rachel. Heading out the door extra early with our lunches and swimsuits, we pushed ourselves for several hours to get to the beautiful Cataratas, where we dined and then swam against the currents for our chance to be inundated by the falls. The scenery was wonderfully varied: at times we were underneath forest overhang, and at others we were walking through the desert-like valley of the volcano. The trees undergoing a slow demise from their strangler fig parasitic partners were my favorite.












So when we headed back to Rincon a week later, we knew what to expect: beautiful surroundings, a bit too much sun, and a challenging hike.





That's it, right? Wrong! What we didn't anticipate was that taking a different trail would lead us not only to volcanic mud pots and hot springs, but also to a plague of nasty, biting, black flies that were completely unfazed by multiple layers of OFF! Deet equals Treat to these suckers, who feasted on seconds and thirds. Toward the end of the day I felt the strangest sensation, as if one of the flies had entered deep inside the tissue of my nose. Gross, right? But no need to be paranoid - it's just a fly. By the end of the hour long ride home, Ted, Niel, Kady, and I were starting to understand just how badly these little bastards' bites were going to itch.





Just in time for the upcoming circuit assembly, I woke up with a gorgeous little surprise the following morning:








Yep, my nose was double it's normal width, and my left eyelid was puffed up like a dead puffer fish. Apparently one of those flies was rather adept at navigating nasal canals. Wooweee, ain't I sexy?? But wait, maybe this could work to my advantage. Stay positive. Perhaps the bulbous-nose, bloated-lid look is attractive in central american cultures? Coat it with some shimmery green shadow and toad it up? Not a chance. And let's forget about the Discovery Show my dad saw about flies that lay larvae in human flesh until worms start bursting out of the skin. That.can't.happen.to.me.

That same morning came reports that some in our group had ticks lodged in areas they just had no business in. Extractions were successfully performed. Well, at least I didn't have blood sucking ticks gorging on my nether-regions as well as having a bloated eye.

Three days later, while walking back to my seat during the assembly, I asked a local sister to check out a scratch I felt on my back. All business, she pulled me off to a corner, muttered something under her breath, and yanked quickly. In the palm of her hand lay Fatty-McFatty; she dropped it to the ground and her son squished the tick under his shoe, leaving a thick trail of my blood on the concrete.

She opened her arms wide, and with a huge smile on her face said, "Welcome to Costa Rica!"