Drake Bay Continued...

The Meal
The smell of some sort of pasta danced across my nose and tickled my tongue. Although I was trying to get to know Hans and Sita, I was beginning to solely think of food and my wishful thoughts materialized first as fruit. Ruben and Meilie arrive sweating from the 15 minutes walk into town; they assure me that it was not really a town but a small street with 4 or 5 houses, 2 of which served mini-marts as well. "We had to do our laundry," Ruben explained. "When we first came here 2 days ago by boat it started raining and everything got soaked. Its so humid here that nothing dries."

As Ruben is saying this, the owner walks by and responds, "Why didn't you do your laundry here? Its closer."

"You have... you have laundry here? Really?" He looks around in disbelief. "You should put up a sign or something."

"We have one. Look." He points to his office, 15 feet away, to a regular sheet of paper posted to the wall. In a comical unison we all crouch, cock our heads and squint our eyes to see it, followed by the reverse of that and then looking back at him.

He wasn't joking... fully. There is indeed a sign there but does he really expect anyone to see it? It's so... tiny and hidden. Even if they were inside his office, it would have been difficult to spot. But that is part of his humor. He doesn't use facial expressions when he speaks and gasps for a breath of air before speaking to somewhat throw off the rhythm of the conversation. I think when people are somewhat confused, it is extremely funny to him.

His oddities were funny to me. When he would tell me the time I needed to be back for a meal, he would always say the time by adding or subtracting 2 minutes: "Lunch will be ready at 12:58. Don't be late." At night he would answer the phone with a cordial, "Good morning!" And he has the laugh of a hyena that I simply loved.

He brings us the main course which is simple and delicious: salad covered with macaroni style noodles, topped with a sweet tomato onion sauce.

I immediately like the company I am in. We exchange stories and laughter. Hans had bought some land in Costa Rica to develop into housing, and the day before all of them came to Drake Bay, they went to war with the ants that attacked their house.

Ruben tells me the story:
When these ants decide to move, everything gets out of their way. Birds, insects, animals... all of them; you hear them all squealing as they perform an exodus. They kill everything in their path. When they started to come into the house, they brought scorpions and beetles on their backs and they carried their own eggs as well. For 4 hours we battled. After the first hour, we had set up a blockade of chloride solution around the perimeter of the house. We thought we had won and there was a brief respite. But then... somehow they still seemed to be getting in. I felt something on my shoulders; I looked up. They were coming in through the roof! First a land attack and now they were attacking by air! We set up tiny fires in the house to smoke them our. 4 hours! 4 hours we battled and finally they left.