One Digit Down

Let me open this with: I have a serious aversion to trauma. It knocks me on my ass and I step outside my normal modus operandi and forget everything I've ever known. I have now had 2 very traumatic experiences in 3 days.

Trauma 1:
Late Thursday night, I found my security guard lying on the ground, motionless. I assumed he was dead until I heard a faint noise come out of his mouth. I ran to my landlord�s door and banged on it. He opened the door as usual with a gun �Thank god I don�t observe his �open door� policy.
After he recognized me and realized I wasn�t one of the thugs he�s been hiding from the last few months, he rushed Ramon to CIMA (The private, hospital). Evidentially Ramon has had 3 mild heart attacks and has a severe heart problem no one knew about. He came home the very next day and I was surprised to see him outside my house working as usual not even 2 days later. He told me he�s been eating Yuca roots to �cure� his heart disease and he thinks they�re working�I seem to be the only one whose questioning the medical advice he�s receiving. All-in-all Im just glad he's alive..he's a VIP in my world and besides...It took me several weeks to get over the last dead body I saw.

Trauma 2:
Today, while working in my yard Francisco and I decided to roll a large boulder-ish rock into position in the corner of my new garden. The rock was really too big and too heavy for either of us to roll, but Francisco insisted he could maneuver it. As he was rolling it caveman style, it wobbled off balance and caught his hand in between the rock and the concrete retaining wall. After the scream, I rushed over to help him, I could see the flesh hanging off the bone of his pinky finger. I knew almost immediately he had probably lost a finger. Instantly I yelled to Ramon to help, which he did even though he�s in no position to do so. After I ran around the house like a chicken with its head cut off looking for my keys, I rushed Frank to CIMA where they immediately operated and severed 1/3 of his pinky finger. He must now have a series of skin grafts to replace the rest of his finger, it was badly damaged. The doctor told me that Franks wound looked identical to an explosion wound and he was amazed at what caused it. I didn�t want to admit that I was throwing up in my mouth, as I kept seeing it in my mind over and over. I�m almost afraid to go to sleep tonight, I know ill relive it in my dreams. Bloody human flesh and I do not get along whatsoever. I guess we take our body parts for granted until we lose one. Even part of one is hard, as im finding out from Francisco. He is moping around like a deaf mute who just lost a leg and an arm. I guess one less fingernail to manicure can be pretty gay-traumatic?!

I�d like to take this opportunity to throw some public praise out for the CIMA hospital here in Escazu. It�s affiliated with Baylor Medical Center and the doctors and staff there are as good as it gets here in CR. Franks doctor told me today in no uncertain terms that had we taken him to the Public hospital (which is where 90% of Costa Ricans go) they would have undoubtedly taken off his entire finger. This after at least a 3 hour wait in the ER. We walked directly into CIMA, rushed him right into a room, I threw down my credit card and we were in business in less than 2 minutes. The doctor made sure I knew what was going on every step of the way and they personally walked Frank and I out to the car when we were done.

I will NEVER take the healthcare we have access to in the US for granted. While the difference between a � an inch and 2 inches may not seem like a lot, when you're talking in terms of human flesh and bones, it�s monumental.

Paradise Found!

In case youre searching for paradise, I�ve found it here in Costa Rica. It�s called Tabacon and it�s at the base of Mt. Arenal (Volcano) in the San Carlos region of the country. It can only be described as a dream. The Oneal sisters, Francisco and I drove through the cloud forest and spent Saturday night there. It was so perfect, we all walked away thinking we had experienced some sort of tropical mirage.

Arenal is an active volcano. And by active, I mean there are consistent explosions that you can see and hear and red molten lava flows you can view from miles away. The US State department has a travel advisory for the resorts (in cluding tabacon) at the base of the hill because of their proximity to the active mountain and the lack of a proper evacuation route. The volcano erupted in a big way in 1968 and has rumbled ever since. The lava feeds hundreds of hot springs around the area and Tabacon has harnessed these waters in an incredible way. It can best be described as a lush tropical garden with streams and natural pools set deep in the rainforest. There is an entire ecosphere of tropical plants, flowers, birds and wildlife that belly right up to the waters you wade in. The steam from the waters consistently lingers just above the streams to further enhance the garden of eden feel of it all. There are waterfalls that you can sit under, thatched roof meditation studios; spring fed swimming pools with swim up bars and clear views of the volcano. I couldnt have dreamed up a more typical, tropical, rainforest, dreamy setting.

We enjoyed the hot springs (and Cuba Libre's) most all day Saturday before we checked into our rooms at the resort. Our room had huge sliding screens that perfectly framed the volcano, and as dusk set in, we could see the lava explosions at the top of the cone and watch them trail down the side of the mountain. Simultaneously, there were congo monkeys in the trees surrounding us that groaned out to each other as the night sky opened up. We were lulled to sleep with the sounds of the rainforest and intermittent rumbles from the volcano coming from outside our windows. It was an incredible experience, almost surreal. Sunday morning we hit the springs early and were almost the only ones there. I sat under a natural waterfall of 95F water as it started to rain and watched tropical birds flutter in the trees and thought to myself how perfect it all was.

If you ever find yourself in Costa Rica, there�s absolutely no question, you must visit Tabacon. Is almost too good to be true, and like most things similar, it won�t be long before everyone finds out about it. Until then, I plan on introducing it to all of my friends and family who come visit here. It�s an experience they (and I) will never forget.

http://www.tabacon.com/


Pool View of Aranal


Wading Waters 95 F


Walking Trees Meet the water


Pathways to Paradise


Phallac Flora


105 Degrees anyone?


Zen Defined


Room with a View


Tropical Ginger

9.11.06

Here and Now, There and Then.

Like a stray cat in an alley trashcan, I am moonlighting it illegally in my office right now. I have some time sensitive deliverables I need to churn out and my current state of non-residency here is forcing me to work from home during the day like a red headed bastard stepchild, which is proving to be more difficult than expected. Costa Rica is still on the witch-hunt for non-residential workers, even though its people like us who are helping jump start the non-existent economy here. The irony is, it’s the government that makes obtaining residency so convoluted. So not only do they fuck it up on the front end, they punish you on the backend for not understanding the process easily enough to get it done in a timely manner. Perfecto! Our company has provided us with an immigration attorney who has helped grease the cogs on this antiquated train, now if he would only answer his phone and return emails, we’d be in business.

I am still trying to condense my thoughts and experiences from my recent European vacation into readable format. So much to say, such little space to say it in. 6 Cities, 19 days, airports, train stations, champagne lounges, fumatoriums, beers, bars, dark rooms, darker bathrooms..so much to say. The trip, while successfully executed, was long…almost too long. I know I’ve become older when I start to feel over-vacationed and I definitely felt that way towards the end of it all. I am proud to report that JH, CH and I endured through it all without a major coming to Jesus, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. CH kept us in first class all the way at half the price, JH made sure schedules were kept even if they started at 12 noon and I tried to provide the right amount of comic relief, especially when inappropriate, to keep things interesting. A well oiled, traveling machine we steamrolled through Europe and attracted every inch of fun to be had along the way.

To the many friends we made, Pippin (the Gibraltaran), Mr. not-so-veilied insulter (the Londoner), Bathroom boy, (the prince of Genovia), Big Scary Italian Drag Princess and her protégés, God-in-waiting Mr. Strip Italia and of course Mr. Pan-y-agua, who made countless appearances, we thank you for your European hospitality. We know you’ll understand our refusal to wear denim fishermans pants, exposed man-g-strings or sport hastily chopped sporty mullets. We did however adopt your manbag acceptance policy and joined the MorningWood fan club. That’s just enough to make us feel edgy and euro-snobby.

More to come.. For now…here are some fotos….


Barcelona- Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia


Beers at the Hofbrauhaus in Munchen


Vaticans Oppulance


JH Sleepy in Magnifica Class

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Saying goodbye to the Italian Alps.....