Attack of the Killer Ants!

This morning set off for the volcano Arenal.... again. I've got this monster green backpack that is SO heavy. John keeps making fun of me.... I really didn't pack that much stuff but it seems like I did because the backpack is just so heavy. Fortunately it's a lot easier to carry when it's on and when you're standing straight up... but in your arms, it's a ton. So I'm lugging this thing around, but its ok. I've got a handle on it! We pile into the Land Cruiser and Nathan brings us to the bus stop and where we needed to wait for the right bus to take us up to Tilaran. It's going to be a while. It's about 11:20 and our bus doesn't pass until 12:30. So I sit down on a wooden bench to wait.... ouch!

Something just bit my foot!

OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! 

I look down on my feet and I have about 30 ants running around chomping down! Ah! I scream and try to brush them off, but I couldn't, there were too many and they just kept on coming! So I try to jump up to run away from the bench.... but my monster pack tackles me and I topple backwards... almost falling over but just in time I reached down and grabbed the handy log that was next to my seat to steady myself... whew! But in that moment I realized what a terrible mistake that was... all of a sudden my hand is a buffet table! I look down and hundreds of tiny little reddish ants covered my hand!! AHHHH!! They were biting so hard! So I get the strength to jump up again, trying to run away, with this big green monster on my back.... I'm trying not to fall over while.... dancing, kicking my feet in the air, shaking my arms, and stomping my feet.... Jeanna runs over and starts trying to brush them off my feet... but then they start crawling on her, and she's getting bitten, shaking her hands and trying to brush them off!

So, by this time, I've got about 6 people waiting for the bus, 2 taxi drivers, and everyone in my group looking at me like I'm completely crazy. Talk about ants in your pants! I'm jumping around like "Ooh!! Aaah!"

Finally with Jeanna's help, the ants were wiped off my feet. Fortunately they didn't go up my pants, or else I would have died!!!! After the craziness had calmed down, I carefully went over to where I was sitting and the log that I had braced myself on was literally crawling with hundreds and hundreds of ants. I had sat RIGHT on top of their nest.

Even when I went back for a picture, if I got too close an ant or two would crawl up onto my shoes and bite my lil toes! Oh boy! What an experience. I walked away with big ole welts all over my hands and feet. Don't try this at home! ( Only in Costa Rica! )

Soon thereafter our bus arrived and we jumped on... but we were too late to catch the next bus to La Fortuna. We didn't think that was a problem, so we just got on the bus to Arenal... the town. We figured it would be right next to the volcano... Arenal. Um, no. So we get a beautiful sightseeing tour of a gorgeous smoking volcano with a huge lake at it's base... but the final destination was no where near the volcano. Turns out we were totally lost. haha. Oh well. We decided it was a good try, but it was better just to head up to Nicaragua..... tomorrow morning! yay!