CR Elective: A House Without Walls

Dr Ortiz's house is nothing short of amazing. It is located on a hilltop about 2 miles from the downtown (el centro) part of San Vito. It is at approximately 4,000 feet elevation making it more chilly than tropical. The house is set back almost 1/4 mile from the main road. He has a farm with pigs and chickens on the property. There is a small stream running through as well. The house itself is very large with multiple rooms to accommodate up to 20 guests (at least that was the most who stayed while I was there). It has a sort of hostel feel to it. All manner of guests pass through: students doing international relief work, UN workers taking a break from their jobs in other Latin American countries, bigshot government officials from San Jose (the capital of Costa Rica) passing through town for a mix of business and getting away from the city, Costa Rican medical students, Costa Rican college students, European social workers doing projects here... the list goes on and on.

Is it a leaf? Not it's an insect

Oh yeah and except for the bedrooms there are no walls. The house literally blends in with the jungle. In fact many of the homes here have a similar construction. Why not when the temperature is basically perfect every single day of the year? And even though it rains every day from April to November it is rarely windy so the overhanging roof keeps all the water out just fine. Plus there was Internet access via cell phone 3G USB sticks. And I don't know if it's because they use GSM technology or what but the speed and reception was definitely better than I am used to in New York City.

Are there bugs? Yes of course but at this elevation there are no mosquitoes (and hence no malaria) and really they are only an issue at night. Are there animals? Yes. Just 1/2 mile from here is a wildlife reserve that charges top dollar for tourists to bird and animal watch. Apparently a few years ago there was a problem with a band of monkeys that would come and steal food from the kitchen, but they haven't been around in a while. Also Dr Ortiz has a pack of 7 dogs of various breeds, ages and sizes so I imagine they scare away most jungle critters. Staying in the house was sort of like a mix between camping and being in a luxury hotel. There was the occassional spider on the wall or ceiling when you woke up in the morning and you had to shake out your clothes before putting them on to clear out any scorpions that might have snuck in overnight. But overall it was a really cool vibe.