Flying Cockroaches
The charm of Mexican architecture -- its crooked doors and haphazard lines -- is also what adds to its drama. Even while a good portion of this compound juts out into the open air over the sea, the back portion is nestled up into the jungle behind.This has brought several surprises during our trip. Not unexpected, but surprising still.
Last night, while Van and I watched "Night of the Iguana," the John Huston / Richard Burton movie filmed in Puerto Vallarta in 1964, a giant moth buzzed around our heads. Indoors. Those pesky irregular architectural lines lead to doors and windows that don't always close tightly. With the lights on indoors and a stormy night outside, it was a perfect invitation for ... not a moth ... but a giant flying cockroach.
After it landed on the wall, I leaped up ready to smack the thing with the back of my sandle, only to have the damned thing fly toward me and then circle back for another wall landing. It didn't nestle onto the wall. It crouched. Ready to spring, or rather fly back into action. It was so large I could see its eyeballs eyeballing me! So I hesitated, trying to look brave, until it flew up onto the chandelier over the dining table.
Satisfied that would be it, we returned to our movie. We actually finished "Master & Commander" before heading off to bed, never seeing the creature again.
I felt like I had truly been one with nature -- bugs included. Until I returned to my bed an hour ago to take a little nap, only to find the creature (or another one) lying upside down next to my side of the bed. The sandle came out, the creature got dead, and I swept it out the door.
It reminded me of our second day here when the same bug, albeit likely another one, was firmly clinging to the wall in the kitchen. Not knowing then that it could fly, I simply went up to it -- in all of its three inch long glory -- and killed it with the back of Van's sandle. (Sandles to the rescue). Only to have part of its guts land on the left side of my face.
What a joy.
There are geckos sharing the villa with us, of course. Happily clacking away when they eat a bug. I like geckos. I want big ones that will eat big cockroaches.
Meanwhile, these things have not diminished the beauty of this trip. I am enjoying myself fully. It's a bit of adventure here and there! Thunderstorms have passed for now and it's lovely outside today. Van and I will head into town at 3ish, kick around a bit, grab dinner, and possibly go to a club later tonight.
Until then, my sandles are off my feet and ready for action.
posted by Jay @ 10:04 AM
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