Welcome to the Hotel California

Date of events depicted: 13 February - 15 February 2011

Two Crazy Chicks Productions, in association with WorldWild PhotoGraphics and What Am I Going to Tell Your Mother? Productions, is proud to present episode 7 of The Adventures of Yumiko and Eden in Costa Rica…

The telltale sound of buzzing causes Eden to look up from the computer. “Oh, for God’s sake, not another one!” she grumbles, thoroughly exasperated. Already she has escorted a number of bees out of room 30. She is tempted to ask for another room, but she and Yumiko have already moved twice.

The first time, it was not because of the bee in the bathroom that welcomed them to the Hotel California (our intrepid heroines were quite unfazed and merely arranged for their unwanted guest’s immediate removal); rather, the manager wanted them to have an ocean view. But two cold showers later, Yumiko announced, “Hot water is more important than an ocean view.” And so the dynamic duo moved back into their original digs following a hike in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Known for its lush rainforest, beautiful beaches, and abundant wildlife, the tiny park (only 682 hectares) is enormously popular among both tourists and Ticos. Despite the crowds of people thronging the Perezoso Trail, Yumiko and Eden saw two-toed sloth, three-toed sloth, basilisk, golden orb weaver, black iguana, lesser white-lined bat, yellow-crowned night-heron, charming hummingbird, blue morpho butterfly, howler monkey, and the iconic red-eyed tree frog.

Eden does some research into bees and concludes that the visitors to room 30 are diurnal. As long as they only hang about during the day, she decides, then there’s no real cause for concern.

Thus, she and Yumiko are not happy when one makes an appearance after 10:00 p.m. It buzzes angrily around the ceiling fan.

“How the heck am I supposed to get it out of here? It’s nowhere near a door.”

At Yumiko’s suggestion, Eden lures it out the balcony’s glass doors by turning off the room lights and turning on the exterior light.

“Now I’m going to stay awake all night worrying that more will come in.”

“Leave the balcony light on so any stray bees will be attracted to it.”

Our intrepid heroines drift into an uneasy sleep only to be wakened in the wee hours by the telltale sound of loud buzzing.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Listening intently, Eden rolls out of bed and cautiously searches for the intruder. There is no sign of it.

“All right, where are you, you little…” She glances through the glass doors and is momentarily rendered speechless. For there, just outside the room, is an entire swarm.

It’s not exactly what our intrepid heroines had in mind when they decided to travel to Costa Rica to find out what all the buzz is about. Even so, their two weeks there have convinced them that this country really is the bee’s knees.

© Eden Feuer