!Danger!

I had just arrived in the small Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo. The air was hot and sticky and I was tired from a long trip, so I decided to wake up by taking a refreshing shower. To my surprise and delight, there was hot water (a luxury in Central America). I was taking long, very-needed shower when I looked up at the showerhead and noticed strange wires attached to an odd box. There it was… I had heard legends of these things for months from frightened tourists who would rather shower in cold water or not at all as to avoid the dangerous, the tempting, the suicide shower!!!!

The suicide shower is a delightful name given to a showerhead with a box full of electrical currents. The water runs through this box, usually located at or near the showerhead, and heats it instantly. The water is heated efficiently, and it is a great way to ensure hot water for plumbing without standard hot water heaters, but it can be deadly. This is a prime example of why it is never a good idea to bring electricity and water together. If the wires get wet, or if the unsuspecting person in the shower touches the showerhead, they could be electrocuted, ouch! I think I’ll stick to cold showers!


This is only one of many “dangerous” situations we’ve come across on our adventures in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. For instance, my boyfriend and I were shocked to find huge holes in the sidewalks and roads in Nicaragua. The electricity was frequently out at night, which led to some scary walks home… You never knew if you would step into a dark hole!!




In another instance, my boyfriend and I rode on a bus where the driver’s 6-year-old son sat in a small plastic chair placed between the wheel and the open door. That particular bus route went up and down curvy roads with a cliff on one side dropping straight down to the ocean. The boy could have easily fallen out of the bus!

Another dangerous situation happened to some friends of mine. They were on a public bus at a particularly busy time of day. The bus was packed to the brim, with people near the doors having to hold on to the handrail to avoid falling out of the bus. They drove halfway over a rickety-looking bridge and had to stop, due to traffic up ahead. They were stuck between a cement mixer and a logging truck. The bridge began to sway and everyone began to look at each other, terrified of a bridge collapse. Many people, including the driver, made the sign of the cross as they waited to move. Finally the traffic ceased, and the bus drove on to the road. Everyone on board breathed a huge sigh of relief.



Wildlife can also pose a HUGE threat!! The ocean has sharks, jellyfish (Tim, my boyfriend has already been stung three times), sting rays (remember Steve Irwin?), and even crocodiles to watch out for, as well as strong waves, currents, and riptides. Back on land, Costa Rica boasts the greatest biodiversity in the world, for its size. In fact, I just read that Costa Rica has 5,000 different species of grasshoppers! However they also have poisonous snakes, spiders, Dengue-carrying mosquitoes, sand flies, and even vampire bats.


Whew, that’s a lot to be scared of!! And I never even mentioned the threat of…
• Hurricanes
• Tsunamis
• Earthquakes
• Volcanoes

or, for that matter…

• Crime

When all is said and done, however, I feel very safe and at home in this place. I guess everywhere has its own set of dangers. As my mom always said,

“Always be aware of your surroundings, use common sense, and look confident.”

So far this advice has served me well in this crazy land. Although I have to say, even with all this potential for danger, I still feel safer here than in the U.S., weird!