cockroaches

rmary

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Oct 4, 2003
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I've read a lot of posts here and elsewhere about concerns about cockroaches, and I thought I would relate a funny incident that happened to me and a friend.

A couple of years ago we stayed at the Coconut Palms for two weeks in December. We were two couples, and since the men could only stay for one week, we ladies convinced them to let us ladies stay for an additional week on our own.

Unfortunately, it rained heavily (QUITE heavily) for most of the two weeks we were there. We didn't let this ruin our vacation and made the best of it. Anyway, we ladies were up late doing the "girl talk" routine. I got up to make myself another drink, and as I was taking the tonic water out of the fridge, I spied the biggest cockroach I have ever seen in my life. Now I am not afraid of these things, but I know my friend is. So what do I do? Of course I call her over to take a look at it. I told her to hold my hand and take a look. She FREAKED.

We decide to go down to the front desk and tell them about it. The guy there was asleep (it was about 2 or 3 in the morning) and when we woke him up, he told us not to worry about it, this is "normal". My friend was not overly happy with this.

As we are walking back to our room, I notice that I lot of the guys from the resort are over at the bar. I stopped and said that maybe we should go over there and ask one of them to come up and kill the cockroach. Fortunately, my friend doesn't drink.....

Anyway, when we get back up to our apartment, I decide that I am going to have to take care of this. It was still under the microwave, just where we left it. I grab one of my sandals and go after it. The thing that bothers me about those things is that they move so freaking fast!!!! I manage to get it down on the floor and nail the sucker. What I did not realize was that I let our a piercing scream each time I hit it (chalk it up to bloodlust).

The next thing we knew, there were flashlights shining into our front windows, and we realized that we had to go out and give them some explanation (I am sure that the entire complex heard my screams). We went out and tried to explain, but the guys still looked confused, so I come out with "la cuckaracha, morte". The looked at me like I was some kind of idiot (naturally, as I was at the time).

All of that being said, I can offer NO complaints about the cleanliness of the apartment. It was equipped with tupperware container to keep sugar and stuff in. Our maid did a wonderful job of keeping the place spotless. She even gave us extra pillows when she saw that we had taken some off of the wicker furniture and used them in the bedroom. When she saw that we are smokers, she gave us extra ashtrays.

It was very rainy. Of course there is the chance that a bug or two might get in. The thing of it is, that this is one of our favourite incidents in the DR, and all I have to do is waive two fingers over my head to send my freind into peals of laughter.

One of the things that I have never understood is that you have to have rain in order to have the lush tropical vegetation that we all so much enjoy when we are there. If you have rain, you are going to have bugs, some of which are cockroaches. Relax. Have a sense of humor.

Now if they were scorpions.........(I have a terrible fear of scorpions) if there are any in the DR, I would take it as a serious offense if you inform me of that.

Rose
 
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XanaduRanch

*** Sin Bin ***
Sep 15, 2002
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The real scorpions, not the two-legged kind, are not a big deal here.

I walked out of the bedroom a few months ago to drag Alba away from her computer and chat room and felt a sharp stinging pain in my foot. We have lots of wasps around and I thought I had stepped on one, screeched, and retreated to the bedroom. Alba came in after me with the real perpetrator in a bottle - a scorpion.

She was very nervous for me, and that made me nervous too, so I got on the net and spent several anxious minutes looking around. I had used a little bee sting kit of my ex-wife's to suck all the venom out. Turned out nothing here is poisonous. And the pain disappeared much more quickly (in a few minutes) than if a wasp had nailed me (a few days and I still would be feeling it).

The Frog and the Scorpion
A frog was once standing by a river when a scorpion came up to him. The scorpion said, "Oh frog, please take me across this river on your back." The frog replied, "But if I do that, you will bite me, and I will die." "Why would I do that? Then I would die, too." The frog thought about it for a little bit and then decided to risk it. Halfway across the river, he felt pain in his back. The scorpion had bit him. As they were drowning, the frog asked, "Why did you do that?" Replied the scorpion, "Because that's what you get voting for El Buro!"


Tom (aka XR)

P.S.
If you're really worried about Scorpions, don't vacation in Arizona.
 
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rmary

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Oct 4, 2003
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If you're really worried about Scorpions, don't vacation in Arizona.

I hate to admit it, but you really had me going there.
LOL.

Well, at least my friend can tease me about scorpions when I start in about cockroaches.

It is a true measure of my love for the DR that I am still willing to go there. I don't care if they are poisonous or not, they still give me the creeps (shudder).

Now that you mention it, there is a destinct resemblence between sankies and scorpions.......

Rose
 

rmary

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Oct 4, 2003
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I didn''t know what a cacatas was, so did a little google search. This is what I found.

http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/invertebrates.html

Did I mention that my friend is terrified of spiders too? LOL I think I will keep this little tidbit of information to myself. To tell her would be bordering on shear cruelty., not to mention she would be a nervous wreck the entire time.

Do they eat scorpions too? LOL They look like they easily could.

Rose
 

barbchuck

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Oct 14, 2003
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Tarantulas too?

I have panic disorder, and I freak out over roaches.
but I have also heard about Tarantulas, my husband hates spiders.
he is 6' 1 340lbs.. and If he sees a spider ,he will do a not so pleasant looking dance until I kill it!

I said in another post...Tarantulas, Cockroaches and Sankies OH MY!
 

rmary

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Oct 4, 2003
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Hi Barbchuck,

As much as I would be amused to see your husband's little dance (I would be doing the same if I caught a glimpse of a scorpion) I would like to emphasize that in four trips to the DR, this is was only the second time that we ever caught a glimpse of any kind of bug. The other happened to my friend (of course) on our last trip and it was of a DEAD cockroach. One might see such things ANYWHERE in the world (except antartica I believe). I have never seen hide nor hair of a spider.

I am perfectly confident that the only reason this little guy made his way in was because of the heavy rains that we had.

During our last stay, at the Tropical Beach, I had an opportunity a couple of times to get a look into the kitchen. Let me tell you, it was spotless. Cleaner than a lot of kitchens that I have seen in North America.

I really do think that the maids at these hotels are the unsung heroes of the tourist trade. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with them. Yes, I make sure that I tip them everyday (and try to make sure that the maids who actually clean the room get the tip) but I always, when asking for something extra, preface it with a "por favour" and a sincere "gracias" afterward. This is just simple courtesy and only what I would do wherever I travel in the world.

I do have an interesting story about my friend and tarantulas. She was a navy wife, and while she was in Florida, her husband was out to sea during a big hurricane. She had just had her daughter who was only about 2-3 months old. Their home was right on the beach and got badly flooded. She took refuge in her bedroom on the bed, and a tarantula, who was also trying to get away from the water wound up in there with her babies as well.

There she was, curled up on the bed with her baby, and there was the tarantula, curled up in the corner with her babies. She didn't even realize it until the next day. She got someone to come in a scoop it and her babies up in a dust pan because people down there don't hurt the tarantulas because they eat.........cockroaches.

Relax and enjoy the beauty of the DR.

Rose