BoomerGirl Diary

Ken purchased himself a really nice, and really sharp, machete that we keep under the seat of our truck. We noticed most folks here in Costa Rica do the same. It seems similar to how some folks keep a baseball bat in their vehicles in the states. Ticos don't go anywhere around here without a machete. It isn't uncommon at all to see a Tico walking down a road carrying one with him. It isn't carried so much for personal protection, though that comes in handy, as much as for having a multi purpose tool at their disposal. They are used to dig up manioc (yucca), chop through brush, kill a snake, cut open a pipa (coconut) to drink, scale a fish, dig up clams, make shelter, etc. We keep ours as a form of protection if we were to need it, and lets hope we never do.

When Ken was far away in San Jose recently, I had spent a half hour or so trying out my skills with our larger "weed whacking" machete. I successfully dismantled a few small trees that were growing in the wrong places. My approach to cutting them down lacked the finesse of the locals and I knew it. If Ken were here, he would have commented to me "You cut like a girl." I KNEW to be very careful with my swings as many machete welding Ticos have had injuries from careless whacking. It doesn't take much to get them to show you their scars, which they all have, and seem almost proud of.

So, as I was being very careful, knowing medical care wasn't an option since Ken had taken the truck with him, I tried my skills at some bamboo that needed trimmed back. I swung at the plant with the large knife like implement, and when I followed through, like a golf swing, the machete grazed my leg. That was enough. I had a close call and luckily hadn't drawn blood. I was done with my machete practice for the day.

When Ken later returned I told him about this incident. He loudly inquired of me, "WHAT, Ronna… What was the ONE thing I told you to NEVER do? WHAT is the one tool you are not allowed to ever use …. EVER!?"

I answered the obvious, "A machete". He confirmed saying, "That's right….NO Gringo should EVER use a machete … ever, ever, ever".

I couldn't help but remind him how just a few days earlier I witnessed HIM with a machete in hand and HE is a "gringo" as much as me. His reply? "Yes, I did…but I should NOT have."

With local labor being about $1.50 an hour, there is really no reason for us to have to use a machete. However, I have continued to practice my technique but know I'll never become skilled at using one. We'll just keep ours handy for threat posturing if needed. But in that case, I'd rather have a ball bat since I do know how to swing them properly. And up against a Tico with a machete, my bat would win every time.