If you have never read 100 Years of Solitude (Cien Años de Soledad) by Colombian Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez (1967), you have missed a magical story that takes place in the remote village of Macondo, in the jungle of the Columbian rainforest. It is one of the best books ever written. Seriously.
I first read 100 Years of Solitude as an international student in Mexico in the seventies. It had just been translated into English. It is a tale of seven generations of the Buendía family who among other things, have the habit of naming their children variations of the same names. It’s enough to make your head spin trying to keep track of the various players.
Hibiscus also known here as tulipani.
Eventually I gave up trying to follow who’s who and found that it made little difference. I would never give away the ending other than to say it involves ants.
The video would not upload.
In the jungle a battle with the ants is a battle you will loose. There’s more of them than us and they never quit. No matter how clean your house, they will scurry across the kitchen counter looking for a nibble or a bug to carry off.
Volunteer papaya tree growing out of the compost pile.
This week I was sitting on the couch and twice found an ant on my leg. I looked up to see a highway of ants coming from under the dog crate. What the…!!
Bird of paradise blooming this morning.
They show up quickly having decided that something I thought was mine is really theirs. It’s a wonder they haven’t made off with the dog! Time to get out the trusty vacuum cleaner. The best I can hope for is to discourage them. So far, it’s not working.
DOS TORTAS
the adventures of dos tortas 
This story goes well with the brain Dr Amen battling A.N.T.s (automatic negative thoughts). He suggests we don’t let them run rampant.
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I think our brain is easier to coral than the ants.
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I do battle the ants. In our time in Mexico I have spent hours tracking hwys of ants to their nests and H24ing the heck out them but in the end you are right, Alex. You can win many battles but you will never win the war against ants.
Keep up the good work, Cheers!
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You get it Bruce. My neighbors poison their property and kill everything willy nilly. Of course the ants survive and move over here. Thanks for your comments.
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Many people tell me they have “ant marches” through their house. They just let them go, they clean up everything and then they are gone. We had more jungle bugs the first year, and it seemed like they backed off after that, like “ok, this is your space.” We don’t use the poisons either and have less trouble than our neighbors.
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I wish I could. Outside, I’m fine with the invasion. When left alone they pass through and are gone. When they appear to be making a nest in our rug, I draw the line.
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Buena suerte con las hormigas.
How fortunate you have a papaya tree. Papaya seems to be an actual help if you get dengue. Sadly, I found out about the medicine after I’d recovered from dengue. It cured my friend, though. Keep the tree!
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What an appropriate, amusing post, Dos Tortas! I have the same issue with hormegas in my apartment in Cartagena, Colombia. Gabo is probably having a laugh at us all right now. 🙂
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Hey Kate, I have been to Cartegena but it’s been many years. How did you find the blog? I hope you’ll be back.
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Boric acid and honey?
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Mmmm worth looking into. So often we can’t get things that are easily found in any US grocery store.
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