HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS American Embassy, Despatch no. 159, April 22, 1949. Gan Jose, Costa Rica, UNCLASSIXIT Enclosure no. The canoe trip down the river lasted from o. Friday until 1:15 a. Saturday morning, with only four very short stops, two at ranch houses along the river occupied by comadras of Pancho (he says he has 14 comadres in that district. one on a small sandy point in the river and one at a iarn house for a drink of chicha. The first comadre stop was at about 10 in the morning and we were given coffee and a drink made of raw cacao and sugar and most unhygienic looking river water, Courtesy required us to drink it and so far we are still alive. The second comadre was reached about 10 Pancho roused her out of bed and she served us coffee and tortillas. Our other food during the day was eaten in the cance from cans. We fished as we went down stream and caught quite a lot which we gave to people along the banks. onnie Siso shot a duck which we gave with some lish to coniadre no. te sebi a great many monkeys in the traes, both the larse congos and a small brown variety, and literally hundreds of alligators. At night by turning a flashlight on the shore we could see the bright red gleam 01 their eyes and watch then swim across the river in front of us. We also saw many ducks, heron, and other birds, The last four hours of the trip from to in the morning by moonlight were very leautiful but by that tine we were all so tirad and tiri and sore from sitting in a canoe that we did not appreciate the beauties of nature as they deserve.
We did, however, keep our spirits up with a lot of joking and Laughter in which the paddlers, who had been working staadily since 6:30 joined heartily with no sigh of fatigue. It was durine this day that we all began to itch and discovered we wera covered with ticks and redbugs picked up the first day in Guanacaste. They nearly drove us crazy.
in drrival, nt Los Chilles and despite the late hour, the boatien cheerfully reed to transfe.
eren sier our luggage to the Launch which was to take us down the San Juan river the next day and we went up to Pancho 60 culled hotel. There we found the Macaya who had flown up from San José to make the San Juan trip with us. Pancho routed his wife out of bed and turned that bed over to the stones. had a canvas cot in the back and the rast of the party was distributed around. was asleep before hit the pillow. only there was no pillow.
April 15.
This morning cn aidered a bath an absolute necessity and not only because of the redbugs and ticks. In a little alcove of the kitchen Pancho had a stone basin in which he poured some clean water from a well and gave me a huacal with which could dip water out of the basin and pour it over me. After bathing, shaving, and putting on clean clothes, emerged to the plaudits of the rest of the party and all the hangers on. was told later that the news OROLASIR IED vo