TATTOO

I had been thinking about getting a new tattoo to celebrate this trip to Costa Rica.

In many ways, this whole experience is a new horizon for me to approach and cross.  Though I love to travel, I've not done much by myself, at least not for about 45 years.

The trip has been a way of personally checking to see if I can keep myself entertained, get by with minimal language in a foreign country, cope with pain of the dental variety, travel by bus and generally not pack too much for a one month trip.

I've been pretty successful on all but the last challenge-and packing too much remains a problem that I have to solve some trip in the future.

So back to tattoos.....I already have two of them.

The first is a memorial for my husband Russ.  As he was cremated I have no grave to visit, no marker to talk to when I want to talk to him.  So I got a tattoo, designed by our grand daughter, Christina, on the first anniversary of his death.  It's beautiful-a feathered dreamcatcher with 53 beads, one for each of his years.  The feathers symbolize his love of birds and his free spirit.  The center of the dreamcatcher is a peace sign-Russ was always a peace advocate.

On my 65th birthday, I got a large lower back piece of the three phases of womanhood..the triple moon aspect.  Half moon maiden, full moon mother and half moon crone all supporting each other.  It is another beautiful piece of artwork.

This time I didn't go for beauty so much as for symbolism - of Costa Rica, of my own growth.

I considered the toucan, the dolphin, even the mystical quetzal-the Costa Rica national bird.  I finally decided on a phoenix.

A very special phoenix.

One that is seen on signage all over the country and is instantly known for what it represents-the best of Costa Rica.

I traced this particular phoenix off the Imperial beer can onto saran wrap very carefully the morning of my appointment.  Because I'd changed my mind on what I wanted after making the appointment, I knew the artist wouldn't have time to find it himself.  Then I grabbed the 9:10 bus (for my 9 AM appointment-I am truly on Costa Rica time now) and went into Grecia.

What a beautiful day it was- Saturday and the town was full of people with the beginning of Christmas joy and their '13th month' bonus in their pockets ready to spend.  The stores had been decorating, after all it was the end of November and the weather was warming up-just in time for the faux icicles, heavily dressed gringo Santa pictures, tinsel and fake snow in every window and an amazing number of Merry Christmas candy cane colored posters.  Costa Rica has embraced the commercialism of the norteamericano Christmas Spirit with enthusiasm.

Reindeer and sleighs made out of straw were being sold out of car trunks on corners and Feliz Navitad played loudly out of stores everywhere.  And the shoes I'd priced 2 weeks ago for 9865 colones now cost 12,000 colones.  They still didn't have a size 10 americano or 41 UK though.

I made my way thru the crowds to the tattoo and piercing shop-it's called "Tattoo".  David was ready for my toucan when I told him about the change of theme-he totally broke up!

"Imperial?" (EEm-per-ea'llll?)cervesa Imperial?"

"Si, David...." confusion here his name is pronounced Daveeee'd, but he did like Dave as  nick name, as names here never end on  hard sound and Dave is muy unusual-just right for a tattoo artist.

Dave had invited his friend Antonio, who spoke some span-glish to act an interpreter and photographer.  'Tonio did a really good job as did Dave and the small tat on the lower part of my neck was soon done, pain being dealt with by a can of the beer in celebration for all of us...I'd brought an ice cold 4 pack with me of course.

Turns out Dave is a man of many talents.  In his dingy looking but quite clean shop he also does chiropractic, massage and acupuncture as well as piercing and his primary job of tat artist.

Thing is, Dave isn't really creative.  He does very little of his own design..mostly flash from the internet or magazines, copies of other tattoo artists work.  'Tonio said Dave wishes he could draw better but just does not have that hand eye coordination unless a maquina tatuista (I swear this is what he called it) is in his hand..then he is a master.  I had sketched out a toucan in flight for him the first day we met-it wasn't very good but I had painted toucans before and I had the idea..he kept it for his files as a muy bueno toucan.

I hope no one ever wants a toucan in flight-or maybe when he gets it on skin, the ink will become magic.

I asked Dave to place my tat on the part of my neck right below the hairline-I wanted to cover up an old surgical scar.  He totally refused to ink over the scar.  "No-no." then went into a fast  barrage of spanish to 'Tonio about the location.

"He no" shrug.  "Not that part. " Slapping his neck and shaking his head.  

"Por que?"

"No have de ink"

Hmmmm-no have the ink.  He's not out of ink-I see it right there. Tonio reached around and han his finger along the scar.  "No have de ink".

The scar won't take the ink?  I know it will-cause I have ink over my other back scar.

"Si si" I said, hiking my shirt up and my jeans down and showing these young guys more 65 year old flesh than they ever wanted to see.

Lots of talking in spanish, out came the camera and several pictures of my Triple Aspect were taken.  However Dave was firm.  He wouldn't ink over the scar.  Someday if I ever really get able to speak spanish I'm going to ask him why, but for now, we agreed to  a slightly lower location and he went to work.

I have to say-he is good and he is fast with a maquina tatuista in his hand.  I don't think it took an hour total.  From prep with (ug) lysol on my skin, to application of the carbon to finish.

I really like it.  Actually it's perfect, both being the phoenix and the Imperial logo.  I don't think too many people will even know thats what it is when I get back to the states-it's just a truly cool phoenix and I feel the rebirth every day now, as the skin itches and flakes off. 

 I sure wish I'd brought A & D ointment with me though.  The closest I could find was a Diaper crema con vitamin E y aloe.