From Sarapiqui to Tortuguero, Aug 26

This morning we leave the Sarapiqui region for the trip to Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. First we must rescue a bat from the ladies room by the reception area at the hotel. Once he / she has found her way back out we check out and walk down the road so we can cross the amazing bridge on foot. Our driver Juan Carlos follows a bit later, to give us time to get ahead. Along the way we see our first toucan! We took a longish drive (filled with riddles, Wordles and Symbol Simon games). The scenery is worth the drive, and the stop at the banana packing plant was fascinating (you have no idea what goes into getting a banana from its plant to your store!). About 11am we board a small boat - long and narrow, about 4 seats across, with a canopy in case of rain or blazing sun (both being prevalent) and roar our way down the canals to Tortuguero National Park and our home for the next two nights.

A friend who shall remain nameless unless he wants to come forward has coined this area Torture-Guero, and I think it is my favorite paradise on this trip - deep jungle, long riverways, no roads, you go everywhere by boat. The 90 minute boat ride in shows us a crocodile, countless beautiful birds, and lots of monkeys (monos!). We are greeted at the hotel's dock with the sweet and fruity welcome drink - the music is a bit loud by the pool, there are lots of Spanish and German tourists roaming and it feels a lot like camp! Our rooms are in blocks of 4 scattered along covered pathways, and you just never know when a monkey might leap over your head on his way to the next tree. Accomodations are simple but great - damp? Well yes, everything here feels a bit damp (like camp) but there is hot running water and a flush toilet and a comfortable bed and ceiling fan.

Later we take the boat across the canal to town (a five minute ride), where we visit the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and learn about the plight of the green sea turtle. We walk down the beach where there is not supposed to be swimming allowed– both sharks and severe undertow live here – though several people are in the water. We visit the center of town - about a block long – ending at a tiny local store where we can buy ice cream bars. The local kids are deeply involved in band practice for the upcoming celebrations, and we cheer them on before going back to the hotel for salsa dance lessons and dinner.

Though we might have been tempted to be in bed by 8, instead we donned our dark clothing for the night walk in search of nesting turtles. This is highly organized and regulated by the park system – again, a boat across the canal to the ocean side and a quiet shuffling walk through the dark pathways – no lights allowed!. The sky is brilliant with stars but there is NO moon at all, something I don’t think I have ever seen before. All night I am not sure if I should be looking for turtles or constellations. Anyway, we are lucky enough to see three turtles in various stages of laying eggs, covering them, camouflaging the site, and returning to the ocean. Pretty darn cool!