I wake at 04.30, wash and collect my last bits together then head down stairs for a coffee before leaving. The hotel gives me some banana bread and some fruit for my journey, I hug the staff goodbye then walk across the beach to the boat. Paola from guest services accompanies me. The sun is not yet up and there is a rosy glow to the sky. It is going to be another beautiful day in paradise. We speed across the bay. The trip takes 30 minutes and as we approach Puerto Jimenez we see the sun rising. I disembark and take the short car ride to the airstrip. Parrots and macaws squawk in the trees but manage to keep themselves well hidden. Even with their vivid red feathers the macaws are hard to spot until they take flight. This would be a great place to sit and watch the world go by if it were not for the fact that the airstrip is right next to the cemetery. No bad omens I hope!

The flight from Puerto Jimenez to San Jose this morning was very turbulent, with a pretty nail-biting landing, as the wind was very strong. The BA flight home was on time and smooth until we approached the UK. Thanks to Storm Dennis, the last few miles were very bumpy but the landing at Gatwick was textbook; much better than the San Jose experience this morning.