Category: Costa Rica

Today has been busy. Partly due to excursions and partly due to sitting by the pool and drinking wine and chatting with new found friends. So a brief summary of the day’s activities. We made an early start at 06.00 and saw a 2-toed sloth in the trees at the lodge before we had even ventured out. The weather looked ominous and indeed light rain fell throughout most of our morning excursion. We did make some good sightings – howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, raccoon, agouti, various species of herons including the agami heron which is rare, reclusive and very beautiful.

We visited the Sea Turtle Conservancy centre which was interesting. We learned about the turtles life cycle as well as the research carried out at the centre. Turtles visit Tortuguero to lay their eggs between March and September depending on species. Four species can be seen – green, hawksbill, leatherback and loggerhead. It rained during the river trip there and during the lecture – so a good activity during the wet weather. I was very glad to have brought a poncho, which provided total protection for me and my camera equipment – not a great look but very practical.

Once we left the Sea Turtle Conservancy we had a boat trip through the waterways of the Totuguero National Park. The rain eased and we saw some wonderful birds.

Some of the other wildlife we saw today below….

On our way back we saw something truly amazing. Five long-nosed bats were roosting on a dead branch in the middle of the channel. Tiny and absolute masters of disguise. SOooooo cool!!

We left the hotel at 06.30 to start our journey to Tortuguero. Traffic was slow but after 30 minutes we were making good progress and starting our ascent into the mountains and clouds to reach the continental divide. The vegetation was lush and as we ascended the clear blue sky gave way to cool weather and murky cloud. The road was in good condition and before long we were descending towards the Caribbean and the sky brightened. The bus had extremely efficient air conditioning and I had to put my jacket on!

At 08.00 we stopped for breakfast and I was relieved to discover it was pretty warm outside. Jacket was removed and we made our way into the restaurant. Breakfast was local and good. Fruit juice, rice, beans, sausage in tomato sauce, egg and fried plantain. There was a small butterfly farm to the rear of the restaurant and we made a brief visit there before rejoining the bus.

Within minutes of setting off down the road our driver pulled in. He had spotted a sloth. We all clambered out and strained our eyes to see what he was pointing at in the trees high above us. As we watched we realised there were 5 sloths! Two mothers with babies and one lone adult. We had all put sloths on our wish list. How amazing that this was the first thing we saw and fantastic to be so close!

After a great photo session we reluctantly setoff on our way to pick up the boats which would take us on the 2 hour river trip to Tortuguero. On arrival we wheeled our suitcases over pretty rough ground down to the river and our awaiting boats. There were lots of boats and seemingly 100s of tourists doing likewise so it was essential to be responsible for your own luggage. The odds of bags going astray was only too real.

The river was beautiful, lush jungle lined the banks. The water was calm and wonderful wildlife surprises seemed to appear around every bend. Iguanas, basilisk lizards, turtles, caiman, crocodiles and many birds. The water was very shallow yet the boats moved at quite a pace and the skipper showed tremendous boat handling prowess.

2 hours later we arrived at Tortuguero where we disembarked to see the town, glimpse the Caribbean and down a very well deserved beer. The town has a wonderful ambience. It is laid back and sleepy with no cars so very tranquil indeed.

From Tortuguero another 20 minutes down scarily barrow and shallow channels brought us to Turtle Beach Lodge – our home for the next two nights. The lodge is in a stunning location, pretty rustic but clean and comfortable.

We had a quick lunch, a very brief swim in the pool then set off for a walk through the forest. We were treated to good sightings of spider monkeys, poison arrow frogs (which are minute) and two beautiful red and blue tragons. There were many mosquitos but fortunately I avoided any bites. Long may it last!!