- Planning
- Contact
- Day One Traveling to Costa Rica
- Day Two San Jose and Coffee
- Day Three Tortuguero
- Day Four Tortuguero Continued
- Day Five Transfer Day Again
- Day Six White Water Rafting
- Day Seven Off to ARenal
- Day Eight Hanging Bridges
- Day Nine Going to the Coast
- Day Ten An Afternoon at the Beach
- Day Eleven Another travel Day
- Day Twelve
- The Trip Home
Today was transfer day which began at 6:30 a.m. on the bus. We were headed to Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean side of the country. The trip involved a long bus ride and an hour boat ride.
While on the bus Javier was giving us facts about the areas we were driving through. We learned that Costa Rica has three active volcanoes; Poas, Turrilba , and Irazu which has the highest point in the mountains. We were passing over the highest point on the road and then going down the “Caribbean Slope. As we did, the fog began rolling in and looking very ominous. It stayed with us down most of the mountain but did clear up at the bottom. We passed a plant that Javier called “poor man’s umbrella.” The leaves were so big it could cover a whole person. I tried to get a picture but the bus was going too fast. As we passed by a stream, Javier noted that it was yellow. The name of the stream was Rio Sucio which means “dirty river.” The yellow tint of the water is caused by sulfuric sediment. Javier pointed out little establishments on the side of the road whose names began with the word “Soda. ” This means little restaurant and is usually found in small villages with up to only 10 tables. Oh, and once outside of the city, it was slow going since all bridges were only one lane wide. This really did mean slow going.
While on the bus Javier was giving us facts about the areas we were driving through. We learned that Costa Rica has three active volcanoes; Poas, Turrilba , and Irazu which has the highest point in the mountains. We were passing over the highest point on the road and then going down the “Caribbean Slope. As we did, the fog began rolling in and looking very ominous. It stayed with us down most of the mountain but did clear up at the bottom. We passed a plant that Javier called “poor man’s umbrella.” The leaves were so big it could cover a whole person. I tried to get a picture but the bus was going too fast. As we passed by a stream, Javier noted that it was yellow. The name of the stream was Rio Sucio which means “dirty river.” The yellow tint of the water is caused by sulfuric sediment. Javier pointed out little establishments on the side of the road whose names began with the word “Soda. ” This means little restaurant and is usually found in small villages with up to only 10 tables. Oh, and once outside of the city, it was slow going since all bridges were only one lane wide. This really did mean slow going.
The bus stopped at El Ceibo for breakfast. El Ceibo is the Spanish word for Kapok which is a huge tree one of which grows in front of the restaurant. This is how the restaurant got its name. Next door was a gift shop and in front was a young man making glass figures of frogs, iguanas and other small reptiles. I bought the iguana he was making. Walking around after breakfast we followed the path around this enormous tree. As Mom and I were taking pictures, Margaret came over to get us. A two-toed sloth was hanging in a tree just inside the gate.
With breakfast over, it was back on the bus. Javier began giving us the low down on what to expect at the lodge.
With breakfast over, it was back on the bus. Javier began giving us the low down on what to expect at the lodge.
- The only way to get to Tortuguero is by boat or plane. There is no access road.
- Tortuguero has no AC so don’t leave your doors open unless you want the bats to fly into your room.
- The lodge uses a septic tank system for the toilets so you will need to throw your used toilet paper in the trash can, not in the toilet. (This is just gross to most of us)
On the ride to the boat we passed several banana plantations two were marked with very well known labels: Dole and Chiquita. There were strange looking cows laying in fields. They had long ears, weird shaped horns and humps on their backs. Javier told us they were a breed from India. We finally pulled into to a compound that was the dock. Of course this looked nothing like a dock to American. There was a large area surrounded by steel bars where cars were parked. Next to that was a large one story open air building that housed the bathrooms, a snack bar and a souvenir shop. Across another open-air parking area and over a hill was the dock. The bathroom itself needs some mentioning here. First of all you have to pay $1.00 to use it. The whole place looks like it was hand carved with little faces that slide to lock the doors and handles that resemble branches. The whole area looked like some place from another world.
Javier told us to wait inside the large building while he saw to unloading the luggage from the bus. I was feeling a little hungry so Victoria and I went into the souvenir shop to see if they had something I could eat. We wandered around a bit and found nothing even tempting. When we came out of the shop we looked for the group and no one was there. It was like our entire group had vanished. We had no idea where the actual dock was at this point. We headed out one door to find it was another exit to a parking lot where buses were unloading. Turing around, we went out the other side. I headed to the hill where I thought the dock might be and there was Javier coming to get us. Everyone else was already on the boat. With us finally aboard, the boat took off for the lodge. The driver was amazing. He would stop every time he found something he thought we should see. So our first wildlife views were of nature on the way to Tortuguero were of a small crocodile and a heron.
As we arrived at the Pachira Lodge on the banks of the Toruguero’s main canal, we were greeted with chilled mango juice decorated with a pineapple wedge. This was a welcome thirst quencher. The heat really began to beat down on us and there was no relief in sight. We knew the rooms had no air conditioning, but neither did the restaurant nor the bar. We were all sweltering. Now that we were finally at the resort, it was off to lunch.
The next activity was a short boat ride to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The short informational video so moved the Richmond group that we decided to adopt a Sea Turtle. So for the grand price of $30.00 we are now the proud “parents” of a sea turtle named Summer Traveler after our group. Hopefully Summer Traveler will survive. It was tagged on September 14, 2016 so hopefully in two years it will return to the beaches of Tortuguero. When this happens, the Conservancy will post it in their newsletter and send us an email.
The next activity was a short boat ride to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The short informational video so moved the Richmond group that we decided to adopt a Sea Turtle. So for the grand price of $30.00 we are now the proud “parents” of a sea turtle named Summer Traveler after our group. Hopefully Summer Traveler will survive. It was tagged on September 14, 2016 so hopefully in two years it will return to the beaches of Tortuguero. When this happens, the Conservancy will post it in their newsletter and send us an email.
From the Conservancy, we walked to the beach where we will return to see the turtles when the sun goes down. The beach was covered in black sand and was about 5 mile long. No one is allowed to be on the beach after dark so the sea turtles will not be disturbed. Many people were sun bathing but no one was swimming. Apparently there are many unseen rocks in the water making it an unsafe activity. The group walked down the beach to the little village about ½ a mile away.
As we exited the beach, there was a cart vender selling young coconuts. He took a machete, hacked off a piece of the bottom to make it level, then a good chunk of the top exposing a small hole. He put a straw through the hole and was selling “coconut water” to tourists. Mom and I had to try it. The coconut water was cool and refreshing, quite good. The vendor then took the empty coconut from me, chopped off a thin piece of a side and split the coconut down the middle. The thin piece became the spoon to scrape out the young coconut meat. It didn’t taste as I had expected. It had more of a mushy gelatin texture and a weird taste. But then, I had never had fresh coconut like that before.
After meandering down the main street of the village, I returned to the group who had found rocking chairs in the shade to sit and wait for our boat ride back to the lodge for a little rest and dinner. Then it was turtle time.
As we exited the beach, there was a cart vender selling young coconuts. He took a machete, hacked off a piece of the bottom to make it level, then a good chunk of the top exposing a small hole. He put a straw through the hole and was selling “coconut water” to tourists. Mom and I had to try it. The coconut water was cool and refreshing, quite good. The vendor then took the empty coconut from me, chopped off a thin piece of a side and split the coconut down the middle. The thin piece became the spoon to scrape out the young coconut meat. It didn’t taste as I had expected. It had more of a mushy gelatin texture and a weird taste. But then, I had never had fresh coconut like that before.
After meandering down the main street of the village, I returned to the group who had found rocking chairs in the shade to sit and wait for our boat ride back to the lodge for a little rest and dinner. Then it was turtle time.
As we left the rooms the sky was a little cloudy and it was dark. Waiting on the boat for the rest of the group, I felt rain drops but since the boat had a roof, we didn’t get wet. The boat took off and went to the next dock to pick up more passengers going to see the turtles nesting. Then the skies opened up and it poured so hard, the drive had to put the sides down to keep the rain out. The boat took off anyway. By the time it made it across the river, the rain had almost stopped. The Road Scholar group got off the boat and made our way to a pavilion where we were divided into two groups to make it easier for turtle watching. We then moved down to the next pavilion. By the time we reached that the rain had stopped and the stars were out. This all happened in about ½ an hour.
Here is the procedure for turtle watching. Everyone is assigned a group and a guide. The guide explains the procedure which includes walking in the dark using a flashlight. When you get near the beach you must turn off your flashlight. He will guide the group to the nest using a red light that does not disturb the turtles. Then, the group waits for the turtle spotters to radio the guides as to where the turtle are on the beach. The beach is marked with entrance numbers so the guide will know where to go. Once on the beach you make a horseshoe around the back of the turtle to watch the process. Several group are assigned to the same turtle, so the groups are constantly taking turns watching the turtles.
After waiting about 40 minutes, out group finally got the go ahead. We walked about ¾ of a mile before entering the beach. Once on the beach, we found the turtle had already created its bed and dug the hole for the eggs. We watched as it laid about 15 eggs, usually two to three at a time. Turtles can lay up to 120 eggs at one time. They can do this up to 7 times a season. Once the eggs are laid, the turtle then covers the eggs. We were able to watch the turtle start this process. It was fascinating. I was picturing it in my mind all evening long. I would love to see it again.
With the evening over, it was back on the boat to the lodge and early to bed. We had a 5:30 boat safari in the morning.
I must say, I didn’t think I would ever stop sweating. The weather was very humid and warm. At one point it was so hot that a mosquito landed on my forehead and drowned. The temperature dropped very quickly around 10:30 and it was actually pleasant. The rain started again sometime in the night actually reducing the humidity.
Here is the procedure for turtle watching. Everyone is assigned a group and a guide. The guide explains the procedure which includes walking in the dark using a flashlight. When you get near the beach you must turn off your flashlight. He will guide the group to the nest using a red light that does not disturb the turtles. Then, the group waits for the turtle spotters to radio the guides as to where the turtle are on the beach. The beach is marked with entrance numbers so the guide will know where to go. Once on the beach you make a horseshoe around the back of the turtle to watch the process. Several group are assigned to the same turtle, so the groups are constantly taking turns watching the turtles.
After waiting about 40 minutes, out group finally got the go ahead. We walked about ¾ of a mile before entering the beach. Once on the beach, we found the turtle had already created its bed and dug the hole for the eggs. We watched as it laid about 15 eggs, usually two to three at a time. Turtles can lay up to 120 eggs at one time. They can do this up to 7 times a season. Once the eggs are laid, the turtle then covers the eggs. We were able to watch the turtle start this process. It was fascinating. I was picturing it in my mind all evening long. I would love to see it again.
With the evening over, it was back on the boat to the lodge and early to bed. We had a 5:30 boat safari in the morning.
I must say, I didn’t think I would ever stop sweating. The weather was very humid and warm. At one point it was so hot that a mosquito landed on my forehead and drowned. The temperature dropped very quickly around 10:30 and it was actually pleasant. The rain started again sometime in the night actually reducing the humidity.
