From Tortuguero to Arenal

This was the first morning that we had a chance to sleep in. We purchased a 'private' transfer to take us from Tortuguero to Arenal.











It was a wonderful sunny morning that almost made you regret that you are moving on, but we stayed already a day more then we planned and we still wanted to see so much more.

the one missing came home with us

We had a good breakfast, picked up a few souvenirs, took the last few photos of the village and said our good byes.

our guide and his youngest daughter

 We boarded a bout with about 20 other passengers and started our adventure up the canal to a transfer point where a private car was supposed to meet us.








After 2 days of heavy rain the canal was overflowing and in some places we saw property fences half submerged in water, and the canal also looked a lot more ruff then what we saw on the way to Tortuguero. (we were now travelling in a different direction)







We saw a bit of wildlife and just when we relaxed a bit the weather turned again and the downpour started. Once the rain started we were not able to see much and we were to preoccupied trying to stay dry, which was impossible, and listening to the sound of the engine chocking and being restarted. After what seemed like a very long time we finally made it...but the weather did not stop to inconvenience us, because of the raised canal we had to get out of the boat at a different dock then the one they usually used.



The dock we used was part of someone's fenced property that had tall grass and a few horses...it took only a few steps for the group to realized that the short distance that we had to cross to get to the road will have to be done with much care as the terrain was uneven with holes hidden by grass and water puddles... and since the horses were free to walk about that meant there was always the chance of stepping in something unpleasant.



We formed a chain and slowly made our way to the road.

Once out of the field we looked around to see that we were at a road crossing and the only shelter was the covered terrace of a bar which became very crowded, but by then the rain was stopping and we were soaked to the bones anyway.




A bus stopped and took most of the passengers...it was just us and a British student left. With her help we managed to understand from the staff that because of the rain the car that was coming for us was delayed, so we sat back and waited....and waited....and waited some more....after more then an hour we were told that the driver picked up the wrong passengers and they were getting a different car...about another hour later a taxi stopped and we were on our way....with the student.

While we were under the impression that we purchased a private transfer, I was happy to have her with us. They say there is strength in numbers and her Spanish was much better then ours and she knew the area. At some point we stopped and switched cars since our initial driver decided to return and pick us up after all.

By the time we made it to Arenal it was dark and after our adventure I was reluctant to get out of the car and look for a cab to take us to our hotel, so we decided to pay the driver a bit extra to take us to the hotel...it was the least he could do since we had to wait so much for him.....well now looking back I wished I would have looked for a different driver.

The easy part was dropping off our new friend to the village where she lived and was teaching English for the summer. Once we were sure that she was safe we explain the driver which hotel we want to go ....."Arenal Vista Lodge" on the south side of the Arenal Lake...I even showed him on the map.

First the driver took us to Arenal Lodge...I told him it was the wrong hotel and repeated the name "Arenal Vista Lodge"...then he took us to Visa Lodge...I showed him the map again...and pointed out that we were on the wrong side of the lake...he continued on the same road again until he said there are no more hotels that way....I asked him to go back and showed him the map again....I was getting mad and frustrated...2 hours passed and he was still insisting to go in the wrong direction, but out lucked turned when we passed the bridge that offers a great view of the Arenal Volcano and we noticed some teenagers.

I think I screamed quite loud as my "Stop" did make the driver slam the breaks and stop the car even if he did not speak one word of English.

Some of the teenagers spoke English and I explained them where I want to go....they did not know the Hotel name but when I showed them the map and the hotel next door the knew exactly where to send us....They gave the driver directions and then they gave us "Dora the Explorer" type directions...'you go until this bridge is over then turn right very hard...go on the rocky road until you cross a bumpy bridge...then you reach a cross road go right and follow the signs from there"...It must sound funny, but it worked...it was very dark so knowing the type of terrain we travelled on was a great help in making sure the driver was taking us, finally, to our destination....once he reached the signs he stopped and waited for us to tell him which way to go.....but this meant we were sure we were on the right road...after 10 minutes we made it...just to see the chain on the main gate.


My heart sank, and as I got out of the car and looked at my husband I was ready to scream....but my husband started to smile and pointed to the gate...a security guard was opening it...I was ready to jump of joy....we paid the driver and followed the security guard.

We were tired....to tired to even care that we were hungry and all we had since breakfast was a beer and a beg of chips.

The security guard gave us a key to a room and said we can check in in the morning when the staff arrive.

The room he picked for us was huge and had a nice view of the volcano...my husband saw a bit of the lava spill but I looked to late to catch it.

After such a roller-coaster of a day all I wanted to do was sleep...

Happy Travels

Second day in Tortuguero

Another early morning...but if you wanna see the wildlife it is a sacrifice you need to make.

the canal and some of the larger tour boats

It rained on and off all night and at 6 in the morning it looked like it will rain again...we were not even on the boat before the rain started again...first as a drizzle that halfway through the tour developed into a full tropical downpour.

There were other guides that provide tours for a larger group and use boats that provide shelter from the rain, but having a private tour has many advantages, even if we were getting wet.

Rafa turned out to be an amazing guide, despite the weather he was full of energy, patients and a fountain of information. He told us about the different palm trees, the different fruit bearing trees and the rest of the vegetation. He knew every bird we encountered and everything about it.

It was not long before we noticed the biggest difference between our tour and the bigger boats filled with 10+ people. Rafa, kept his boat closer to the shore or closer to the vegetation that was growing on the water, and because it was just us we knew better then to make to much noise especially after he pointed out a bird, so we got pretty close to a lot of them and with no one in the way got some nice shots.

Can you see me?

He knew from a previous conversation we had that I really wanted to see a Cayman and he was on a mission to find and show me one....The first one he spotter was very well camouflaged and I had a hard time noticing it...I really thought he will lose his patients any moment and I decided to say that I see it...well that only got him laughing....he knew I was lying, because apparently I was not even looking in the right direction, so he patiently guided me until I finally saw it...he was beautiful, like a baby crocodile.
The second one Rafa spotted was more in the open and he pulled the boat really close to it. We were so close that if I would have put my arm out I could have touched it. DO NOT TRY IT...the Cayman was on the hunt and he could easily bite my hand off faster then I could have pulled it back into the boat, but there is something so magical in being this close to a wild animal.

The only downside to the rain was that I had to put my camera away and the small waterproof one had a hard time focusing because of the dense rain...so I gave up.



Rafa did warn us that it will rain when we left the village, but we decided that a little water wont do us harm and his wooden boat gave us some reassurance, (my decision may have been different if he would have used a metal one). Even when the rain really started to come down hard I did not regret my decision, the sky got dark and the canal got an eerie feel to it, but it was still full of movement and life (if you knew where to look)

I promised myself that when I return to Tortuguero I will bring the appropriate protection for my camera...and better rain gear for us.

just an hour earlier this alee was under a foot of water

When we returned to the village we noticed that the alley leading from the main road to our room was flooded in a foot of water...I looked at my husband and we both had this "here we go" look as we stepped into the water.We knew that the ally was a sandy road and it was very clean both the night before and in the morning so we did not have to worry about where we step even if the water was not clear. By the time we reached our room we were so giddy, we could not stop laughing and talking about how we have not played in puddles since we were maybe 10 years old.

After changing into dry cloths we decided to have breakfast...so we headed back to the main road to a restaurant called Sunrise Fast Food Place...the menu was all in Spanish and the waitress did not speck English other then a few basic words, but when you have a positive attitude you will find a way to communicate. With some basic English and Spanish words...and some body language...we "decoded" the menu and ordered. While some of the items on the menu were not that hard to order the payment part was a bit harder since large numbers are harder for me to understand, the receipt was in colones and we wanted to pay in american dollars so I asked the waitress for her calculator I asked for US dollars and showed her the calculator..she wrote something down, I looked deleted and wrote down how much I want to pay (added the tip to her amount).Food was good and fresh and for the next day and a half we returned for every meal and the waitress always came with her calculator when we paid.



Keep in mind that in most places in Costa Rica a 10% tip is added automatically to your bill, however just like at home if I really enjoyed my meal and the service I tip more then 10%, and this waitress really made our meals special and her translations where very appreciated.







We had the rest of the day to explore and we were hoping to climb the hill...unfortunately the weather had other plans and it rained a few times that day...after all it was the rainy season and we were in a rain forest....we settled on walking the beach and relaxing.

we had a new friend following us 

until he got bored and decided to nap a bit

The beach with it's signature black volcanic sand must be beautiful during the sunny days, unfortunately because of all the rain and storms the sea was very rough. There were some huge pieces of driftwood that the waives were moving back and forth with no effort at all performing a captivating dance.

After revisiting the various souvenir stores and buying same snacks from the general store we returned to our room and decided to relax on the hammocks....and time just flew by.




Later we had an early dinner and retired to our room wishing we could spend more time in this secluded place and promising to return one day and share it with our children.






Happy travels

Arriving in Tortuguero and night tour

This secluded village located on an island surrounded on one side by a series of canals and on the other by the Caribbean Sea can only be accessed by boat or small propeller planes. This seclusion kept urban development away and still offers a pristine environment to anyone that is adventurous enough to visit.

There is a project in place to bring this wonderful place to the attention of more tourists, however the information was still limited and the accommodation photos where amateur at best and did not provide enough visual to do them justice.

Just like professionally photographed hotel rooms in the glossy magazines can provide a false positive, amateur shots with bad angles and poor lighting can provide a false negative impression, and with a place not as popular at Puntarenas it was difficult to find enough reviews to help my decision making.

 I knew from the research I did that Tortuguero was small and very basic in what it offered. There are lodges that offer more amenities, but are not located in the village, and accommodation in the village are not only more affordable, but also in the heart of the place....there are hostels as well, but we are not that adventures, and we like our privacy.

Using the village website I decided that it may just be easier to contact one of the local guides and request his assistance and services. The main reason for our visit was after all to see the turtles which you could only do if you hired a guide.

I decided to contact Rafael, mainly because he advertised that he can assist with transfers from San Jose (he arranged our transfer with Jungle Tom Safari).

What I requested as accommodation was very simple: a clean room with private bathroom and friendly staff. a local authentic feel to the room was a bonus. I knew it will not be comparable with what we enjoyed in San Jose...but maybe that is exactly why I picked Hotel Presidente in San Jose.

Arriving in Tortuguero my heart was in my throat looking for a reaction from my husband. I knew what to expect, but I was not sure how well did I manage to explain him that this place was "basic". I knew the village was small and that there are no cars at all, people here used the oldest form of transportation....their feet...and sometimes a bicycle...but was that enough to paint an image of this village?

We were met at the docks by the owner of the Taylor's Place, accommodation that Rafael suggested. The older lady did not speak English so our basic Spanish came in handy. I was very greatful that she decided to use simple basic words and did not rush the conversation which allowed us to understand most of what she said and fallow her. She told us to avoid all the other tourists she will use the back-road, my heart stopped when I saw the sand ally snaking between houses and gardens/yards with chickens, dogs, and cats walking freely...what will my husband say?...am I dead?...I said this village was secluded and "basic" but what did he envision as basic since we lived in Canada?...2 minutes later we were in our room....alone...

I still believe my husband could read the panic I was feeling as he turned around and said..." You were right...this place is "basic"....but nice"...and he was right it was more then nice...it was wonderful. Here, people and nature seemed to live in harmony with each other and there was a lot invested in conservation and Eco-friendliness.

Our room was a small clean room with a double bed and a twin one and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower....and we had A/C...There was no TV or radio in the room, but it would be a crime in this place to waste your vacation looking at one. One of the things that we quickly discovered inspecting our new room was that the shower and toilet were running on rain water....just another little reminder that we were in a country that really embraces eco-friendliness.

 Taylor's Place has a nicely groomed garden with tropical plants and coconut trees, it also has a nice gazebo with 4 hammocks, a great place to relax, read a book or just look at the birds in the tree.

We had a turtle tour planned, but that was not until 8 p.m. so we decided to go exploring.

The main road is the only road that is paved (cement) and most of the restaurants, souvenir shops, and the general store are found along it. The marina is also along this road found on the canal side.

Now, that I was no longer afraid of what my husband may say about my decision, I started taking in details that I did not notice on our 2 minute walk to our room. The property around each house was well groomed and said a lot about the hard working people owning them. The dogs walking around were very used to strangers walking around and as long as you did not step on their tail they were no bother to you (they do keep the wild animals away...or so I was told). I also noticed a few smaller roosters, very colourful ...I was so happy to see them walk around some of the yards as one of my uncles used to have some when I was growing up.

Just like anywhere else in the Central America it gets dark pretty early...a thing that we where not yet used to...by 8 pm it was completely dark and felt more like midnight...we were ready for the Turtle tour

Tortuguero is famous for the turtles laying eggs on it's beach...as a matter of fact the towns name translates to Turtle hunters....while hunting turtles for their eggs and meat is now part of the history of the place the turtles are still a very important part of this town.

There are a few conservation efforts in different stages of development that we learned about.

While the demand to see the turtles laying eggs and the baby turtles making their first trip to the sea is increasing yearly, conservationists observed that due to large numbers of people the turtles were getting scared and returning to the sea without laying their eggs. The Turtle Scout program is dedicating all their efforts and funds to minimize the negative human impact. A trail was cut through the jungle parallel to the beach with numerous connections to it every 100 meters. During the time the turtles lay eggs the beach is closed and closely monitored from dusk to dawn....the only way to gain access is by purchasing one of the 2 nightly tours with a registered guide.

One of the things that was going through my mind following our guide through the night was "competition"....I figured with a small village and numerous guides competition must be huge...I could not have been further from the truth. While there are a great number of guides, there is an even greater number of tourists that request their services. I was very pleased to see how the guides were working together not against each other. We were initially in a group of majority Spanish speakers and once we arrived at a resting spot on the trail where other groups where waiting our guide approached us and told us that he spoke with a different guide and they exchanged some tourists...this allowed him to have an all Spanish group and we were to join an English group.

We remained at the resting spot, a nice big covered area with many benches, for some time as designated Guides were combing the beach for turtle sightings. Waiting in the dark I noticed small lights flickering from the jungle...it took me a bit to realize that we were surrounded by fireflies....Fireflies had been a part of my childhood memories and I have not seen one since leaving Europe...

After some time we were taken to the beach where a giant green turtle was returning to the sea. We were allowed to walk behind it and observe it...apparently she came to the beach to lay her eggs but the spot she chose was not suitable as after digging a bit she reached some roots...so she returned to the sea. We learned that this is common practice and the turtle will return to a different spot on the beach.

Once the turtle was in the water we returned to the resting spot in the jungle, we were halfway through our tour. Because we were watching wild animals we knew very well that there were no guaranties to actually see a turtle laying eggs...but we saw a Green Turtle and we were happy. My thoughts were interrupted by the movements of the guides who gettered in a spot a few meters up the trail from the resting spots and were pointing their flash-lights into the deep jungle.

I later learned that there are jaguars in the area, but they are attracted by the turtles....the great number of humans is not appealing to them, but you should not venture out there by yourself. The jaguars feed on the turtles, they wait until the turtle is laying the eggs and then they attack.

When a turtle starts laying eggs it completely "relaxes" and it will not move until all her eggs are laid. This is when the tourists are aloud to enter the beach...it is also the time that if there are no humans around a jaguar may strike...so maybe we were doing something good as long as we were listening to the very strict rules set and enforced by the National Park.

It was almost 10 p.m. when the guide rounded us all up...I thought it was time to go, when he told us that we were going back to the beach to see a turtle laying eggs. I could not have been more happy as this experience was exactly why I came to Tortuguero.

Following the guides red flashlight and trying not to fall behind we were headed back to the beach to a spot not far from where the first turtle tried to dig her nest. We gettered around the Green Turtle and watched her lay her golf ball size eggs wondering how may will make it to the sea...knowing that in this place the human interference was playing a positive role in ensuring that a great number of babies make it.

When the eggs are laid and covered the nest will be marked and when it is time for the babies to hatch there will be other tourists welcoming them into the world. Those tourists will keep the birds and other predators away just like we were keeping the Jaguars away from this turtle increasing the chances for this species survival.

After some "valuable time" spent with the mama turtle we made our way back to the village. We were not even 2 minutes from our room when the rain that threatened us for the past 10 minutes started poring, by the time we got to our room we were drenched. I could not help but wonder if contacting a guide prior to our arrival and asking for assistance may have been what brought us back to the room just as the rain started?...If asked I would have picked the later tour because to me 8pm in the summer is to early for a night tour... Lucky?

We went to sleep early and woke up in the middle of the night because of the noises the rain was making...it was so loud that I thought there must be a great storm outside, but when I opened the door I realized it was not that bad. Most of the noise was caused by the trees and the wind, which was not even that powerful...back to sleep.

On the way to Tortuguero with Jungle Tom

While I prepared a very detailed itinerary for our vacation I decided that it may be better not to book all the accommodations in advance. This allowed me to alter the itinerary and if I were to dislike the accommodations I planned to use I could just move to the next hotel...no money lost...no issues.

Other then the airfare and the first night of accommodation which where purchased in advance I also contacted a guide from Tortuguero to assist me with a transfer to the village and guidance to find accommodations there.

Rafael, our Tortuguero guide, arranged our transfer from San Jose to Tortuguero with Jungle Tom Safari, a family owned tour company which offers day trips and transfers to various places.

 Tom met us in the hotel lobby and after he asked us if we speak Spanish (which we honestly answered...a bit) he asked us to wait for him in-front of the hotel for 2 minutes so he can run across to pick more passengers up. While waiting for him to return I started wondering how this transfer, which was part of a tour, would play out since Tom only spoke to us in Spanish.... The pleasant surprise came when we were all on the minibus and Tom announced us that since most passengers were English speakers the tour will be in English...and his English was perfect, no accent at all.

We were up for a long transfer first by minibus then by boat, but with Tom as our guide it turned to be the most wonderful tour we had so far, we learned so much from him about the history, geography, fauna, and flora of Costa Rica and the conversations did not stop there...from jokes to geology and philosophy I believe we touched all the subjects and Tom never ran out of a subject to talk about. The years of experience and love for his country and his job were really obvious...I would confidently recommend him to any friend.

The first wonderful stop was to view a point were two rivers join, one was coming from a volcanic mountain and was very rich in sulphur, from the top of the bridge it looked muddy and yellow, the other was coming from the jungle and had a wonderful blue/green colour.

Some time later we stopped at Rancho Roberto, a ranch style restaurant known for the traditional dishes. Located on the Atlantic road at a cross to Sarapiqui and Limon it is a must try for anyone driving by. Our breakfast included fresh fruit, eggs, the traditional Gallo Pinto (rice and beans), and a coffee to die for.

After breakfast we visited a banana plantation where we learned a few interesting facts like the use of blue bags covering the bananas to ensure all the bananas ripped at the same time avoiding a waist of crop, also that green bananas are toxic and can not be consumed off the tree....so if you ever wonder why you got tummy aches after eating an unripe banana, now you know... but what impressed me the most is that nothing was going to waist. Even the banana shoots where being sent to be transformed into paper, toilet paper and other things.

Going Green was a theme we encountered very often almost everywhere we turned in Costa Rica.












Leaving the plantation the minibus slammed the breaks and before anyone can start asking why we stopped so abruptly in the middle of an empty road, we were invited out to view a young Three Claw Sloth. We learned that this extremely slow animal has virtually no natural predators and that was attributed to the toxic algae growing on its fur, and if need be this animal would make good use of it's long strong claws normally used for climbing and hanging on trees.




A very short distance away from the sloth we also had a chance to view howling monkeys playing in the trees at the edge of the road.

Our last part or the transfer/tour was by boat...probably the uncomfortable part for my husband who does not swim and is uncomfortable when not on solid ground, but faced with a choice between a boat or a small airplane the boat won.

Once everyone was on-board the brim of the boat was very close to the water which did not help in adding any confidence, however once we got going and after a few relatively fast turns and no water entering the boat we relaxed a bit...at least I did.

The view of the jungle overgrowing on the sides of the canal was breathtaking. Tropical flowers, birds and animals welcomed us at every turn of the canal. We could not wait to arrive in Tortuguero and explore more of this wonderful place.









Until next time happy travels.