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