TORTUGUERO, CANALS AND JUNGLE

December 27, 2014

We left this morning from Alajuela region and headed east towards Limon, the Caribbean coast. I had always been told that this part of Costa Rica was not the safest and if traveling alone, to not head to the Caribbean side of the country. After what seemed like endless hours on the bus, we came to an area where we were met by an armed convoy to escort us the rest of our way. Like I said, not the safest area to travel if you are traveling alone. When we finally reached our destination we were all transferred to boats with an armed guard, that would take us on our next leg of the journey.

Ride to Tortuguero

We rode down narrow, and sometimes very shallow, canals; watching the jungle grow thicker and thicker the further we went. We caught glimpses of wildlife along the way, many birds, caimans and the occasional howler monkey. After about an hour on the boat we arrived at our hotel, the Evergreeen Lodge, Tortuguero. We were greeted with a drink and a surprise visit by some not-so-shy white-headed capuchin monkeys. After we were escorted to our rooms, we were told to meet back at the dock in an hour. The rooms were very basic, very little lighting, and screens without glass for windows. The rooms were surrounded by dense jungle which meant many critters. Kids loved it. They voted it the best hotel by far. The hotel had a wonderful turtle shaped pool and a zip line for the kids to do during some down time. They even had a small bar by the pool for snacks and cocktails.  It was relaxing and quiet.

Canal Tour

After dropping our stuff off in our rooms and checking out our surroundings we all met at the dock for a tour of the canals and wildlife. We hopped onto a boat and were given a tour of the dense jungle

Northern Jacana Bird

surrounded by waterways and small communities jutting out from the jungle. There was plenty of wildlife to find and the kids enjoyed spotting many birds and monkeys. We also came across turtles and many young caimans hiding out among the plants. After about an hour tour, we headed back to the hotel for a free afternoon. Kids went swimming while I read and my husband took a wonderful nap. In the evening after dinner, the kids decided to do a night walk. Our youngest, who was five at the time, had enough, so I went to the room with him. There was a guide that took everyone around

Aninga Birds

the vicinity of the hotel like I mentioned it was surrounded by dense jungle, and pointed out nocturnal wildlife. Kids came across spiders, frogs, caimans, a snake and many bugs. They loved finding the creatures and couldn't stop talking about it when they came back to the room. Our sleep was filled with the sounds of the jungles, the occasional screams of animals and the singing of bugs. It was wonderful to fall asleep to.

December 28, 2017

Tree Snake

After a typical Costa Rican breakfast of rice and beans (called gallo pinto), eggs and fresh fruit, we all hopped on a boat to head to the village of Tortuguero. Once there, we were taken to a sea turtle conservancy organization and learned about the turtles and the conservancy the local area provides to maintain

Great Heron

their survival in the wild. We also had a guide teach us about the coconuts: how to differentiate between ripe and not ripe, how to cut into one and the healing attributes of the coconut. While we learning, I was stung by what I initially thought was a bullet ant, but after calming down realized it was a fire ant. Thankfully as I have heard that the bullet ants sting is one of the most painful stings on the planet.

After the informative morning we were given an hour to walk around the town.  Probably a bit too much time, but the kids found puppies and were so excited, so that took up a good amount of time. The village is small with few shops and just a couple of places to eat. We did find an ice cream shop.

Bare-Throated Tiger Heron

We headed back to the hotel and were given the option of another tour of the canals after lunch or just relaxation at the pool. My husband and I opted for the tour of the canals. I wasn't done soaking in all of the wildlife and surrounding jungles. The kids were done and decided to hang out at the pool and zip line. My parents stayed back to watch them. It was nice to have some alone time, just the two of us enjoying what Costa Rica had to offer. It was our last chance to see all of the beautiful wildlife before heading back to the cold weather.

December 29, 2014

We had to get up in the early morning to catch a puddle hopper plane back to San Jose. A boat took us to two prop planes, no airport, just planes and off we went. After a 45 minute flight, we landed at a small airport, boarded a bus and headed off. Along the route we stopped at a Sibu Chocolate Makers. We were given a tour of the facility, the kids got to make their own chocolate and we were treated to a tasting. It was delightful and delicious. Wonderful quality and you could see how much work and care went into their product. From here, we headed off towards our hotel in the outskirts of San Jose.
We spent the rest of the day in the pool and had a farewell dinner that evening. Like I said, I am not a huge fan of group tours, but it was a wonderful trip, and we were able to do a lot of adventures. The kids saw a lot of wildlife and really took in their surroundings. They loved the hotels surrounded by jungles and it did give them a chance to unplug. Costa Rica is a really wonderful country, pristine jungles, wonderful wildlife and a society committed to it's environment. I could keep going back to Costa Rica and never lose interest. Having a chance to surround myself with the nature Costa Rica offers, never gets old. PURA VIDA!