Friday, Feb 10
We are in Tortuguero in northeast Costa Rica. It is a four hour boat ride to get here but I think it may actually be bigger than Cahuita.
I had planned an early morning visit to the Cahuita National Park before we left but it rained so hard in the night and then kept raining in the morning, that didn't happen, unfortunately. It was hard enough just to get ourselves to the bank machine, this time for a limit of $100 US. I am really hoping that when we pass through San Jose next week, the limits are higher. But I digress.
While we were in Cahuita, we did some research on how best to get to Torteguero. We could take the bus to Limon, then a cab to Moin, then book a boat and hope there was seats available. Or we could do what we did which was book a 'transport' for $60US. They picked us up at our B&B at 8:30 and took care of everything. We met a couple from the states who took the other option of bus, taxi, boat. They left at 7am, in the pouring rain, and it cost them $57US. Since we left late enough to get our free savoury breakfast, we actually came out ahead, and drier too.
The boat ride in was fun. We came about 2 hours up the river when we stopped at a restaurant with bathroom (and so many dogs and one cat with the biggest head). We bano'd and came back to the dock to find another boat and the two boat guys moving all luggage from the little boat to the big boat and vice versa. Then we all got back into the new other boat and headed up river for another two hours. Not a lot of new birds, but lots of egrets and herons. One sloth too.
We arrived at Torteguero and found a hotel guy waiting for us with our names on a white board. Finally, we are important. We are staying at Aracari Garden Hostel. The staff are very friendly. They are uber helpful. We have already booked four tours with them.
We were working with one guy, Alejandro, to figure out tours and times and transport and generally making ourselves bothersome (although he was so nice) when all of a sudden, he yells out 'OH NO' and runs to the side of the building. It seems there is a hummingbird nest next to the office and the branch it was on was broken. It was dangling there with the little babies precariously hanging in but there would be no way for the mother to safely land to feed them. The branch was broken clean off, only held in place by leaves. Immediate action was called for. Ladders and tall guests were summoned. And lots of tape. They taped a brace in place to hold the nest branch horizontal. Then we waited for the mother to come back. She did but clearly did not like the new arrangement. She flew around and around while we all held our breath. Eventually, she landed and fed the babies (two) and then sat down for a rest. Yea! we all said.
Our room is big. This time Val got the big bed. The rooms are around a courtyard with a common area with hammocks and beds in the kitchen. I suspect this isn't a fast paced place.
We took a wander around town, had some dinner and popped into a few gift shops. There is one that has beautiful stuff. Expensive of course, have I mentioned Costa Rica is expensive. I'm sure I will end up with something from there. I have to count my money though. I have already invested $115 US on four tours, canoe, day walk, night walk and private bird guy.
It is only 7:30 but I am wiped. A long day on the water.
Saturday, Feb 11 (my 50th birthday)
Slow start today. We got to sleep in until almost 8am. We had a jungle walk booked for 11am. So, we got up and went for breakfast. Back to our room for a bit of laundry. Alejandro came by and suggested that we might want to wait until 2 for our jungle walk since it was so hot at 11. So, we went for a walk in 'town' and had lunch and a birthday beer. When we got back, Marina and Alejandro, the owners had gotten me a birthday cake with a votive candle in it. They are so nice.
By 2, it was even hotter but we took our jungle walk with Ray, our guide. We didn't see anything in the jungle. A couple of monkeys but no new birds at all. Just as we were about to get back to the hotel, we finally say some Aracari Toucans in a tree and some Green Macaws flying overhead.
Ray had kept mentioning how we should be at his house in the jungle, it is so much better. Finally I said, if you keep mentioning how your place is better, you should take us there. So, when we got back to the hotel, Ray felt so bad about our lack of birds that he invited us to his house the next morning (at 5:30am!!!!).
But before that, we had our night walk. It was a walk, at night. We saw a racoon, a porcupine, an opossum, a vine snake, one of those super cool green frogs, and a bunch of bugs/spiders that I didn't care about. Val let a spider walk on her arm but no photo because I was getting eaten by fire ants at the time. The green frog jumped on a girl's face so that was fun (for the rest of us). A cane toad jumped on my foot and we all screamed because it was the size of a kitten but looks like a monster. The pictures that I did manage to get are going to be CRAP!
We got back at nine and went right to bed because we had an early start in the morning.
It is the next day but I am going to post this because A) it is already too long and B) I don't have time to write/upload any more. But stay tuned, tomorrow we go to the farm or get kidnapped by Ray.
We are in Tortuguero in northeast Costa Rica. It is a four hour boat ride to get here but I think it may actually be bigger than Cahuita.
I had planned an early morning visit to the Cahuita National Park before we left but it rained so hard in the night and then kept raining in the morning, that didn't happen, unfortunately. It was hard enough just to get ourselves to the bank machine, this time for a limit of $100 US. I am really hoping that when we pass through San Jose next week, the limits are higher. But I digress.
While we were in Cahuita, we did some research on how best to get to Torteguero. We could take the bus to Limon, then a cab to Moin, then book a boat and hope there was seats available. Or we could do what we did which was book a 'transport' for $60US. They picked us up at our B&B at 8:30 and took care of everything. We met a couple from the states who took the other option of bus, taxi, boat. They left at 7am, in the pouring rain, and it cost them $57US. Since we left late enough to get our free savoury breakfast, we actually came out ahead, and drier too.
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| Sweet |
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| Savoury |
The boat ride in was fun. We came about 2 hours up the river when we stopped at a restaurant with bathroom (and so many dogs and one cat with the biggest head). We bano'd and came back to the dock to find another boat and the two boat guys moving all luggage from the little boat to the big boat and vice versa. Then we all got back into the new other boat and headed up river for another two hours. Not a lot of new birds, but lots of egrets and herons. One sloth too.
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| the dock |
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| This is like our first boat |
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| This is where two rivers meet the sea. |
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| Our first sloth |
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| This picture does not do his huge head justice |
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We arrived at Torteguero and found a hotel guy waiting for us with our names on a white board. Finally, we are important. We are staying at Aracari Garden Hostel. The staff are very friendly. They are uber helpful. We have already booked four tours with them.
We were working with one guy, Alejandro, to figure out tours and times and transport and generally making ourselves bothersome (although he was so nice) when all of a sudden, he yells out 'OH NO' and runs to the side of the building. It seems there is a hummingbird nest next to the office and the branch it was on was broken. It was dangling there with the little babies precariously hanging in but there would be no way for the mother to safely land to feed them. The branch was broken clean off, only held in place by leaves. Immediate action was called for. Ladders and tall guests were summoned. And lots of tape. They taped a brace in place to hold the nest branch horizontal. Then we waited for the mother to come back. She did but clearly did not like the new arrangement. She flew around and around while we all held our breath. Eventually, she landed and fed the babies (two) and then sat down for a rest. Yea! we all said.
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| Hang on baby hummingbirds! |
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| The fix is on |
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| It's not pretty but it held. That is masking tape |
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| Checking, checking |
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| Yea, she landed and fed the babies |
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| And had a sit down to get over the trauma of a major home reno |
Our room is big. This time Val got the big bed. The rooms are around a courtyard with a common area with hammocks and beds in the kitchen. I suspect this isn't a fast paced place.
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| My bed. And a bathroom, with door! |
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| Val's bed with love swans, no less. Not that this would be a good place for romance. There is no glass in the windows and we can hear everyone |
We took a wander around town, had some dinner and popped into a few gift shops. There is one that has beautiful stuff. Expensive of course, have I mentioned Costa Rica is expensive. I'm sure I will end up with something from there. I have to count my money though. I have already invested $115 US on four tours, canoe, day walk, night walk and private bird guy.
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| Main 'street' follows the river |
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| From that cool gift shop (Kolibri shop) |
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| View from the river |
It is only 7:30 but I am wiped. A long day on the water.
Saturday, Feb 11 (my 50th birthday)
Slow start today. We got to sleep in until almost 8am. We had a jungle walk booked for 11am. So, we got up and went for breakfast. Back to our room for a bit of laundry. Alejandro came by and suggested that we might want to wait until 2 for our jungle walk since it was so hot at 11. So, we went for a walk in 'town' and had lunch and a birthday beer. When we got back, Marina and Alejandro, the owners had gotten me a birthday cake with a votive candle in it. They are so nice.
By 2, it was even hotter but we took our jungle walk with Ray, our guide. We didn't see anything in the jungle. A couple of monkeys but no new birds at all. Just as we were about to get back to the hotel, we finally say some Aracari Toucans in a tree and some Green Macaws flying overhead.
 |
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 |
 |
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| Aracari Toucan front |
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| Aracari Toucan back |
Ray had kept mentioning how we should be at his house in the jungle, it is so much better. Finally I said, if you keep mentioning how your place is better, you should take us there. So, when we got back to the hotel, Ray felt so bad about our lack of birds that he invited us to his house the next morning (at 5:30am!!!!).
But before that, we had our night walk. It was a walk, at night. We saw a racoon, a porcupine, an opossum, a vine snake, one of those super cool green frogs, and a bunch of bugs/spiders that I didn't care about. Val let a spider walk on her arm but no photo because I was getting eaten by fire ants at the time. The green frog jumped on a girl's face so that was fun (for the rest of us). A cane toad jumped on my foot and we all screamed because it was the size of a kitten but looks like a monster. The pictures that I did manage to get are going to be CRAP!
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The blurry opossum
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| Cool green frog |
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| The blurry porcupine |
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We got back at nine and went right to bed because we had an early start in the morning.
It is the next day but I am going to post this because A) it is already too long and B) I don't have time to write/upload any more. But stay tuned, tomorrow we go to the farm or get kidnapped by Ray.
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