Hostel El Icaco Tortuguero

... crab on the shop shelf, and the shopkeeper who had been playing guitar got up and started talking to the crab (it was huge!)... it was funny... we wandered along the beach for a bit, and then went and relaxed on our balcony, playing cards and drinking a few beers.... - we had a pate sandwich for dinner (a bit dry) and then packed up and went to bed ready for the next whole day travelling...! I had a funny back,. think I pulled a muscle rowing,...?! not sure though, it ...

... saw this worker having to drag – on a chain – 20 or so clusters of bananas for sometimes 3 km or more. And needless to say, that they do not earn much.

We made it to the canals and from there it was a 1½ boat ride – including a small refreshment break – before we reached Tortuguero. The scenery was nice as we sailed into the rainforest and jungle. It is not called the rainforest for nothing, as it started drizzling a little bit during ...

... easily found our hotel which was less than a minute walk from the main dock in town. The room was large and clean and the beds comfortable. It was the least private of any of the rooms we had during this trip, but it was also just in front of the river. As we ended up spending a lot of our time in the room because it down poured the entire day, I realized I did not enjoy the roar of motor boats that seemed to pass by every 10 minutes (or ...

... in the water and we were able to get close enough where I could have reached out and patted its head.  We started to head back around 7:30 for breakfast.  

We had panqueques, eggs, bread (they had really good rolls) and fresh fruit-watermelon, papaya, and pineapple.  After breakfast we packed up our backpacks and headed to the dock to make our way back to San Jose.  

On the hour and a half boat ride, our driver suddenly kills the engine and our guide ...

... one at 8:00-10:00 and another at 10:00 – 12:00.  We ended up on the later viewing time and had a local guide by the name of Carla who was a local from 4 generations back. It was apparent she knew what she was talking about, as not only was she a guide but a biologist trained in conserving the green sea turtles.  So we learned a lot about the turtles but also a little bit about the history of the area.

The tour was organized very well as Carla, our guide, was ...

... or this won’t be fun” he called. My face must have dropped – what had we forgotten? Luckily one of our group came to the rescue with some DEET cream and we smeared it over legs and arms ready to face the fierce onslaught of mosquitoes that awaited.

Walk was probably a misnomer as it was more of a paddle as the path became flooded in areas and we were sloshing through 3 or 4 inches of water at times. Spiders (my pet hate) obviously loved the ...

... of the entries. You can also leave a note in the guest book if you like. The next few days should be amazing. Rain forest, cloud forest (humid but less rain), crocodiles, caymans, sea turtles, boat rides, arial trams in the canopy of the rain forest, more volcanos, butterfly gardens and increasing heat. I will be lathering up the SPF 45 first thing tomorrow. From what I understand the Atlantic coast is hotter than San Jose, and the Pacific coast is ...

... that were absolute ***** - and enough awesome people from every country to offset them too.

Panama City next. I'm now officially bored of Central America - time to get out. I have left things/places/countries unvisited and certainly plan to return, but i'm now craving something new.

I loved my time in the USA, but towards the end it dawned on me, quiet rapidly, that i needed to leave and experience something new.

That feeling has returned...

... our entry/exit fees), and they are masters of the bureaucratic process. Stand in this line. Get this form. Stand in that line. Walk across the street. Go through the gate. Stand in another line. Walk for 20 mins, show your passports again. Pass the "Welcome to Costa Rica" sign. Stand in line. Again. Argh. It was hot, we were tired, we needed to go to the bathroom, and the lines seemed like they'd never end. When they ...

... into the water (or a canoe) probably isn't their cup o tea. Nonetheless, it was great entertainment as they lept accross a 10' span, grabbing a branch that acted as a bungie and sprung them back up. Castor is a pretty smart guy and slowly drug us away from underneath a more mature monkey, just as it unleashed an unholy amount of urine. This little 40 pound monkey peed more than a 250 pound linebacker after a fraternity kegger! From ...