Carribean Costa Rica...beaches and turtles
Trip Start
Jun 02, 2008
1
16
48
Trip End
May 01, 2010
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San Jose,
Province of San Jose,
Costa Rica
Saturday, August 16, 2008
He starts to circle areas with the word No! scrawled in the centre of each circle. E ddy ... a 35 year old IT expèrt has taken it on himslef to be my advisor on all aspects of Costa Rica travel and safety. ...he circles 3 specific areas - Coca Cola, Paso de la Vaca, Amon and anything south of Santa Luca as no go areas. He then invites me to share a lift with his Dad who picks us up at the airport in the largest 4x4 I have ever seen -and gives me a tour of San Jose before dropping me at the hotel Aranjeuz in an old and quiet district . We say goodbye and they give me their numbers for any emergency ..this is Costa Rican friendship and hospitality at its best.
The hotel is simple friendly with a colonial feel with lots of cosy rooms leading off small tropical gardens There is free Internet and coffee provided all day and free massage provided by a retired Frenchman who used to do shiatsu massage for the stars in Cannes.
I meet the tour group later ...consisting of a lovely Hungarian couple Rene and Robert ...who are evidently in love and the tour guide Erik ..a 27 year old Costa Rican Rapel and rafting guide whose taking the tour as a favour for Kumuka ... ...its a small group but no matter . The next morning we set off early for the 3 hour bus ride to Cahuita on the Caribbean coast. Cahuita is a laid back beach resort town with a Rasta Carribean influence. The climate is much drier and hotter than San Jose so.its a perfect place to retreat to in the rainy season and soak up the sun and easy atmosphere.
At beach cafe With Robert and Rene - Cahuita
Its early afternoon by the time we´re sorted our accommodation in a nice jungle lodge close to the beach so we grab lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking the beach.. As we are eating there is a sudden loud explosion and i almost dive off my chair. Its a coconut which narrowly misses me and Rene. Robert announces that statistically more people are killed by coconuts than in air crashes. We decide to move out of target range. ..the next morning I wake early to the screams of howler monkeys in the canopies...we head for the National park next to the beautiful white sand beach..Playa Blanco...looking for snakes, spiders and monkeys before collapsing on the beach, drinking coconut milk and swimming in the warm clear waters...paradise. The day is only spoilt by a badly cooked lunch , and appaling service at a central town restaurant. Erik negotiates for us and removes Roberts meal from the bill... the chicken was so undercooked it was almost waking off the plate. I suggest we dont pay the service but Erik looks at me intently and says if I ask him to do that we will become another statistic. I realise hes not joking. The day becomes known after that as bloody chicken day.
In the evening we head downtown to a salsa bar where we drink sweet cocktails and beer and dance to Meringue and salsa. The bar is full of European backpackers and local Rasta Guys..who chat up the women and persuade them to try salsa. Around midnight the bar is almost deserted and there are just couple of girls left and some dodgy looking characters hanging around in the street.
Patrick Swayze log walk Cahuita National Park
There is a big drug presence in Cahuita and you have to take extra care. Erik decides we should leave before we are the last and we walk quickly back to the lodge a 10 minute walk watchful for any potential ambush ...The next day we travel up to Torteguro - a stunningly beautiful rain forest area reached only by boat or air. The boat trip is about an hour and a half to Torteguero down town and on to Evergreen lodge...a lovely resort set into the rain forest. Later that night we visit the beach to see the green turtles - an endangered species that come in their thousands to lay their eggs on Tortegueros long beaches. Viewing is strictly regulated to ensure the turtles are not disturbed whilst laying. We wait in groups of 10 until the trackers signal for us to move forward. Only when the turtle has started laying or is moving back to the ocean are we allowed to get close to her. We See a turtle who has already laid her eggs and is in the process of making a 360 degree turn - this takes a huge amount of effort as on average green turtles weigh 200 kilos.. As we stand behind her she kicks up huge sprays of sand which hit us with a force that surprises us ... We follow two other turtles each moving back to the sea. Its like the old child's game "grandmothers footsteps" as the turtle moves we shuffle forwards behind her, stopping as she stops until eventually we reach the sea where she heaves herself forwards one last time until she is gracefully returning to the water, her shell lit up by the moonlight...and then she is gone.
Baby Howler Cahuita
Its a moving experience and i feel my eyes whell up as i watch her disappear her journey complete. I have the greatest respect for the guides who ensure that the turtles are not disturbed by the tourists but allow us to share this great spectacle of these magnificent creatures. The final day we walk in the National park and explore the canals..seeing yellow and white viper, howler monkeys, 3 toed sloths deliriously hanging from the trees, crocodiles and a huge variety of birds including turkey vultures, jacanas, rose tinted spoon bills...we board the boat for the last time for the long trip back to san jose.,,
I go dancing later that night with Erik and Maurice the guide from Torteguero . We try a couple of bars in the lively area of Paso Le Vaca one of Eddys "no" zones. The bouncers here are heavily armed and all the guys are thoroughly screened, There are a lot of students in fancy dress, Erik particularly likes a girl dressed in a leather cat woman outfit... admittedly she looks pretty good...but theres something not quite right as all the outifts look brand new ..like they've been bought for a theatre production. Its kind of wierd. we decide to head out for a traditional salsa club which is reassuringly like the salsa clubs of London...with a mixture of ages...I dance with Erik and Maurice, both are natural dancers but neither know salsa that well which is quite usual for Latin and Centra Americans who never take lessons just dance in the clubs.... We watch a curious jumping ceroc jive which i forget the name of but make a note to add to my list.
On the last morning in San Jose, I slip out of the hotel...in two hours Rene, Robert and Erik along with 4 new people will be making their way to the Pacific coast to become adrenaline junkies on zip wires, descending waterfalls and lazing on the stunningly beautiful Costa Rica beaches. I am envious of course...this was too short and I want to still be there...but i know it will not be long before i return to this beautiful,tiny country which has captured my heart....
