Leaving Marco´s menagerie in the hands of a trusted neighbor or cousin, he and I set out early yesterday for the journey northwest from the capital city to the national park of Tortuguero.
A bus and a taxi took us to the Terminal Caribe where we purchased tickets for a bus to Cariari via Guapiles, about 50 miles from downtown San Jose. The bus passes through a misty mountainous vista (and one of the longer road tunnels in Costa Rica) as we gradually descend to the lower, flatter ground of the sweeping province of Caribe.
After about two hours we reached Cariari´s bus station with about half a dozen other gringos, mostly Germans, who also wanted to continue the journey. A somewhat aggressive tout for a tour company accosted us and tried to "sell us up" with more services than many of us wanted. Marco and I wisely purchased transport tickets only.
After a bumpy microbus ride of about an hour we reached the end of the gravel road--indeed, it was the end of all roads in this part of the country. Because Tortuguero is accessible by boat or plane only.
Then some confusion ensued at the riverboat landing with the boat drivers--who, according to the Lonely Planet, are regarded here as something akin to royalty--professing ignorance of the fellow who sold us our tickets! Some frantic negotiations commenced, with much consulting by walkie-talkie and cellphone, before the matter was cleared up in our favor.
Then we proceeded by boat downriver through some of the most beautiful jungle and swamp I´ve ever seen.
Traffic on these tributaries (on my map there are dozens of them feeding the larger rivers) is brisk and frequent, however. Commerce is happening but the nearest 18 wheeler is 20 miles away.
We arrived in Tortuguero town just after lunch, and a teenager helped us locate a decent beachside guesthouse, the Balcon del Mar, for an okay price and most of the usual amenities. Lodging prices run the gamut from "budget" to five star, but food prices and the cost of extras like internet are relatively high. The average meal price for two seems to hover around $20, and this high speed internet shop where I'm now typing costs a whopping $3 an hour compared to 50 cents in San Jose. Supplies in the supermarket also cost a premium--everything here has to be imported by air or river.
But it´s worth it to be in such a beautiful place with no cars and lots of wild country. The nearby national park is home to abundant plant and wild life. And now, at the end of August, it´s the high end of turtle hatching season. Every night the gigantic tortoises swim ashore and climb their way up the beach to lay their eggs. Tourists pay $15 a head for a guided peek at these awesome creatures. The guides are mandatory and this rule is strictly enforced by park rangers who closely monitor these turtle landings and communicate by walkie-talkie with the guides who then lead their charges to nearby nesting areas.
Marco and I took a pass on the guides last night and we´re still agnostic on tonight´s prospects, but check back here again in a couple days. I gotta run before my internet bill gets too high. . .
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