Tortuguero National
Park, Costa Rica
For more of our visit to Costa Rica click on Butterflies, Animals and birds, Flowers and plants, Arenal or San
Jose.
Getting
to the park was an adventure.
The main road over the mountains was
a little better than the paved
roads here in Kentucky, as winding but with shoulders.
Our Costa Rica animals, flowers and
butterflies web pages show some of
what we saw along the way.
Once we got to the flatland near the
coast we had about 30 miles of
potholes.
The video here will give you some
idea.
A dirt road, rainy season, banana
trucks, and little maintenance combine to
make for a rough road.
The driver did slow down for the big
holes.
For the record we are familiar with
roads like this in KY as well.
At the end of the road we boarded one
of these boats for the ride
through the park to the town of Tortuguero.
Our guide and the driver were the
only other folks on board.
We did see other people near villages
that predate the national park.
The boat landing and a gate in the
communities of Tortuguero.
The canal leading from the end of the
road to where we stayed at the
Turtle Beach Lodge goes past a joint Canadian Costa Rican research
station.
Our first view of the lodge grounds
about 30 Km from where we boarded
the boat.
This tree had aerial roots hanging
down and in some cases there were
unrelated plants that had taken up residence.
Some scenes from the lodge.
The swimming pool was in the shape of
a turtle.
The dining room was open air.
Many of the plants on the grounds had
plaques identifying them.
Our room was great.
The windows were screened so we could
enjoy the breezes and sounds.
We have seen lots of towel figures on
our travels but not many fit
with the location as well these turtles coming through the surf.
The first day at the lodge we had the
opportunity to see the rain
forest canopy from a series of zip lines and sky bridges.
It was raining while we went to the
site by boat.
We were provided with equipment and
training so we would be safe.
The practice run was about ten feet
up.
This swing was an optional part of
the tour.
We were about 40 feet up at this
point.
Nancy had fun.
We traveled on seven zip lines.
Some of the runs were quite long.
You used your hand on the line to
keep you facing forward and to slow
yourself at the end of a run.
Sky bridges gave a chance to stop and
study the trees around you from a
new vantage point.
This video of a friend we met on our
zip line tour of the rain forest
canopy demonstrates how (un)stable they were.
This skybridge went from about 25 to
40 feet above the forest floor.
We rented kayaks ($5 for as long as
you were at the lodge) and set out
to explore the waterways on our own.
A dry palm frond hanging into the
water created this modern art.
Some of what we saw, though we were
going slower.
It is hard to take a video from a
kayak so this video was actually
taken from a power boat.
We didn't notice this sign until we
came back to the lodge.
Is the message that it will make it
easier for the crocodiles.
Our guide lead us along this trail.
Calling it a trail is being generous,
the mud was challenging.
Our guide was able to point out many
animals and plants for us.
A video shows how we picked our way
along the edge where the mud
wasn't as deep.
I missed getting a video of Nancy's
mud bath.
As she stepped down on a root or
stick in the mud she slipped and fell.
She was covered to her waist, and had
dipped her hand and camera as
well.
She noted that people pay good money
at some spas for a mud bath, she
got one for free.
Spider monkeys in the trees near the
lodge.
These howler monkeys were overhead
but by the time I got the camera going they were nearly out of range.
We were the only ones enjoying this
beach on the Caribbean.
The sand was a mix of fine coral and
volcanic sand.
OK, there was this cow and calf.
Some of the carvings decorating the
boat landing area.
On the way out downed trees and
rushing water complicated piloting the
boat.
The result of heavy rains and winds
while we were visiting.
For more of our visit to Costa Rica click on Butterflies, Animals and
birds, Flowers and plants, Arenal or San
Jose.
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Kuehner is licensed under a Creative
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