Costa Rica - Manuel Antonio to Tortuguero
Yesterday had some good moments, but overall there was way too much bus time! We got up early to visit Manuel Antonio National Park. We were supposed to go on Monday, but it's closed Mondays, so instead of spending all day there we squeezed it in in the morning., We walked in and then split up, most of the group staying with Edgar for a short hike. It was a really neat hike; we caught glimpses of the ocean from above and saw some more birds. The highlight came towards the end. I had just said "I want to see a monkey" when Andrea goes, "look! A monkey!" Sure enough, there was a whole group of white-faced capuchins, including a mother with her baby clinging to her back. They weren't shy of people, and we watched them swinging around and munching leaves for a good ten minutes.
After the hike we had some time at the beach. I kept my hiking boots on and went exploring on the rocks. There were tide pools, but not much in the way of life in them. I did see a mass crab migration and discovered - I saw it with my own eyes! - that crabs can jump! They were leaping over big cracks and crevices like regular little gymnasts.
The rest of the day was spent driving to San Jose. We stopped for lunch in Sarchi, famous for it beautiful painted oxcarts, but by then it was pouring down rain and the only oxcart I saw was the one on display at the restaurant. we didn't get to San Jose until evening, and by then I was going a little crazy on the bus!
Today was really more of the same. We had about four hours on the bus to the east coast. We drove through the banana plantations and stopped to see how the bananas are processed and shipped. It's pretty simple; the bunches are picked and hung on hooks on a track that takes them to the processing area, where the smaller bunches are cut off the stalk and dropped in a vat of water. Then someone cuts of the "rejects" which go on a conveyor belt straight into a truck bound for San Jose (the good ones are exported, while the bananas that are to small, etc are consumed domestically), and the keepers go back in the water. The next group of workers sorts them into trays, then they have the Del Monte stickers slapped on, they get thrown into boxes, and they're off! Once it gets to the packing shed it probably takes one bunch of bananas about five minutes from beginning to end.
Once we reached to coast we still had a boat ride through the canals to Tortuguero Village. The canals are everyone's idea of the Carribean, straight out of Disneyland; close forest, muddy water and little stilt cabins. The village itself was very happy, with loud reggae coming from a nearby house and small children just out of school swarming the little store for gum and candy. Unfortunately I didn't look around or enjoy it very much, because I was grieving over a crushing disappointment.
Tortuguero is where many different sea turtles come ashore to nest, and now is the beginning of the season. They only come ashore at night, and the night tour to see them was not included in this trip; it was going to be an extra $30. A group of us went to inquire, but on finding out that there's no guarantee to see turtles (of course, it's not a zoo!), everyone but Andrea and I decided not to go. The tour guide needed eight people to make it worthwhile for him to pick us up from the hotel; in short, I don't get to go because there aren't another six people in the group who want to see turtles.
Seeing sea turtles was the number one feature of this trip for me, and I've been looking forward to it the whole time. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I don't get to go because this group is a bunch of drunken idiots who don't give a shit about seeing wildlife.
I recovered somewhat when we got to our hotel and I took a long walk on the beach. The dark volcanic sand is silky soft, and there were lots of fallen trees being worn smooth by the water and bleached by the sun. I sunk into some deep thoughts about the impermanence of things and started to feel small, as I often do at beaches. It made me feel better, anyway. As I was coming back it started to rain, and now we're in a full-out thunderstorm. We've had good luck so far; I hope it stops by morning! I don't get to see turtles, so I'd better get to go out in that national park and see some really cool stuff to make up for it!
After the hike we had some time at the beach. I kept my hiking boots on and went exploring on the rocks. There were tide pools, but not much in the way of life in them. I did see a mass crab migration and discovered - I saw it with my own eyes! - that crabs can jump! They were leaping over big cracks and crevices like regular little gymnasts.
The rest of the day was spent driving to San Jose. We stopped for lunch in Sarchi, famous for it beautiful painted oxcarts, but by then it was pouring down rain and the only oxcart I saw was the one on display at the restaurant. we didn't get to San Jose until evening, and by then I was going a little crazy on the bus!
Today was really more of the same. We had about four hours on the bus to the east coast. We drove through the banana plantations and stopped to see how the bananas are processed and shipped. It's pretty simple; the bunches are picked and hung on hooks on a track that takes them to the processing area, where the smaller bunches are cut off the stalk and dropped in a vat of water. Then someone cuts of the "rejects" which go on a conveyor belt straight into a truck bound for San Jose (the good ones are exported, while the bananas that are to small, etc are consumed domestically), and the keepers go back in the water. The next group of workers sorts them into trays, then they have the Del Monte stickers slapped on, they get thrown into boxes, and they're off! Once it gets to the packing shed it probably takes one bunch of bananas about five minutes from beginning to end.
Once we reached to coast we still had a boat ride through the canals to Tortuguero Village. The canals are everyone's idea of the Carribean, straight out of Disneyland; close forest, muddy water and little stilt cabins. The village itself was very happy, with loud reggae coming from a nearby house and small children just out of school swarming the little store for gum and candy. Unfortunately I didn't look around or enjoy it very much, because I was grieving over a crushing disappointment.
Tortuguero is where many different sea turtles come ashore to nest, and now is the beginning of the season. They only come ashore at night, and the night tour to see them was not included in this trip; it was going to be an extra $30. A group of us went to inquire, but on finding out that there's no guarantee to see turtles (of course, it's not a zoo!), everyone but Andrea and I decided not to go. The tour guide needed eight people to make it worthwhile for him to pick us up from the hotel; in short, I don't get to go because there aren't another six people in the group who want to see turtles.
Seeing sea turtles was the number one feature of this trip for me, and I've been looking forward to it the whole time. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I don't get to go because this group is a bunch of drunken idiots who don't give a shit about seeing wildlife.
I recovered somewhat when we got to our hotel and I took a long walk on the beach. The dark volcanic sand is silky soft, and there were lots of fallen trees being worn smooth by the water and bleached by the sun. I sunk into some deep thoughts about the impermanence of things and started to feel small, as I often do at beaches. It made me feel better, anyway. As I was coming back it started to rain, and now we're in a full-out thunderstorm. We've had good luck so far; I hope it stops by morning! I don't get to see turtles, so I'd better get to go out in that national park and see some really cool stuff to make up for it!