Welcome to our Travel Blog!
Week 1: Newport Beach to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!
We started the trip by spending two days with Aunt Janet and Cousin Jenny in Newport Beach (Orange County, CA). We walked on the beach, cooked yummy meals, saw an aerial show, and took a nice hike behind Janet’s house.
Nicole was obsessed with watching the plane window for the whole trip, from LAX to San Jose, Costa Rica.
Sun set over the border between the US and Mexico, and then it was dark. We saw so many thunder and lightning storms right out the plane window! We landed at almost midnight local time. After a long trip through the customs line where everyone’s bags are scanned for imported vegetable matter, we walked out into the hot, humid, tropical air!
With very little sleep in the airport hotel, we left early the next day for Tortuguero, on the Eastern (Caribbean) coast with our awesome guide, Priscilla. To get to Tortuguero, we had a three hour drive, much of it on rural roads, and then a 1.5 hour boat ride down a shallow river. Occasionally the boat staff had to get out and push the boat as it got stuck on sand bars. Priscilla pointed out many birds and lizards as we rode to Tortuguero to stay at her grandmother’s hotel, Miss Junie’s. Her family are some of the original settlers of the village. The Caribbean coast has a more rugged vibe, and it has a lot of Afro-Caribbean culture.
Julie looking for birds and monkeys from the little boat that took us to Tortuguero.
Tortuguero Village is a small settlement with a few shops and restaurants, on a narrow strip of land between the river and the sea. It sits right next to Tortuguero National Park, one of Costa Rica’s many protected areas. Priscilla explained the history of conservation in Costa Rica, including how the locals were inspired to stop hunting and eating turtles (as well as other wildlife) and instead to focus on protecting them. It’s important that there are protected places for turtles to lay their eggs - life is already hard enough for the turtles with the many threats that face them without poachers added to the mix.
From June to October, turtles come most nights to lay eggs on Tortuguero beaches. Watching this is incredibly well organized and set up to not disturb the turtles. There are trained turtle spotters spread out on the beach. (Lots of locals do it as a second job). We had a shift from 8-10 pm to watch a turtle if one was found — but we had to wait with our guide (being a turtle guide also requires certifications) until the spotters found a turtle. Even then, we weren’t able to approach her until she had created her nest and started to lay. No photos are allowed, and the only light was the turtle guide’s special red-light flashlight that wouldn’t disturb her. It was fascinating to see our turtle lay ping-pong ball sized eggs, a few at a time. And when she was done, she was covering them up with her flippers. Our shift ended before her task was complete, so we had to pass viewing her over to the 10 pm - midnight group. We also watched the stars while we waited.
Since we visited at the end of turtle season, many were already hatching. Nicole was lucky enough to see some babies head to the sea, while Julie was still showering and starting her day.
On our full day in Tortuguero, we got a ton of exercise. We started the day with four hours of kayaking in the national park. It’s only accessible via canal. We saw all three types of monkeys that exist on the Caribbean side (howlers — more heard than seen, spider monkeys, and white-faced monkeys). We also saw many pretty birds, some cool lizards and a cayman. We both got a little sunburned.
In the afternoon, we took a taxi (boat) to a big hill where we climbed 500 stairs to look over the scenery we had spent the day kayaking in. We got to walk into the rainforest and saw more monkeys, birds, leaf-cutter ants, and banana spiders.
One thing Nicole is obsessed with adding: Did you know that all of the primates who are in Central and South America reached the new world from Africa by raft, 36 million years ago? Nicole is so obsessed with this fact she wrote the next blog post all about it!
We had an adventure leaving Tortuergo. Word came in on the radio that a giant tree had fallen over the river and that it may not be passable. We were able to just barely get around the giant fallen tree, however not without the deckhand pushing the boat and the engine almost burning out.
That afternoon, Priscilla took us to a pineapple farm where we learned about how pineapples grow and ate the freshest pineapples of our lives. Definitely get a firm one, not a soft one, when you buy one from the store!
Priscilla dropped us off in Sarapiqui, where we stayed in a hotel that felt to Nicole like an Ewok village. (Julie is less familiar with that, but to her it felt like a giant tree house). It was raining hard but still hot enough to swim. The next day, we got picked up again for the 5 hour drive to Manuel Antonio National Park. We saw crocodiles, macaws, and beautiful forests along the way.
Macaws on the side of the road.
Crocodile lounging under a bridge we drove over.
We have now arrived at the hostel/language school, where will spend two weeks. We have our own apartment here, and our Spanish classes are right by the pool.
Where we are for the next two weeks!
Nicole’s favorite things:
The food - especially the breakfasts: rice and beans and squash, and avacados and so much fresh fruit!
Getting to learn more about how protected areas and natural resource management works here in Costa Rica. Since I studied this stuff in school and worked in eco-tourism, it’s really cool to be here seeing the “best practices” that Costa Rica has established. Also how environmentally conscious the culture here is. It really does seem like a matter of national pride. Of course nowhere is ever perfect and there’s issues to look at.
Being in a new place and expanding my comfort zone. It’s cool to be somewhere where things are different in small and big ways.
Facing my fear of dogs! I was so scared about the fact that street dogs run around all over here, but I can say after one week that I have found them to mostly really just not give a shit about me, and I am getting more comfortable.
Getting better at Spanish, even before we start the language school. I have been able to communicate more than I thought I would at the outset of this trip!
Sitting outside, even late at night, or in covered outdoor areas — and night swimming!
Thunderstorms and lightning!
Julie’s favorite things:
Delicious sweet plantains at the majority of our meals
Amazing fresh fruit and drinks that are just a blend of fresh juice (pineapple, watermelon, etc.) with ice.
Adorable monkeys and beautiful birds
Seeing nature
Swimming
Just being somewhere different and experiencing a different culture that is very friendly and super eco-conscious.