BensTravelBlog

In the shadow of the volcano The last stop of our trip was La Fortuna, another town that has a well-founded industry based on ecotourism, but in the case of La Fortuna it's due to the proximity of the Arenal volcano. We traveled from Monteverde by something known locally as Jeep-Boat-Jeep, catching a small coach (rather than a Jeep) down to a jetty on the Arenal lake, then a boat across the lake and another bus to the centre of town. While that may sound complicated, it is a fairly common method of travel and tour operators sell tickets for the journey as a package. Rainy season We knew it was rainy season in Costa Rica, but I didn't expect it to come down so heavily or so often. The locals said that they were experiencing ... read more

Life at the conservation project Our time in Montezuma was spent working at a turtle conservation project run by ASVO (Asosacion de Voluntarios para el Service en Areas Protegidas en Costa Rica - http://www.asvocr.org/english/). ASVO is a non-profit NGO that has been running for 25 years, with a number of different projects working in protected areas in Costa Rica. Montezuma beach is a nesting site for Olive Ridley, Black and Leatherback turtles, with their overlapping seasons running from July through to February. Arriving late on Monday night, our first exposure to the project consisted of quick introductions to some of the key people and sorting out sleeping arrangements. Accommodation was very basic, with everyone sleeping in bunk beds, and while the staff tried to keep separate male and female rooms, that wasn't always possible as people ... read more

Why I'm here Having quite a lot of outstanding leave to take, I've come to Costa Rica for a mixed holiday, with the first week spent at a sea turtle conservation project and the second travelling around the country with a program of different activities. The trip is with G Adventures, booked through STA Travel. While I have come to the country on my own, I am joining a group and will spend the whole two weeks with them, and we have a G Adventures guide with us throughout. Not exactly a shoestring budget backpackers trip, but an opportunity to get involved in some voluntary work and see a country I might not have otherwise visited. This is my first attempt to write a blog, so any constructive feedback is appreciated. Arrival Getting here from the ... read more