Now on the Caribbean

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I'm now at Tortuguero National Park, where I'm spending two nights in a room right on the Caribbean. I have some wonderful photos, but these will have to wait since this computer is very slow and it would take hours to upload them.
Yesterday, I came to the coast yesterday in a minivan which belongs to Modesto Watson, who is a Nicaraguan who's lived 30 years in Costa Rica. He and his American wife Fran have a small tour company that takes people on the waterways of the Park. We drove to Mion and then got into a boat. Modesto is a great nature guide, who's taking us on a total of three water tours. You wouldn't believe what I've already seen: from a crocodile, to Holler monkeys, iguanas, Toukans, herrons, and all sorts of other birds. Two of the couples on the tour are birdwatchers, and they too have pointed out all sorts of birds. One of the couples is from San Diego and lost their house and all their possessions in October in the fires that swept across their area. They're really very philosophical about it all and decided NOT to postpone their trip to Costa Rica and Panama! Another couple is British, but lives in Costa Rica, and the other person is a single gal from NYC. They're all staying in the more luxurious Laguna Lodge, whereas I'm at the more simple Cabanas Princesa. It was a little lonely at dinner last night because I was the only non-local person at the restaurant of my place, but the Aunt Jemima-looking cook, a lovely lady named Mary, came over and chatted with me. Most of the people working in the town of Tortuguera are Nicaraguan, and they speak, in addition to Creole, both Spanish and English. In a few minutes, I'm walking over to the laguna Lodge to join the group for lunch and another waterway tour. Hopefully, tonight we'll see some greenback turtles.
Tomorrow, Modesto is dropping me off at a bus-stop, where I'll take a bus to Puerto Viejo, another Caribbean laid-back "resort" on the Caribbean that's almost at the Panama border.
Haven't used my Spanish much since I've been here. There are SO many Gringoes in this country!

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Comments

[Sanchia Scott]

Green with envy
Hilary, This is my favourite blog yet. It sounds simply fabulous. A much more civilized way to see crocodiles and exotic birds than way down here 'downunder'. Adelaide is in the middle of its longest heatwave ever recorded (and it is meant to be the start of Autumn!) and the poor birds hibernate all day in an effort to avoid the scorching temperatures (not sure what the crocodiles are doing - we don't have any in the river that I live on!). Can't wait to see the photos. Keep trecking, and keep safe.

[Michal Commanday]

Enjoying your tour
Hi Hilary, I've enjoyed reading about your stay in Antigua and now Costa Rica! My husband and I were just in Antigua in December for a few days. Then we went to Copan in Honduras and the island of Roatan, where the culture is much as you describe on the west coast of Costa Rica. Our December trip was in fact inspired by a very interesting trip 4 years ago to Nicaragua and the Corn Islands off the coast, where again the culture was Afro Caribbean. I'd love to swap stories with you some time. How fortunate that you're having these adventures! Enjoy! Michal

[elliot cohen]

So Happy
I'm so happy that your trip was so much fun and so interesting. My wife, the former Gwyneth Paltrow, and I just returned from a three week stay in Paris. We stayed at the George V which has lost a bit of cachet to these "minimalist" places but it still is great. As is Paris, as is Gyweth. Love Elliot