Tiger Heron

Tortuguero village, backpackers mecca.

River turtle, getting warm.

Caimen family, just before lunch.

Bird on the beach.

Storm in the night, heavy rain then howler monkeys for an early morning alarm call. At 5.15! On the water for our ‘cruise’ at 7.30 and into Tortuguero National Park. Brown water full of nutrients helps feed everything. Including logs that blink at you. Then you realise, a caiman. The green verdant trees blend into the waters edge, and eveywhere life is just teeming. Howler monkeys hang out with spider monkeys, and herons are trying to catch lunch. Bugs find theirs on our legs. As hard as Paul tries the elusive kingfisher defeats him, still. A hangover from Sri Lanka. One day…

Lunch back at the lodge was fab, then a wander into Tortuguero town, or rather small backpacker village. So glad tourists are able to give enough money to make it worthwhile for the locals not to kill everything and plant pineapples. Tasted home made chocolate from local cocoa, and learnt how they do it. Sticky walk back along 4km of deserted volcanic beach with the Caribbean rollers producing the sound track to our stay here. Amazing that anything can rise above the wave noise. But, gosh, they do. Hot, humid but everywhere it is just dripping life.

Tomorrow 6am walk in the jungle. Lots of mozzy spray needed.