First Day in Tortuguero

Today's journey took our students from the comforts of San Jose to wilds of Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast. Our journey took us via bus through the mountains surrounding San Jose and down to the fruit plantations Cariari, where we boarded a shallow-draft boat to complete our journey. Tortuguero is not accessible via roads, but the 8 mile river trip went quickly as our students searched the shores for wildlife. Below are some snapshots from the day:

 

Freshly harvested banana bundles block our path as they cross the road via an impressive cable system

 One of our boats between the hotel and the village of Tortuguero

 The cool breeze was a hit as it is the closest to air conditioning we'll get until the end of the trip

 Exploring the village of Tortuguero

 Walking along the Caribbean beaches (part of a sea turtle sanctuary) on our way to the village

 Surprisingly, the volleyball courts were, initially at least, more popular than the pool

 Bundled up for a (safe) cruise

 The village of Tortuguero as seen from the canal

Tomorrow, we will explore the surrounding national forest by boat and foot. Our students are in for a surprise in the morning as there is a far better chance that howler monkeys will wake our students than their 6:30 am alarms. My fingers are crossed they are close enough to snap some good pictures!