Time Out in the Jungle

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One of my very favourite places in Costa Rica is Tortuguero National Park, a maze of canals and jungle on the Caribbean Sea Coast. Dubbed by some as ‘the Amazon of Costa Rica’, the only means of transport in the park is by boat along the canals or by very small plane. To get to the canals we drove across a bumpy, dusty farm road to it's very end. Then it was a 2 hour fast boat ride along the main canal to the village of Tortuguero and our home away from home, Tortuga Lodge. Three days later, we left in a friendly Twin Otter plane, one of Nature Air’s fleet that ferries people all over Costa Rica. It was a great combination.

Tortuga Lodge is a very special place, a hideaway at the northern end of the main canal. It is tucked into a quiet part of the jungle where alarm clocks are never needed. The early wake up call here is around 4.30am when the howler monkeys commence their day in the trees behind the rooms. They are not called howler monkeys for nothing! They are noisy animals. At this lodge there are no TVs, no phones, and not even any glass in the windows although there are window 'nets' to keep mosquitoes and other ‘bugs’ at bay. Fresh air is the order of the day here, combined with the warm smell of the jungle. On the verandahs are rocking chairs and hammocks to relax in whilst taking in the peace and quiet of the garden and the canal scene.

Our group meals were taken at long tables, family style with dishes being put onto the table to be shared by the diners. I must say that, with advance warning, the chef was very helpful to me making special dishes to suit my diet when the group dishes did not suit... too spicy or with garlic! Individual couples and small groups had their meals on a verandah by the water’s edge. Near by there is a pool. It is an idyllic place... at least it was for us. The only problem with this area is that it has something like 365 inches of rain a year. That’s an inch a day and that’s rain! No wonder there’s a rainforest/jungle here! We were so lucky. Not one drop of rain fell during our three day stay.

Because of that we were able to take full advantage of our time exploring the smaller canals with our local guide, Norton. Although born in Nicaragua, he grew up on these canals and really loves the area. Even with only one good eye he could spot a bird, a monkey and even a crocodile long before any of us were aware of its presence in the trees and thick jungle greenery that all but enclosed us. As we drifted quietly through this beautiful ecosystem, we were amazed by the variety of shapes and sizes of trees and plants that filled our view … and all of them perfectly reflected in the still waters.

I will never forget coming oh so close to a croc…or was it a Caiman! I’m not sure but it was a bit scary none- the- less. We watched as kingfishers darted along from branch to branch and were entranced by families of tiny Northern Jacana’s that walked so easily across patches of the water hyacinth. A river otter darted in and out of view, just staying a boat length in front of us. Above, in the low branches, we spotted the local green Iguanas and some Basilisks, the so called ‘Jesus Christ Lizards’ that can walk on water if threatened. They were obviously not worried by us because they sat so perfectly still.

Our necks became stretched and sore from gazing up high into the canopy as we looked for monkeys, sloths and birds such as toucans. The Sloths just looked like balls of fur curled up in the fork of a branch. From down below you cannot see the private ecosystem of mosses, bugs and mites that make their home in a sloth’s fur. Groups of Mantled Howler Monkeys, the very ones that woke us up so early, seem to hang around in the treetops most of the day just eating leaves. The alpha male calls raucously as he protects his harem! And watch out if you get too close and inquisitive. These monkeys are likely to bombard you with their monkey ‘pooh’ or at the very least aim a well guided stream of ‘pee’ in your direction…it happens! Look up but keep your mouth shut! They were all too high up for me to photograph.

The very cute and tiny, white-faced capuchin monkeys were closer down to the water but still no photos! They are quick and dart shyly through the trees not willing to be seen for very long at all. And as for the real display of the day, I was far too engrossed in watching the antics of a troupe of spider monkeys to even raise the camera to my eye! Using their long legs and great agility they swing from branch to branch, from vine to vine. A large troupe of about twenty gave us a real thrill when they decided to cross the canal. The trees almost met overhead but still they had to take a leap of faith as they hurled themselves in true acrobatic fashion high above the water. One slip and the crocs would have a free and tasty dinner! What made it all the more interesting was to observe the different personalities… those who went straight for the jump, ‘gung ho’ and never mind the consequences; those who checked the distance first before they began their swing; and then a couple who held back, somewhat unsure of their ability to make the crossing. They were the ones who almost didn’t make it and had to stretch for a vine as they sailed downwards towards the water. It was quite a show and well worth the neck ache, even though I didn’t get one monkey photo!

We did get a glimpse of some toucans but they were of that common variety of birds known as “there-he-goes”! We had a much better view of a group of agile and very noisy birds called Montezuma Oropendolas. These mid-sized brown birds with yellow edged tails have several distinct and very loud calls. They were scuttling about in the treetops, sometimes hanging upside-down from high branches and seeming to have a wonderful time as avian acrobats. Their nests are built in groups; long tear-drop shaped woven constructions that hang in mid-air from high branches… no doubt to thwart snakes etc. Along the shoreline we saw several types of heron, including a very special one, the Bare-throated Tiger- heron, a majestic looking bird.

Our canal excursions were early morning and late afternoon when the animals and birds were more active. In the middle of the day, in the fierce heat of this area, we crossed the canal to visit the sea turtle conservation centre….the non-profit Caribbean Conservation Corporation. They do a great job working to protect the sea turtles which lay their eggs on the black sand beaches. While at the centre, we adopted a turtle mum, number 98833 and we named her JTDY. She was tagged whilst laying her eggs here on 22nd August 2004. She’s somewhere out at sea at the moment and so we haven't actually met her! But, as we stood on her beach, we wished her well. Turtles don’t lay eggs every year, so we may have to wait awhile to get news of her whereabouts. We'll do that on the web at www.cccturtle.org . Why not visit the site. You never know, you too might add a sea turtle to your family.

The main canal runs parallel to the Coast for several kilometers. On the very narrow section of land between canal and beach is the tiny village named for its famous turtles, Tortuguero. During the turtle nesting season this can be a bit busy but for the rest of the time it’s just a sleepy little village dedicated to looking after tourists like us… and of course selling souveniers. It’s a hot, very humid place and most of the small dwellings are either along the short street/ footpath/track (dusty or muddy as the case may be) or else they face the canal with the obligatory boat or two pulled up in front. There is a disco of sorts and there are several small cafes along the canal. Just as all goods must come in by boat, so must the garbage go! Hundred’s of plastic garbage bags adorned one yard awaiting the rubbish boat! Not a good place to live!

We left this small village by small plane… a great journey of about 30 minutes back over the mountains to San Jose. At least it was great for us because the sun was shining and we could see the landscape below very clearly. We looked down on the canals and the boats. Also below us was the bumpy dusty road that we had followed from the main road to get to the boat landing. This road wound through flat land where many house are wisely built on stilts. The area closest to the forest is used for grazing cattle. On our way along that road, we had stopped to chat to a farmer driving his ox cart, the traditional method of transport still in use in this area.

Much farming is still done manually as we discovered at a large banana farm. There, the great bunches of bananas, up to thirty bunches at a time, were hung from a trolley line and hauled by a man in a harness all the way from the plantation into the packing sheds. Hard work! Then the team in the packing shed got to work… cut the bananas into ‘hands’, sorting, washing and packing for market. It’s a very labour intensive operation … and a very noisy one with music blaring and bosses urging workers to greater effort. For the most part these banana farms are not yet organic and workers and their families are still subjected to dangerous chemical sprays.

But that may all be about to change with projects being carried out by the nearby EARTH University (www.earth.ac.ar) . We had visited there and were very impressed by this place that aims to train young people from tropical countries to work towards sustainable and organic farming methods all within sound ecological and ethical principles. Working with farmers is a high priority of the learning and sharing process at this University.

We flew on, over many of small villages and farming communities where the farmers' efforts have been well rewarded economically. This area is more prosperous than on the drier western side of the country but they do have to put up with that huge rainfall each year. Here, the landscape is covered with thousands of acres of bananas, pineapples and sugar cane - it's used for rum!

Then, it was up and over the mountains, passing over our favourite La Paz Waterfall Gardens and the great crater of Vulcan Poas. Plant nurseries and coffee plantations were now the main agricultural crops until we came back to San Jose … and to the end of our sojourn in this wonderful country.

Long may these warm, hospitable Costa Ricans enjoy their ‘Pura Vida’.