Planning Travel to Costa Rica, Tortuguero National Park
Planning travel to Costa Rica? Tortuguero National Park is a destination that I can and would recommend.
Tortuguero National Park is more of a preserve than a national park. A park ranger once explained to me the difference between a park and a preserve. In a park, if a raccoon were to attempt to steal your food while picnicking, the raccoon would be moved. In a preserve if the raccoon were to attempt to steal your food, then you would be removed. In this preserve, you would probably substitute a monkey instead of a raccoon.
The park is result of the efforts of Dr. Archie Carr, Joshua B. Powers and John H. Phipps. Dr. Archie Carr, who received his doctorate from the University of Florida, had done extensive research on sea turtles. His researches lead him to write the book “The Windward Road”. This book documents the plight of the sea turtle as it travels from its nesting grounds and then its return to the same beach to laid its eggs. This cycle continues throughout the turtle’s life. Through the work of these men and many who assisted them, they laid the foundation for the creation of the Tortuguero National Park.
As I prepared to write this article, fresh from a trip to the park I received the latest edition of the newsletter, Velador, from the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, which was founded to protect sea turtles and their habitats. The CCC has recently celebrated the 100th birthday of Dr. Archie Carr. Being slightly younger than me the CCC is in its 50th year. Time flies when you’re having fun.
To arrive at our jumping off point at the marina at Parismina, we travel by bus on dirt roads. Pasting the homes of the locals, many of these were what are called shotgun houses in New Orleans, because you could shoot a shot through the front door and not hit anything as the buckshot cleared the back door. I was surprised to see how many lacked a front door, but had a blanket covering the entrance. Those residents we did see usually waved enthusiastically. Tourism has become what the turtle trade and logging was not that many years ago, a source of income. English lessons are advertised almost everywhere. I am be wrong, but everyone appears to be eager to secure a position in tourist trade.
Our stay in the preserve began by river ferry. We left from the quaint ferry station in Parismina, where you buy a little of everything. I chose the ice cream bar.
A series of canals lace the landscape and were created by the almost 200 inches of rain yearly, and by plan. Traveling by boat in the Caribbean can be risky and these canals were created as a safer alternative to the ocean.
I have always loved traveling by waterborne vessels and these were beamy and fast. Being open to the air, you can experience the rivers and canals very up close and personal and may get wet.
Leaving Parismina, the landscape is open grazing fields, with cattle on banks that have been eroded banks by the flow of the river.
Later you enter the rain forest areas or jungles. From time to time, I saw iguanas scurrying along the banks and could hear the distance sound of howler monkeys in the tree tops.
On our trip, the day was clear and dry. Arriving, we checked into the Laguna Lodge Tortuguero
Being on a tour, we ran into the tour group traveling a day ahead. A new friend, we met at the airport in San Jose, who was with this tour group, told us that when they arrived, it was raining and had just stopped that afternoon, prior to our arrival.
After placing our luggage in the room, we walked around the grounds. The hotel is feast to the senses. A hobbit looking building serves as the reception center and gift shop, the restaurant and bar is open air and located over the river. The rooms are Spartan and for me, very comfortable, no air conditioning, or televisions, or radios. Creating for me one of the best places that I have ever stayed the night and we were staying two nights!!
After enjoying the pool and of course the pool bar, we went back to our room. On each porch are two rocking chairs. The porch of each room is large enough to shelter guests from rain with its overhanging roof. The construction of the block of rooms is a crawlspace design, permitting the air to flow under the rooms and the windows can remain open due to the overhanging roof covering the windows. The breeze from the Caribbean was our air conditioning system.
Then the rains returned. For many travelers, the rain would be an inconvenience or a disaster, but we found it somehow comforting. Walking to dinner was not uncomfortable, kind of an adventure. Before dinner a local group of musicians performed during happy hour. Our tour guide told us they also perform at the local disco. Disco, in Costa Rica, is what they call a night club.
Umbrellas were provided by the Lodge and after dinner we strolled back toward the room in the rain. Jan wanted to see the beach. If you haven’t been to a beach without the hundreds of lights from a major city, I will tell you now that a beach in a preserve at night is dark, very dark. The sands of Tortuguero are a dark brown and the only way to tell where the Caribbean water starts are the breaking whitecap waves. The waves could blanket the sound of an approaching jaguar, which our guide assured us stalks these jungles. You can bet I was watching.
The rain continued. It was steady. It beat a constant rhythm on the roof, on the overhang and on the ground outside the windows. It was a siren song for sleep and it had been a long time since I had slept so soundly. Combine that with the sounds of the birds and insects that added their songs to the evening serenade and those two nights of sleep were worth the entire trip.
During the day, tours were conducted by guides who had grown up on the banks of the rivers and canals and knew the area by heart leading us to where we could spot the local animals. Though it continued to rain, it added a sense of adventure to these river treks. Anybody can go out when it’s dry.
In the afternoon we visited the Turtle Museum and after watching the video presentation, adopted a beautifully green sea turtle which we keep in the bathtub. Seriously, you can adopt a sea turtle and help with the work of the CCC in protecting the turtles. Contact the Caribbean Conservation Corporation at www.cccturtle.org or call 352-373-6441 to donate.
We then strolled through the village and observed the local school house, open air, of course, browsed the stores and purchased local clothing and crafts.
Personally I was sorry to leave the Laguna Lodge and would like to take the room and the rain home.
Laguna Lodge Tortuguero
http://www.lagunatortuguero.com/
