Seeing Costa Rica Through Different Eyes

Good afternoon, families. The following shots were taken by Mr. Rottman who is journeying with us in Costa Rica. We are led by Ms. Henderson and joined by Ms. Darkjian, Ms. Thompson, Ms. Cuffee, Mr. Otterstatter, and Mr. Diehl. Each has been taking photographs from the trip; here are Mr. Rottman's from the first couple of days.

Here is a typical late afternoon scene on the pedestrian street near the hotel. Unlike pedestrian ways in the US, this one is busy and lively. An interesting Costa Rican art festival takes place this week, and we have seen signs (and heard a bit of the music) - it is right out on the street.

 

Mr. Otterstatter is seen here with a group that took a small jaunt after arriving in San Jose. Roman Catholicism is still preeminent in Costa Rica and we are here during Holy Week (Semana Santa). During the day today we saw a small procession in honor of a local saint.

 

This is the way the buses look at the start of the trip. Please note that this is very early in the morning, bright sun dominates the smiling and still awake faces of the children. Each guide stands at the front and describes everything visible from the bus. In two cases, the driver stops and lets the guide out who runs into a nearby field and returns with a frond or a flower to share (coffee and bananas today). These are really quite interesting, although I think most of us are still struggling with the idea that bananas, bananos, and plantains are all different things. 

The countryside changes constantly. Within just a few miles of San Jose, we were in Braulio Carrillo National Park with foggy crests and lush plants. Landslides were evident everywhere, and the road actually closed after we had passed. After the rainforest, we entered ranch and banana country. We meandered on the buses through small villages and past cute farmsteads. I was reminded of how beautiful the average scene is here - colorful houses, lots of children and families on bicycles (a Capital Bikeshare outpost, perhaps?), and a sort of sturdy prosperity everywhere. And then we were quickly plunged into the coastal forest for the last leg of our trip to Tortuguero.

We split in three - two boats for humans, one for luggage. We started far upriver and took innumerable turns and bends on this muddy, racing river. The trip took less time than I remembered from three years ago, but the students were just as interested in every branch, swirl, and bird.

This toothy river friend reinforced the idea that everyone should keep their hands in the craft. These were actual crocodiles, apparently, and they were very big (the groups saw two). There was evidence of their nesting on the river banks. Did I mention that they were big - and the river was really not very large so we were within 20-30 feet of Toothy here?

Nearing our hotel we spied this gentlemen watching the traffic go by - very slowly. There were many tourist boats like ours and a number of smaller water taxis. Enough to keep a Sunday afternoon interesting for the boatman at Finca El Bosque (The Forest Ranch).

Mr. Rottman encouraged me to add this particular image - a map of our trip to the lodge where we are staying. Because the maps of this area are not detailed, this could be useful - at least so we can figure out how to get back. The green dot is where we boarded our boats - we then went downstream until we hit a large canal. We then took a big turn to the south on a north-south canal paralleling the Caribbean. Finally, we looped back north when we hit the town of Tortuguero. Our lodge is on the far side of the main canal - indeed, my exact view as I am writing this for you!

 After a long morning's journey, we arrived at La Baula Lodge. La Baula translates as leatherback turtle - the beach near Tortuguero is the nesting ground for many sea turtles, presumably the leatherback as well.

We jumped in line for food and the dispersed the students to their rooms. In the first few minutes here we saw amazing blue birds, monkeys high in the trees, other tourists looking askance at our large group, and evidence that 60+ students can fit into a beautiful pool. After an hour of "rest," the students took off for Tortuguero to sample that town's life and to sign up for tomorrow's boat rides up the smaller canals that criss-cross the area. Two students will serve as reporters for the trip to Tortuguero, so you can hear more than my voice as to how wonderful the trip is so far!