"What's today's date?"
"May the 4th be with you." - Zan
I'm not sold on Tortuguero - not completely. Sometimes I am - moments when I can see the solitude and peace as something other than an expensive trip to the lake. That's what it kinda feels like. Like planning and taking a lake trip would just be a frivolous waste of vacation time, but traveling to Costa Rica's most remote waterways is worth it. Also, so far everything is expensive in Costa Rica and Tortuguero. I've spent $300 in 48 hours in this country. That does include 3 nights of hotels, though, so in perspective, maybe it's not as bad as it seems.
Why am I complaining? I'm not, really. Despite the cost, Tortuguero is laid back, chilled out, and very relaxing. And it was certainly an adventure getting here...
We were scheduled to take a Viator tour from San Jose to Tortuguero on Saturday the 3rd. We landed in San Jose at midnight and were deliriously pulling covers around ourselves by 1:00am. Our wake-up call came at 4:30, and I think it took me 3 attempts to groggily pick up the receiver. Zan gave me a second wake-up at 4:45. By 5:20am, we were waiting at the Holiday Inn Express for the Gray Line tour bus. Our scheduled pick-up time of 5:40 came and went - replaced by 6:00, 6:30, and then 7:00am. By 7, I was onto a Plan B and had surreptitiously used the free computers in the hotel lobby to jot down directions to Tortuguero by public transportation.
I still have no idea what happened with the tour. Our confirmation vouchers say that additional confirmation is required, but we received payment confirmation from Gray Line, the local tour operator (for Zan - mine was handled through my freelance work with Viator), along with separate emails confirming pick-up time and location. We were stood up! When the Gray Line office in the hotel opened, the woman staffing it made a few calls. The best answer she could give us is that in the Gray Line system, the tour was marked canceled, even though we hadn't been notified.
Tour schmour! I was wide awake and excited for our DIY trip, by that point. We hired a taxi to get us to the first bus station in time. But before leaving the hotel, we grabbed breakfast and several cups of coffee (for Zan) and tea (for me) at the only place in sight: Denny's. Our first meal in Costa Rica was a grand slam.
From the first bus station - Caribenos, we traveled 2 hours to Cariari, a typical Central American town, a little run-down without much to see. The bus ride, though, took us through the Braulio Carillo National Park - a cloud forest and rainforest. The drive was stunning. Small waterfalls cascaded over vertical rock faces on either side of the bus.
From Cariari, we took a bus one hour to La Pavona, a tiny village on the river and the last destination accessible by land before Tortuguero. The area has little more than a small restaurant called Ranchero, mostly for tourists to grab an empanada or bag of chips and pay to use the restroom before setting off for Tortuguero. We boarded a longboat and sped through the canals to the tiny village of Tortuguero. I spotted a spider monkey dangling from one arm high in the treetops right before swinging to catch another branch. Some of the canals were windy and narrow, while the main thoroughfare in the last half of the hour-long boat ride was much wider, with expansive views of the river, jungle on either side and sky above.
When we docked at Tortuguero village, Zan and I exchanged excited glances. The village is colorful - the houses and ramshackle restaurants and shops a rainbow of colors. I've never been anywhere accessibly only by boat. The remoteness - the challenge to get there - makes it desirable, different, detached from real life.
We checked in at our hotel - Casa Marbella - about 3 minutes after docking. Everything here is very close. There's only one main street, and you can walk the entire village in less than an hour. Our room is simple - a bed and no furniture, save for a small bedside table and a bench of sorts for clothes and belongings - and a clean bathroom. Ants on the bed have been an issue - but Zan seems unscathed so maybe I'm making too much of it?
We ate a late lunch at Buddha Cafe, just about 50 feet from our hotel. We had pizza and a 'Uruguay sandwich,' which was essentially a burger with the beef prepared slightly differently. The meal left us mostly satisfied but out $30.
We spent the rest of our first day exploring the village. The street follows the River. On the other end - a short two-minute walk on gravel and dirt paths - the ocean spreads out and rolls up.
The beach here is stunning. It's a black sand beach - my first time seeing one. I was mesmerized by the contrast of the blue water and white foam against the dark sand. The blackness of the sand makes every other color vibrant. The surf is strong (it's always strong, and swimming isn't recommended, we've heard), but still I waded in to my stomach, unable and unwilling to resist the cool(ish) water on the hot, humid day. We walked the beach for an hour, me taking pictures, and Zan lost in his thoughts - and conversation with another traveler for a short while.
The beach is special. Standing in the surf and walking through the soft, hot sand, I felt taken somewhere - that wonder that all travelers keep moving and experiencing to feel. It's a high, that sense of wonderment.
We got back in time to watch the sunset on the hotel's deck by the docks. I switched between my book and my camera, unable to put either down but wanting both at the same time. We ate dinner at Sun Rise Cafe, and it was simple -grilled meat (cooked outside near us), rice, beans, and a small salad. We finally got a taste of local life, and it was delicious.
Tortuguero is expensive - that was to be expected, as everything has to be brought in by boat, and maybe it is an overblown trip to the lake, but I haven't used a brush in 2 days and don't bother to check my email for hours on end and got so lost in a book I thought about it and little else as we meandered around town. Those little luxuries and indulgences make it worth it.
I'm not sold on Tortuguero - not completely. Sometimes I am - moments when I can see the solitude and peace as something other than an expensive trip to the lake. That's what it kinda feels like. Like planning and taking a lake trip would just be a frivolous waste of vacation time, but traveling to Costa Rica's most remote waterways is worth it. Also, so far everything is expensive in Costa Rica and Tortuguero. I've spent $300 in 48 hours in this country. That does include 3 nights of hotels, though, so in perspective, maybe it's not as bad as it seems.
Why am I complaining? I'm not, really. Despite the cost, Tortuguero is laid back, chilled out, and very relaxing. And it was certainly an adventure getting here...
We were scheduled to take a Viator tour from San Jose to Tortuguero on Saturday the 3rd. We landed in San Jose at midnight and were deliriously pulling covers around ourselves by 1:00am. Our wake-up call came at 4:30, and I think it took me 3 attempts to groggily pick up the receiver. Zan gave me a second wake-up at 4:45. By 5:20am, we were waiting at the Holiday Inn Express for the Gray Line tour bus. Our scheduled pick-up time of 5:40 came and went - replaced by 6:00, 6:30, and then 7:00am. By 7, I was onto a Plan B and had surreptitiously used the free computers in the hotel lobby to jot down directions to Tortuguero by public transportation.
I still have no idea what happened with the tour. Our confirmation vouchers say that additional confirmation is required, but we received payment confirmation from Gray Line, the local tour operator (for Zan - mine was handled through my freelance work with Viator), along with separate emails confirming pick-up time and location. We were stood up! When the Gray Line office in the hotel opened, the woman staffing it made a few calls. The best answer she could give us is that in the Gray Line system, the tour was marked canceled, even though we hadn't been notified.
Tour schmour! I was wide awake and excited for our DIY trip, by that point. We hired a taxi to get us to the first bus station in time. But before leaving the hotel, we grabbed breakfast and several cups of coffee (for Zan) and tea (for me) at the only place in sight: Denny's. Our first meal in Costa Rica was a grand slam.
From the first bus station - Caribenos, we traveled 2 hours to Cariari, a typical Central American town, a little run-down without much to see. The bus ride, though, took us through the Braulio Carillo National Park - a cloud forest and rainforest. The drive was stunning. Small waterfalls cascaded over vertical rock faces on either side of the bus.
From Cariari, we took a bus one hour to La Pavona, a tiny village on the river and the last destination accessible by land before Tortuguero. The area has little more than a small restaurant called Ranchero, mostly for tourists to grab an empanada or bag of chips and pay to use the restroom before setting off for Tortuguero. We boarded a longboat and sped through the canals to the tiny village of Tortuguero. I spotted a spider monkey dangling from one arm high in the treetops right before swinging to catch another branch. Some of the canals were windy and narrow, while the main thoroughfare in the last half of the hour-long boat ride was much wider, with expansive views of the river, jungle on either side and sky above.
When we docked at Tortuguero village, Zan and I exchanged excited glances. The village is colorful - the houses and ramshackle restaurants and shops a rainbow of colors. I've never been anywhere accessibly only by boat. The remoteness - the challenge to get there - makes it desirable, different, detached from real life.
We checked in at our hotel - Casa Marbella - about 3 minutes after docking. Everything here is very close. There's only one main street, and you can walk the entire village in less than an hour. Our room is simple - a bed and no furniture, save for a small bedside table and a bench of sorts for clothes and belongings - and a clean bathroom. Ants on the bed have been an issue - but Zan seems unscathed so maybe I'm making too much of it?
We ate a late lunch at Buddha Cafe, just about 50 feet from our hotel. We had pizza and a 'Uruguay sandwich,' which was essentially a burger with the beef prepared slightly differently. The meal left us mostly satisfied but out $30.
We spent the rest of our first day exploring the village. The street follows the River. On the other end - a short two-minute walk on gravel and dirt paths - the ocean spreads out and rolls up.
The beach here is stunning. It's a black sand beach - my first time seeing one. I was mesmerized by the contrast of the blue water and white foam against the dark sand. The blackness of the sand makes every other color vibrant. The surf is strong (it's always strong, and swimming isn't recommended, we've heard), but still I waded in to my stomach, unable and unwilling to resist the cool(ish) water on the hot, humid day. We walked the beach for an hour, me taking pictures, and Zan lost in his thoughts - and conversation with another traveler for a short while.
The beach is special. Standing in the surf and walking through the soft, hot sand, I felt taken somewhere - that wonder that all travelers keep moving and experiencing to feel. It's a high, that sense of wonderment.
We got back in time to watch the sunset on the hotel's deck by the docks. I switched between my book and my camera, unable to put either down but wanting both at the same time. We ate dinner at Sun Rise Cafe, and it was simple -grilled meat (cooked outside near us), rice, beans, and a small salad. We finally got a taste of local life, and it was delicious.
Tortuguero is expensive - that was to be expected, as everything has to be brought in by boat, and maybe it is an overblown trip to the lake, but I haven't used a brush in 2 days and don't bother to check my email for hours on end and got so lost in a book I thought about it and little else as we meandered around town. Those little luxuries and indulgences make it worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to comment (and read)! If you would like to shoot me a longer note, feel free to email me at travelhikeeat@gmail.com.