Thursday, April 7, 2016
The alarm goes off at six, and despite going to sleep only 3,5 hours prior, we have no trouble getting out of bed. Maybe a mix of excitement and being in a different time zone?
We organize our luggage for the day, throw on some clothes
and ask the front desk for directions to Mercado Central, San José's biggest indoor market. I printed a
basic map at home, but it helps to have a general idea of where to go.
I'll admit that I was a bit worried about exploring San José in the quiet of the early morning, given it's bad reputation at night, but the city is like anthill. Produce stands line the smaller streets, while the larger thoroughfares bustle with buses and taxi's. Peddlers have set up shop too, trying to sell anything from scratch off lottery tickets, to sunglasses, and phone accessories. But it's the produce stands that are doing brisk business as the locals converge looking for the best deals on fruit and vegetables.
We have no trouble locating the market,
but inexplicably a lot of the stores are still closed with no signs of opening
up anytime soon, even though technically it has been open for at least half an hour.
As we wander through the maze of nearly deserted narrow corridors, we do find several soda's, small local restaurants, serving up traditional Costa Rican breakfasts for the early birds. I inhale deeply as the smell of seasoned rice and beans fill the air, but a few steps later it mixes abruptly with the pungent odor of dead fish from the fishmonger next door. Ew!
Several produce stands are in the process of setting up and we find one that sells different types of passion
fruit, as well as a shiny round orange fruit that weighs next to
nothing. The vendor says it's a granadilla and also let's us try a chunk of the soursop
he is bagging. I've eaten soursop before, but never tasted one as sweet as this one. Even Sandy who hates almost all
tropical fruit seems to tolerate it alright. In the end we leave with 2 apples,
a yellow passion fruit and a red one, and the mystery granadilla.
With so many stores still closed we make our way through the market in record time, leaving us with some extra time on our hands before the hotel starts serving breakfast. We decide to check out nearby Parque de la Merced.
It is nothing like the tranquil, green space I was expecting, but a lively city park with more pavement than grass. Benches are placed throughout the park and form the hub of a busy social scene.
Looking out over the square is the Iglesia de la Merced. This neo-gothical, catholic church was built in 1894 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Inside, the colorful columns and stained-glass windows are quick to catch your attention, but my favorite part is the mahogany vaulted ceiling. It reminds me of a ship's hull.
We decide to find some more things to eat later today and
manage to find a small grocery store where I score a roll of interesting looking
cookies, a vanilla cake for Sandy and some gummies for me.
Tip: if you want to learn how to count in Spanish before going Costa Rica, make sure you feel comfortable using hundreds and thousands. I had made sure to practice numbers on my Duolingo app, but hadn't taken into account that even small purchases run into the thousands and it really threw me off.
It takes a minute to find the hotel again, but we arrive just as they start serving the complimentary breakfast at 7:30am. You have the option of a continental (American-style) breakfast, or a traditional breakfast with gallo pinto, seasoned rice and beans. Last night, our cabbie had recommended trying gallo pinto while we are here and we always enjoy sampling some of the local cuisine so what better way to start our first day in Costa Rica?
Admittedly it doesn't look very appetizing, but it was pretty yummy!
Our server asks us if we want coffee with our meals, and when we decline, she offers what sounds like fresh juice instead. She rattles off the options and I get all excited when I hear melon, but as she walks away I start second guessing myself. Melon juice? I've never heard of anything like that. Did she say lemon maybe? But no, it's actual fresh melon juice and boy is it good! Yum, yum, yum!
After we check out, we start walking towards the National Theater, which unfortunately turns out to be undergoing renovations, although in hindsight, I think we were looking at it from the side haha.
It's barely eight o'clock and already the sun feels so strong that I worry we might get sunburned!
San José isn't known for an abundance of architectural gems, but if you explore the city on foot you are almost guaranteed to find something interesting, like Teatro Variedades.
Built in the late 19th century, this ornate building was not only San José's first theater; in 1906 it also became the first movie theater. Today it's listed on the national registry of historic places and closed for renovations.
At the next intersection stands the stately Edeficio Maroy, built in 1923. You likely won't find either of these in guidebooks, which makes you wonder how many other cool buildings are out there ...
Next up, is Parque Morazan with at its center, the Templo de la Musica. Music plays a big role in Costa Rican culture and from time to time the dome gets used for concerts from the national orchestra and other bands.
Finally some green surrounding the state of Chilean liberator Bernardo O'Higgins.
Statue of Simón Bolívar
Ever since leaving pedestrian-only Avenida Central, navigating the narrow, potholed sidewalks with our suitcase has eaten up a lot of time; we keep getting stuck behind people, unable to pass in the street because of the amount of cars. It makes me nervous to think how far we still have to go, before our bus leaves.
The terminal is in a somewhat industrial area that I don't much enjoy walking in, especially dragging a big suitcase, but at least the open space allows us to pick up some speed and we make it with just minutes to spare. Luckily, an English speaking (woohoo!) Tortuguero representative intercepts us and tells us to hurry to the ticket counter inside.
There's a young couple at the front of the line and they can't decide what they want to do. Anxiously I swift my weight from foot to foot. Still they haven't reached an agreement. The clock keeps ticking. Sigh.
Finally,
with 2 minutes to spare it's our turn and I manage to not only order our tickets, but also offer the correct amount of colones. Yay!
We sprint back down to where the
buses are waiting and in my mad rush almost run into the wrong bus (in my
defense it said Cariari in the window), but the Tortuguero rep intervenes and ushers us over to the one next to it. After the driver finds some space for our suitcase in an undercarriage compartment, we board the already full bus. Sandy trips over someone's foot and whacks an old lady in the head, then ends up sitting next to her because there's nowhere else to go. Well, that could be awkward, but fortunately they don't speak each other's language haha.
I have resigned myself to staying on my feet, but an older gentleman gestures that there is another open seat in the back row. Yay! He's very sweet, offering to get me situated and asking if I want the window open or closed.
I can feel him watching me as we wind through the mountains of Braulio Carillo national park. Although gaining in popularity, this route is not yet frequented by tourists and I wonder what he sees when he looks at me ... a white girl, little old to be backpacking, yet somehow crammed in between the locals on a public bus to the middle of nowhere.
"Your country is very beautiful," I tell him, and he gives me the most beatific smile while grandfatherly patting my shoulder. Yay, for the kind folks of Costa Rica!
Except, um, sir, why are you petting my forehead? Dude! No!
He
giggles and lets go of my head, but his other hand which had been resting partly on my thigh stays
put. Admittedly, it's a bit cramped, so I'm willing to let that slide, but when he starts rubbing his thumb against my leg I yank on my raincoat until the exposed skin is almost completely covered. Ick! I fix him with a searing glare and after that he doesn't dare bother me again.
I'm not sad to see him go when he gets off the bus at
Guapiles, and better yet, so many people leave that Sandy and I get to sit together near the front of the bus. Now that I'm at the window I can finally take
some pictures! Unfortunately, we already passed through all of Braulio Carillo National Park while I was busy getting it on with grandpa, but oh well.
A very blurry pictures of loggers by the side of the road.
Possibly the cutest little blue church in the world.
After about 2,5 hours we arrive at in Cariari, where another Tortuguero spokesperson is waiting for us. In a mixture of English and mostly Spanish he
explains the next steps of our itinerary; first the bus to La Pavona, then a boat to
Tortuguero.
Until recently you also had to walk from the new Cariari bus station to the old station down the street, but they have added in this stop to pick up tourists, and apparently hired representatives in both San José and here in Cariari. This actually makes me a bit nervous, because no one had mentioned this in any of my online research. There were reports of people getting conned by tour guides, but as far as I can tell these guys are not affiliated with any particular lodge or tour company and all of the prices are in line with what was listed online.
Waiting to board
I struggle to find exact change when it's time to pay on the bus, but the driver notices me sifting through the unfamiliar coins in my wallet he takes pity on me and tells me not to worry about the rest. Now I feel kind of bad that I had worried about getting ripped off!
I watch as everyone slowly gets drenched with sweat, while we're waiting for the bus to leave. Shirts are staining, upper lips and foreheads glistening .. even with the windows open it's almost unbearably hot. Mercifully we hit the road before tempers start flaring.
The rep has joined us on the bus and is running around tying down the curtains, because where there wasn't even a breeze before, the wind now whips through the bus, flapping the curtains in people's faces.
The second leg of our trip takes us through the heart of banana country.
Bunch covers help protect the bananas from insects.
The paved road gives way to a reasonable dirt road with guardrail-less one-way bridges that leave no room for error.
The bus makes several stops along the way, during which people board the bus carrying baskets filled with dried fruit, plantain chips, beverages and other snacks. Once everyone has been set up with their favorite munchies they leave and the bus continues its route.
At last, we arrive in La Pavona, which doesn't appear to be an actual city, but a lone riverside restaurant. And this is where things get
weird: we collect our luggage from underneath the bus and they immediately proceed to toss
it all into the back of a pick-up truck and drive off before we realize what's happened.
The other tourists appear similarly confused and we mill about like a flock of lost sheep, until they indicate we should follow the truck. They lead us past a small dock with a couple of boats, down a narrow path alongside the river.
You can just make out the truck ahead of us in the distance.
"But what about the boats?" I want to say. But no else speaks, so I remain silent. On a 1-10 'ease of kidnapping scale', I would clearly rate a 15.
After the longest 500 meter walk in world history, I'm relieved
to see the pick-up truck parked up ahead and group of men unloading the giant
pile of suitcases into a waiting boat.
They divide us between the other two boats, and we are assigned to the one with less people on it, which is great, because it's dry season and we'll
be able to navigate the shallow areas more easily. The other boat gets off to a head start, but we are quick to overtake them.
Someone *cough*Sandy*cough* walked right into my picture of our boat.
Boating on the Rio Suerte (Lucky River) is an incredible experience. Normally the trip takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, but this time of year it's closer to two and that's more than fine by me. In fact, I think I
might have said, “I'd be happy to just stay on this boat for the rest of our
trip!” ... but more on that later.
We motor past upended stumps and submerged hazards marked by floating empty soda bottles, oftentimes lifting the engine clear out of the water to navigate trickier sections. Occasionally we grind to a stop, forcing the crew to jump out and push us into a deeper section.
A herd of cows has found refuge in the shade of large riverside tree.
Did I mention that the crew gets in the water sometimes? I think I'll pass.
In addition to the caiman, we also spot several basilisks; not one, but two rare blue water snakes, and a monkey! This here is a basilisk.
At last, the Rio Suerte empties into the deep and expansive Rio Tortuguero. The captain revs the engine again and we're now too fast and too far from the banks to see any more wildlife. Until the engine stalls ... but that's okay, because it did that before and after a few tries it started back up.
Water taxi flying towards us.
See?! We're already going again!
Well, at least we were for a minute there. This continues for a while, except the time spent aimlessly
drifting is starting to outnumber the time we can use the motor to power us
onward. The slow boat filled to capacity now passes out. They have a good
chuckle at our expense … payback no doubt.
The captains briefly talk to each other and I think I hear them mention something about overheating. I wonder what they will do if we get stuck out here on this
boat? Did he tell the other captain to send someone to come rescue us?
I listen to the engine click and purr, without ever roaring back to life. "Dios mio!" the captain cries out, and suddenly, the phrase "be careful what you wish for," springs to mind. Did I say I could
easily stay on this boat forever?
I take it back! The hard plastic seat is digging into my
bottom no matter which way I turn, and the sun is relentless. Constant exposure, no sunscreen, and I can't move out of the
sun, because we need to keep the boat balanced. At least I will have one very tan arm by the end of this!
Joking aside, we're still having a good time and it gets even
better when someone spots a troop of monkeys lazing in the trees alongside us.
So cute!
And a white egret hunting in the reeds
Haltingly we eventually make it to the Tortuguero dock.
Lo and
behold, our suitcase is waiting for us! Oh, to think I had worried about our bag being out of view in the
undercarriage of the bus and here it's been lying around in the dirt unattended for who knows how long.
There's a man holding a sign and saying something as we disembark, but we've already arranged our lodging beforehand so I'm not really paying attention to what he is saying. Still I can't help but notice Sandy's name at the top of the
whiteboard. No. Way! I shake my head and squint my eyes, but it's definitely
there. Incredibly, the $25 a night hostel that's just a couple of blocks from
the dock has sent someone over to collect us!
During check-in, it takes me two seconds to realize that the receptionist is a
Dutch expat too and we immediately hit it off. She has lots of great advice for us and her enthusiasm in contagious.
Our room is pretty basic, but clean with a spacious shower and a towel animal. You won't find better value for your money anywhere.
The view from our room. I love the bright orange paint.
There's also a sweet, old dog for me to play with.
Are you still curious about that mysterious granadilla I bought this morning? Me too! Doesn't it look funny?! The harder outer shell contains it has three 'lobes' filled with passion fruit-like seeds, except they taste much sweeter. As it turns out, a granadilla not only looks and tastes a lot like passion-fruit, it's actually a type of sweet passion-fruit.
The side exit of the hostel places you directly on the edge of the soccer field and when we head for the beach we find ourselves in the middle of a match.
The late afternoon casts long shadows on the grayish brown sand that contrast nicely with the whitewater coming to shore. The Caribbean Sea brings powerful waves and currents to the area, as well as the occasional shark, making Tortuguero beach unsuitable for swimming. A handful of people have waded out waist deep and I go for a quick dip myself. There, that feels better!
We hike along the beach for a bit and into Parque Nacional Tortuguero, but we don't have much luck spotting critters, except for birds and tiny lizards.
My new Dutch friend had already warned us that we wouldn't be likely to find many animals in that area, but with three tours planned for tomorrow I think we'll see plenty.
Obviously something went wrong with my settings here, but I kind of like how it came it out. The Montezuma oropendola sings an unforgettable song that sounds like a cross between an alien space ship and a squeaky dog toy.
We make it back just in time to watch the sunset over the Tortuguero River.
Cute animals like this toucan help disguise the trash cans. Also notice, right behind it a little boy playing with the box on his head haha.
Budda Café is one of the top rated places to eat in Tortuguero, but tonight it is deserted. What a wonderful place to sit and
look out over the rivers as the last of the day's color fades into the night.
Hello! It's me, your lovely host for this blog ;-)
I hate to admit it, but Sandy's margherita was better than my pepperoni.
They are out of pineapple tea, so we order a large bottle of water each ... turns out they are two liter bottles, so 4L total! Between those and the leftover pizza we're all set for breakfast, which is great because we're too tired to go shopping tonight.
It starts getting dark by 5:30 and by 6:30 it's pitch black. Combined with our lack of sleep that makes it feel hours later. But the boats on the river don't stop; they just switch on their lights and keep going.
My dessert crepe with banana and homemade caramel is good. Sandy's cheesecake is unexpectedly served with a dab of passion fruit on top and she wastes no time scraping it off and gives to me. Yummy! I love surprises. Sandy not so much, especially when they involve tropical fruit.
The shower takes a while to warm up, but there is even warm water! Now
the fan's on and I'm going to sleep as much as I can ... well, until the alarm goes off at five.
❤
Breakfast: Hotel Novo
Lunch: snacks
Dinner: Budda Café
Lodging: Aricari Garden Hostel
