In search of turtles in total darkness

We just came back from Parque de Tortuguero, one of the best place to observe turtle hatching in the world. This place is so remote, the only way to get there is by boat and flight. We opted for the easier way and took a plane (partially because of the promotional rate of $35 one way!). From the air it looks totally desolated, covered by endless jungle greens only separated by canals, where boat become the most common means of transportation. It's extremely humid, i felt like taking a shower all the time. they say "humid" is the driest word in Tortuguero. :) Most people come here to see turtles, we are no exception. But we missed the best season and now there are just a few here and there that could be spotted on the beach, if you are lucky. Luck wasn't on our side this time. After walking on the beach in total darkness for two hours, i was nearly exhausted and didn't even see a footprint of turtle! Turtles are very shy, so we were instructed to dress as dark as possible. As a result i wore my only black, long-sleeved blouse and long black pants, it wasn't the best choice of outfit in that kind of weather! I was sweating like a pig! all for nothing (except for a good workout, my legs are still sore now) but at least we tried. :)
Turtles are not the only thing abundant in Tortuguero. This place is so rich in wildlife that you can't ride a canoe down the canal without spotting any interesting creatures - monkeys, crocodiles, butterflies, birds, and many more that's unknown to me. it made up for the disappointment in turtle watching. We had a good (and humid) trip there and now we are happily back to San Jose where it's dry and cool. :)

A fun (and muddy) day on ATV!

it might be a bit of exaggeration to say this is the most fun thing i've done in a long time, but it's not far from truth! :) it was just such a fun day. I've ridden ATV before but this one blows everything else out of the water! The whole day adventure trip takes place at a private reserve of over 60,000 acres near the city of San Jose. the view is breathtaking, and the terrain is wonderfully diversified - rain forest, cloud forest, tropical dry forest, or simply just bumpy gravel roads, you name it, they've got it! The trip starts with some locally grown organic mermalade and coffee (you can never go wrong with serving a good cup of organic coffee to start the day! ) Then off we go! After a little bit of test run, we start letting the beast running wild, going up hill, down hill, through the rainforest, crossing the muddy creeks, taking in the breathtaking view of central valley. it was incredible! At one point we were winding through this misty forest on a trail so narrow that the tree leaves keep beating on my arms, then we'd go up on a bumpy gravel road, the ATV'd slide left and right. at the end of the day we were all covered in mud but it's such an unforgetable fun day and i think it'd be safe to say, our Costa Rican experience would not be complete without it! :)

Though it's coming from a biased source, but according to the owner, we've just done the best ATV tour in the world. the owner himself has quite an interesting life story. He's originally from Holland, he travelled all over the world and even worked in Asia as a fashion designer (for women's lingerie). How he went from designing women's underwear to a ATV pro, i have no idea. But this and many other people we met made me think, life does have many possibilities, as long as you dare you dream, and be determined to carry it out. :)

Zipline, cloud forest, and coffee in Monteverde!

Before coming to Costa Rica, I really didn't have too much idea of this country. From reading lonelyplanet it seems like we are going to see a lot of birds and monkeys, and that just doesn't excite me very much. But after spending a few days here, what a wonderful country it is! Here in Monteverde, the continental divide and the altitude creates a special microclimate to allow the formation of cloud forest. What it's different from rain forest is that the cloud covers the foliage and the moisture often makes it to the leaves which drips to the forest floor, keeping it very, very moist. It was great walking in the forest (upper right), spotting wildlife like this beautiful bird called Quetzal (lower right), which is Guatemala's national bird. We also opted for a more adventurous activity - ziplining over the canopy (upper left)! It's such a thrill ride. the tour took us to a private reserve where 11 cables are set up, some are short and some are long. The longest one is 770m and it goes from one hill to another WAY above the canopy (lower left). The wind blows so strong that i had to focus full time on maintaining a neutral position to minimize the friction between the pulley and the cable. Otherwise? the friction slows you down and it's possible you won't make it to the other end!! Not the most leisurable way to appreciate the forest, but definitely the most fun one! :) I love it! This place is truely a classroom for wildlife! Other than the forest, there are conservatories for butterflies (wow), bats (ok), insects (oh), and snakes(no thanks!). The fertile land in this area also produces great coffee and great cheese. Monteverde really got its unfair share of gifts from the nature. :)