La Tortuga Feliz: First Impressions

La Tortuga Feliz (Near Bataan, Costa Rica)
First Impressions
This is a far cry and major departure from San Jose. Wow. I knew I’d be leaving the city and wanted to, but this is even more rustic than I had imagined.

The trip here:
The San Jose Los Caribenos bus station was much easier than anticipated. (I had visions of the difficulties encountered at Buenos Aires bus station a year and a half ago). But Los Caribenos was quick and easy.


-Driving through the mountains through the jungle… a bit different than driving through Colorado’s mountains of pine trees
-Huge leaves hanging on the hillsides

-The cute little boy I played hide and seek and put on a finger puppet show for on the bus to Bataan.

-The man who got on the bus selling turtle eggs (illegally) at a quick stop. I didn’t know what they were but found out later.

-Bataan bus station isn’t really a station at all, just a place on the main street where the bus stops.
Getting from Bataan to La Tortuga Feliz (also shows you the island where La Tortuga Feliz sits)

View Central America 2009 in a larger map

-The pickup truck taxi was less wide than an American pickup truck.

-The banana plantations of Del Monte are huge.

-Neil (one of the other volunteers) comes across as a typical American but is easily forgiven because of his enthusiasm and how his fearlessness breaks down walls

-Robert (who manages La Tortuga Feliz) makes the complicated task of running La Tortuga Feliz look easier than I think it actually is

-The boat ride through the canal in the jungle was amazing and lush
-Wish we saw a crocodile, but saw a Jesus Christ Lizard, monkeys, small river/swamp turtles sitting on logs, frogs, interesting homes off the canal in the jungle (electricity from solar only, if electricity at all).
-Learned on the way that we’re on the tail end of the turtle season, and disappointed that we may or may not see any big turtles, but I’m hoping to see at least one.

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