Tortuguero to La Fortuna

We traveled to Tortuguero with Mike (Boston) and Adam (Virginia).

On the way to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo WE LEFT OUR TENT ON THE BUS!
no more tent for the remainder of the year. OOPS!

We arrived at Tortuguero after a long boat ride up the canal.
We walked around the town and had very carribean flavorful food (Casada and fish) which included coconut rice and beans, mixed sauteed veggies, salad french fries and seasoned fish.

at 9pm we watched a large green turtle lay eggs. It was INCREDIBLE.
we watched the turtles come out from the sea, dig a hole and lay 70 eggs for 15 minutes. afterward, the turtle buries the eggs for another 15-20 minutes and goes back out to sea. We walked back and forth between a few turtles to witness all stages of this amazing part of a turtles life cycle for about 40 minutes. wow.

We started our anti-Malaria pills.

Monday morning we went on a canoe trip (6am bright and early)
We saw 21 different animals. 3 different herons, cayman (small alligator) spider monkeys, toucans, butterflies, spiders, lizards and so much more.

After a 1 hour river boat ride. 20 min stop. 1.5 hour "minivan" ride which was a volkswagon bus. 15 minute stop and another 3.5 hour taxi ride to La Fortuna.
We are staying at La Posada Inn. It´s a house that is also a hostel or "Cabina" The hosts are VERY nice. The girl who checked us in looked about 18 or so. She was sweet and showed us around. Our 7USDOLLAR a night stay includes a shard kitchen which is outside but very well sheltered from the rain. It was so wonderful to make dinner in a comfortable warm temperature while there was thunder and loud rain surrounding us.

In La Fortuna hoping to visit the waterfalls tomorrow morning and move on over to Monteverde.

There is A LOT to see in Costa Rica so we´re movin along!

New friends and card games Rocking J's

Woke up to be reminded this hostel plays music at 9am and it runs through the whole place since it´s all pretty open and we are camping with our own tent which is close to the check in and main area.

We basically just planned out the rest of our day today played cards with William, Maxim Joanna and Louie and relaxed. It rained again today but it truly is nice to connect with strangers so quickly and really just get to know new people.
I forget how many people out there are doing exactly what Kevin and I are doing and it´s nice to connect with them and get to know them.

This quote was on the table
TOGETHER they stand on the hill, telling each other STORIES and feeling the WARMTH of the sun on their backs, and that my FRIENDS, is how it is with LOVE.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca ( Rocking J's )

so this morning we tried to wake up to watch the sunrise on the atlantic but had no success.

we walked around Puerto Viejo and found a vegan restaurant for breakfast. They had the best banana pancakes and Caribbean sauce for other breakfast items. Alongside that, we had mango and pineapple juice which was fresh and not covered in sugar. Yum!

we went grocery shopping and on the walk back to the hostel it started pouring. we stopped for a coffee and watched the locals and tourists scurry for shelter. Also, we sadly saw the local doggies looking a little frantic and also looking for shelter.

the whole day it rained. I loved it. I was able to catch up on my journal and draw all day pretty much. For dinner we made fish tacos with seasoned potatoes onions and white fish.

We met Julia, Sadie, Elliot, Mike, William and Maxim. All from US except the last two from Belgium. We played cards for a few hours and enjoyed the live music our hostel had at 9pm.
at 12am the music stopped and the crowd dispersed in groups of 4 to 8 to Johnny´s a club in town. Kevin and I tagged along with new people and met Louie and Joanna. We got back at 4am to find out Mike was robbed and all they took was his camera with 900 pictures. :( Just glad he made it safe.

and so did we.

En Route to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

So this morning I struggled to awake after going to bed EARLY.
But I couldn't help but wake up to horns honking. It's crazy how much they honk and no one is moving (Very similar to New York) stand still honk fest.

We went to the pasteleria which was one block away. Had delicious little sweet breakfast bites and some juice. After breakfast I remembered the hostel said to bring recyclables to the kitchen so I took my juice's glass bottle from the pasteleria. The cashier says "Lady, Lady, you can't take that from here" At that moment Kevin and I figured they must pay a deposit for their bottles and reuse them. I've already learned some of my natural habits don't work here.

Then we packed up to get to the bus station to get our tickets for Puerto Viejo.
As we loaded our backpacks into the trunk of the taxi I asked Kevin "Did you grab our passports?" Oh, that was a close one!!!!

The taxi rides are the one chance I get to sit and truly enjoy the city and scenery.
I saw a community center with an abandoned looking basketball court secured by chain link fence. I saw many teenage school children dressed in plaid skirts and white socks (the girls)
and a man repainting the steel/corrugated sheet metal style roofing with a long paint roller.
Then I saw the cutest puppy Golden Retriever. There aren't many dogs around here.

I paid 15Cents to use the restroom at the bus station and received some toilet paper.
I asked for one more sheet to dry my hands and the lady looked at me like I was out of my mind. Maybe I am. haha I now have pockets stocked with napkins.


So we were too late to get the 10am bus and we're waiting for the 12noon bus.

San Jose, Costa Rica

We have arrived!
Early this morning after a red eye flight we arrived in San Jose Costa Rica at 9am.
Our Hostel (Galileo Hostel) check in was at 1pm so we hung out at the hostel.
By hang out I mean we sat like zombies in the main quarters as the manager and hostel worker watched CSI miami. In walked a local with fresh food he made at home. Delicious local emenadas.
Then, I knocked out solid and napped for 2 hours in the Hostel's living room.


The hostel worker is from Southern California he was very nice and gave us an excellent outline of what to do. tomorrow we will leave by bus for Puerto Viejo de Limon and stay at a hostel where we will be camping. This hostel is called Rocking J's and sounds FUN!

I was concerned it'd be raining as the forecast said but apparently it stays warm and sunny until 2 or 3pm then rains every night around 6pm when it gets dark.


Just a quick update until next time. But we have arrived safely and it's beautiful in Costa Rica.

Agenda and Itinerary overview

- Aug 25th - Sept. 6th Costa Rica

- Sept. 7th - Oct. 1st Peru

Sept 26th - 30th (Machu Pichu hike)

- Oct. 1st - Oct. 15th Bolivia

- Oct. 15th - Nov. 18th ...............................Argentina and Chile

Nov. 4th - 9th (Iguacu Falls, Brazil)

- Nov. 18th - Dec. 17th ..............................Brazil and Uruguay

- Dec 18th - Dec. 23rd ..............................L.A./San Diego/Fallbrook

- Dec. 23rd - Jan 5th .................................Hawaii 

Dec. 27th Jenine's wedding in Waikiki

Jan 1st- Jan 5th  Big Island

- Jan 5th - Jan 13th ...................................Tokyo, Japan

- Jan 14th - Jan 17th .................................Singapore

- Jan 18th - Feb 3rd . ................................Vietnam

- Feb 4th - April 11th  ................................Cambodia/ Laos/Thailand/Malaysia/Bali, Indonesia                                                                              (more to decide)

- April 11th - 14th  .......................................Jakarta, Indonesia (flight)

- April 14th - May 11th .............................. Aukland and more, New Zealand

- May 11th - June/July/August ................................Australia

Aug 2010 and on TBD

- Europe (visit family)

- Canada (visit family)

PREPARING

Well ... a few more things to complete and we are OFF to Costa Rica.

Sadly, I think it's rainy season there, but overall I still expect it to be beautiful there.

I really just can't wait to release my financial ties and leave the country.

ALMOST THERE.

Also, I will be back in L.A. and hopefully San Diego or Fallbrook from Dec. 17th to the 23rd.

Then I get to fly out to Hawaii for Jenine's WEDDING!!

Alright. will update you in Costa Rica hopefully!