A Trip to Panama and Costa Rica
The Caribbean Side:Tortuguero
Arriving on the Caribbean we had to take a boat to our next stop. There are no roads to Tortuguero. Once again we found ourselves riding through dense rainforest.
We saw several kinds of monkeys: this howler monkey, spider monkeys, and more white-face Capuchins. There were many birds along the riverbanks, including several kinds of herons (here, a great blue).
The next morning we loaded in to smaller boats to explore the National Park. Although it had rained torrents the night before, we never needed the ponchos that were supplied, as our good weather luck held.
The morning was misty and added to the atmosphere of the park. Tiger herons were fairly common along one stretch of the river.
We also saw numberless oropendola nests hanging from the trees. Bird nests weren't the only things hanging from the trees--there was the occasional sloth as well.
The jacana (right) is a fairly common sight, but less common is to see its chick (left).
Again, there were many butterflies, but they usually did not land long enough to be photographed. Umberto was kept busy looking for monkeys, birds, sloths, etc.
"You can't go back until you find the caiman," we were told. [For help, put your cursor over the picture.] Yet another heron--the green heron (which is brown. . .)
The almond trees were spectacular in flower. This tree is called a "walking palm" because of its unusual roots. A favorite place for boa constrictors to hide--eek!
The "tarzan vines," which actually are strong enough to hold a man's weight. We strolled over to the beach on the Caribbean side. The water was very rough and uninviting--not the way we usually picture the Caribbean.
On the way out we saw roseate spoonbills and other shorebirds in profusion as well as the last of our monkeys. At the dock a band waited to serenade us.