The Tortuguero Experience-Part I

Yesterday morning, I was on the insanely early flight to Tortuguero (5.50am).  During landing, I could see the length of Tortuguero Island.  I was able to look out the front airplane window.  I watched waves lapping on the right side of the island and could see lagoon on the left side.

This plane, like the one I took to Panama, also carried 7 people.

The airport dock. You may be able to see boats at the end of the sidewalk.

I arrived before 6.30 and was met by a water taxi my hotel had sent.  I didn't find a conventional hostel on Tortuguero, but what I found was really great.  I stayed at the El Icaco Hotel in a private room with a private bathroom.  The hotel owner met me at the dock and showed me to the beach side of the island to where the hotel was located.  Aside from the loneliness this sort of situation results in, I needed the break from the hostel environment.

Hotel El Icaco

Honestly, my hostel experiences haven't been too bad - I've even ended up with the dorm room to myself more than once.  But even so, there is little privacy afforded in a dorm room.  I finally had some semblance of privacy at this hotel (although every sound I made was heard outside; there was no glass in the windows, only screen.

I returned to my hotel room today around 9am to find this lovely
swan.  How awesome is it that I get my very own swan made
out of my towels and bedsheet?

I settled in at the hotel and then headed to the beach (all of 20 feet away).  I spent the morning on the beach, walked around town for a few minutes (which is all it really takes), showered, took a 4-hour nap, and then went back to the beach in the evening.  Pretty much a perfect beach day.  The weather was great as well; there was no rain in sight.

The lovely and clean Tortuguero beach.  I actually found a
a large number of small whole sand dollars along this beach.
I picked some up, but they are so fragile and break so easily
that I'm afraid that few will survive, if any.

Today too I spent at the beach and napping in the warm cool of my fan in my hotel room.  The sun gets so hot here and there are no shade trees at the beach.  I can't possibly stay out as long here as I did in Panama or even in Montezuma.  It's so amazing that it's completely light outside around 5am and I can go to the beach and lie on the sand and read while it's still cool outside and while the fishermen stand around up and down the shore hoping to catch something.

Tomorrow I'm going to go on an early (5.45am) canoe tour of the Tortuguero National Park canals.  I'm excited to go on the tour; I'm expecting to see a lot of wildlife.