Here we left the car in a guarded car park for 10 dollars a night for three nights and caught the public boat to Tortuguero on the Carribean coast. The boat ride only cost a couple of pounds, but the luggage was put on a separate boat and charged about a pound extra! Actually very good value. There was something about the luggage following us that reminded me of Terry Pratchett.
Shortly after leaving the beach, the captain stopped the boat so we could admire a large crocodile basking mouth agape on the sandy shore.
The river snaked between jungle banks with tortuous bends, sandbanks and half submerged trees to navigate around. Eventually it joined a much larger river and we sailed smoothly to Tortuguero.
Here we eventually ( it was lunchtime) hired a small water taxi to take us across the broad river to the solar powered Toucan and Tarpon Lodge where we are staying. We have a small cabin in the jungle, one of three owned by Jeff, an amiable Canadian.
Shortly after we arrived, he and his local guide showed us a three toed sloth low down in a tree. Whilst we watched it moved incredibly slowly to reach nearby branches and eat the leaves. Considering that these animals spend most of their time asleep, we were very lucky.
After a stroll along jungle trails on the property, we caught a water taxi across to the town for dinner. As we left, the driver pointed out a tigerskin heron wading near the bank, a most unusually beautiful bird.
We had a quick stroll in the town. There are no cars because it is on an island with no roads, just paths. We walked across the few hundred yards width of the island to stand on the sandy beach of the Caribbean sea.
After dinner we returned shortly after dark and fireflies were flashing in the grass alongside the path from the landing stage. A memorable day.
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