Tuesday February 19
Since we didn't want to have the lights on in the room (only screens, no glass, but plenty of cracks in the walls and under the door) we went to bed early and woke up early too. There were curtains but we didn't draw them because we thought it would be more like sleeping outdoors. It was quite nice (for a city girl like me).
It seemed light outside but we were pretty sure that the sun had not risen yet so we went to the beach.
It took a while but then we saw the first rays.
Getting lovelier by the second.
Click here if you have patience, ha-ha.
Afterwards, in search for a cuppa-coffee, the spider monkey monkeyed around. Gosh, he is so lucky. How often did I wish I had another hand when I was working on a project. See his tail?
He came down pretty far and then up again.
And in the process I could admire this gorgeous orchid.
We were strolling around and one of the staff people took me to look at this. A 'Hercules beetle' he had found the evening before. I was surprised it was still there. And even more surprised when I wanted to show it to somebody else later and it was still there. I got suspicious whether it was even alive ... but somebody touched it and it moved a little.
Ha-ha, the Costa Rican chia pet?
The way to our room.
Today's towel art.
The dock.
A turtle on the other side ... on the way to borrow a canoe. Nestor and Margo take a kayak each. James' knees prefer the canoe.
Gliding along was incredible.
This will give you a little taste.
We went all the way to the ocean.
Getting in and out of the boat got the shoes wet of course. I rinsed mine and put them out to dry ... but I had to put them on still wet though.
Waiting for the others there was no shortage of things to see. Can you see the hummingbird on the left side of the flower in the middle?
It is flying away and in the very left top of the picture.
Everybody goes on a guided boatride. Soon we see an emerald basilisk. The males are green, the females brown. I so wanted to see one walk on water (hence the name: Jesus lizard)
James tries to help.
But you can see it here.
A little further our guide spots a nest of the long-tailed hermit (hummingbird). It is smack in the middle of this photo. He has taken a bit of a leaf and some web from a spider. I saw it fly out of it just when we arrived.
More info here
It took me forever to find the two whip-poor-will birds on this thick branch even when the guide and Nestor tried to point them out. Nature / camouflage is just so amazing. One is almost laying just right of the middle of the picture on the thick branch.
More info here but you have to scroll down some.
And more of the long-nosed bats. Camouflage again!
And this is why I am so amazed about the guides. This is about the view of the eye ... no binoculars or camera zoom. Do you see the heron?
Zoom! Yellow-crowned night-heron!
I wasn't fast enough to take a picture of the bush but this is the flower. Nestor called it the "romantic flower".
Watch this video!
Love that tree!
Oh, and this one. There was a lot of red in it ... and when you were right underneath it (in the boat) it was so majestic ... huge.
Another turtle. Our guide caught it for a moment.
He told us how to know male or female. But I am saturated with so much, I can't remember.
A sloth!
A caiman!
A garfish!
Wow, time to get back.
* * * * *
The official OAT itinerary of today:
Day 14 - post-trip day 2
Both natural and man-made canals are the primary means of transportation in Tortuguero. This morning, we'll cruise along this restricted network in search of such local denizens as crocodiles, iguanas, and the rare manatee.
We'll return to the lodge for lunch, then we can choose between a walk along the lodge's trail to observe the region's diverse flora and fauna - perhaps glimpsing the sloths, monkeys, Green Macaws, and toucans that all this protected are home - or another boat or canoe rie along a different series of Tortuguero's canals.
Following our afternoon nature-viewing activities, we'll regroup to have dinner together at our lodge.
It took me forever to find the two whip-poor-will birds on this thick branch even when the guide and Nestor tried to point them out. Nature / camouflage is just so amazing. One is almost laying just right of the middle of the picture on the thick branch.
And more of the long-nosed bats. Camouflage again!
And this is why I am so amazed about the guides. This is about the view of the eye ... no binoculars or camera zoom. Do you see the heron? 
I wasn't fast enough to take a picture of the bush but this is the flower. Nestor called it the "romantic flower". Watch this video!
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