La Tortuga Feliz: First Impressions

This entry is part of the week we spent volunteering at La Tortuga Feliz (a turtle conservation project), near Bataan, Costa Rica.

La Tortuga Feliz (Near Bataan, Costa Rica)
First Impressions
This is a far cry and major departure from San Jose. Wow. I knew I’d be leaving the city and wanted to, but this is even more rustic than I had imagined.

The trip here:
The San Jose Los Caribenos bus station was much easier than anticipated. (I had visions of the difficulties encountered at Buenos Aires bus station a year and a half ago). But Los Caribenos was quick and easy.

-Driving through the mountains through the jungle… a bit different than driving through Colorado’s mountains of pine trees
-Huge leaves hanging on the hillsides
Cute Little boy on the bus to Bataan, Costa Rica
-The cute little boy I played hide and seek and put on a finger puppet show for on the bus to Bataan.
turtle eggs for sale on the bus to Bataan from San Jose, Costa Rica
-The man who got on the bus selling turtle eggs (illegally) at a quick stop. I didn’t know what they were but found out later.

-Bataan bus station isn’t really a station at all, just a place on the main street where the bus stops.
Getting from Bataan to La Tortuga Feliz (also shows you the island where La Tortuga Feliz sits)

View Central America 2009 in a larger map
Bataan to La Tortuga Feliz - pickup truck taxi
-The pickup truck taxi was less wide than an American pickup truck.

-The banana plantations of Del Monte are huge.
Volunteers waiting for the taxi to La Tortuga Feliz
-Neil (one of the other volunteers) comes across as a typical American but is easily forgiven because of his enthusiasm and how his fearlessness breaks down walls

-Robert (who manages La Tortuga Feliz) makes the complicated task of running La Tortuga Feliz look easier than I think it actually is
Speed boat ride through the jungle to La Tortuga Feliz
-The boat ride through the canal in the jungle was amazing and lush
-Wish we saw a crocodile, but saw a Jesus Christ Lizard, monkeys, small river/swamp turtles sitting on logs, frogs, interesting homes off the canal in the jungle (electricity from solar only, if electricity at all).
-Learned on the way that we’re on the tail end of the turtle season, and disappointed that we may or may not see any big turtles, but I’m hoping to see at least one.

This entry is part of the week we spent volunteering
at La Tortuga Feliz (a turtle conservation project), near Bataan, Costa
Rica. La Tortuga Feliz is an ecovolunteering program
where the money paid by volunteers provides an experience with
protecting turtles from poaching and taking part in new turtle life
(hatching new turtles, measuring them, and releasing them into the
ocean). Income from volunteers (which is minimal, considering what it
goes to take care of) supports a community which has depended on turtles
as a way of life for hundreds of years. This wouldn’t be a problem
(eating and selling turtle meat and eggs), except that the species of
turtles which are being poached are all on the brink of extinction. We
spent 7 days at La Tortuga Feliz and have shared our experience here (in
case you’d perhaps like to volunteer, and/or) in case you’re researching
things you might want to know before going to La Tortuga Feliz. This
journal was written on paper and later transferred to typed text to post
on the site. If you want to see all of our pictures (over 300 from La
Tortuga Feliz), visit our pictures page.

Raking Leaves And Tarantula At La Tortuga Feliz La Tortuga Feliz: Seeing big turtles. I haven't seen any...
Kayaking at La Tortuga Feliz La Tortuga Feliz: Taking the kayak out on the canal...
It’s Turtle Time! Hatching Turtles at La Tortuga Feliz La Tortuga Feliz: Releasing baby turtles - So we started...
So Much Bug Spray: La Tortuga Feliz water is also dripping through the plastic covering the hatchery....
Should You Come To La Tortuga Feliz? La Tortuga Feliz. Since we're not working any more shifts...

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2 Responses to “La Tortuga Feliz: First Impressions”

Brian says:

October 27, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Wow… what a journey it looks like you have been on so far. Got a chance to look over the pictures. Looks like bugs have not been your friend. Maybe some Texas size bugs down there? Really looks like you are having a great time and I am sure you are learning lots. I hope the trip is turning out better than you’d hoped. Thank you for the call the other night, sorry I missed it. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Keep sending pics and posts. Love to see them.
Brian

Reply
Sue Zamora says:

October 28, 2009 at 8:03 pm

Wow! A very long time since I was in Costa Rica and these pictures really make we want to go back. I’d forgotten; the jungle, the banana trees, everything. It will happen

Reply