Entering Costa Rica from Panamá [1] was by walking across a long rickety railway bridge, completing immigration formalities on either side of the river.

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We did not get far along the road, stopping at Cahuita [2], a tiny village with only a few roads and lots of Caribbean character (and characters).  A long black sand beach stretches away to one side with a white sand beach on the other.  It was coconut prawns, black beans and rice for dinner.  Resident howler monkeys wake the town each morning at 5 am.

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Following the coast north we travelled 4 hours by boat from Puerto Limón to the remote village of Tortuguero [3] (pop. 550), through a maze of canals.  (There are no roads into or in Tortugero, which means place of turtles.)  Jungle overhanging both banks ensured a lot of bird sightings as well as sloths, monkeys and lizards.  The village lies on a narrow strip of land between the ocean and a long narrow lagoon.  It is the most important nesting ground for the green sea turtle in the Western Hemisphere.  The National Park, established in 1975, works closely with the community to ensure minimum impact by tourism.

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We stayed at Casa Marbella in a nice room upstairs with cooling breezes looking out over the river.  A peaceful way to tour the waterways of the National Park is in a canoe paddled by Ernesto.  He was born in the village and has extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna in the area.

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There was little to keep us in San José [4], the capital of Costa Rica. After a visit to the rim of nearby steaming Volcán Poás surrounded by coffee plantations, we headed to La Fortuna [5], in the central north. The main attraction here is the perfect cone shaped, active Volcán Arenal.

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In the lush, tropical garden setting of Arenal Natura Ecological Park we were able to observe rare and endangered frog in large, plant filled terrariums. The enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff took time to point out the well camouflaged frogs and explain the different breeding habits.  There are about 30 different species, some you could never see in the wild.

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To reach Monteverde (green mountain) [6], we took a boat across Laguna de Arenal followed by a bus over rolling green hills of pasture land and forest. Together with the little village of Santa Elena, Monteverde offers it all, swinging through the trees, cloud forest trails, frogs, birds, butterflies, orchids, hummingbirds, and lots of tourists. Next stop Nicaragua via Peñas Blancas [7].

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