Cahuita

C and I have found that we have done more in three days than we usually do in 2 months. We've flown half way south into central america, visited a superb zoo, taken a crazy plane ride, followed by an even more insane boat ride, then swam in the ocean on a black sand beach and drank beer in a Rasta bar while watching the sunset over the river; and that was only up to Saturday.

Yesterday we again woke far too early, 5am to go for a guided canoe trip around the canals of Tortuguero. Unfortunately we had to paddle too. This was not made easy by the strange hand carved "native" paddles we had to utilize. However the trip was, in the end, worth every blister. We paddled along thick rain forest canals where giant trees hung over you almost blocking out all light. We saw scores of spider monkeys swinging from tree top to tree top and even watched a "river otter" sit by a tree and groom himself for 10 minutes. River otters were the most surprising creatures. No Ticos in Tortuguero swim in the river there due, apparently, to the viciousness of this animal. The only other predator of the dreaded crocodile apart from humans, are the otters who in packs attacks the reptiles and eat their tails. Luckily the victims' tails will grow back.

At 10 am returning from our canoe trip we got into yet another boat and took the long, 3 1/2 hour journey from isolated Tortuguero to Puerto Limon where roads started again as Tortuguero is accessable only by boat or plane. Luckily we found a tourist bus willing to take C and I to Cahuita straight from the docks without having to detour through Puerto Limon: a town with the worst reputation in CR.

Sadly though our Jonah vibe rubbed off on the tourist bus and it promptly broke down requiring us to venture to the bus station in dangerous Puerto Limon, a thoroughly nasty little place, home to numerous gangs, maddies and addicts, who appear to comprise the entire population of the town. Perhaps most telling is that the restaurant beside the bus station is itself, actually dirtier than the restaurant washrooms.

Off then to Cahuita on the Caribbean sea. A totally awesome village which throbs with reggae music. Our cabina is a beautiful polished wood cottage set among fragrant tropical gardens which back onto Cahuita National Park. Entirely surrounding our cabin are grasses that are home to thousands of crabs who upon vibration race into their holes to escape predators. Tropical birds flit about the garden while I lay in the hammock on the porch watching them with binoculars.

Best of all Howler monkey troops live the trees right behind our cabina we watch them clamber through the trees. Even as I write in this internet cafe small lizards cling to the panes of glasss outside and wander up and down the windows.

The beach at Cahuita is entirely national park with pristine coral sands allowing C and I to spend hours just floating on aquamarine waves. Perhaps the only mishap of the day was C's terrified motioning which brought me in from the ocean; she thought a tarantula had walked over her towel while she lay reading. Luckily the tarantuala was only a very large yellow crab who had the misfortune of having C use the entrance of his home as her book rest.