So I’ve made it into Costa Rica – the poster child of Central American tourism. It’s an shock to the wallet after months in places like Nicaragua and Honduras which to a northerner like me ain’t good.
However, despite a being swindled by overly bureaucratic immigration officials on the Costa Rican side of the border (more on that in a later blog post) I’ve grown to like the place.
One of the highlights was visiting Tortuguero (literally meaning place of the turtles) to see giant Green Turtles lay eggs on the beach. I actually found the experience to be a bit of an anti-climax, we saw one big turtle give birth but much of the spectacle was spoiled by too many American tourists making noise and jostling for space. I felt sorry for the turtle.
Beforehand, we headed out in a canoe with a guide to look at the local wildlife. I wasn’t expecting too much but I was sold on the idea by the guide and he didn’t disappoint. In just a couple of hours we saw 3 types of monkey, sloths, many beautiful birds, insect, turtles and caymans.
I’m not the best at wildlife photography – getting there slowly – but here are some of the better snaps. Enjoy.
Talk about camouflage!
Camera and cayman eyeing each other up.
Turtles basking in some rare sunshine.
Sea birds soaring over the jungle.
Monkeys climbing for fruit.
Beautiful plumage as a Python once said.
Kinda scary looking fella!
Swallows – almost like from the movie.
Just hanging out.
If you enjoyed these you’ll find many more awesome Central America photos on my Instagram account here.
It's all Michael Palin's fault 