Hola from San Jose! So, I guess I should start from the beginning which would now be 6 days ago! Finally arrived in San Jose after a mamoth journey..never doing so much travelling and waiting around again! 10 hours in Miami airport was more than enough to last a lifetime!

Checked into Gaudy´s hostel which seems really nice, bit out of the city (about 15 min walk) but thats fine. Got here around 12 or 1 ish in the afternoon. hung around for a bit, went to a Chinese restaurant for food then booked a 3 day 2 night trip to Tortuguero, on the Carribean coast, to leave on Sunday morning.

Saturday 12th July

Slept loads and loads then eventually, on Saturday, got up and walked into the city. Really humid and loads of traffic. Walked to the Mercado cnetral and had a good look around there, really good. Want to buy a hammock, although I´ve nowhere to put one! Eventually came back and got stuff from the supermarket for dinner. Early to bed as have to get up at 545 on Sunday.

Sunday 13th July

Got picked up at 630 to go to Tortuguero. Long bus ride. Stopped for breakfast somewhere and met the other people going on the same trip.

Monday 14th July

8am by boat around the canals. Saw lots of monkeys, caimans, birds etc. Back by 10am and had the rest of the day free! Hung around the hotel, slept some. Went to see the turtles at half 9. It was a really random experience....there were about 8 groups, probably more, who were allocated different sections of the beach. We had to wait in Tortuguero town until the turtle spotters on the beach radioed in when they found a turtle. When the signal came in we had to high tail it back to the boat to go up the river, then on a short walk over to the beach where we found a turtle laying her eggs. The groups took turns to see the action! A group of conservationists turned up and measured her...I think she was 1 metre long. We watched as she covered over the eggs then took the long and effortful journey back to the sea. Then off we went!! It would have been better if there were less groups and if our guide could actually speak some English...he was so quietly spoken I couldn´t actually tell if he was speaking English Spanish or a mixture! I did think that people were getting too close to the turtle at some points really, especially on her way back to the sea. Every move she made was followed by everyone taking another step forward. Bet she was relñieved to get back to the sea. We were told that the sex of the turtle babies is determined by temperatue, below 30 degrees is male and above is female. Also the last few eggs that are laid are like decoys...they don´t have babies in them so that if predators come and find the nest they only eat the ones on top...clever! The turtle babies have to walk to the sea themselves so that they can pick up the sand minerals etc as eventually, 25 or 30 years later they come back to that same beach and lay their eggs.

Tuesday 15th July

8am went by boat around the canals again. Then made our way back down the river to have lunch where we switched boats on the first day. Little did I know at that time that this was where they were going to leave my bag!! After lunch went by boat along more canals...dark waters...saw lots of monkeys and some river turtles. Saw some croc and croc babies! Stopped at a beach then walked through mosquito alley, which wasnt so much fun, then back along the beach. Finally made our way back along the Parismina river to catch the bus...where I found out I didn´t have my bag..argh!! 3 hour bus ride back into San Jose and back to Gaudys!

Today...Wednesday 16th July

hanging out at Gaudy´s waiting to leave for Hotel Petit to meet up with GAP group...looking forward to it!!