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Canals of Tortuguero
The trip to Tortuguero on the Riverboat Francesca is an extraordinary
experience, made more so by the Francesca's owners, Fran and Modesto Watson.
Time spent with the Watsons is like discovering Costa Rica with the original
explorers. You come away feeling like a mate on one of Columbus's ships.
Nature's delights are everywhere. And Fran and Modesto's way of quietly,
gently pointing out the seemingly invisible will move you.
During the comfortable drive to the Caribbean coast village of Moín, the
watery departure point of your tour, the Watsons explain the area's social and
ecological history. After breakfast on the road, then a brief snack-and-baño
stop at the dock, you're on your way in the Riverboat Francesca with Modesto
at the helm.
Where you see water lilies and hyacinths, the Watsons see kingfishers,
caimans, bright green iguanas and an occasional poisonous snake; Modesto slows
the boat to point them out. In the towering trees along the canal, you see
hanging vines, branches and leaves. They see howler and spider monkeys,
toucans and sloths. Modesto eases the boat near the bank to give the monkeys a
better look at you, and as they chatter among themselves about what an
interesting species you are, Watson calls to them in their language. Modesto
Watson knows this jungle.
As you travel through the broad canals, Fran and Modesto answer your
questions, point out creatures hidden to the untrained eye (but clearly
visible to theirs), generally envelop themselves in the peace and energy of
the jungle and lead you ever so serenely into a special place on this planet.
Another delight on the water is the lunch served by Fran as you journey deeper
into the jungle. Time is allowed for drifting, listening, observing and being
a part of the teeming life that surrounds you and seems to drip from the
canopy overhead.
For the impatient traveler who cannot help but look at her watch at this
juncture of the trip, and perhaps wonder aloud "How much longer?",
Modesto poses a philosophical question.
Sage advice for traveling anywhere in the world, but especially here.
Restful breezes release inner tensions; café-con-leche waters course beneath
the riverboat, carrying you along. You begin to trade the old for the new.
Great herons, northern jacanas, tiger herons, and toucans become your focal
point. Lush flowers bejewel the jungle and cicadas bid you rest.
Arriving at the lodge where you will stay the night, there is time for
settling in and relaxing from the journey--an opportunity to let go of extra
baggage not already released; a time for thumping the bottom of your bucket,
ready to be refilled.
Late in the afternoon, you gather at the dock for a trip across the canal to
Tortuguero. This charming, life-as-it-used-to-be community is filled with
gentle, hospitable folks who go about their lives and sweetly tolerate our
curious presence. It is a time more for gathering in culture and information
than for buying gifts and mementos, although those are available.
Several open-air restaurants serve foods with Nicaraguan and Caribbean
influence, among them the acclaimed Miss Junie's. Wondrous aromas permeate the
air. You share the simple delight of eating good food that someone else has
prepared for you.
Back to the lodge for dinner and sleep, for the next morning begins with
six-o'clock coffee, juice and snack before a tranquil cruise beneath the
canopy.
There is a grace and majesty about the jungle that you can experience only by
being quietly, genuinely present in it. Each level teems with life. It is at
once mind-boggling and immensely humbling, this contemplative drift into the
wilds. Watching monkeys leap across the canal through the canopy, listening to
the whir of the hummingbird, breathing the fragrance of unseen blossoms,
touching the shell of a turtle, tasting the jungle air--this world taps each
sense ever so gently.
Awakened is the understanding that you are a part of a greater scheme. You are
the progeny of Columbus. Childlike awe returns. The jungle is fragile. It is
beautiful. To experience life at this level is indeed to become the explorer
of a new world.
Just when you start to believe the tour is over, Modesto swings the riverboat
into a wide turn and takes it to shore. There in the trees along the banks are
more monkeys cavorting through the branches as if to bid adios. Families of
turtles sun themselves on trees long fallen and waterfowl stand sentinel
around the jungle's edge.
Favourites: Volcanoes | Pacific Coast | Caribbean Coast | Canals of Tortuguero | Cerro de la Muerte
Tropical Islands | Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve | Iguana Park
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