9th August 2025 at 01:13 - Damian

21/08/25 - Day 3

Tortuguero is a small village on a narrow strip of land between the Caribbean sea and forest wetlands and rivers that formed after the collapse of a railroad project. The locals felled much of the forest but the area was made a national park in 1992 and the ecosystem has bounced back and provided a much more lucrative tourism industry. A win-win.

After a late-night visit to watch a green sea turtle lay eggs (no photos but an incredible experience) we got up early for a boat trip around the waterways where we saw caimans. herons, Jesus lizards, cormorants, vultures, kites, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, tree iguanas and more.

Not many good photos unfortunately as everything was far away.

Later that day we explored a little bit of the national park on foot where we managed to spot some tiny poison dart frogs before a group walk up a nearby dormant volcano.

9th August 2025 at 00:22 - Damian

20/08/25 - Day 2 of the Costa Rica tour.

After breakfast at the hotel we boarded a mini bus and headed from San José north into the mountains which became cloudforest and then rainforest on the descent toward the Carribbean. The "rain" part lived up to its name by chucking it down.

Two hours into the trip and just before we cleared the rainforest we had to stop and turn around due to a fatality ahead where a car had been crushed by a falling tree. So it goes.

Back to San José to cross the mountains to the west adding four hours to the trip.

We arrived at La Pavona (a river port), switched to a narrow riverboat and navigated an hour downstream through tropical forest to Tortuguero township in the national park.

3rd August 2025 at 06:08 - Damian

We've had some really nice meals the last couple of days. Back in Cartagena we went to Alma which had exquisite food focused mainly around seafood. We'd been holding off on ceviche until we got to the Colombian coast and it was worth the wait!

Last night the meal in our San José hotel's restaurant was surprisingly good, too. The beer especially.

3rd August 2025 at 05:58 - Damian

We flew to San José in Costa Rica yesterday in preparation to meet with our two-week Intrepid tour tonight.

Bit of a down day yesterday as I was over the heat, the constant spruiking, struggling to communicate in Spanish, not being able to flush toilet paper, the beeping, airports, getting to airports, grating airport announcements, push-ins, taxi drivers, did I mention the heat?

I kept a smile on my dial but underneath I was like a bulldog chewing a wasp.

Anyway. That happens and today's a new day.

We're in Costa Rica!

1st August 2025 at 11:32 - Damian

1st August 2025 at 11:25 - Damian

30th July 2025 at 12:20 - Damian

We flew to Cartagena in Colombia via Bogota yesterday. We were hit by the evening humidity stepping off the plane and today it got up to 35°C which felt like 41°C, apparently. We were sweaty messes most of the day.

Did some laundry which cost NZ$18.90. Fairly expensive compared to our NZ$6.30 bill on Quito. Things are a bit more touristy and expensive here with a thousand grifts going on as you walk down the street.

We had lunch at an Italian restaurant in the Getsemani district followed by a walking tour which was, as usual, a great way to get some perspective on a new city.

29th July 2025 at 02:33 - Damian

29th July 2025 at 02:32 - Damian

A couple of days ago I borrowed a fellow traveller's underwater camera. When paddling on the surface most of the photos came out a bit murky and blue-tinged but when you dive down and get up close the colours are lovely.

I'm starting to think I may have to up my camera game. The phone can be frustrating, especially around the lack of good optical zoom when bird-spotting.

29th July 2025 at 00:22 - Damian

We returned to Quito from Galapagos yesterday. It was our first organised trip and I have to admit it's probably the best holiday we've had. Expensive though.

We went with Intrepid with their 10-day Classic Galapagos: Central Eastern Islands. It's really 8 days with a day either side in Quito.

Our guide Roberto was excellent. An ex-science teacher with a booming voice he had the perfect balance of information and humour.

Our ten fellow passengers were all a similar age to us or older and were easy to get along with. We were a little worried that we might find ourselves stuck with people who rubbed us up the wrong way but, no. Perfect.

So. A strong recommendation from us if you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

27th July 2025 at 07:32 - Damian

A marine iguana chewing algae.

27th July 2025 at 05:56 - Damian

I have no photos or videos for this. They wouldn't do it justice anyway.

We were snorkeling in clear, turquoise water this morning when we came across a large ball of silvery sardines around 3m wide. The shapes and glints of colour of the ball as the fish all moved in coordination was perhaps the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

But to top it off there was a family of five penguins flashing through the ball turning it into a torus, a spinning top, a disc and every other shape. Eating sardines, of course. So it goes.

I'm lost for words but I wish you all had seen it, too.

25th July 2025 at 04:13 - Damian

Changing of the guard blue-footed booby style.

24th July 2025 at 06:37 - Damian

24th July 2025 at 06:37 - Damian

24th July 2025 at 06:31 - Damian

24th July 2025 at 06:29 - Damian

At the fish market in Puerto Ayora they're not allowed to feed the wildlife but I've got a feeling they do from time to time.

A pelican watching a heron watching a sealion watching the fishmonger.

24th July 2025 at 06:04 - Damian

Update on the cranium. I went to the local public hospital in Puerto Ayora where, with the help of Roberto our guide as interpreter, they x-rayed my skull to check for damage (none), removed our emergency dressings (compliments to Roberto on his handiwork), cleaned everything up and redressed.

Total cost? $0.

Hooray for socialised healthcare!

I had to buy $18 worth of ibuprofen and dressings from the pharmacy. I'm also good to keep snorkeling and have bought a dashing silver latex swimming cap.

23rd July 2025 at 11:02 - Damian

Here's the footage I was trying to get when I bonked my bonce (at 0:24). Disappointingly it wasn't even that great.

23rd July 2025 at 06:37 - Damian

I did a boo-boo. We were snorkeling in a cave and I borrowed someone's GoPro to dive down and film the people and the fish above in the gorgeous blue of the water.

Coming back up for air I didn't realise I'd drifted under the overhang and hit my head on the volcanic rock under water. Managed to not swallow water, found the surface and swam to the nearest inflatable boat where they washed the cuts and got me to the boat for disinfection and bandages.

We're going to be near Santa Cruz island tomorrow where I'll pop in to the doctor's there to see if I need antibiotics.

I'm disappointed that this may jeopardise future snorkeling on this trip. We'll see.