I discover too late that my camera uses AAA not AA batteries and none such exist here. One of the better trips of Jonathan's young life and I don't have a camera to record it!  The Estuary guide was to pick us up at 6:30 am and there is no time nor place to look for batteries. We arrive at the designated pickup spot outside Las Tortugas to find only one other couple waiting.  Dean asks the guide (I am sorry I don't recall his name) if there is any place he knows for purchasing batteries.  He said that someone just opened a new 'soda' not far from the boat launch and thinks they open at 7 so we stop by and wait a few minutes for the proprietor.

While we are waiting, a local man driving by stops to show us 'tourists' a tiny baby Leatherback turtle he picked up somewhere. He thought it was 'cool' and put it down on the roadway for us to watch.  I was really concerned that he would get it back to the water.  Later I wondered if  he was going to put it back in the water.

The other couple from the hotel has a very serious, computerized camera and the lady takes a few shots of the baby turtle. We find out that she is Jessie Cohen, the official photographer for the National Zoo in Washington DC. She and her husband are avid 'birders' and this is their 3rd trip to Costa Rica mainly to observe and photograph birds.

The 'boat' is a pontoon-type flatbed with a fumy and noisy motor. It probably has scared away most of the wildlife. We do see some birds and Jessie knows all the names. The boatman is good about killing the motor and drifting in so she can take some good shots. This is a mangrove area that snakes around behind Playa Grande and empties into the ocean near Tamarindo.  It is beautiful and peaceful even with the noise of the boat motor.  At one point the guide stops and maneuvers in under a large tree.  We aren't sure why, but soon see a  small crocodile about 3 or 4 feet long on a log.  It doesn't stay around when we approach, but it is great to see close up as he splashes into the water.  Around a few more bends in the estuary, the guide stops the boat and ties up to a small dock and motions us out.  We take a short hike and he cups his hands around his mouth and starts making a strange sound. We hear the same sound echoed back to us from further inland and continue walking that way.  Then the trees above us come alive with this unforgettable sound.  We finally see the source--a family of howler monkeys. Each time he makes their 'howling' sound, they answer. Of course Jonathan picked up on that really quick. Click here to listen and here.  This next one was recorded and is copyrighted by Doug Von Gausig and is used with his permission here.

Back on the water we drift around a few more bends and Jessie spots a Tiger Heron along the shore. She says it is the first one they have ever seen in the wild. She shot a lot of rolls of film while we were there and we ask if she might make a few extra copies to send to Jonathan for a school report since our camera wasn't working.  The trip was about 2 hours long and well worth it.  The cost was $25 each, $10 for Jonathan including hotel pickup.  

We planned to go into Tamarindo again to have lunch before checking out of Las Tortugas and offered Jessie & her husband a ride. We all had coffee at the Blue Maxx.  They were going to look around town and would take a water taxi back so we exchanged email addresses and said farewell. We had a very tasty grilled chicken sandwich from a place right beside the coffee shop. Several geckos were sunning on the fence and trees around the eatery. They are a little startling when you aren't expecting them or use to seeing them.  They were about 15-24" long and run around like squirrels only much more slowly.

As we headed back to Las Tortugas to pack up our belongings and I wanted to take Jonathan to the Children's Turtle museum just a city-block down the road.  Unfortunately I hadn't checked the schedule close enough and discover they don't open till 4. Also, there is a road that goes north behind the hotel and I'd like to see where it goes, but there just doesn't seem to be enough daylight and being sick for the better part of a day didn’t help. Our original plans  were to head down the peninsula toward the Montezuma area and stay at the Finca Los Caballos near Cobano, run by Canadian Barbara MacGregor.  But we decide we've all had enough of the heat and beach and change our plans instead to make our way inland toward the mountains. We called ahead to Chalet Nicholas, a B&B in Nuevo Arenal on the north side of Lake Arenal.  We had an article from the Tico Times and it sounded like a good place to stay.

On toward Nuevo Arenal

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