Curu & Tortuga Island, Costa Rica

Our first stop today was Curu. A Wildlife Refuge.We decided to stay on board for this stop. Instead we played Scrabble.Same day we headed to Tortuga Island. The ship had a beach bbq set up, and we rented some chairs and enjoyed some sun, water, and reading.I found a macaw that held still for me.Jontue played in the sand.Finally the last night they had Escargot. They had great food!This is Faith & John. We met them on day one and enjoyed their company often. We even had a chance to teach Jontue hand & foot. It was a great trip. I am lucky I have a great friend to join me.

Bahia Drake, Costa Rica

No excursions planned for today. We decided to walk to the "village".

Bahia Drake or Drake Bay lies on the northern end of the Osa Peninsula. Probably one of the most well known destinations in the region, this tiny town by the bay is actually one of the most inaccessible places in the entire country. With a rich history of the first being discovered by Sir Francis Drake in 1579 during his circumnavigation of the globe.Accessible only by water and air, it is a land of crystal blue water, pristine beaches and jungle. On our hike to the village we had some amazing views.This house was for sale, and the best looking one we saw.We had about 10 macaws flying over us. Such pretty birds.I love the bamboo trees.

We didn't find much of a village, but we had a nice little hike.

Quepos, Costa Rica

Once a bustling banana exporting port, Quepos' economy was crippled by the demise of the banana plantations in the mid-1950's as a result of Panama disease.In the 1980's bananas lost out to heartier African Palms and their high quality palm oil. As Quepos diminished in importance as a banana port, it renewed itself as an ecotourism and sport fishing destination.Today we headed to the Fincas Naturales Private Reserve. It is a 30 acre privat refuge and nature exhibits with 4500 feet of trails. Currently they are researching and developing nature exhibits to help reproduce local species in danger of extinction, including orchids, bromeliads, reptiles such as caimans and crocodiles and various burterflies.

Frist thing we found was a sloth.We found some turtles.This is Eliot, he is very aggresive and will never be released into the wild.A mixture of caimans and crocodiles.Difference between the caimans and the crocodiles is their nose. Crocodiles are more pointed. They have a unique designed Butterfly Botanical Gardens. We had the oppurtunity to view a variety of local butterfly species and their host-plants.An Owl butterfly.
When than found a local resturant with some good food.And free internet!Once back on the ship they had a zodiac going out on the beuatiful costline.

There were some amazing views!We were shown all this dirft in the Ocean has fish and other plants living in it.That evening on the ship was the deck BBQ. The food was local fish and the desserts were fun. It was a great time with line dancing under the stars.

This was my favorite day!

Playas del Coco, Costa Rica

Playas del Coco, or Coco Beach , is one of the most accessible and popular beach areas in Guanacaste. With a gorgeous horseshoe shaped bay with steep hills and impressive cliffs. The mile-long stretch of beautiful, gray sand is lined by leaning trees, oceanfront restaurants, and oceanfront restaurants. An amazing tree we found on the beach.More monkeys!We stopped at a Hacienda House, with some amazing views of savannas and sugar cane fields.I loved the flowers and cactus together.This house dates back to the 1800s.Up next we went to Palo Verde National Park and did a river cruise.The Tempisque River.We saw some Lizards.and crocodiles.Birds.Swimming crocodiles and even some crocodile eggs.Can you spot the bird in the above picture. Take about having to keep a eye out.Don't forget the baby crocodile with lunch.Back on ship that day we got to go out to the bow.I'm King of the world!