As the dense morning fog gave way to the first rays of sun and howler monkeys began to rehearse their loud barking whoop just meters away from the window of my room; I became aware that I was in a new and unknown world. Having lived my entire life in the environs of the big city, my first awakening in Tortuguero transported me to childhood and the black and white Tarzan movies of my youth.
Yesterday we started our voyage from San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica by traveling thought Braulio Carrillo National Park, an immense wildlife protected area that is disturbed only by the sinous road that travels along it. In the mountains several waterfalls and the canoes of extinct volcanoes combine to form the broccoli shaped canopy of the forest.
Several hours and a few towns take us to Caño Blanco, a small and picturesque port along the Reventazón River that can only handle 2 or 3 boats at a time. Despite the size, the intense activity of loading and unloading of luggage and cargo, the diversity of languages cargo, the diversity of languages and accents of the travelers, the colors of the tropical flora and the anticipation of an adventure to begin, left me with a fascinating memory of the area.
We took our seats in the long and narrow canoe like boat and began a voyage that would take us through the confluence with the Parismina River at its delta in the Caribbean Sea and from there through natural canals to the Jalova and Caño Negro lagoons that despite the ravages of climate change; still preserve the extraordinary mirror-like quality of its waters as it reflects the palm trees the sky and the clouds.
After the marvelous spectable of Caño Negro, the canal widens and the waters take on a palette of shades of green, blue and brown. Huge stands of centennial trees dressed in long strands of lianas rise from the banks of the lagoon, while the view is adorned with Yolillo Palms (raphia taedigera) and dotted with unknown and exotic flowers; creating an Amazon-like ambiance that is barely disturbed by the few constructions of the village of Tortuguero - a small strip of land between the canals and the Caribbean Sea where there are no cars.
}With the wake-up call of the monkeys and looking forward to take advantage of the early morning that together with th sunset is the best time to observe the local wildlife; we embark on a small boat and delve deeper into the forest, through a network of smaller canals near the lagoon.
{mosimagePoised on the lilies of the riverbanks we colud see the colorful Jacana and further on we sighted the Anhinga - the fishing-bird or the area, as it spread its wings to dry in the early morning sun. Along the branches of the trees a troop of spider monkeys entertained us with their playful antics and further on, almost unnoticed, an enormous serpent crawled towards the warmth of the sun.
The supple waves of the oars were enough to catch the interest of two crocodiles that lazed along the banks and they jumped into the canal leaving us with only the sight of their enormous eyes navigating the tranquil waters while a nearby sloth slowly climbed the trunk of a trumpet tree.
Over the next few days we observed otters, several species of heron among them the tiger heron and four huge green turtles as they clumsily returned to the sea after the tiring task of nesting. Tortuguero lives by the thousands to nest along its shore; an activity that attracts many a scientist from around the world.
We weren't lucky enough observe tapir, manatees of Jaguars however - We knew they were there ... We know they live there.
Geographical Division 
