Welcome to Tortuguero - Pura Vida!

First full day in Costa Rica involved an hour and a half's bus journey and then an hours boat ride to Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. The first hour of the day involved torrential rain which was a bit ominous but by the time we reached the docking area for the boat ( a chaotic and muddy place) the sun was out.
The village of Tortuguero and the national park within which it is located can only be reached by plane or boat, existing amid a series of waterways beside the Caribbean sea. Lots of wildlife to be seen on the journey including black and turkey vulture,  lots of iguanas (bigger than you imagine) caiman, frigate birds and various types of heron. Our lodge was on a strip of land between the waterway and the sea and on the beach, at the right time of year, it is where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and is very much a protected area.
The weather has been particularly wet for the time of year and many of the properties in the village were surrounded by water. Much of the local income depends on tourism, with many of the locals working in the lodges or cafes or selling crafts. 
Pura Vida, means pure life and is a phrase the Ticos use all the time to describe the laid back Costa Rican approach to life. The spider is a lady Golden Orb web spider and her little mate.