Day 5 of Caravan Tour - Turtle Rescue

It is an off day for us, before we start heading back to San Jose the next day.  Our guide planned an outing for us to a Turtle Rescue Center about an hour away in a small town called Montezuma.  For those of us interested, we loaded up on our big bus and stopped at a small cafe so that we can use the restrooms.  We then drove another 10 minutes to town.  We did not walk around the town but there appears to be a few tourist shops.  Many cater to tourists and we saw other tourists wandering around the streets.

We then split into two groups so that we can fit into a small passenger van and drive about 5 minutes away to visit the Turtle Rescue Center.

Turtles are reptiles characterized by a hard shell over their bodies.  They move very slowly on land but in the water they can swim up to up to 30km/hr.  Turtles have been poached because most people see them as slow-moving animals and can easily be captured.  More importantly, people have been digging up their eggs for consumption or other purposes.  Animals and birds too, have been culprits of digging up turtle eggs.  Those swimming in the oceans face entanglements from fishing nets and other debris and swallow debris like plastic, that looks like food.  The overall turtle population has been declining.  Like all wildlife the turtle species have been threatened.

This site we are visiting in Montezuma is manned by two young Germans from Berlin.  They are on their Gap Year (between high school and college) and decided to volunteer for this project.  They are partially funded by the German government.  It is a great way for young people to do something worthy before going to college.  They learn so much working in a different environment and became worthy citizens.  I think more American kids should spend a gap year doing something worthy or travel to meet other people.  They mature so much when they are not constantly under the watchful eyes of their parents or teachers.

Young German volunteers 

Beach where they keep a lookout for turtles laying eggs

Sanctuary for the eggs to keep away from predators

Eggs are kept here until they are hatched

These are not turtles!

Decorations around the site

Beach facing the Pacific Ocean

You would miss this if you didn't know their mission

After returning from Montezuma we have some free time.  You can swim in the hotel pools (there are quite a few), go to the gym, get a massage, walk through the wildlife center again, or just laze around.  I decided to use the gym and after that laze around and do some packing.  I also took a dip in the ocean, just to say I swam in the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica.

That night our group had a farewell dinner at their specialty steak restaurant.  It's a step up from the buffet restaurant and they served each individual his or her choice of cut of steak.  I ordered the ribeye medium-cooked.  It was edible and probably equivalent to steak you eat at a low-end steak restaurant.  The sides and desserts are of higher quality and the restaurant is quieter than the buffet restaurant.  It is the restaurant closest to the beach and probably the "Crown Jewel" of all their restaurants.