Posted by Rick Civelli | 08.02.2013 | Sea Turtle Camp News

Sea Turtle Camp Costa Rica – Pura Vida Adventures

Hola! Sea Turtle Camp in Costa Rica has been in full swing! We all arrived safely and on time to the San Jose Airport on day 1, and then started our ride to Turrialba. We stayed the night at a beautiful ecolodge, Espino Blanco, equipped with luxurious mosquito nets, hammocks and breath taking views. That night we dined on delicious Costa Rican cuisine, and were sung to sleep by the natural sounds of the rain forest.

We woke up bright and early for another delicious meal, and headed to the Pacuare River for a fun filled adventure of white water rafting. We explored waterfalls, conquered fears jumping off rocks, saw cool animals along the river, and had an amazing time with the green frog guides. We stayed at another beautiful ecolodge with Green Frog, played some get to know you games, ate more delicious food, and rested up for another day of rafting.

After saying goodbye to our guides Wednesday afternoon we began our drive to Parismina, filled with excitement about continuing our adventure and hopefully encountering sea turtles! We arrived in Parismina on the afternoon of July 24 to work with Asociacion Salevemos las Tortugas de Parismina (ASTOP for short). This is Parismina’s sea turtle project, part of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network. The girls settled into the Casona at the ASTOP headquarters, and then we headed out with Vicky, the project’s coordinator.

She led us on an exploration of the village of Parismina, a small town of around 400 people who are devoted to the conservation of sea turtles. This is a project that began with the youth in the town, and has now spread to the adult. Life along the Caribbean Sea is simple, with most people living in rustic cabins and relying on the fishing for food. It was a definite culture shock to some of the girls, but they asked a lot of questions and got to take some photos. Soon they would become a part of this community and their commitment.

The rest of the week’s activities during the day depended on rain, but that didn’t stop the girls from making friends with the locals! The girls loved making friendship bracelets with local kids, practicing their Spanish, and playing games with the local kids and adults. The girls also had the opportunity to make and eat coconut candy, visit a sea turtle rescue center, see sloths, and drink from and eat coconuts straight from the tree!

Now, we’ve left the beach behind and have headed to the mountains of Monteverde. Campers are continuing to enjoy the culinary treats of this country, including a chocolate making and coffee farm tour and tasting. We’ve got a few last adventures planned, so be sure to ask your daughter about them on their return.

– Rachel and Stef