We will always be grateful to Costa Rica for providing a safe haven during these turbulent times and for the beautiful memories we will take with us. We will remember it as a paradise of biodiversity although after four months here, we have also seen the effects of corruption, crime, unemployment and inequality…but we’ll try to remember the good stuff:
ASTOP Charity, Parismina
We had one of our most magical experiences of all time with this NGO located on the Caribbean coast in Parismina, which is known for the two metre long 700kg leatherback turtles which nest on its shores during May. Our jobs were to patrol 12km of the beach from midnight until 4am in search of leatherbacks…and we were super lucky to find one!
We waited 90 minutes for her to dig a deep hole with her flippers, lay more than 100 eggs and then cover the hole and her tracks to keep predators at bay. The experience was deeply moving and we gave her lots of encouragement, whispering “one last push” for the last fifty or so eggs. Finally, we accompanied her back to sea where she will remain for two years before returning to nest. We felt blessed to have with us two wonderful filmmakers, funded by National Geographic, as we would not otherwise have come away with such footage since photography is normally forbidden to avoid disturbing the turtles.
Once the turtles lay their eggs, they are reburied in a hatchery and guarded 24/7 for two months until they hatch. Poachers still kill turtles and steal their eggs despite jail terms threatened. 
Eagerly awaiting the 12km midnight walk along the beachfront!
With the patrol lead, Grebin, who found our beloved turtle and Astop’s leader, Roxana
Leatherback turtles have been on earth for 100 million years but they could become extinct in the next ten years because of many dangers: natural predators, poaching, bi-catch, plastic bags which can be mistaken for jelly fish (the main diet for leatherbacks) and climate change: the temperature at which eggs develop determines the sex of the babies, and a warmer climate has started to produce too many females and very few males.
Parismina has a collection of cabins and bars and nothing much else except of course the obligatory football pitch: we found pitches in the tiniest of towns, often as a focal point and sometimes serving as the space for a weekly market.
Parismina is really remote and accessible only by boat from the nearest road 20km away. The 10 minute boat ride from Cano Blanco to Parismina is idyllic. Someone normally delivers fruit and veg to the village but as that person was unwell while we were there, we had to forego healthy food during our stay. Thankfully, there was a restaurant serving nice rice and beans three times a day!
It felt odd to see motorway-like mileage signs on the canals
Cloudbridge Charity, San Geraldo del Rivas
Cloudbridge is a real paradise! It is a nature reserve full of wildlife and forest. We volunteered for an NGO which has reforested the reserve over the last 20 years and now focuses on research and education. We went on surveys to count monkeys and frogs, climbed really steep mountainous terrain, filled our lungs with the pure air and soaked ourselves in pools under glimmering waterfalls.
While the other volunteers lived in dorms we were thankful for the privacy of having our own quarters set in an art gallery.
We were surrounded day and night by trees, inside and out
Our biggest thrill was to see the rare and well-named Resplendent Quetzal 
The more common motmots and scarlet tanagers were also breathtaking
Our less strenuous tasks included restoring and painting a bench…
Converting a graffiti laden bench… 
…into something lovely
…and reviewing tens of thousands of camera trap images which revealed (among thousands of trees swaying in the wind and triggering a photo) a jaguar, puma, coyote and lots of tapirs. None of the photos however compared with the camera trap video taken at our next destination in Tortuguero…
Most of the volunteers were ever so young. We had this idea that they have started to get younger and younger but no, it’s just us getting older and older. We met one young lad who we thought must be younger than our own boys: it turned out his own parents are just 40 and we are the age of his grandparents. That wasn’t our best day.
The weather here was really reliable…bright and sunny mornings, violently rainy afternoons and quiet incredibly dark evenings…so dark in fact that the charity expects to soon have the first Dark Sky certification in the whole of Central America.
Home Comforts
In between our adventures which tested our stamina through tough treks, cold showers, poor plumbing, etc, we sought home comforts through some luxury petsits.
At the Coffee Garden Ranch in San Isidro de Heredia near San Jose, we looked after a sweet dog. The gardens were huge…helping ourselves to bananas, oranges and raw coffee beans growing in the fields felt almost decadent.
One of the garden’s most unusual inhabitants is a “pelican flower” which looks like a shell when closed… 
…and a love heart when open. It has an odour which smells like rotting fish
The bougainvillea spread wildly here…we had to remind ourselves that the flowers were the white buds rather than the gorgeous pink bracts.
The gardens were made for fun… 
…and relaxation!
One of the local farmers’ markets we loved to visit 
Our sweet holiday dog, Rodi
And in the expat community of Santa Ana, we cared for a cavoodle who thought she was a cat, and a real cat – a giant Russian White – who looked like Putin but is probably a lot cuddlier. We lived in the lap of luxury and even had the President of Costa Rica as our neighbour, although we didn’t get invited around for tea. We swam every morning in an Olympic size pool and enjoyed the comfort until we felt sufficiently pampered to begin our next adventure.
Caribbean Coast
We couldn’t leave Costa Rica without doing a bit of tourism. First stop, Tortuguero, famed for its green turtles (which nest in July), national park and canals
Found lots of wildlife in the narrow canals 
The Jesus Christ basilisk, so called because it can walk (or at least run) on water. Its crest makes it look like a dinosaur.
We made sure to keep our hands inside the canoe to avoid the many caimans
Our days ended with lovely sunsets before night-time tours revealed some magical creatures…
We were so thrilled to see this red-eyed tree frog. We have been wanting to see one ever since we read a bedtime story, “Ronnie the Red Eyed Tree Frog” to our boys 30 years ago!
In Tortuguero, we also took a chocolate making class…all the way from picking a cacao pod from a tree, roasting its beans… 
…crushing the beans on a metate with cocoa butter, sugar, chilli and allspice
A beautiful trail in the Cahuita National Park and along its beach: it poured with rain for hours and we got completely drenched but it was invigorating! We didn’t dare sit on this swing: we often feel like kids but realise we are not quite as light!
Shallow reefs in Manzanillo allowed for some nice snorkelling… 
…but we avoided these areas!
Volcano Region
We stayed in Bijagua at the beautiful finca Mei Tai and got on so well with the owners Cecile ad Eric that our chats at breakfast often lasted until lunchtime
The gardens, including the red trunked trees on our right, and the surrounding cloud forest were gorgeous.
We won’t forget our hike here quickly, climbing high up to see the primary forest and crossing rivers knee deep. It was pouring and the muddy ground was treacherous. At one point, we got lost and feared we would spend the night in the forest but found our way back with an hour of sunlight to spare.
Relaxing in hot springs (Colinas del Miravalles) next to a volcano. We were completely alone there… 
…except for the iguanas all around us
Food
A casado (rice and beans with fried ripe plantain and garnishes), is the standard fare in restaurants. We found no spicy food on the pacific coast or central valley although we sometimes found a nice ceviche 
The Caribbean coast has more to offer including the delicious Jamaican Rundown or “rondon”
We stumbled across Sibu a chocolatier / restaurant which serves magnificent food including aubergine bourekitas. We ended up chatting with owner Julio for hours. 
We took full advantage of all the local roadside produce, especially delicious avocadoes, papayas and mangoes and we tried a few fruits new to us, like the ice cream bean
Next
We are flying on 30 May to the USA (Maryland) where we also hope to have our vaccinations. We plan to return to the UK in September…hopefully by then, the quarantine rules will have been lifted.
20 comments. Leave new
What an incredible life journey
Keep going
Love to see you both when you are back in the uk
Hi Veena
I think we have a few more years left in us! We look forward to seeing you soon. Much love, Sylvie and Jeff xx
yes yes we went to all those places, it is living in Costa Rica a jungle of wonders in every corner you turn we know you both had a magnificent time KOL HA KAVOD
Bravo les jeunes, MAGNIFIQUE!!!! quelle expérience. Profitez bien.
Vous embrasse.
Ralph
Merci Ralph. En fait, c’est notre plaisir. Nous aurions aimé t’avoir avec nous. Love, Jeff and Sylvie xx
You have build memories that time cannot erase
You met wonderful people ,you discovered the world at your own pace.
Looking at all those pictures, you both look so happy
You have done something amazing that people dream of doing but never succeed
Bravo
Wow, thank you for your beautiful words. We are now in the US, so if you head down here over the next couple of months, please do let us know. Much love, Jeff and Sylvie xx
How lovely. Wish you well. Love Frank
We miss you! Much love to your lovely family xx
The experiences you have had seem too much for the human brain to store thankfully there is technology for you to save such unique adventures!
Fab report – keep safe and looking forward to the next episode.
💕😷 from Reeva and Frank.
Exactly right…in a few years time, when our joints really can’t go through any more pain, we will be sitting in an armchair, looking back at this blog and remembering all of this and wondering where we found the energy. Mind you, the latest episode in the US is a lot easier – we are pet sitting, although we never choose the easiest option…we are looking after 10 cats! Hope to see you in September. Much love xx
What a life journey your having. Looking forward to seeing what wild life you see in the States!
Keep well, keep safe and look forward to your next update.
Nicole
Some of the human life over here is pretty wild! We look forward to chatting with you soon. Much love from both of us to both of you xx
Hasta la vista!!!
Formidable, profitez de ce qui demeurera des souvenirs inoubliables.
Je vous embrasse.
Ralph
WOW
So many adventures.
This is life.
Hi Jeff & Sylvie. I’m just catching up on your latest adventures in Costa Rica. Some of your experiences are absolutely astonishing! Such opportunities to see such rare wildlife, and live in the forest. Though – the thought of all those insects wouldn’t be for me!…. That footage of the leopard attack should certainly make it’s way into a BBC/David Attenborough documentary.
Unbelievable guys! You have taken life by the scruff of the neck and given it a good shake! Wonderful journey which you made happen – superb! Looking forward to seeing you. Jeff and Tina xx
Can’t wait to get together with you both! We hope to be back in London around late September. Name the day, place and time and we’ll be there! Love xx
Wow that video of the jaguar pouncing is amazing. Was it just luck to have the trap at that location?
(A new fan just getting through some of your fascinating journey, link from an old colleague of yours!)
Hey Catrin. Yes, it was pure chance! And welcome aboard! If you have any suggestions for places to visit, small charities to volunteer for, etc please don’t hesitate to let us know. We are also interested to know the colleague who’s our common link! Our very best xx