Ab auf die Insel

Last Sunday we had the chance to experience Independence Day in Costa Rica. On the eve, we attended a small celebration at the school in the village. There was singing, children's performances, and the students walked through the village with their beautifully crafted lanterns. On Independence Day itself, we went to La Fortuna, where the parade strongly resembled carnival. There were various groups and lots of music and dancing (especially the dancers in traditional dresses were amazing).

On Thursday, we made our way to our second workaway station, a hostel on Tortuguero Island. The day before, as a memory, we were allowed to plant a tree in Noemy's garden - a very beautiful ritual that Noemy has with her volunteers :) The farewell was really difficult (mainly because of the kitten, Janina admits), and we were very happy that Noemy seemed to have enjoyed our presence. We have definitely learned a lot from her - not only about permaculture but also about her outlook on life. Despite all the financial and personal worries she has to deal with every day, Noemy radiates an impressive amount of joy of life, is grateful for what she has, and finds great joy in the little things in life. And even though she thinks that most people in the village consider her crazy for putting all her energy into permaculture, she still sticks to her beliefs and is passionate about what she does - believing it is the best thing for her and the environment.

Although the journey from Noemy to Tortuguero Island by public transport involved frequent transfers, we decided to give it a try and not pay $60 for a shuttle. The only information we found on the internet about departure times was that the last bus leaves at 3 pm at the second-to-last station, so we set off at 6 am in the morning. But after the first ride, we had to wait for 2.5 hours, so we still had to resort to a taxi for the trip to the boat dock (calling it a taxi is too much - some guy approached us and took us in his rusty old car; there weren't even any seat belts on the back seat, which was quite nerve-wracking given his driving style). However, we did manage to catch the last boat and the ride to the island was really nice, we even saw caimans. And of course, the sunset also contributed to the experience :)

Although our host hadn't responded to us in the last few days and we didn't even know the name of the hostel, we were quickly helped and found our accommodation immediately. The island is really manageable, there are no roads here. Wonderful :) When we arrived at our hostel, we were totally amazed: we will be living right by the sea for the next two weeks, the hostel is really beautiful, and we even got a double room, although we expected to sleep in the dorm. So, it couldn't have gone any better :)

The hostel is owned by an Argentinean named Nicholas and a Spanish woman, although the woman had already traveled when we arrived. Nicholas will also be leaving in two days, so we are supposed to hold the fort here together with the nice cleaning lady (who seems to be the most organized). Playing into the stereotypes of Germans, we naturally expected work instructions since our arrival, but Nicholas kept telling us to relax, go to the beach, and settle in. So far, we haven't done anything to earn our free accommodation and food :) We have read on the internet several times that the current in the sea here can be too strong for swimming, but luckily we have had a good day yesterday and spent a lot of time in the warm water. Another nice perk here at the hostel: there is a washing machine that we can use!

Just now, Nicholas informed us that we will likely go on a turtle tour tonight and that he has also organized a canoe tour for us tomorrow, for which we have to pay much less than usual. These are definitely nice prospects :)