Lazy busy day

In contrast to the last few days we decided not to wake before the sun. Instead we slept to the sound of the waves and woke to the church choir next door. 

We arranged our canal tour for tomorrow and saw some wildlife near the hostel including an iguana in a tree and some parrots. Chris has some great pictures while I have this picture where you have to just trust me that there is an iguana in there somewhere. 

We also went to the sea turtle conservancy and learned about the history of Tortugero. The town has about 800 people, but at one point it was much larger because of the trade in turtle meat and logging. Now the main business is ecotourism. 

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities and outreach programs all geared toward both preserving the turtles and maintaining the economy. 

Even the canals are a recent development since they did not emerge till the mid 70s. Now it is a slow but vibrant town with an average of 1000 people a day visiting the national park.  This is not an average time of year because it is not turtle season. Plus there is a lot of rain. 

There no cars and no roads. At first it was confusing to navigate because there are no signs, but once you know where the major landmarks are it is a breeze.  The weather changes from sun to torrential downpour and back constantly, which is lovely since it keeps the temperature and humidity in check. 

Tomorrow we are doing a four hour canoe trip in the swamps. And so I leave you with the moon.