© 2004 International Media Group

by Ellen Barone

Both Mother Nature and Nicaragua refused to cooperate.

We came looking for turtles. It was 10 PM on a moonlit August night, two hours into a ‘one-hour’ trip. At the port in San Juan del Sur, we’d been shoehorned into a shiny new Toyota minivan, by Chico, our enthusiastic Nicaraguan guide. Our destination, La Flor, a beach where, when the moon and tide are just right, female Olive Ridley turtles come ashore, driven by ancient instincts, to lay their eggs.

We’d been easy prey for Chico’s turtle tales. "A record-breaking 34,000 turtles in four hours came ashore on this beach two years ago," he’d boasted.

Sure, we realized that nature’s creatures couldn’t be expected to reveal themselves on cue, like ‘Jaws’ on a Universal Studios’ tour, but we were hopeful.

Four days earlier we boarded Lindblad Expeditions’ M/V Sea Voyager on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Like our 37 shipmates, all outdoorsy North Americans, we came to experience the nature rich Central American countries of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

We selected Lindblad Expeditions, pioneers, since 1958, in small-ship cruises to off-the-beaten-path destinations, for its access to unspoiled coasts and forests. For its knowledgeable expedition staff and crew, including on-board naturalists, biologists and historians. And for its daily activities ranging from jungle explorations and bird watching to snorkeling and sea kayaking.

The 174-foot, Sea Voyager, is small by cruise ship standards. Absent are the mega-ship casinos, grand dining room, Vegas style shows and shopping mall. Instead, Sea Voyager offers 32 well-appointed, air-conditioned staterooms with private baths and panoramic picture windows, native guides with a contagious love and appreciation for their country, and a fantail from which to swim while the ship is at anchor. The perfect combination of inquisitive travelers, remote destinations, camaraderie, conversation and a casual on-board atmosphere is the real genius of the Lindblad experience.

"I’ll call ahead to learn if there’s been any recent turtle activity," expedition leader, Ged Caddick, had assured us when the shore excursion to the nesting site was being organized.

"Telephone for a turtle report?" someone questioned.

"Sure, 1-800-TURTLES," Ged quipped as laughter erupted.

As one hour in the crowded van became two, expectant excitement turned into lighthearted humor. By two-and-a-half hours, we were giddy. Jokes about a beach barbeque of turtle eggs had the usually eco-savvy group in stitches.

The lengthy trip wasn’t entirely unexpected. After only a day in the country, we already realized that time in Nicaragua is more relaxed than back home. En punto, on the dot, rarely is, and ‘one-hour’ usually means two, or more.

Although the turtles never came ashore that night (e-mail reports from Sea Voyager later described sightings of hundreds the next night), Nicaragua had plenty of riches to reveal: The loveliness of colonial architecture; the grandeur of natural vistas and the friendliness of the people. In only fours days, we traveled past eons of geological creation, across the ages, from present day discoveries, to Spanish Colonial times, and were warmly welcomed by hopeful and dignified people.

The previous three days, spent aboard ship in Costa Rica, focused on the county’s natural beauty. Barely half the size of England, Costa Rica is famous for its stable, democratic, military-free (the constitution forbids an army) government and its enlightened approach to conservation. Nearly a third of the country is designated national park, biological reserve, or wildlife refuge.

After waking up at anchor in the calm waters of Curu Bay on the Nicoya Peninsula, our first day in Costa Rica was spent immersed in biodiversity. As was the case each day aboard Sea Voyager, we’d been given a choice for the morning activity. Ambitiously, we’d selected a hike led by Costa Rican naturalist, Federico (Fico) Chacon, over a relaxing morning on a secluded beach. Sheltered under the broad canopy of a dry tropical forest, Fico, eagerly pointed out everything from army ants — "Costa Rica’s military" he joked — to brilliant blue morpho butterflies and troops of white-faced capuchin monkeys. The birders logged trogons, scarlet macaws, squirrel cuckoos, and other exotic species in their well-worn notebooks, while unseen howler monkeys roared in the distance.

After lunch aboard ship, a mother and baby Humpback whale surfaced just off the bow. The mother appeared only occasionally, but her rambunctious calf rolled about in the gentle swell, slapping her flukes, waving her pale white fore-flippers in the air, and lolling about belly up. Later dolphins appeared, then disappeared, occasionally teasing us with a thrilling display of leaps and twirls.

Afterwards, a few of us remained on the bow. Charles — an affable, zip-off trouser clad American in his sixties — asked us how many Lindblad cruises this would make for us. "Our first," we said. "My tenth," he instantly offered. Charles wasn’t the exception. More than half our shipmates, a mix of retirees, baby boomers, young active types and a pair of 30-something honeymooners, had cruised with Lindblad before.

Our time in Costa Rica had settled into a comfortable routine. Sleep while the ship sailed to a new locale each night. Take an early morning shore excursion, return to the ship for lunch. Sail to another isolated stretch of coast. Go ashore again, snorkel, kayak, or swim. Return to the ship for a shower. Enjoy cocktails at sunset on the upper deck. Attend the crew’s briefing for the next day. Linger over a flavorful dinner while chatting amicably with other passengers. Retire to the lounge and eventually bed. Life was good.

Our last day in Costa Rica was a delicious day of lounging on the beach, hiking to stunning vistas, snorkeling, kayaking, and, in general, avoiding civilization.

By contrast, in Nicaragua we played tourist. We visited the smoking crater of Volcán Masaya National Park, established in 1979 by the Sandinistas. We purchased handicrafts from Masaya craftsmen. Hiked among the dripping trees, mosses, and ferns, of Cocibolca cloud forest atop the inactive Volcán Mombacho. Motored slowly in local boats among Las Isletas, an archipelago of 360 islands in Lake Nicaragua. And, toured the impressive Colonial cities of Granada and Leon.

Tourism in Nicaragua, the black sheep of Central America, is a rather recent phenomenon. Bordered to the north by Honduras, to the south by Costa Rica, to the east by the Caribbean Sea, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean, Nicaragua is Central America’s largest country, yet least visited.

In the minds of many, the country is still identified with tragedy (devastating hurricanes, earthquakes, and natural disasters) and the Contra War (the US-sponsored war in which Contras, counter-revolutionaries, opposed Nicaragua's revolutionary and democratically-elected Sandinista government following the 1979 overthrow of an oppressive dictatorship) more than extraordinary landscapes or cultural treasures. After more than a decade of democratic peace, the resilient nation is steadily overcoming the complex obstacles of unemployment, poverty, decay and neglect.

Although our visit was brief, the alluring spirit and charm of the country was vibrantly apparent in the everyday life and landscapes surrounding us. Colonial buildings painted in faded pastel colors lined narrow, cobbled streets. Green, cloud-fringed volcanoes towered over red-tiled roofs, and a quilt work of lush agricultural land and blue lakes. Roadside stands overflowed with a colorful bounty of tropical fruits and vegetables. Verdant coffee farms and banana plantations covered the landscape.

Life trundled by at a casual pace. Robust women, balancing colorful baskets atop their heads, spilled on to the street from rusted, out-of-date yellow school buses from America. Barefoot boys played baseball in vacant lots. Men played cards on a park bench. Clusters of teenage girls in crisp white blouses and navy skirts walked hand-in-hand, giggling and talking rapidly. Dark-haired, brown-eyed women relaxed against open doorways in impoverished neighborhoods. Ox carts and bicycles slowed traffic. Smiling kids sold Chicklets to the few tourists, while pushcart vendors sold ice cream to ease the sweat-dripping heat of the day. Siesta was passed in colorful hammocks beneath the cool shade of a front porch. In the evenings, women pulled wood-and-wicker rockers onto the sidewalk to chat.

Ultimately, both Mother Nature and Nicaragua shared their riches. It was 6:40 AM on our last day aboard Sea Voyager when Ged’s voice filtered into our sleep through the ship’s public address system, "We have a pair of amorous sea turtles off the starboard side." Slipping out of bed and into our daily uniform of quick-dry shorts, tee shirt and Teva sandals, we staggered to the starboard rail, joining a small group of passengers. Floating in the pale green water, two sea turtles were busy mating. We laughed as we left the rail headed for a cup of coffee, when someone remarked, "Hey, maybe we should rename the ship Sea Voyeur."

If You Go:

About the ship: Built for expedition cruising, Sea Voyager carries a fleet of Zodiac landing craft, snorkeling equipment, and kayaks. She also has advanced underwater equipment, including an underwater video microscope, which allows you to view microscopic marine life from television monitors in the comfort of the ship’s lounge. An undersea specialist also films the ocean with a high-quality video camera.

Age of ship: Built in 1982, Maryland, USA, Sea Voyager was completely refurbished in 2002.

Tonnage: 1195.

Number of passengers: 62 guests in 32 spacious outside cabins. Each cabin features two beds, air-conditioning, and private facilities.

2005 departure dates:

Herradura, Costa Rica — Corinto, Nicaragua 06-Aug-05

Corinto, Nicaragua— Herradura, Costa Rica 13-Aug-05

Herradura, Costa Rica — Corinto, Nicaragua 20-Aug-05

Corinto, Nicaragua— Herradura, Costa Rica 27-Aug-05

Herradura, Costa Rica — Corinto, Nicaragua 03-Sep-05

Corinto, Nicaragua— Herradura, Costa Rica 10-Sep-05

Prices, per person, double occupancy unless otherwise specified.

Cat 1 $2,990.00

Cat 1 solo: $2,990.00

Cat 2 $3,240.00

Cat 2 solo $4,060.00

Cat 3 $3,760.00

*Costs include accommodations aboard ship; meals; non-alcoholic beverages; all shore excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees; transfers from airport/ship if traveling on group flights; use of kayaks and snorkeling gear; all port taxes and service taxes during voyage; gratuities to local guides/drivers; services of Lindblad Expeditions’ natural history staff and ship physician.

Contact details: Lindblad Expeditions, Inc., 720 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10019 (800.397.3348; www.expeditions.com)

Meals: Expedition doesn’t mean deprivation; fresh & delicious regional cuisine is served in a single seating. Breakfast is a casual buffet. Lunch is often served on the sun deck or in the lounge, and dinner in the dining room is a full-service menu.

Special features: Guest E-mail station, library, gym, on board video chronicler.

Copyright Ellen Barone, International Media Group. All rights reserved.

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