This project needs to continue to help save the world, one clutch of sea turtles at a time. 
Program Volunteer Costa Rica
Project: Volunteer in Sea Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica
Let me start by saying that I have always been a traveler at heart. Nothing fills me with more joy than heading out into the unknown with an open mind, ready to explore.
I love everything about traveling; airports, delays, cars and busses, maps and guidebooks, luggage, backpacks and cameras, blisters and sunburns, beautiful sunsets, trying new food and making new friends from all over the world. I love the way my heart, mind and soul seem to expand past what I thought they were capable of, all in an effort to take in everything that I experience.
Thousands of baby turtles get their chance to make it to the open ocean.
The Pacific Coast Turtle Conservation project is not for the weak hearted traveler. Between the night shifts to watch the hatchery, the bug bites that will completely cover your feet and legs (if not your arms and torso as well), the machete work on the trails during the day, the cold showers and the close quarters that you will live in with your fellow volunteers you will be asked to push past all of your own comfort levels, mental and physical. I can promise you with out a doubt that the first time you watch a mother turtle laying her eggs on the beach during your night patrol, or the first time you get to release a clutch of 100 plus baby turtles, or the first time you see 30 shooting stars in a single evening, you will realize that all of your discomfort was absolutely worth it. I would not have traded any single experience from this trip, and I have come back home still dreaming of being down in the rustic cabin on the beach helping save the turtles.
My journey to Costa Rica started out of frustration. Now, that doesn't sound like a good thing, but let me explain what I mean. I live in Southern California. I grew up in Northern California (which, if you know anything about California, you know is a very different way of life) and moved down south for college. I now have a Bachelor Degree in Psychology, a less than fulfilling office job, and a wonderful network of friends, including a great boyfriend, that have all kept me in Southern California for over five years now. All of that, and still something was missing. I had fallen into the "America Way"; work, eat, sleep, repeat, repeat, repeat. That is not to say that there weren't good parts of life, but I wanted more.
I had seen multiple volunteer agencies in my internet based travel searches, but most of what I found was teaching English, and other humanitarian efforts and they all seemed to be appallingly expensive. If you have researched other agencies, you know what I am talking about. While I am a people person, I felt that I really wanted to spend my volunteer efforts with animals. So I narrowed my search, and found to my excitement, that there are actually quite a few agencies that will let you get down and dirty to help save the world, one animal at a time! The next problem that I came across was that many of these projects required a significant time commitment, and I had that not so fulfilling office job to take into consideration. I could only get away for a two week commitment. After quite a bit more research and consideration I finally signed up with uVolunteer.
From the very start, Nat, the uVolunteer Director, was a great source of information and comfort. He put up with my seemingly endless emails full of questions and generic rambling and always replied in a friendly and timely manner. By the time I left, I felt like I knew someone there, which is a great comfort when you are traveling across a foreign country by your self.
Before I knew it, I was at the airport, on my way towards what would become one of the most amazing experiences of my life thus far. Twelve hours, one book and three time zones later I arrived at my hostel in San Jose, exhausted and missing home and my boyfriend so badly that I could hardly talk with out tearing up. I quickly found out that my trusty cell phone had no intention of working for me at all in Costa Rica, and I had to call home using a computer and a friendly fellow traveler's Skype account (I would suggest either creating a Skype account or getting a calling card when you get to Costa Rica, they are both very affordable ways of calling home). The next morning my adventure to Samara continued as I got a taxi to the bus station. Let me just preface, when traveling in other countries, it is always advisable to abandon all expectations of timetables and be sure to bring enough music and reading/writing materials to keep yourself occupied. Due to all of the rain that Costa Rica had received (and continued to receive throughout my trip) there was a massive landslide and my 5-6 hour bus ride turned into 9 ½ hour bus ride.
By the time I reached Samara, and the volunteer house (casa de bamboo) I was so exhausted and emotionally drained. Through all of the emotions that I had experienced that day, and the day before, I felt a wonderful relief and instant feeling of comfort here with these people. I felt amazingly alive, and filled with an excitement for what was to come next. There was Nat, and his Samara members of staff, and there were two other volunteers there that night. I remember eating and talking with every one there and learning stories about the area and where everyone else had come from. I slept so well that night, I truly felt at home.
The next morning I met an Irish girl named Etain, the other volunteer that would be going to the Turtle Project with me. I had done a lot of research and thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for. Nothing I read could have prepared me for everything that I experienced over the next two weeks. The first surprise came when I found out that in order to reach the beach the Turtle Conservation project was located, you have to walk/swim across a river. This particular river has been known to be a crocodile habitat (although search as we did, we never saw one). Remember all that rain I mentioned earlier? It turns out that rain was our saving grace. The river was too high and too powerful to swim across, so we got shuttled across the river one at a time in a kayak.
Living quarters at the camp are certainly rustic. The downstairs is all open, with no walls. There is the kitchen area and also a large table where everyone eats and hangs out during down time. The sleeping quarters for the volunteers is upstairs, several sets of bunk beds line up on the right side, next to the open part of the wall, giving an amazing view when you wake up from the top bunk. There is a separate shelter with an open sink for teeth brushing and hand washing, as well as a stall with a shower and another stall with the toilet. The two hatcheries are located right out in front of the camp area.
By the second day living at Playa Buena Vista, I felt like I was home. All of the volunteers that were out there, from uVolunteer and other agencies became friends, and the guys that work at Playa Buena Vista full time are inspiring. Roy is the project Director at Playa Buena Vista, and he is a great guy. It is amazing to look around and realize that he built everything there. When he first went out to that beach, there was nothing. The turtles nests were being poached, and animals and tides were destroying the eggs that were missed by the humans. He created this project that now houses volunteers year round and helps to make sure that thousands of baby turtles get their chance to make it to the open ocean. Talk about something to be proud of.
I am not going to sit here and detail out every moment of my experience at the project because no matter what I say, I won't be able to convey what an amazing impact this place had on me. Also, I feel that it is a disservice to you, future volunteers to fill your head with exactly what it will be like. No matter how many times you visit someplace, each time you have a different experience. There is no way that you are going to be able to go down to Playa Buena Vista and have the same experiences and memories that I did. I still encourage you to sign up and go. You will have your own wonderful adventure, and create all of your own amazing memories, and you will continue to provide the assistance that this project needs to continue to help save the world, one clutch of sea turtles at a time.
I am going to sign off by saying that the only thing that I regret about my trip, was that it was only two weeks. It is amazing, I feel like I have left such a huge part of my self down in Costa Rica, and yet I feel more whole now than I did before I left. That is the sign of a worth while journey.
If you are considering signing up for this project and you have any questions at all, about the project or about uVolunteer, please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to answer any questions, or even just chat with you about what ever is going through your mind as you consider jumping into this adventure. I look forward to hearing from you.
Katie Blixer
