Alpha Fiver - Camaronal update by Ollie Carmichael and Emily Pullan

From wild horses to enormous spiders, Boa constrictors to incessant ants, curious crocs to temperamental turtles, it is fair to say that Alpha Five are enjoying a ‘wild’ time on Camaronal Beach.

After a sweaty bus journey followed by two nights under a temporary tarpaulin roof, we settled into our newly built jungle camp and felt immediately at home. At this point it is worth including a brief caveat: never trust weather men called Julian who claim that there is a less than 1% chance of rain – we did, and got rather wet!

The tumultuous downpours on the first couple of days may have dampened our sleeping bags (actually totally soaked them) but not our spirits as we proved that Rome can indeed be built in a day (or two) with the construction of a simply ‘pimped out’ jungle camp to rival them all. It must be said that it is rather disconcerting and blatantly annoying when Basher beds choose to break in the middle of the night but fortunately we have now rectified this.

Basher beds...

Camp cuisine...

Some may claim that every road leads to Rome but on Camaronal Beach, every path leads to jungle camp. This is because we have been brandishing machetes, swinging spades and raking furiously in an attempt to build the one and only path in the area. We have even managed to try our collective hand at building steps to great avail, so from a laborious point of view we have had a very successful week.

At night when the townsfolk are tucked up in bed the turtles come out to play. Apart from the fact that if we are honest, they are not really playful animals. The egg laying ritual goes something like this: they heave themselves up the beach at night heading towards a light source which seems to entice them. They then enter a trance, dig a hole, deliver their ping-pong ball-like eggs into the hole and then head off back down the beach and out to sea. To witness this natural phenomenon and then carefully dig up the eggs to prevent them from being taken by poachers is a privilege but there are many nights when you wander about in the darkness and nothing happens. Thankfully, Mother Nature distracts us with another display: the most stunning night sky, complete with shooting stars that any of us have ever seen.

One downside of living on the wild side is that Raleigh rations hold little excitability factor and we are able to predict every meal. Even so the ‘Pork & Beans’ have gone down surprising well, but I doubt we will still be so enthusiastic having consumed three crates of them during our ten weeks here. As a result one of our favourite pastimes is discussing the meals we are missing from back home. What we would give for a bacon butty or a diet coke right now! In fact crisps, biscuits, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, any kind of meat, oh and fruit and veg are what we crave. Maxi Bodega will record a huge rise in profits during changeover!

Valentine’s Day on Camaronal proved to be a steamy experience. An exchange of gifts was followed by romantic serenading (Tico style) under the canopy of a starlit sky. A magical night.

Everyone in Alpha Five undoubtedly agree that we are having an incredible time on Camaronal Beach. We have all pulled together to work hard and play hard and feel really rewarded as a result. Working with the turtles has been an unforgettable experience and the beauty and serenity of a mother laying her eggs under a starlit sky is a memory that will remain with us forever.

Next: we catch up with Alpha Eight in Nicaragua