through the trees and over valleys. There was also a 100 foot rappel down through the canopy of the strange, huge trees and a thing they called a tarzan swing. The tarzan swing was basically a pendulum where they pushed you off a platform and let you swing through the forest until you slowed down a bit. But don't worry, it was all very safe as this pic of the government tested rubber tire tube that was clearly meant for this exact purpose.
Hilarious. Actually, they were quite safe and professional. The last zip line was the longest one and they gave you the option of being harnessed in the rear so you could look down on the valley as you sped across it.
This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, so far. I have seen a lot of cool things, had some great experiences and met some killer people but there was something really unique about flying through the air above and between thick jungles. At one point I went on a shorter zip line and went past a howler monkey that growled a bit, just to make his prescence felt. He was only 20 feet away and really shocked me. Supposedly howler monkeys are quite goofy and silly but I was definitely in his territory and not in my own element. The guides chuckled at the look on my face and asked if the monkey scared me. They did not believe my answer that it only suprised me, most likely because I didn't believe me. The tarzan swing was a favorite of the entire group and it was very fun to hear some very primal emotions. Once the guides hooked you in they pretty much did not give you a warning and pushed you off the platform. There was a split second fall before you started swinging through the forest. It was at this point that most people screamed in terror and soon after started laughing uncontrollably. The more primal the emotion, the more we all sound alike. I was the first person to go off the swing and had a good view of all the people drop as the rest of the group follwed me. I truely enjoyed the swing in emotions of my fellow zip liners as much as the rope swing, itself. Later on in the afternoon, one of the guys from the group and I went to the Santa Elena Reserve and hiked for about 4 miles through the rain forest. The pics don't do it justice because this place was so thick with vegetation.
I can not imagine getting lost in a forest like this. I think I would just lie down and give up. It was so disorienting and impassable that it would take you three days to go 1 mile and you would most likely go in circles. There are tons of birds with some really strange sounding calls that make you feel like you are just about to get bombarded by some strange predator. I truely felt like I was on another planet.
The next morning I was off, in a mini van, going over some ridiculously beautiful terrain. This part of Costa Rica got it the nickname of 'Switzerland of Central America', which is a terrible nickname. I understand the idea, the terrain is very lush, green, dramatic ridges and beautiful pastures with good lookin' cows (seriously, first cows in C.A. where I couldn't see their ribs) but the land is so different. Anyway, after an hour and a half I hopped on a boat across man made Lake Arenal which had the famous volcano of the same name at the far end.
Another mini van into La Fortuna, on the east side of the volcano. Volcan Arenal is one of three majorly active vocanoes in the Americas. The others are Pacaya, which I hiked to in January, and the volcano in Hawaii. Or at least that's what the guide told us. The volcano is almost always shrouded in a cloud which makes seeing the eruptions more rare than common. It does peek its head out at times, but you have to be patient. I went on a hike through the rain forest near the base , up to the side of the volcano, into an observatory but the clouds never lifted. It was really cool to hear the eruptions though. Apparently this volcano does not have a steady flow, but a more random belching of lava rocks that come barrelling down the side of the mountain. You hear an explosion, then loud crashes that get softer as the big rocks break up bouncing down the mountain. The hike was great as the guide told stories about how he climbed the volcano many times although it is illegal to do so. He didn't seem to be too worried a bout his safety which made me question his ability as a guide but we all got back safely, for whatever that's worth. After La Fortuna I hitched a ride down to San jose with these 2 guys from the States and England, respectively. The drive was incredibly beautiful through these high altitude farm towns. The temperature dropped into the 60's from the high 90's in a matter of 30 minutes. The little towns were great, including this one with a crazy town square that was ruled by pot smoking teens, both literally and figuratively. These shrubs and hedges are proof of the latter. Back into San Jose for one last night in Costa Rica and off to Panama in the morning.
