The Adrenaline Bundle – Part 2
We rose super early today and headed over to the Cloud Forest for a guided tour. It was really good and informative, the guide had bird calls on his phone to try and attract birds he could see flying around. It worked too. It was most interesting to discover that most of the forest was actually reclaimed farm land. A nice opposite to countries like Madagascar. We continued with a canopy walk; a series of metal bridges that take you through the trees giving you unrivalled views of the rain forest from unusual angles.
The Cloud Forest concludes with a garden where hummingbirds are encouraged to visit flower like feeders. If you’re patient, one will land on your finger to drink. You can feel just how much power they have as they take flight moments later.
We had breakfast, could’ve been rice and beans but not sure, before the second part of our adrenal bundle. The longest zipline in Latin America awaited. It was awesome, you do a few short runs to get the feel of it and learn how to brake and most importantly, when. As you head upwards, the cables get longer and faster. Eventually, a buggy picks you up and carries you up to the final two runs where you can change your harness and fly like Superman. It was one of the greatest feelings I’ve experienced, up there with swimming with a turtle off the coast of Gili T, my tandem parachute jump and driving a steam train. Simply incredible and the views were breathtaking. I had my GoPro filming the whole time and I’ve cut the footage down to a few highlights below.
The ziplines end with the option of a Tarzan swing. I happily agreed to this before I really discovered just what was involved. You walk out on a bridge over a clearing in the tree canopy below and get clipped onto several ropes and chords and butt you up against a metal gate. At this point I was terrified, I have a crippling fear of falling, not heights, just falling. I had hoped the aforementioned parachute jump would’ve cured it but it really, really didn’t. I tried to chicken out but I was being cheered on by my fellow travellers below and my Wife had clambered down a steep walk just to watch me too. The gate opened and I guess you are supposed to jump, something that appeared all too easy for everyone else. I just kind of leaned forwards and somehow defied gravity for a split second, like Wil-E-Coyote when he has walked off a cliff and not noticed yet. I did enjoy what happened next, despite screaming like a little girl. You simply fall a short distance before the ropes and chords catch you and you swing in a high arc back and forth until they bring you down to Earth. It was highly exhilarating and I have no regrets; other than having to trek some way back up a hill.
Unfortunately, shortly after this I managed to do myself an injury and had to sit out of the rest of trip, but that’s another story. I hope to one day return to Costa Rica though, I never did get a proper look at a sloth and everyone I met there was incredible.
Technicalbob 